1997 Hyundai Sonata Base review from Guam

Was running great.. till I overheated it... had to have the heads resurfaced and sanded since they warped under the heat, also had to get a new radiator and water pump.

Starter went out at about 97000.

Both rear windows don't roll down. Suspected to be the window motors.

None of the passenger window switches work. The driver is the only one who can control the 2 windows that do work.

Brakes and clutch make clicking noises. Started in the late 98000 mile area.

Clutch went out at 97500.

Has a gas problem currently. Only 12 miles to the gallon..: (Spits black smoke out the exhaust at idle sometimes, and at higher rpms (3.5k +) a storm cloud forms.

Cooling fans stopped working. Although motors are still good, but does not cool off radiator.

Gauges paint started to wear. Looks like a mosaic type design now.

Auto door locks only work on rear doors.

Its my first car. Its decent for a 4 cylinder. I've out raced civic dx models. 1st through 3rd gear have good amounts of power, but 4th gear can't make it up hills of more than an 30 degree incline.

Handling isn't anything special. Make sure you run on good tires. I was only going 50 around a medium curve and started to slide outwards.

Ride quality is good. Absorbs bumps pretty well. You feel them, but you don't bust your ass over them. Very roomy interior. Trunk space is very adequate.

Overall looks of the car isn't all that bad, although it looks like a variation of the honda accord of the same year.

Overall its not a bad car at all. Even with all the abuse I put it through and the overheating, it still ran well. I just need to fix the AC and get a damn cd player in it. If you aren't looking for anything too flashy with decent ride quality and aren't concerned about power, then it's a good car for you. If you're looking for luxury or power, stay away.