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This is an old car model that is no longer for sale by the local distributor since Dec 2018.
Editor Review
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Hyundai Sonata VIII 2.0 GLS Sunroof vs Volkswagen Passat 1.8 TSI Highline
06 Jun 2018  |  Hyundai Reviews
The Volkswagen Passat may be better overall, especially in terms of presentation, but the refinement and maturity of the Hyundai Sonata is remarkable.
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HYUNDAI SONATA VIII 2.0 GLS SUNROOF
Softer suspension is more comfortable
Surprisingly refined
Infotainment is dated but cabin is cosy
VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1.8 TSI HIGHLINE
More handsome design
Materials used are more expensive
More powerful and fuel economical
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   Consumer Reviews of Hyundai Sonata VIII
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4.0
 
13 Consumer Reviews
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Comfort
4.0 Reliability
4.5
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Handling
4.0 Features
4.0
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Exterior Styling
4.5 Interior Design
4.0
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Value for money
3.5 Engine Performance
3.5

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govinkumar001
Neutral Newbie
2 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 16-Sep-2021
Reliable and Value for Money Cat B Sedan  Posted on 01 Aug 2022
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Review
Been driving a used 2015 Sonata LF for the past 11 months.

Good:
1. Spacious interior - legroom and headroom plenty for driver and passengers. Rear seats can fit even 4 adults.
2. Boot size is generous and rear seats can be knocked down to fit bicycle.
3. Quiet and comfortable ride. My wife sleeps when on long drives.
4. Good looking sedan and I like that it is uncommon on the roads.
5. Sound system is good and clear, even at high volume.
6. Value for money, car is competitively priced.
7. Fuss free maintenance and reliable.
8. Spare parts available easily and inexpensive.

Bad:
1. Fuel consumption could be better - 10.5km/l to 11km/l. However, I mostly do city driving.
2. Car is heavy so initial pick-up acceleration is not the fastest.
3. Base model has no cruise control, blind spot detection or lane assist.
4. No in-built touch screen navigation system.


Trent895
2nd Gear
8 reviews
106 points
21 forum posts Joined on 08-May-2016
Poor value after face lift  Posted on 04 Nov 2017
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Comfort 2.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 3.0 Features 1.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 1.0
Value for money 1.0 Engine Performance 3.0
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Review
This so-called face-lift version is essentially the same car (pre-face lift) with the same engine, transmission but the price has increased by more than 10k, without any new features. The showroom car had cloth manual seats, small LCD screen, very small 16-in rims which looks ridiculous for such a big car. Side door panels and dash had plastic, brown patterned decor that looked hideous. I have never seen such a sorry looking Sonata cabin. It looks even sadder when parked next to the well-appointed Elantra. Huge disappointment.

What I like
I like my current car more after seeing the new Sonata.

What I do not like
Feels like a massive downgrade from pre-face lift version and yet significantly more expensive.


teomingern
6th Gear
5 reviews
4,188 points
7724 forum posts Joined on 02-Jan-2016
Review after 1.5 years of ownership  Posted on 14 Aug 2017
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
I'm writing this one and a half years after taking delivery of the car in April 2016. I've really enjoyed driving the car, especially on long trips to Cameron Highlands. The car is very well insulated from road and tire noise, and NVH intrusions. It's also very stable at high speeds (160 km/h). While Eco & Normal modes are rather sluggish, once you switch to Sport mode and really step on the accelerator, you get a different beast. Everything has been working well, nothing has broken down and I have not gone back to the AD since. The mileage is now 20,300 km, and I'm about to get it serviced outside.

What I like
Quiet, well-insulated, stable, excellent ride comfort. Just very good to drive really. Not a sports sedan, but an excellent cruiser.

The price of the car of course... but on hindsight, it's far cheaper than anything else since then. $123,999, discounted to $120,999, with trade-in of my old car, the outlay is $111,999. I think nothing comes close in terms of value.

Super spacious, well-appointed interior. Minimalist though, not luxurious.

Ventilated seats are excellent - especially with our increasingly hot weather. I find myself using it almost every time I get into the car.

Blind spot detector is a must-have for me these days. Very useful, very important, especially when raining heavily.

What I do not like
A bit of a clicking sound at the right wing mirror, since I collected the car, I think loose wire or something like that.

Expensive tires - 235/45/18 are really costly...

Beautiful rims - always worried that I scratch them... so far only one very minor scratch.

Fuel economy could be better? Averaging 11.5 km/L over each tank. 50% highway, 50% urban. School-going hours.

Seat leather isn't real leather... probably pleather or something similar and synthetic. Not as soft and pliant but contributes to the seat being firm.

I almost never use the sunroof... waste of money to have it. Looks good, but for what?


MGP17
Clutched
1 reviews
10 points
21 forum posts Joined on 09-Mar-2017
My 4th Hyundai car  Posted on 13 Apr 2017
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 4.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 3.0 Engine Performance 3.0
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Review
Read about it since 2 years ago. Research it for about a year and finally own it. Collected the LF Sonata last Saturday. After 5 days of driving it around the country, I am very satisfied with what I got.

I travelled a good 500km since collected it at 25km to begin with. It seems to have a sense of soft elegance and a good presence on the road. The lane change assist and blind spot detection are very useful for busy roads such as the morning BKE towards SLE and evening BKE towards. Road noise insulation is good. This translates to more better music/sound enjoyment.

All variants come with a 7" Touch screen HU with navigation system. This is an update to the official review.

What I like
After 5 days, there is nothing different from what I read about and everything about the car meets my expectation if not exceeds.

I particularly like the safety features:
- Lane change assist
- Blind spot detection
- Side mirror tilt assist (for reversing)
- Car will not start if the brake pedal is not stepped on and depressed.

What I do not like
This will definitely be the cost of the car.


Whitevios
Neutral Newbie
10 reviews
0 points
11 forum posts Joined on 15-Mar-2009
Best in the class  Posted on 30 Jul 2016
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Comfort 4.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 4.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
New review after 1 year of owning the Sonata VIII.
Clocked 16,000km.
No regret buying this car in terms of reliability and style.
Bought it at a steal! 116k COE at 61k, glad that i signed on the dotted line 1 year ago when i trade in my VW GTI MK6.
Totally different class, so I'm not comparing between them.
Own C200 W204, KIA Forte SX 2.0 before, Sonata VIII have the top notch interior and exterior quality. Modern DRL, basic model came with driver side electric controlled seats, auto folding mirror when you open or lock your car.
Was getting 13km/L on their stock 17" Rims.
Done up 20" Rays rims, k&n filter, bootlip, rear windscreen spoiler with led, philips 6000k d3s. Thats the best things you can do to touch up the already stylish exterior.

What I like
- steering control
- DRL and projector HID lamp
- huge interior that can be compare with E Class
- LED tail lamp
- 5 years warranty and the unlimited mileage
- good service center that allows you to bring your own engine oil for servicing without additional surcharge like 99% other agent.
- 6 speed gearbox
- long wheelbase
- top notch interior quality
- very quiet interior
- I'm special, not much Sonata VIII on the road

What I do not like
- no electronic hand brake
- no paddle shift (anyway seldom use it also)
- no keyless entry 1 year ago for basic spec Sonata. ( currently basic spec Sonata comes with keyless entry)
- not that cheap spare parts ( some spare parts is more expensive than my previous GTI)
- dislike Sonata badge, Sonata taxi? This is not a NF Sonata!


Trent895
2nd Gear
8 reviews
106 points
21 forum posts Joined on 08-May-2016
Class-leading (sunroof version)  Posted on 26 Jul 2016
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Comfort 4.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 4.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 3.0
Value for money 3.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
This is a huge car, with a modern interior and tons of niceties. The panoramic sunroof, big LCD screen with GPS, electric seats, handsome exterior and Hyundai-known reliability.

The engine and gearbox work like butter: quiet, quick to downshift even in eco mode and made the car seems lighter and agile.

It is simply not competitive at this price range. The Mercedes A class (much smaller but with the badge) cost the same and the B class cost (feels as airy) about 10% More. There are also mainstream Continental brands like Peugeot and Citroen that are extremely competitive.

What I like
Quiet, agile engine with buttery smooth 6-speed gearbox.
Good Legroom.
Understated style and 18in rims.
Electric and ventilated seats.
Big LCD with GPS.
Overall solid build.
Hyundai reliability.

What I do not like
Feels more of the Japanese lightness than European solidity compared to previous year models. Some may like this better. The sleek roof line eats into headroom makes the car looks (much) smaller than it actually is (from the inside). Some or better soft touch material at the doors and dashboard could have elevated this car from good to great. Foot break is a no no in this day and time. Overall cost proposition is not competitive, but is class leading among large, mainstream sedans.


WayneTohBunChin
1st Gear
2 reviews
16 points
44 forum posts Joined on 15-Apr-2016
It's not the same as the taxi model you see on road!  Posted on 27 May 2016
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 3.0
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Review
I had been driving my Sonata VIII for a month. To be honest, I have not seen any sonata on the road (less the taxis).

But I got to say that, don't stereotype sonata just because our comfort taxis are using it. The brand new sonata is different from the one comfort is using.

