Used 2016 Hyundai Sonata Consumer Reviews
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2016 Sonata Limited 2.4 L all options
Mike, 07/11/2016
updated 07/15/2019
2016 Hyundai Sonata Limited 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
149 of 150 people found this review helpful
I bought the 2016 Sonata for myself and my wife got a 2016 Camry XLE a week earlier. I'm very familiar with both. I'm glad I got the Sonata, I prefer it over the Camry (more comfortable, quieter) and my wife has been driving Camrys since 1994 so I know that car well. There are many things that I don't use but I knew that going in. The moon roof is only usable at night or late in the afternoon due to the sun. The lane departure warnings (where the car watches the lines in the road and beeps if I cross them) is annoying most of the time but I have not turned it off just in case. The blind side monitor is great (the outside mirror lights up if someone is in either blind spot) and if I use the directional signals while someone is in my blind spot, I get a warning. Dynamic cruise control is of little use to me because if the traffic is that heavy, I don't want to be on cruise control anyway. So why did I pay for so may things that I have little use for? To get the what matters most - automatic emergency breaking. That's what is supposed to stop the car if someone stops in front of me and I don't see them or if a kid runs in front of the car and I don't see him. My guess is that within 10 years AEB will be as mandatory as seat belts on all new cars. I like a big car that moves over the road with no noise and I got that with the Sonata. It's not rated as a large car but it feels that way to me. It's hard to believe that this has a 2.4 liter engine. The car moves as effortlessly on the highway as 5 liter V8 cars that I've owned. I drove this for a month in Phoenix over the very nice freeways that they have during low volume traffic (weekends, etc). Those people seem to have one speed that they all drive at (80 mph) and the Sonata did that with no wind or road noise and the tach was hovering at about 2200 rpm. Mixed mileage is about 30 or 31 but if I keep it at 65mph on the highway, I'll get around 40 mpg. The GPS is a little better than the one in the Camry but giving it directions by voice is a hit or miss proposition and to type a destination, you have to be stopped. Mine has memory seats which is great if on a long trip and my wife does some of the driving. I have it set so that the seat does NOT move back when I turn the car off. All in all, this is probably the best car I ever owned and I'm very particular. Update after 9 months: I still think this is the best car I've ever owned. Some things I missed during the first review - the emergency brake disengages automatically when I shift out of park and the outside rear view mirrors tilt down when in reverse to show the road. Update after 21 months: Still think this is the best car I ever owned. Update after 39 months: No changes to my earlier comments. I've driven 2018 and 2019 versions of the Sonata and did not like them as much. The ride is not as quiet and smooth. It almost seems like they changed the suspension in the later models. Not sure if I'd buy one of these newer models.
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What a Value
Brian, 08/28/2016
updated 09/07/2021
2016 Hyundai Sonata SE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
60 of 60 people found this review helpful
I bought a 2016 SE to replace my totaled 2013 Outback. I have had the car for 3 weeks and have 1500 miles on it. So far it has been great. I was initially attracted to the car due to the value. I received 5k off MSRP and was out the door for less than $20k. The only other midsize car that I could have gotten for a similar price was a VW Jetta and the Hyundai beat it in almost every way. In no way do I feel I compromised by not going with a more expensive midsize sedan (Accord, Camry, etc). The only feature that we did not get in this car that we wanted was heated seats (3k more to get the trim/options just to get the heating seats). Everything else we were looking for was included in the SE. 7 inch entertainment system with bluetooth/android auto, steering wheel controls, keyless entry, alloy wheels, and the best warranty out there. The car drives very smooth and was completely comfortable on a 800 mile road trip. I cruised at 80 with no issues and returned over 35 mpg on the trip with about 50 miles of heavy city driving thrown in. Car is quiet and smooth. The entertainment system is very responsive. The bluetooth syncs faster than any other car I have used. Rear seats have more space than the outback (we have very large car seats that fit just fine). Hopefully it proves to be reliable. Update: It has been five years and 40,000 miles and our Sonata has been trouble free. It is still comfortable and have had no regrets about the purchase. We are seeing about 27 mpg is mostly city driving and 35+ on the freeway.
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I like the car very much.
