2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

Rating from ATL Commuter

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"I commute 100+ miles a day, have been driving hybrids for 8+ years. When it was time buy the new commute car there were more options available than just the Civic or Prius. After looking at and test driving several different hybrids I settled on the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. I like the sporting styling but performance and value are what were the final decision points. The price was lower than the competitions base model so I was able to upgrade to the leather package and still stay in budget. The Hyundai also had a more extensive list of standard features like power seats, premium sound, alloy wheels. The Sonata is a bigger car than the Civic or Prius, which is something I was looking for, being 6'2"-225lbs and spending three hours a day in the Atlanta commute. Performance wise there is not much of a comparision, Hyndai's more powerful engine gives me the ability to maneuver better through the commute and accelerate when I need to accelerate, this car has a lot of pep. The drawback to the pep is of course the economy, I'm getting 40-42mpg highway 36-38 city, this is about 10% lower that my last Civic. I feel it is a fair trade off though for the added comfort and performance. The gas-electric power transition is a little clunky; as this is Hyundai's first entry into the Hybrid market I think they have room for refinement. The good news is that the car came with a lifetime hybrid battery warranty and a lifetime drivetrain warranty so I'm not too worried about it."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Long Commuter

(4)
Comfort:		3 out of 5
Performance:		3 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"This car has been great for the 3 months I have owned it. The seats are a little hard, but the handling, the performance (when both the gas engine and electric motor work together) is impressive for a 4 cylinder, and provides enough power to squeal the tires. =)"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Hybrid Commuter

(4)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		3 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"When I first purchased this car, I was getting 39.7 - 39.9 MPG. Now I am 41.7 MPG and climbing. One tank of gas last 650+ miles. Very quiet and comfortable (I'm 6' 5"). I have no regrets buying the car and would recommend this hybrid to my friend if they were looking for a hybrid. Only negative is that the car is a bit sluggish as it converts from EV to Gas Engine, but one gets used to it and drives differently. I was going to buy the Camry Hybrid if not the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Glad I chose the Hyundai and saved $5K plus."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Car NUT

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"Extra value package adds all the options anyone could want. Smooth quiet ride, great looks, excellent operation of all features."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from New to the Hybrid world.....

(4)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"This car met and so far has exceeded every expectation I have had so far. I love the combined mileage that I get (about 35mpg), the unique styling, and all the creature comforts that one would expect from a vehicle that cost closer to 35K! And to top that all off, I have the industry's best warranty to cover me if I need anything fixed, up to 100,000 miles. Can your Toyota or Honda give you that peace of mind? My Hyundai Sonata Hybrid does...:)"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around

Rating from Framer

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I have about 5,300 miles on this car. It rides well. The purchase price was great compared to other hybrids. There is a rough transition from electric to gas at low speed sometimes, however once you are use to it it is no big deal. I mix my driving city highway about 50/50 and average 42 mpg. I receive better mpg in city if I keep an eye on the ECO gauge. I am a SR so this car has many more features then I need or use but I am sure others will like them all. I did find that the voice activated road guidance system was difficult for me to set up and lost contact under bridges. I do recommend this car for it's affordability, ride and it is the first car since a 1966 candy apple red Ford that people have stopped me to ask questions about it's performance and looks."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Having fun

Rating from Colorado-Chuck

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I have had this vehicle for almost a month now, am very pleased. I traded in a 2011 Elantra that I was pretty pleased with, however, had a good offer from dealer for a trade and was looking to get into a larger vehicle with better mileage. Have not been disappointed. I am averaging almost 38 combined mpg, and that is driving at altitudes between 6000 and 9000 feet. I, like others, was a little concerned with the transitioning between the electric/gas engines, but am getting used to it. Love the interior, comfort, have leather package, no sunroof, std stereo. Only complaint so far is usb port on the ipod does not work, dealer is supposed to be ordering a new part, going on 3 weeks now and had to teach the service advisor how it was supposed to work! The std stereo is only adequate but don't dare broach that subject with the wife (yet). Overall very pleased."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Work

Rating from woman engineer

(4)
Comfort:		3 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"I have yet to see another sonata hybrid on the road, and I don't understand why. It's not much more money then the regular sonata, you can get a better deal on them since they are not popular, and you get great gas mileage... I do mostly highway and I'm getting about 37 mpg. I love filling up much less often, having a range more than 100 miles greater than my last car (a lexus.) As an engineer, I really enjoy listening to the engine and checking the stats while I'm driving. The only negative is that the seat is too deep for me (and I'm 5"5", not short) and I have to use a pillow. Other friends who have Sonatas say they are reliable, I guess I'll just have to wait and see.'m getting used to the exterior styling, which I think is too busy and overdone... but it is aerodynamic and quiet. It sure is prettier than the camry, and more roomy (and faster) than the prius. I'm enjoying this new car!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Owner of two Sonata Hybrid Cars

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"My wife and I are now a 2 Sonata Hybrid family. The first a 2011 base model with heated seats installed by the dealer, the second a 2012 model with the leather package. Both metallic hyper silver. I got the second car because I wanted my wife to have a solid safe car that she enjoyed driving (she put more miles on the hybrid than on her Saturn Aura) and that had an excellent Bluetooth system. I had tried to put install Bluetooth as an aftermarket add-on to her car, but it did not work nearly as effectively as the Bluetooth in the Sonata Hybrid. Safety is important and the Sonata Bluetooth makes it easy to have totally hands free phone use for both calling and receiving calls. In addition, we found that the handling of the Sonata Hybrid was superb with excellent accident avoidance and straight tracking braking. We both like the feel of driving this car. It is also the most popular car with our grandchildren. The ride is very smooth so they can fall asleep in their car seats and the excellent crash rating makes us feel secure while driving our precioius cargo. My daughter drives an Elantra that was made in the US and while the hybrids are made in Korea, my wife and I are pleased that the other Sonatas and Elantras are designed and assembled in the US. I seriously considerred other hybrids, but the Sonata hybrid provides the most driver room and ease of entry of any mid-sized hybrid under $30,000. The 2011 had some low speed hesitation that resolved with free computer adjustments on the first two services. The 2012 started out great. It is economical - with the 2011 I averaged 42+ mpg over more than 12,000 miles in mixed driving (about 70% in the city). With the 2012, I averaged 48+mpg on 2 fillups (almost 500 miles). In summary, this is a very comfortable and safe car that looks good, is fun to drive and is packed with useful technology such as a very effective Bluetooth system."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Hank

(4)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		3 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I purchased my 2012 Sonata hybrid about 4 weeks ago. My mistake was not taking a hybrid for a test drive before buying it. The dealerships here didn?t have any in stock at the time so I test drove the gas model. I?d read about the rough transition going from battery to gas but I figured it was just consumers being overly critical. I was wrong. Mine seems to do it not only going from battery to gas but also during initial acceleration in battery mode as well as low speed accelerating in gas mode. I am totally disappointed with this issue. I may be doing what I thought the other owners were doing, being too critical, I?m comparing my Sonata to my wife?s 2012 Lincoln MKZ hybrid. Hers drives so much smoother than the Sonata does. The gas mileage on my Sonata is not nearly as good as advertised either. I took it on a weekend road trip (about 700 miles total) and actually only got 34.5 mpg doing 65-69 mph. I can?t figure that one out. I really like the car otherwise but am disappointed in the two issues I?ve mentioned."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting