Used 2009 Hyundai Sonata Consumer Reviews
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A good surprise
I have driven Camrys for the past 10 years so it took quite a leap of faith for me to purchase a new 2009 Sonata Limited. But after comparison shopping there was no contest. I got a great deal on my Sonata (especially with the $3000 rebate on 2009 Sonatas), the dealership could not have been easier to work with (I run from high-pressure sales folks)and the car I bought has a lot of very nice features, including a V-6, leather interior, sunroof, great stereo and a very nice, quiet ride, plus excellent warranties. For the same price I paid for a new Sonata with all those features I would have had to buy a used Camry, Accord or Altima (and right around 2007 or even 2006 for the same features.)
Great Car
I have 10k miles on my Sonata. I have not had the first problem. MPG is great. Even with my wife's heavy foot, the car still gets 24mpg in town and we get 32 on the highway loaded down for a trip going 70mph. My GLS did not come with the auto on/off headlights but you can still leave the headlights turned on all the time and they will go off when you turn the engine off and remove the key. If you have BMW taste then do not consider this car. But if value means more to you than people judging you by the coolness of your car, then the Sonata is for you.
- GLS PZEV SedanMSRP: $4,495108 mi away
- GLS SedanMSRP: $4,888109 mi away
- Limited PZEV SedanMSRP: $6,999228 mi away
To replace a totalled 1998 Altima....
I was renting a Sonata GLS that was thru the insurance for 30 days as my car was totaled. I was impressed with the car and since I test drove a 2009 Sonata GLS for a month, I talked myself into buying a Sonata Limited 2009 w/o Nav. I paid $4375 below factory invoice that includes the 3000 rebate. Driving experience- suspension could be better, but no biggie. Everyone talks in the reviews of great MPG (30-34) on highways. I have not seen much written about city MPG. Mine is around 19-20 MPG in City driving which is not that impressive. Hope it improves as the car just finished the break in period. On freeway it is 30- 32 and as soon as I get off the ramp it drops to 20-21 in just 10 miles.
Great value
Just finished a 6K mile trip out west. The car performed great. Got between 28 and 37 MPG. The 28 was doing a steady 81 with AC. The 37 was doing around 55. Couldn't have asked for more of 175 horses. I enjoyed the trip. The car was quiet, and we enjoyed the radio and music using a memory stick.
Too early to tell....
Honestly, I just bought the car for an UNBELIEVABLE price. My out the door price was almost $2000 UNDER invoice! This included tax, tags, title....everything! I wanted to get an '08 4-cyl. because of the $3000 rebate they were offering, but no one had any left, so I "settled" for an '09 for a few hundred dollars more. I'm really glad I did. I love the new interior compared to the '08's, and the extra horsepower and better fuel economy are just added bonuses. I'm used to the old days of smaller cars with better fuel mileage, but the Sonata doesn't do bad for a mid-size car. If it's anywhere near as reliable as C******** R****** says it is, we should be enjoying this car for many years.
Confident Purchase
Out of the blue decided to trade in my aging 1995 BMW 525i for the Sonata. While the '08 models sharp exterior styling initially caught my eye, the only 4 cylinder models in stock were '09s. The spacious updated interior truly feels classy and the 'fake' manual mode let's you play a little. Acceleration is lacking and gear changes clunky, yet justified by your last refueling receipt. Great gauges and wood trim throughout. Upholstery is bland but practical. Although innovative, integrated USB/AUX ports suffer from compatibility issues (ie. iPhone support). Overall, best value for the money, if you can live with a goofy 'H' on your grill.
Hard to beat the Hyundai!
I'm a 45 year old "conscientious consumer". I drove the Accord, Camry and the Sonata. They are all great cars. I'm convinced if they were to take the labels off the cars you could not tell the difference between them. I opted for the Sonata for two reasons; the warranty and the price. I paid $21,300 for the limited package with mud flaps, moonroof guard, rubber trunk liner and mesh trunk bag. You can't touch a loaded Accord or Camry for that price. Through 5 tanks of gas I've averaged 27, 27, 28, 27 and 27 MPG per tank. After 2,500 miles I'm very satisfied with my purchase and would challenge anyone purchasing a mid-sized sedan to drive the Sonata. It provides the best overall value.