Ken Dranchek, 05/07/2016
updated 12/27/2017
2016 Hyundai Sonata SE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
38 of 39 people found this review helpful
Purchased new Sonata; Silver, SE in March 2016. Now have 4000 miles on the odo. Replaced OEM Khumo Solus tires with Continental TrueContacts at 900 miles. Transformed the car's ride and handling, much quieter, as well. I'm using the manual shift mode with the auto setting on sport which increases the steering effort. Downshifts from 4th to 3rd are sometimes abrupt. I'm accelerating more aggressively, though not revving past 4500-5000 rpm. The engine is quick and smooth with no hesitation or flat spots. Still haven't floored it 100%. Not sure what the Edmund review meant by "unrefined engine". Changed the break-in oil and filter at 3200 miles; the oil was very dirty. Using Mobil 1 Full Synthetic with factory oil filters and will change both every 5000 miles. I check the oil every week and the level is exactly the same each week. Debating whether or not to install a K&N Oil Screen engine air filter. Will continue to search the web to see if anyone else has done so. The radio switches back and forth from regular to HD on weaker stations often, very annoying. There doesn't seem to be any way to reset the sensitivity level or manually select or or the other. I listen to my Ipod most of the time anyway. I will NOT continue the satellite radio or the On-star. In fact, I placed a piece of electrical tape over that annoying blue light. Getting 30.4 mpg in mixed driving. Using Sunoco regular octane exclusively and Techron fuel system cleaner every 4th tank. It's quiet, comfortable, rides and handles very well. It's a good looking car, too. Overall I really like the car. Despite the traffic and crappy Central Pennsylvania roads, it's fun to drive. Looking forward to lots of trouble-free miles.
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Hyundai Sonata ECO- The Fastest Sonata of them All
oldeczecho, 12/06/2016
2016 Hyundai Sonata Eco 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
18 of 18 people found this review helpful
Prior to purchasing my ECO I saw a review about this car on line. I called two dealers and they had no idea what I was talking about when I said I wanted to read test a Sonata ECO. The third dealership I called said they thought they had an ECO on the back lot. It was a 2015 ECO and it was quite dirty, as it had not been moved or driven in many weeks. Anyway, we took it on a road test and my wife and i were impressed with the spaciousness of the interior and the trunk...huge. The car rode smoothly and handled well for a huge sedan and the brakes felt very good as well. The salesman explained the three modes of the 7 speed dual clutch automatic transmission, similar to the type found on Porsches and Ferrari's...Normal, ECO,and SPORT. Normal and ECO modes made the Sonata drive like any other midsize 4 cylinder car, but the transmission super quick shifts made the car seem quicker. Then I selected SPORT mode...and holy crap! this car flew off the line, actually spinning the front tires when the turbo kicked in at 1500 rpm. I have seen road tests from Car and Driver where the ECO hits 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds and does 92 mph in the quarter mile. Needless to say, I ordered the 2016 ECO and I have not been disappointed. My previous car was a 2003 Toyota Corolla. This Sonata is literally twice as big on the inside and the trunk is 50% bigger. Front seat legroom is amazing...I can fully extend both legs while driving. And the electric seat offers many adjustments. Gas mileage around town is 3-4 miles per gallon more in the Sonata compared to the Corolla. A recent trip upstate with 4 full size adults in the car gave 34.5 miles per gallon. Buy a 2016 ECO before Hyundai does something stupid and decreases its performance, because it is much faster that Hyundai's 2.0 turbo that has 75 more horsepower and costs many thousands of dollars more than the ECO. And, my ECO is still not yet broken in, with only 3700 miles on the odometer.
