2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Try it before you buy something else! Great car

Faults:

No issues.

General Comments:

This is truly a wonderful car. Personally, I think the body style is much nicer than the Camry or Accord. I've had several Honda's and one Toyota. Overall very good cars. The Sonata is every bit as good in overall construction, ride, handling and performance, maybe better.

I was a bit skeptical about buying my first Hyundai, but I'm so glad I chose it over the Toyota or Honda. The overall build quality and attention to detail are evident. Also, the car feels rock solid and quiet at highway speeds. Even with the four cylinder I have no issues with power. The interior materials also appear to be of a higher quality than the other two.

Other cars owned over the years include Mercedes and several Volvo's. Before you spend your dollars on a Honda, Nissan or Toyota, at least take a Sonata for a test drive. I'm betting you will be impressed.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th February, 2009

6th Jun 2009, 17:24

I totally agree with you about comparing it to the Honda, Nissan, and Toyota. I also have the same car. To me, the Sonata is very close to Nissan, Honda, and Toyota, but with a better warranty. And I love mine.

9th Jun 2009, 22:01

Original poster. I now have almost 14,000 miles on the car without a problem. Car is quiet, no rattles, and rides incredibly smooth at highway speeds.

19th Jun 2009, 08:36

I rented the Sonata for many times and it remains to be my top pick at the Avis counter. Sonata is an excellent sedan. So good, that I just bought one. I have driven Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. They all have different pros and cons. I picked Sonata because (1) the base model already comes with quite a bit of bells and whistles, (2) best value, I will worry about resale value later :D, (3) long warranty.

17th Aug 2009, 01:06

I recently purchased the 2009 Sonota GLS AT. I can only say that I has not disappointed me one bit. Owned a VW Passat previously, which is a great car, but with a very high cost of ownership. I get a lot of compliments on the car and it's styling. Drove the Camry before purchasing and I really don't see much difference in handling and performance. Overall very nice car for the price. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a car without paying a premium for a name badge.

22nd Sep 2010, 18:36

I purchased a used 2009 Sonata GLS 4cyl that had been a corporate fleet car. At $12.5k for a car with 15K miles on it, I got a quiet, safe, comfortable sedan for my family, and there is still 45 months and 45k miles left on the factory warranty -- that's more than Toyota's full 3/36 warranty on a new Camry.

This is my 2nd Hyundai, and probably won't be my last. Their current cars are built well, and are rated well in safety tests.

2009 Hyundai Sonata Limited 2.4L 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Excellent

Faults:

Nothing yet.

General Comments:

The car does not look too modern but I don't mind. Over all fit and finish are excellent. Ergonomics are also excellent, very similar to Camry and some places are even better.

Performance is adequate but I have not pushed the engine yet since the car is in break in period. I had no trouble getting up to speed on freeway or passing other cars. Mileage is excellent. I drive mostly on highway and get 35.5 miles per gallon on average. It drops a lot in city driving but that is to be expected.

Ride is great. It is a bit louder than our 2008 Camry but not by much. Camry's V6 is silky smooth and quiet and Sonata's 4cyl has to work harder. Over all ride quality is excellent, very relaxing.

Transmission shifts smoothly and timely, somewhat better than V6 Camry. This contributes to a great ride. I would imagine that V6 Sonata would be even better car but mileage was important to me so we went with 4Cyl. So far I am not disappointed.

Sound system on Limited is great, I especially love the feature where you plug USB stick and it will play songs on it. XM radio is great and car comes with free 3 months subscription.

Seats are comfortable but leather does not feel too luxurious. Personally I don't like leather and thinking of throwing something over the seat. It feels too hot in the summer.

Cabin is very roomy with good head room and shoulder room. Cabin appointed very well at least on Limited model. I feel it is much better than our 2008 Camry.

I like how user manual describes maintenance procedures in detail. It seems to be do-it-yourself friendly and I like that a lot.

Over all I am impressed with 2009 Sonata and love the car. If it proves to be at least as reliable as the Subaru it replaced I will be thrilled. Way to go Hyundai!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 6th September, 2008

6th Sep 2008, 20:32

The 4-cyl Sonata will be noisier than the V6 Camry. I have a V6 Galant, which is quieter than the 4-cylinder version, also because it's revving lower at a given speed. Just the nature of a V6. I've driven the V6 Sonata, it's pretty quiet.

9th Sep 2008, 23:08

I'm so happy you like this car. My wife and I have been looking to dump our piece of crap Chevy Impala, and she wants a Camry. The company I work for uses Camrys as their employee vehicles and I HATE them! I personally have never been impressed by them. I'm trying to consider the alternatives and I really like the look of the Sonata, plus I hear it's quite the value. Thanks for the review!