Hyundai Sonata

The Hyundai Sonata is a family sedan by the Korean manufacturer. The Hyundai Sonata is larger than many smaller compact cars to accommodate at least two if not three people in the back seat. The Hyundai Sonata is classified as a large car by the EPA but competes with many compact cars.

History

The first generation of the Hyundai Sonata came out in 1985 as a replacement to the Hyundai Stellar. That version was withdrawn after two years due to poor sales. A second generation of the Hyundai Sonata came out in 1990. The third generation came out in 1993. The fourth generation was released in 1998. This was the beginning of the EF series. That version shared the platform with the original Hyundai Santa Fe compact SUV.
The fifth generation came out in 2004. This was the first Sonata to be built in the United States, at a plant in Montgomery, Alabama.
The sixth generation came out in 2009. It is mechanically related to the Kia Optima. The hybrid version of the Hyundai Sonata is built on this platform and came out in 2010.

Design

The Hyundai Sonata is larger than then Hyundai Elantra. The Hyundai Sonata comes in a number of trim levels and designs. The Hyundai Sonata uses the FF layout.
The basic version is the SE. The next version is the Sonata Sport. The Sonata Eco comes with a more efficient 1.6 liter turbocharged engine, providing the power of the sport with the fuel economy of the SE. The 2.0T models have a 2.0 GDI engine with 245 horsepower. The Limited is the highest trim level.

Performance

The Hyundai Sonata gets an average 25 miles per gallon in the city and 37 miles per gallon on the highway. The Sport 2.0 version with a more powerful 245 horsepower engine gets 23 miles per gallon on the street and 32 miles per hour on the highway.
There is a separate hybrid version of the Hyundai Sonata. The hybrid version gets 37 miles per gallon in the city and 40 miles per gallon on the highway. That design combines a 2.4 liter engine with a 30 kilowatt electric motor.
The 2015 Hyundai Sonata received good ratings in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests.
There was a 2009 recall for 2005 through 2008 Hyundai Sonatas due to problems with the brake light switch.
There was a recall for 2012 and 2013 Sonatas because of potential problems with the airbags.

Price

The 2015 Hyundai Sonata SE new started at around $21,000. The Sport came in at roughly $23,000. The Sonata Eco was a few hundred more than that. The Hyundai Sonata Limited cost around $26,500. The Sport 2.0T cost around $28,500 new in 2015. The most expensive version was the Limited 2.0, priced at $33,500 to start.

Rivals

The main rivals to the Hyundai Sonata are the Mazda 6, Honda Accord, Volkswagen Passat, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, and Kia Optima.

Trivia

The sixth generation of the Hyundai Sonata and later generations are called the i45 in a number of international markets (outside of North America).
Some of the third generation Hyundai Sonatas featured a different fascia and was called the Marcia.
The hybrid version of the Hyundai Sonata reached 20% of the total US sales for the Sonata in 2011. It rivals the Prius in sales.