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Above Competition
Andrei, 03/26/2016
2016 Hyundai Sonata SE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
76 of 81 people found this review helpful
I am spending 2.5 hours every working day in the car: to me it is not choosing "just a car", but a second home and office. I have invested a lot of time in selecting a new vehicle. Each one of us has different criteria when selecting a vehicle. My top ones were: 1. Ride Comfort 2. Quietness on a highway 3. Ability to absorb road imperfections 4. Android Auto/Apple Car Play as a lot of paid options become unnecessary with personal assistance of the these tools and navigation/online music and talk shows. Here are the reasons I did not buy competitors: Accord EX (pros: awesome screens and interior quality, nice open layout, camera on the mirror, handling; cons: suspension is on the stiffer side, road imperfections are quite noticeable). Altima (pros: the most comfortable seats; cons: engine noise, no Android Auto(AA)). Fusion (great car overall, but the cabin layout is claustrophobic, rear seat room is the smallest, no AA). 2016 Malibu (looks awesome, but the ride is on a somewhat stiffer side, interior is simply "fine"). Camry LE (everything is in place, but it lacks Android Auto/Apple Car, which serves as a live personal assistant during the trip, smaller screen. It falls behind in technology equipment). Sonata is the car where all my stars have lined up: it has definitely the smoothest ride of the bunch, the car irons out all the cracks in the pavement - you do not feel them nor hear them. Sonata is the quietest car on a highway - no tire noise, no wind noise, it feels and rides like a luxury car, even though I got the entry level model without a single option. Cabin layout is very open, you constantly "feel" spaciousness especially with the light interior (light gray or beige). Sonata has a very confident handling, and there is absolutely no "floatiness" as you would normally feel with softer suspensions. Entry-level model comes with the most equipment compared to the cars above: nice 7" HD screen with lots of features (XM data - traffic, weather), high-quality HD backup camera, AA works perfect, seats are comfortable on my long rides, and the price tag is unbelievable if you know how to negotiate - very low 18,000s. The sound system generates an unexpectedly good sound quality - it is not what you would think to get in a "stripped-down model". Paired with the cabin quietness the sound is very good. If you choose very nice options like panoramic sunroof, heated/cooled leather seats and a plethora of safety/electronic features, adaptive cruise control, super stereo system - prepare to pay at least 50% more. In my case - it was not worth the extra money, but everyone is different. Paired with 5 year full/10-year powertrain warranty and very low maintenance costs this Sonata SE is my perfect choice to be my 2nd home/office for the next 5 years.
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Gave Hyundai another chance!!!!!!!
Chad Walden, 09/03/2016
2016 Hyundai Sonata SE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
18 of 19 people found this review helpful
My first Hyundai I bought in 1993. This was my first car ever. It was a 1993 Hyundai Excel GS. After a 6 months of having the car I begin to have trouble. The check engine light came on. When I pushed the clutch in the car shut off. After several trips to the dealership, the cause was the ground wire to the engine had broke. Well by then I didn't want the car. I said that I would never purchase another Hyundai. Well I was wrong!!!!! I was looking for another car due to a my 3 year old kicking my seats in my 2007 Volkswagen Jetta. My heart was set on a 2014 Toyota Camry. Well I was introduced to the 2016 Hyundai Sonata. Let me tell you!!!! This car is crazy!!!!! Hyundai did their homework and research! Excellence is all I can say. I really am enjoying this Hyundai. I hope and pray nothing happens to it but if it does, I will buy another one. Too may awesome features to name. GREAT JOB HYUNDAI!!!!!!!!!
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Great value!
Steve F, 11/05/2018
updated 11/08/2021
2016 Hyundai Sonata SE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
In the mid size sedan entry, it really came down to the Sonata or the Camry. I chose the Sonata because it was more aggressively priced than similar Camry's. I was not disappointed. Mileage on a recent trip was 39.8 mpg! Comfort of ride was my top priority; and this mid sized sedan rides like a full size sedan. It's not a "hot rod" and you're not going to blow anyone off the line with it; but I don't care about that. For me , a great value! Vehicle is six years old now, and still rides great with no mechanical issues. I would absolutely buy this car again, and I'm now completely sold on Hyundai.
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Comfort, bells and whistles but still cheap
Gaius Gracchus, 02/08/2016
2016 Hyundai Sonata SE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
47 of 53 people found this review helpful
If you are after a vehicle that has a lot of space and nice features - like a backup camera, adjustable passenger seat (height, too!), automatic mirrors, etc., for a low price, you may consider the Hyundai Sonata 2016. It has tons of passenger room and the seats are pretty comfortable. The turning circle for a car this size is great (much better than the Accord, for example). It also has a surprisingly quiet ride and is not too bumpy. However, Hyundai still does not know how to make a good engine. When you start your car in the morning, it rattles and taps like an old sewing machine. After a bit it quiets down. Also, at a stop when you are idling, it will start to vibrate a lot. It sometimes seems to shudder upon acceleration or even sometimes coming to a stop. Thankfully it has a good warranty, but if you do not follow the maintenance rules exactly, they will void your warranty in a heartbeat. It is probably best to get them to do the oil changes, even, so that they can't say you did not do it properly. Hyundai is notorious for trying to bug out of honoring their warranty.
