2008 Hyundai Sonata GLS

Summary:

Good Value

Faults:

None, despite this being purchased used.

General Comments:

This is a previous rental car and I paid 62% of what I would have paid for if I got a brand new one. Spacious, very nice ride and it handles well. Fuel economy is good on freeway. I am able to get 5.9L/100KM, driving at 105 KM/hr (60 mph). The cloth they used for the seats aren't very good quality and so is some of the plastic. You should be able to get a 1 to 2 year old one with a very good price as the North American car rental companies are releasing them to the market.

I expect Hyundais' future resale values to go up as the company's products are improving. They are currently in the same position as Toyota in the 1970s, consumers will soon realize their quality and be willing to pay for more.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th July, 2009

5th Dec 2014, 12:05

It is 2017, and I am now doing an update on this car. Currently I have 171,000 km on this car.

Here are the problems I have encountered over the years.

2012, the sun visor was broken. I purchased one on eBay and replaced it.

2013, one of the power seat controllers is not functioning well, but I can live with it instead of spending a few hundred dollars to fix it.

2014, check engine light came on and disappeared.

2014, airbag light came on, again I ignored it.

2014, fuel pump failed, had to replace it. Major $$$$.

2017, oil pan leaked, replaced.

2017, alternator failure, replaced.

Update: 2018, power window regulator replaced.

Update: 2019 A/C no longer working

2008 Hyundai Sonata SE 2.4 gasoline

Summary:

Economical, spacious, but not at all sporty

Faults:

This car is ugly inside. The design of the dashboard sucks.

The handling is not superb.

The seating position is too high and the car has too much body roll.

The seats are not stitched properly, and the stability controls switches off whenever it feels like.

Also the car is too long and it's hard to park.

I will never buy another Hyundai.

General Comments:

On the good side, the Sonata accelerates pretty quick and braking is awesome. It has a lot of standard features for the price, and it's very good on gas. I get 26.7 average miles per gallon.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 13th December, 2008

15th Dec 2008, 13:23

What did you expect out of a family sedan, a sports car?

20th Dec 2008, 21:33

You should've noticed all this during the test drive. Sounds to me you just don't like the car. Should have done your homework.

28th Jan 2009, 12:05

Sounds like you just don't like the car. Did you even test drive it first? By your criticism, it sounds like you didn't. Your expectations seem quite unreasonable. You are alone on this one.

29th Jan 2009, 16:08

If you dislike the Sonata you must HATE the Camry.

20th Feb 2011, 19:25

The car is too long and hard to park? How old are you?

2008 Hyundai Sonata 3.3 V6

Summary:

Love it - would recommend it! Great value

Faults:

Absolutely nothing.

General Comments:

I have only had this car for 1 week and I love it. It is such a smooth quiet ride you can't even tell if the motor is running. Having previously owned a Grand Prix 3.8 V6 I like the power of the V6 3.3. Sonata and its quite comparable.

The sounds system is great and I absolutely love the moonroof/sunroof. All in all I think this is a well built vehicle and I am very happy with it so far.

I have recommended it to all my friends.

Will review again once I have had it a bit longer.

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

Review Date: 31st October, 2008

2008 Hyundai Sonata SE 6 cylinder

Summary:

Very nice car - great value for the money

Faults:

At this point in time nothing... also had a 2004 Sonata and it was trouble free.

General Comments:

Car is a good value, and can compete with the best of the Japanese imports.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th June, 2008

2008 Hyundai Sonata V6 Limited 3.3

Summary:

Underpowered and has a "boxy" feel

Faults:

Plastic floor board screw cap broke at 2500 miles.

General Comments:

I purchased this 2008 Sonata limited because the car looked sporty and comfortable. Unfortunately, after driving the car for 5,000 miles, I'm in the market for a different car already.

The engine is definitely underpowered for the weight of this vehicle. Even though it's a V6, the torque is horrifically slow and sometimes you have to press the gas pedal to the floor in order to get some power. The seats are not that comfortable even though they are leather. There is no cushioning in the seats.

The sound system is very good with XM radio and the Infinity Speakers. The ESC (Electronic Stability Control) seems to be active because sometimes in wed conditions, the light will blink on and off to let you know that it's working.

I average about 18mpg for city driving.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 4th May, 2008

11th Jun 2008, 14:12

I hate to break this news to you, but the V6 Sonata is actually a fast car by today's standards. 0-60mph in I think 6.5sec. That's quick! Why it might feel slow is that the transmission shifts very lethargically, making it feel unresponsive. It definitely needs a quicker, more abrupt shifting transmission. That would increase the feel of performance a great deal, more like the European cars I've driven. The Sonata transmission shifts more like American cars of 10yrs ago.

Nonetheless, it's a lot of car for the money by today's standards, and is proving to be better built and more dependable that most comparable American cars, and even some Japanese cars.

2nd Feb 2011, 12:48

Agree with previous comments: You must have owned a Porsche 911 previously, because this car hauls ass. Top speed is 140 MPH, and is faster than Police Interceptors...

One thing with many injected cars - you have to step into the throttle pretty deep to open up the intake fully - if you have short legs, or are used to having the seat way back, you may not be applying full throttle.