2013 Hyundai Sonata Review

As a mom I think it is very important that I buy a car that I feel is safe, affordable, and reliable. Most mom's are busy running their kids to daycare, school, or after school activities and don't have time to think about car troubles. I had the opportunity to test drive a 2013 Hyundai Sonta and wanted to share my opinion. This car received a 5 star overall crash rating according to NHTSA Crash-Test Ratings.

When I got into the car, I felt as if I had sat down in a high-end luxury car. This car had lots of bells and whistles and many of these features come standard on the GLS model. The car comes standard with a 2.4-liter GDI DOHC 4-cylinder engine with Dual-CVVT engine and an optional 2.0-liter Turbo GDI DOHC 4-cylinder engine. This car had lots of power and didn't hesitate when I pushed on the gas pedal.

This car comes with a 6 speed automatic Shifttronic transmission making it very fuel efficient. It averages 22-24 miles per gallon for driving around in town and 34-35 miles per gallon for highway driving. Your average fuel consumption is 26-28 miles per gallon combined. Of course, these figures depend on your driving habits.

I drove the car for about a day and a half and thoroughly enjoyed driving this car. The car had great get up and go when you pressed on the gas pedal unlike most 4 cylinder cars. I have a toddler and the car seat fit great in the middle seat leaving plenty of room for my two older kids to sit next to him. There was plenty of leg room in the back seat as well, so if you are tall you definitely could ride in the back seat very comfortably. I was able to ride in the back seat next to the car seat and it was a bit tight but I wasn't uncomfortable.

I loved the fact that the controls to the radio, blue tooth, cruise control, and the trip controls were on the steering wheel for added convenience This allows you to use these functions without taking your eyes off the road or reaching across the car to adjust the radio. I didn't have a chance to sync my phone to the blue tooth, so I didn't get a chance to see how phone calls were handled using the steering wheel controls.

I am not sure what model I test drove since it was a loaner and the model information wasn't clearly marked on the car, but the car I drove had heated seats. I didn't try them because it happened to be 60 degrees outside and I had the A/C on in the car that day. However, on a cold, winter day heated seats would have made my commute more comfortable.

When I shifted the car from park, it automatically locked the car doors. This is a great feature that I enjoy because I would never have to worry about locking my car doors in an unsafe area or in an area that I am unfamiliar with. It also unlocked the car doors when you shifted the car back into park.

If your kids are like mine, they love to play with the windows while you are driving. This car enables you to lock the back windows which prevents them from being rolled down while the lock is engaged. Also, it has child safety locks which prohibits your kids from opening the car doors while they are engaged.

I would highly recommend this car to families that have children and want their family to be protected and safe. This car is also reasonably priced for a mid-sized sedan and comes with lots of standard options that would be additional in comparable models. It has one of the best warranties on the market and comes with 24 hour road side assistance.

This car was packed with standard features. In fact, most of the standard features are optional on other car makes and models that are similar to the Sonata.

Standard Features Include:

• Electronic Stability Control
• Traction Control System
• Anti-Lock Braking System
• Electronic Brake -Force Distribution
• Brake Assist
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Advanced Air Bags
• Power Window Lockout System
• Daytime Running Lights
• Heated Powered Side Mirrors
• Keyless Entry
• Air Conditioning
• 60/40 Split-Fold Down Rear Seats
• Power Windows With Pinch Protection
• Tilt and Telescopic Steering Wheel
• Steering Wheel Mounted Audio, Blue Tooth, and Cruise Control
• AM/FM/Sirus XM/CD/MP3 Radio
• iPod/USB and Auxiliary Input Jacks
• Blue Link Telematics System
• Advanced Trip Computer With Custom Settings
• 60,000 or 5 Years Limited Warranty
• 100,000 or 10 Years Powertrain Warranty
• Unlimited Mileage or 7 years of Anti-Perforation Protections
• 24 Hour Road Side Assistance for 5 years/Unlimited Mileage

These features are optional depending on the model of car:

• Rearview Camera System is available on the SE and Limited Edition Model
• Heated Front Seats is Optional on GLS and comes standard on SE and Limited Edition Models
• Fog Lights are Optional on GLS and come standard on SE and Limited Edition Models
• Sun Roof is Optional on SE and comes Standard on Limited Edition Model.
• Heated Rear Seats Comes Standard on Limited Edition Model
• HD Radio with Mulitcasting is Optional on SE and Comes Standard on Limited Edition Model.

I wish I had more time to play with the features that this car had to offer. I only had the car for a short period of time while my vehicle was in the shop being repaired. I drove it a little over 100 miles and I only had one complaint: a huge blind spot that I wasn't used too. This car is bigger than my current vehicle. I was able to use my mirrors to see other cars but I personally don't like relying solely on mirrors alone in order to change lanes. This car doesn't have blind spot sensors on the mirrors compared to comparable models in this class of cars and it isn't an option. Hopefully, Hyundai will offer this option on future models.

Note: I was not compensated for the use of this car or for this review. The opinions reflected in this review are my own and I wouldn't recommend a product that I wouldn't buy or use myself.

I hope that you found this review helpful and that you enjoy your new car purchase!