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Really great car, with one hiccup.
Doug, 04/28/2016
updated 05/04/2020
2016 Hyundai Sonata Sport PZEV 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
22 of 24 people found this review helpful
Updated, after a year: We spent several weeks researching and test driving different cars before deciding on the Sonata, and then at the last minute saw the value in bumping up to the Sport model with sunroof and other goodies at a bargain. Overall we're very impressed with the car. It feels luxurious and solid, and a quiet ride was an important thing to note as we test drove cars. Turned out though that after all that testing and deciding, we didn't actually test drive the Sport model before we bought it, thinking it was basically the same car as a standard Sonata, just with a sunroof. But now I know the Sport model comes with different low profile tires which makes for more road noise than the standard Sonata. Still, this is quieter than most, and reviews online say that it will lose more road noise with updated tires. The stock tires get really bad reviews. After a year, I now know that what I feel as a slight dancing of the front wheels at cruising speed (compared to my well-tracking heavy full-size truck), probably will not go away with new tires. It's due to the electronic steering system, compared to a hydraulic steering that most cars use. Rather than a smooth rotation of the steering wheel and tires, what I feel as I make slight corrections at freeway speed is nothing, nothing, then too much. This is something you have to drive the car a while to notice, and on really smooth roads it's more noticeable. I didn't notice it on the short test drives. If you look up this issue specifically, you'll find forum discussion about it. There are three different settings for the steering that the dealership can change in five minutes. It's normal, sport, and something else. I had it changed once, to sport I think, and didn't notice a difference. My wife doesn't notice it at all--or just thinks it's normal, so I haven't messed with it again, but plan to try another of the settings when we take it in for the next oil change. Android Auto has a lot of cool features--like GPS and Pandora, but it's really clunky that the phone must be plugged-in at this stage of Bluetooth technology. This is primarily my wife's car, and she simply doesn't bother with it, so those features are lost to her. There are now a couple small squeaks that are from the surprisingly tight fit of the interior. For example, there is no gap between the dashboard and pillars, and I suspect it's this tightness of fit where I'm getting squeaks. As I do in my truck, I'll eventually locate the noises and slip cardboard or something in as a washer between squeaking surfaces. Again though, of everything we looked at, the Sonata really stood out. It looks good, is small enough for a daily commuter, but comfortable and roomy for a long drive, with spacious and comfortable rear seats--which was in fact the first thing I looked at, by sitting in the back seat first. At the rate my wife drives, this car will last well beyond the average. While I originally knocked fuel economy--because our average was coming in under 30, it now runs around 30, 32 on road trips, which is closer to the rated mileage.
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Im leasing this car
David Cutich, 07/07/2016
2016 Hyundai Sonata Limited PZEV 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
I love it. I upgraded from an '09 Ford Focus so honestly this is a huge upgrade. I got the Limited package with the tech package. Its amazing. It rides well, the entertainment package is awesome, the infinity speakers are great, I love the ventilated seat and the heated seats. The heated steering wheel is a cool feature. The sport mode tightens the steering up and it handles like a dream and it nicely adds a little get up and go. The ECO mode adds gas mileage while going down the highway. The normal driving mode is a nice drive too. I love this car and it was between this and the kia optima with the tech package. I loved both cars and they are both on the same body but I got a better deal on the Sonata for a lease. They honestly handle the same and amenities are the same, however I did like the Harmon and Kardon speakers a little better than the infiinities. But, Im confident in the Sonata and the features are great. I would definitely lease another one after this lease is up. If you're on the fence between this and anything else, pull the trigger you wont regret it. Especially if you are coming from a car like the ford focus or some other compact car. The space is literally uncomparable. I could fit 2 Ford "Foci" in this car. (Obvious hyperbole, kinda)
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