My 2009 Limited Sonata V6
Well, I have only had my Sonata 3 weeks. After trading in my 2002 Altima. I am very please with the design of the car in and out. I love the amenities. For the price I got my car for I could not pass it down. The car has a very soft ride which I had read about. But not too bad. Car engine seems much better in Shiftronic mode than in normal drive mode. Can't write much at the moment since the car is still pretty much brand new.
Outstanding Sedan
I have purchased 15 new Japanese cars since 1978 - Mazdas, Nissans and Mitsubishi. This is my first Korean car. I must say that I am very impressed with the Sonata compared with the many Japanese cars I have bought in the past. Fit and finish are excellent, mileage is amazing (24.5 in the city, 34.5 on the interstate at 80MPH with the air conditioning). Many more standard features than most other brands and far less expensive. Most comfortable sedan I have ever owned. The warranty is far better than any Japanese manufacturer's. After 3800 miles, I've had no problems whatsoever. Although I've only owned the car for 3 months, I highly recommend the Sonata.
Highly Impressed
This is our first Hyundai. Just brought it home Monday, 7/28/08. Only 112 mi so far. Beautiful Ebony Black w/silver pinstripe. The roominess, the power, the dash layout. Hyundai really paid attention to detail. We looked at all the others Nissan, Toyota, Ford & Chevy. The Sonata beats the pants off all of them. We also recommend the steering wheel audio controls & the power seat. Ours also has the light control group. This is an Outstanding Automobile. There is no nicer car for the money. We didn't know that the Sonata has been around for 20yrs. You have to drive this car! Will add more after its broke in.
To replace 98 chev lumina
Just took a 2500 mile vac trip and had good millage thru out. Total ave. was about 29 mpg. I was disappointed with the harsh suspension due to the narrow profile tires it has. You do feel every pot hole. The drivers seat should have more back travel for leg clearance to exit from the car. The arm rest could extend forward a little farther for comfort. The blue trip scan gauge is very hard to read when lights are not used during the day and it is real bright out side. Color should be either orange or green. Slight hesitation on acceleration is very annoying.
Midsize comfort - compact price
Traded a '02 Elantra for a '09 Sonata. Nice step up. Got a great deal on the Sonata. It has every thing I wanted in a car. 4 cylinder performance is adequate. Of course more power would be nice but why sacrifice the fuel economy? I rented or test drove nearly all the competition and found the Sonata, all things considered, to be as good as any of them. When I factored in the price and warantee, the Sonata comes out ahead of the competition.
Even more amazed...
Following up an initial review, I now have 10,500 miles on the car after returning from a 2500+ mile trip to Ohio in December. Needless to say,we experienced a mix of terrible winter weather, including freezing rain and snow, and the anti lock brakes and stability control performed flawlessly; this car is safe, stable, stops and handles great under all conditions. I deliberately slammed the brakes on on a deserted road covered with several inches of snow over ice, and the car stopped without swerving or fishtailing at all. I never wished for more power, even on long mountain upgrades, and the mileage was 28-30 mpg overall.
Great purchase
My first new car. Read a lot of reviews. Had a great deal (rebate) + winter tires and other free goodies. Had it for 5 months and nearly 10k km on it. Went on a trip to Boston from Montreal and the car ran perfectly well. Very comfortable and roomy. Gas mileage on road is greater than expected. Bit disappointed for city mileage though. Had a burned tail light and the small door speaker unglued itself on the first month but got them fixed right away. No biggies.
Wow What a Car
Just bought the 2009 Hyundai Sonata 2 weeks ago after owning a 1996 Camry for 10 years. I can't say enough about this car. I recently went on a road trip and was getting 35 MPG at 80 MPH. The exterior looks like a more expensive model and the interior is nice too. Wish I had upgraded to the sunroof though.
