2003 Hyundai Sonata Review

Name: 2003 Hyundai Sonata Review
Brand: Hyundai
Price: 679 USD
Rating: 4.7 (194 reviews)

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Edmunds' Expert Review

by the Edmunds Experts

Pros

Excellent warranty, stylish sheet metal, pleasant highway ride, lots of bang for your family-sedan buck.

Cons

Noisy four-cylinder engine, some cheap interior bits.

What’s new

After receiving significant upgrades last year, the Sonata receives only minor changes this year. Among these are a battery-saver feature (in the event that any of lights are left on); illuminated window switches; a 12-volt power point in the trunk; and electronic, rather than cable-operated, releases for the trunk lid and fuel door. Additionally, Hyundai announced that it had misstated the horsepower ratings for all of the models in its lineup in previous years, so the Sonata's four-cylinder is now rated at 138 horsepower (down from 149) and its V6 is rated at 170 (down from 181), though the engines themselves are unchanged.

Edmunds says

If you're willing to take a gamble on a noncachet brand name for your midsize sedan, the Sonata just may pluck at your heartstrings.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2003 Hyundai Sonata 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.36 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio

$178/mo

$176/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

Calculate my fuel costs

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2003 Hyundai Sonata.

5 (78%)

4 (15%)

3 (6%)

2 (1%)

1 (0%)

4.7

194 reviews

Write a vehicle review See all 194 reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

Great Car

asetechcarter, 05/04/2013

2003 Hyundai Sonata 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)

I see all these people writing bad reviews on this car because they did not maintain the car! What is wrong with people these days???? Complaining about a timing belt as a repair? Come on people... That is just called maintaning your car!!!!! if you can not afford a tune up on a 4 cyl Hyundai you should not even own a car!!!! These are great cars if you take care of it!! Trust me i am an …

A Great Ride

drecor, 04/21/2012

2003 Hyundai Sonata 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)

I bought this car in 2004 with 34,000 miles on it. Since that time it has gone everywhere and through every type of road and hazard imaginable. I have replaced, I don"t know how many tires and about four or five sets of brakes and two timing belts. I've given very little engine care other than two tune-ups and oil changes every so often. The car has stopped on me twice. Once when a …

The best sedan I have ever owner

chinatown, 08/10/2011

2003 Hyundai Sonata GLS 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)

I bought this car used, with 23,000 miles on it. We took a 1500 mile trip shortly there after. It averaged 28 mpg. I change the oil every 3000 miles along with other routine maintenance. etc. It now has 130,000 miles on it and recently experienced brake chattering. The pads have been changed several times, but never the rotors. Well as it turns out the rotors were as smooth as a baby's …

Wish every car was like this

bigtex71, 03/28/2014

2003 Hyundai Sonata GLS 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)

This week my 2003 will see its 260,000 mile, and I will say goodbye to it after 11 years of loving this thing. I'm a big tall guy and never felt cramped driving this car. In its first few years it had acceleration that rocked. And even today as I drove it to the wash, I am amazed how smooth it runs, with very little maintenance over the years. The few problems I've had were it seems to …

See all 194 reviews of the Hyundai Sonata

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2003 Sonata Highlights

Trim:

Base

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$15,499
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	20 MPG
Cost to Drive	$199/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	14.1 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Key safety features on the Sonata include:

Alarm

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Driver4 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Side Barrier Rating
OverallNot Rated
Driver4 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front SeatNot Rated
Back SeatNot Rated
Rollover
Rollover5 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of RolloverNot Rated

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Not Tested
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Acceptable
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Poor
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Not Tested
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Not Tested

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2003 Hyundai Sonata Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2003 Hyundai Sonata 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.36 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.}

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2003 Hyundai Sonata.

Trending topics in reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

Great Car

A Great Ride

The best sedan I have ever owner

Wish every car was like this

2003 Sonata Highlights

Safety

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2003 Hyundai Sonata Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2003 Hyundai Sonata 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.36 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.

Most helpful consumer reviews

Great Car

A Great Ride

The best sedan I have ever owner

Wish every car was like this

2003 Sonata Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2003 Hyundai Sonata info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Hyundai

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2003 Hyundai Sonata 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.36 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.}