The Hyundai Sonata, introduced by Hyundai back in 1985, is currently on its 8th generation. It was introduced as a facelifted Hyundai Stellar, however, due to poor market response, it was yanked in less than 2 years. Over time, the Sonata became a powerful alternative to the popular Accord and Camry. Offering a well specd, yet cost effective alternative mid-sized daily driver.
While the Sonata has been around for a while, they have Hyundai has always tried to throw everything into it for it to stand out. One such technology is the Adaptive cruise control. Introduced around 2015, the Sonata became one of the early adopters of the Adaptive cruise control.
The Sonata Limited offered a whole host of features – leather, ACC, the panoramic sun roof and some versions actually came with Android Auto. This was the 7th generation or LF which stretched from 2014-2019. It was given a facelift in 2017
I personally liked the spacious and airy cabin. It provided a good amount of light and there was enough room to comfortably fit a 6′ 3″ 300lbs person.
Engine: The performance was nothing to write home about – the 2.4L I4 pushed out around 185bhp, which did move the 3000+lbs car efficiently, but like I mentioned earlier, nothing to write home about. IT however did give it a fairly decent MPG rating of about 36MPG. While the EPA has rated the engine at 28/38, real world conditions give the car an average of about 36. My 2014 camry gives me only 29 on an average, and even on long drives gives me about 30Mpg. My benchmark is my 2016 Passat S which actually gave me about 500 Miles on a tank of gas. I was might impressed with that trip, but the Passat ended up becoming my baseline for fuel efficiency for non-hybrid cars.
While the Hyundai’s have been around for a long time, brand value and recollection have them languishing with “perceived problems”. There was a recall issued for the sun-roof mechanism, while cosmetic, can, from experience, break while on the freeway causing a serious concern. Other than that, there have been a few issues reported with cold start noise- an issue attributed to the tensioner on the timing chain; certain issues with parking lights and a few other cosmetic issues.
The nice thing about the Sonata, being a Hyundai comes with a 10 year 100,000 mile drivetrain warranty (For the 1st owner) which, when passed onto the 2nd owner is 5 years and 60,000 miles. However, components are not very expensive and being a mass-market brand, volume helps bring component and labor prices down.
The model stayed pretty much the same with a few cosmetic changes in 2017. The biggest change was that android auto / car play became standard across all the trims. Which I think is a huge improvement, and a first in the market in its segment.
The next generation or the DN8, introduced in 2019 debuted as MY2020. The eighth generation Sonata uses a new third-generation architecture and showcases Hyundai’s latest “Sensuous Sportiness” design language which was first previewed by the Le Fil Rouge concept. The styling is less conservative and more pronounced compared to the previous generation. It now sports a fastback-like shape, and features driving lights which run all the way up the hood and full-width, C-shaped taillamps. The interior has been redesigned significantly as well, with an optional 12.3 inch digital cluster and 10.3 inch center screen
Standard features on every 2020 Sonata include Advanced Smart Cruise Control (ASCC), Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Automatic High Beam Assist, Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS), Lane Follow Assist, Driver Attention Warning, LED headlamps, LED daytime running lamps (DRL’s), LED tail lamps, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. New features available for the first time on the Sonata include an NFC Digital Key, Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA), Around View Monitor (AVM), a 10.25-inch (10.25″) navigation infotainment system, a 12.3-inch (12.3″) LCD instrument cluster display, a Bose premium audio system, next-generation Hyundai Blue Link technology and a color heads-up display. Trim levels for the Sonata are SE, SEL, SEL Plus and Limited.
The safety system, which comprises three radar systems, five cameras and thirteen ultrasonic sensors, allows for driver-assist features such as standard adaptive cruise control, forward-collision braking and lane-following assist.
Overall, the Sonata, is an excellent value for money vehicle providing a reliable and feature rich mid sized sedan that is economical and affordable.