Hyundai Rocks
Excellent car so far. Extremely smooth ride, transmission, and very responsive 4.25 mpg city so far. Soaks up bumps very well here in Chicago (city of potholes). Seats very comfortable and gives the driver good driving position. Has everything I want except bluetooth. Love the new interior that feels like a Lexus. If you are looking for Accord/ Camry you must look at this car as well. I believe it is just a better car plus its thousands less with hell of a warranty.
Not Much Wrong with this Car
Less then 1400 miles, one of the first things I did was change the air filter to K&N, seeing 23 MPG in town, on the road I don't know yet but some mixed with mostly town 26. More than enough pick up to get out of the way and starting in 1st. Very roomy, good seats and driving position, wish the seat bottom was a little longer but on any car I do. Easy to read gauges, very strong brakes and great audio system. Of course the best warranty in the business doesn't hurt. Easy to get the steering wheel where you like with both tilt and telescopic. Wasn't really that hot about leather or the moon roof but I'm finding I was quite wrong.
Only Superlatives
I own a Santa Fe so i knew the quality that Hyundai offers for the money. The Sonata is an exceptional value compared to the Accord and Camry costing 6-7K more. The fit and finish rival that of Lexus. Despite reviews to the contrary, the car is actually fun to drive and quite peppy even with the 4cyl. The night display is phenomenal with the blue and white lights. The surprise bonus - high gas mileage. I actually got more than 35 miles per gallon on the highway but going little over 60 and keeping a steady foot.
Surprised by Hyundai
The Hyundai Sonata really surprised me; the ride is fun. I have a 2009 sedan 4 cyl. It is a beautiful green color. I previously owned a 2005 Honda Accord 6 cyl. auto. which was loaded. Unlike the Honda, I do not see one at every light. The feel and drive of the car is excellent. I cannot tell the difference in the drive of the Hyundai and the Honda Accord. I am averaging close to 30 miles on open highway. it take curves the same as a Honda, which is great. It drives drives great. I am looking forward to taking it to South Carolina.
Sonata - Best choice
I researched and shopped intensively trying to decide between Camry, Accord and Sonata. Ignoring price I found the Sonata to be the best of the three. When you factor in price it's a no brainer. I bought the Sonata GLS 4cyl two weeks ago and am 100% happy with my decision plus I walked away with an extra $5k to spend on other things.
2nd review, still learning
All good, finding new things on this machine every time out. Found take off in automatic a little hesitant but not used to drag race, so ok. Did a little research anyway reading tech data. It makes since to me why now. Drive train is made to get max fuel economy w/fare amount of horses. Using same 3.3L v6 added cvvt, new injection system boosted HP and MPG + Shiftronics all new f/2009. Trans has special valve to somewhat control RPM surge in auto mode manual side no valve 1st geared lower. You control RPM's. Better jump, don't hit car in front. Good f/ city driving. Also car has timing chain not stupid belt. Traction control is great when rain puddles on hiway.
great car.
I bought my GLS 4 cylinder with a 5A transmission last July and haven't had a mechanical problem with it since. the dash looks beautiful with a nice LED blue lighting. the audio system is great with cool features such as ipod and USB integration. Electronic Stability Control comes standard on all models, and one can turn it on and off. ESB only comes available on higher level Camrys and it is always on. I can go about 450 miles on one tank of gas. Overall, for the money, I couldn't be happier.
very impressed
Love the smooth and powerful 4 cyl. Most impressed with the new interior design and quality. This vehicle matches toyota and honda in all respects for significantly less money.
Steering problems
After less than 1000 miles the car started pulling to the left on any road or highway which isn't perfectly level. Speed doesn't matter-at low speeds the steering wheel make a 45 degree turn to the left, on highway I can merge into the left lane by just letting go of it. Took it to the dealership 4 times, alignment is ok, rotated the tires but still no difference. Dealership checked with Hyundai if this is a known problem and said it isn't (?). Of course, they say they can't do much more than that. Never had this problem with my 2 chevys and 08 Santa Fe on the exact same roads. Obviously, this car has suspension and steer design flaws. At least mine is a smooth and quiet ride on any kind of street.
Overall, pretty great.
