“Solid mid-size contender for commuting”
If you want to buy a good car for daily commuting, you can’t do much better than this Sonata. Reliable, fuel efficient and pretty cheap to operate makes this an easy choice. We bought this car new in 2012 and currently have just over 91000 miles on it. This is the base model GLS with only 2 – 3 options - most, if not all of the important features you need are standard. I would recommend this Sonata to anyone needing a good, reliable, commuter car. There are many choices such as Camry or Altima but Sonata offers more features and a better warranty for less money. Build quality is equal to either the Camry or Altima also. This has been a very reliable and inexpensive car to operate. Only one warranty repair has been needed in 91000 miles and that was for a faulty cruise control switch inside the steering wheel. It took 3 tries and two different dealerships to repair it but they finally found the problem. Total cost = $0 and they gave me a loaner so no biggie. In addition, I consistently get good gas mileage; typically 31 – 32 MPG in congested commuter traffic and at least 37 – 39 MPG on the highway doing approx.. 55 – 60 MPH with no stop & go. If I had to name any issues with the car, it would be: 1) the car rides too rough, 2) the seats are too firm and 3) the OEM tires were too noisy. At 50000 miles, the factory tires were replaced with Michelin Energy Saver tires. An instant 100% improvement in tire noise, but only a 25% improvement in ride quality. I test-drove a 2011 Sonata and it rode rough also and I've read other reviews where other drivers have said similar things so hopefully the new 2015/2016 Sonata has fixed the rough riding problem. If I had to recommend this car to anyone, I would. It is a very good value – a well-built, reliable car.
Recommended