I like most everything about our new Sonata. The (PE) Popular Equipment package, for about $600 extra, makes the GLS pretty nice, w/pwr seats, woodrgrain interior trim, radio controls on the steering wheel, trip computer. Somehow the advertised price of $14k went up to $21k by the time I got out the door (service contract, taxes, extras like floor mats) even tho I qualified for the $3500 rebates.
Great Buy
I considered all the other makes before making this my final choice. I bought a base 4cyl with base options except bluetooth. Everything is standard!!! Unless you got to have leather and sunroof etc etc..you can not beat the deal!! Even if you bought the top of the line limited your still ahead of the other makes. Car has plenty of power. Great gas mileage. Rides smooth and quiet. Build is superb. Only 2 minor glitches is headlights cast a weird line due to the projector headlights and motor has gotten louder since new but not something i would rush to the dealer for. Do your math and for 18K...good luck finding better priced in the same field!
replacing my toyota
I purchased my Sonata after looking at Nisson and Honda and the best buy for the money was the Sonata. I have a heavy foot on the gas and still get 32 mg on the highway. The best I ever got from my Toyota was 29. The warranty is limited you have to read the fine print.
Excellent Car - Excellent Value
We bought this car for my Fiancé to get something bigger than her Mazda Miata and we couldn't be happier. I love the car and some of my previous cars include BMWs and Mercedes. Hyundai really did a great job with the interior of this car. It looks very "Lexus like". The Exterior is great, despite the wheels. My Fiancé still doesn't like the wheels, but they're actually starting to grow on me. I guess it makes it look more European. It also drives great. Plenty of pick-up in the V6. Initially, we were going to get the 4 Cyl, but at the time we got it the 4 Cyls weren't as available as the V6s. I'm now glad we got the V6, and the MPG difference is negligible, plus it has dual exhaust
Luv my Hyundai
OK, I only have the Sonata a couple of weeks but I am very very happy with the car. The power is impressive for a four cylinder and the gas mileage is great, avg 29 MPG all around. That avg is highway and city combined. It has a classy interior that is well layed out and very comfortable. I bought the Sonata to replace an Elantra, 77K miles, that I gave to my son. He needed a car. This is my seventh Hyundai. I traded a Land Rover for a Santa Fe, which I still own. I made a great trade. To date I've had no issues with any of my Hyundai. I plan to look at the new Genesis Coupe when it hits the showroom floor. I got the Sonata at an I can't pass it up deal, $12400 for the GLS automatic.
much better than expected
Just bought my Sonata 5 days ago. traded a 2003 Mazda 6 s. The Sonata has been better than I could have hoped. Nice interior, quiet(except suspension), good stereo and very pleasant road manners. What really has been a surprise is the gas mileage. I used 5.25 gallons for 202 miles. That is better than 38 mpg and it was mixed driving and a new engine. I did have the dealership replace the original oil with synthetic before taking delivery
Love the car
Just purchased a 2009 Sonata Ltd. V-6 w/Navi. Wow what a car! Power to burn! My daughter got a used 2006 GL and I loved it so much I got one. Double the rebate from dealer plus, 1200 more for trade than NADA plus, other discounts. I feel like I stole the car.
Great car Low price
I have only owned this car two days and have driven a little over 600 miles. It is not only fun to drive, but very comfortable. I had no idea Hyundai had improved their cars this much. I have a Cadillac Seville in the garage and this car is on a comparable level as the Caddy and at a fraction of the price.
My 7th New Hyundai
Much improved over 2006 model. I was planning on more power, but NY dealers only sell the PZEV version with 168 HP instead of the 175 advertised all over. Interior is great looking. Ride is very comfortable, yet more sporty feeling. 5 speed transmission should shift at more appropriate times - car feels out of breath going 45 mph under light acceleration when it shifts into 5th. Makes me want to shift manually. TPMS I'm sure will come in handy. I don't care for revised front, but back looks better. Mileage has been between 27 and 29 mpg per tank with 30%+ heavy city driving (will improve once I add K&N filter). There is no more key hole for trunk - must use remote or latch inside car.
Great Car fot the $$$
Drove the Camry and Altima, the Sonata gives you the most for the dollar by far. For 1-2 grand less the the other cars, you get leather interior, xm radio, moon roof, individual temp controls and excellent interior trim and alloy wheels. Entertainment controls on the steering wheel. Not quite as quick as the Altima off the line, but adequate power (my last car was a turbo) Huge trunk. The oil filter is on the right way so when change the oil, you won't get an oil bath (surprising how many cars have the oil filter upside down) Smooth ride. I didn't experience any suspension noise going over bumps and highway speeds were just great driving. Dash is well laid out with easy to find controls
Love driving this car
The V6 engine on this vehicle is a blast to drive. Very responsive, smooth, and with a nice exhaust note. The transmission adapts to your driving style. The sport-tuned suspension is another big plus. The safety features can't be beat and with pretty much all options is still thousands less than Toyota or Honda. Long term reliability remains to be seen but build quality seems first rate and the car is very roomy both front and rear. The warranty was also a factor in the purchase just hoping I won't have to use it much. Mileage is excellent on the highway (30+) but city is not so great (19-21) but that might be due to my heavy foot.
Sonata Update
Have had this car going on 6 mos now. Have a little over 3000 mi. Have not had any problems to date. I was waiting to update my review until I had driven it in the snow. It did not disappoint me. The traction control & ESC seem to do just what they were designed to do. And the Shift Tronic feature is helpful, so you can use engine braking to slow the vehicle down on slippery roads. This car continues to impress me. Im averaging 32-33 mpg. If I get "Sporty" and use the Shift Tronic a lot. I'll drop down to 26-28 mpg. I honestly cant think of anything I don't like about it after 6 mos.
Entry-level lux at a great price
After 40 years of stick shifts, I was ready for a car that was comfortable and fun to drive. While not a performance car, I still look forward every day to my 50-mile round trip commute. In fact, it seems short now, since I enjoy driving the car so much. It's had no problems and I expect it to be reliable for many years. I have about 11,000 miles on it, and the ride is smooth and quiet.
Great Car
I have purchased GLS Automatic with convenience package. I have only driven 600+ miles. Very smooth, quite and comfortable ride. Great acceleration even better brakes. Lots of room, and two child seats can be easily moved to over-sized trunk. Great visibility and very very good gas millage. The only complain from passengers(wife)is that passenger seat is too low and lacks vertical adjustment. I have tested Camry Accord and Sonata. For the money and based on initial drive comfort going with anything else is throwing money away.
Bumps along the road.
After looking at the Sonata, Camary, Accord and Malibu on paper the Sonata appeared to be the best bang for the buck. Little did I realize that the bang would be felt over every bump in the road. There is a bad engineering flaw with the suspension of these cars. I do not know how anyone could be satisfied with the ride of a Sonata. I wish I had taken a longer test drive. I am stuck with a car that sounds like the shocks bottom out over every little bump in the rode.
Good but not a great car
I have owned my Hyundai Sonata for only two weeks and have approximately 600 miles on it. My overall impression thus far is that its a good car, not great, and its not up to the overall standard of the Camry in some important respects. Right off the showroom floor the ride is stiff and I feel every bump in the road. If you run over a penny at any speed you can call it heads or tails from the road feel through the steering. This has been the major disappointment. The first tank of gas I got 29 mpg. There is a slight transmission hesitation on the acceleration. In nearly 40 years of driving, the lowest mileage life I had was 125K. I do not believe this one will make it to 100K.
it's ok
Feel bumps on rough pavement. Gas mileage is around 29 mix driving. Transmision is very good. 5sp. Auto. This was the second car they gave me. First 1 failed to start on the second day. Electrical problem and had to get it towed to the dealer
Great Car
This is a great car, but i may not be able to keep it, the lumber support is killing my lower back.... I definitely would purchase this car if the seat could be fixed. I am completely surprised by this car, it is definitely worth every penny.
Great Value
It took about a year to decide to buy the Sonata. After driving 3 Sonata rental cars I was impressed with the performance and tightness of the cars. First impressions with my new Sonata is that it is like driving all over again as far as fun goes. This car is tight, handling is nimble, not like my 2006 Mustang GT but very close to it. The car loves mountain roads, and turnpikes. Gas mileage to the mountains was 29 mpg up and 32 mpg home over 400 miles round trip . Comfort meaning quietness , temperature controls and radio is excellent.The car does have the typical Hyundai road "feel" meaning that you will feel road surface imperfections such as poorly installed blacktop.
2009 Sonata - great car
Just got my 09 sonata. 4 cyl with popular eqip. #2. Interior is very classy, Lexus-like. Wood grain is awesome. Dealer said I got the only cocoa metallic in pa. Still on my first tank of gas. Getting 35 on highway @ 65 mph. I did little city driving, but that seems to be around 30 mpg I am a big guy and I fit comfortabally. I test drove a 09 corolla. No comparison. Toyota dealer acted as if I would be doingthem a favor buying their precious Toyota. They seemed shocked I even wanted to test drive it and could not figure out why I needed to take it on the hiway for higher speed driving. This is my 2nd Hyundai, traded a 2003 Santa Fe with 100k on it.
1st car in years
This is my first car in 10 years. I drove a Grand Cherokee Lorado. Since I drive 90 plus miles round trip to work a day, my husband and I decided with gas pricing soaring we need a vehicle with better gas mileage, but for a low price with high performance and the Hyundai Sonata meets all our needs. I had my mind made on Powder White Pearl with Coco(charcoal gray) interior and a 4 cyl. however this was a color combination that was next to impossible to find. I decided to go with Medium silver blue with gray leather interior. I love it. We have put 1299 miles on our Sonata since May 31, 2008. No problems so far. I enjoy driving it.
Great deal for the money
I've got 1,300 miles on the car and so far it's been great...... lots of room inside and a huge trunk. I'm 6'6" and fit in the car well. XM radio and sound system very good. My only complaint is the car seems to ride a little hard, bumps are jarring and there is road noise even with the correct air pressure or a little lower. I rented a Sonata a few months ago on vacation which got me interested in the car in the first place, but don't remember this hard ride as an issue. I think the '08 Accord ride is smoother, but at a much higher price. I wonder if anyone else has found the ride to be an problem.
Fantastic Value
I'm a 3 time Accord owner who switched because I saved $4,500 with the Sonata. What a value! Only sacrifice is in a bit of road feel handling - the Sonata is equal or better than the Accord in every other way. Ride is definitely smoother/quieter - a great highway car! Trip computer makes me a more efficient driver - 26 mpg city, 34-35 highway. Great safety features, including stability control, which was a requirement. Fit/finish, seating and interior space is wonderful, and all the standard equipment makes me feel like I've bought a luxury car. XM radio is fantastic, nav system is terrific. Styling is generic but classy. I drove about 5 other cars, but after 3000 miles, no regrets!
Sonata V6 Limited
I have had the car since 12-21-08 and am very pleased with the fit and finish. The performance is very good and I like all the standard features that are extra on many other models. The heated seats are appreciated in the winter weather. Great car for a road trip. Very good value for the money.
first(but wont be last)Hyundai
Hyundai. really? This co. has stepped up big time. after months of research it was a no brainer. After hearing accolades after accolades about this brand and this particular matter, i did my own real world comparisons. Better value than the "Cam-Cord", Smoother than the Mazda products and Lexus type interior(oh for under 20k) u kidding me?? and seriously i was trying to talk myself out of purchasing my Limited but after driving the comparable cars back to back there was an obvious choice ( i did love the 2009-10 Mazda6 but for 10k more, forget about it!) oh and Hyudai has this 10yr/100k mile warranty thingy, too just to throw in. not to worried about resale cause i keep my cars 4ever.
Last Sonata for me
The car is decent on smooth roads but is no fun to drive on city streets that are not smooth as a table top. Too much suspension noise. When going over road patches and other road irregularities, the rear wheels/suspension make a noise that sounds like something is loose and the body is bouncing off the struts. Very embarrassing to have friends in the car with all this noise. All the dealer will say is that the stiff suspension is the cause. I say Nonsense. Also the radio on the AM dial has much static. Also the speakers are very poor sounding.