The veh went thru a serious face lift and additional new and cool feature.

Give sonata a try. You might love it.

What I like
1. The tilted side mirror when reversing.
2. The leg space for passengers.
3. The design of the car (internal and external)
4. The lights.
5. The sunroof
6. about 12.0km/litre for 2.0 car. Quite fuel efficient i guess.
7. The full range of safety feature (blind spot warning, reverse cam)

What I do not like
1. I dislike the location of the foot brake. So awkward.
2. The car boot have a serious issue. When it's opened, the boot lid dun have enough coverage for the boot. so when rain, you open you boot lid, water can still drip into your boot.
3. The seat leather is fixed! Can't change. I'm looking for a white sunroof sonata with black leather. But Komoco, told me it's factory fixed and can't choice or customize design. Sad. And Black and white sonata comes with beige color. Not recommended for family with young kids, cause will get dirty easily. And I'm so afraid that the car will get stains too!
4. The pick up speed of the car is a bit retard. Will lag before it reach a faster speed.


teomingern
6th Gear
5 reviews
4,188 points
7724 forum posts Joined on 02-Jan-2016
Sophisticated and well-built, classy and loaded with features  Posted on 23 Apr 2016
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
This is my second Hyundai. My first was the Elantra in 2001 in manual transmission. In between, I owned a manual Subaru Impreza for 9 years before trading that in for the Sonata VIII sunroof trim. This car has been nothing short of a revelation in terms of its build quality and feature set as compared to the Elantra 14 years ago. It is a whole level up and its quality in every area is comparable and even exceeds the Japanese marquees and some Continental ones as well.

There's not enough space for my full review. So do take a look at the link below for a fuller write-up and for pictures one page down.
http://www.Mycarforum.Com/topic/2694083-hyundai-sonata-2015/page-8

What I like
All the features that the car sports! The car is loaded to the gills with features. Some are more obscure but are among the most useful ones that professional reviewers don’t get.
http://www.mycarforum.com/topic/2694083-hyundai-sonata-2015/page-8

What I do not like
1) No fog lamps at all, no front and no rear. DRL takes over the function of fog lamps and parking lights. A bit annoying. There is a red lamp at the rear bumper lip, but it’s not connected on the test drive car. I haven’t tested my own car, but there is a rear fog lamp switch on my column switch. Interesting thing is that the manual says to switch down to activate rear fog lamp. But for my column switch, it’s spring loaded and springs back to the off position. No idea what Komoco Motors management is thinking of.

2) No electronic parking brake and auto hold function. The car uses a foot brake. No idea why but it’s due to costs according to my SE. I tried the auto hold function on the KIA Optima test drive car and it’s really super convenient.

3) The car behaves like a nanny… beeps at everything I do or don’t do… never release footbrake, it beeps, reverse sensors, front sensors beep, blind spot detection beeps, and I don’t know what else.

4) Lousy in-car camera, only front channel. Ok, it’s free but since Komoco refuse to fit anything I buy, I’m kind of stuck with this. No wifi link-up, so must take out the mSD card to playback on my PC which must be installed with another piece of software. No GUI, so there’s practically nothing to tweak. Takes only up to a max 32 GB card. And there’s always the irritating greeting to drive safely when the car engine starts. Dabonda branded. Race model. Cylindrical shape, hidden behind the rear view mirror.

5) No access to boot from inside the car. When the rear seat arm rest is folded down, the partition doesn’t have a door that can be opened to access items in the boot. This feature is available in other versions in other parts of the world. This is of course a very minor quibble.

6) No one-touch power up and down function for the rear windows. You have to hold down or hold up the button to open or close the window. This is quite silly. It doesn’t cost much to have it all round. The i40 in the showroom has all around one-touch power up and down windows.

http://www.mycarforum.com/topic/2694083-hyundai-sonata-2015/page-8


GearSection
Neutral Newbie
5 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 07-Feb-2011
Happy dealing !  Posted on 17 Apr 2016
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 3.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 3.0
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Review
It is my second drive for the first week after collection, the driving experience is great, excellence insulation, interior built quality and easy reaching range to control panel while on sitting position, personalise features setting are simple and easy and i don't even need to refer the owner manual.

On The Road :
Start up the engine may feel a tiny vibration from the steering wheel due to 4 cylinders layout (i get use to 6), its acceptable as is natural aspirations. Moving off smoothly and quietness is a doubt, you can't even feel the 6 speed gear switching up, but dropping gear could be obvious, engine loud roar when heavy acceleration if you need power and it will not let you disappointed about the power except the irritating engine noise. Road noise is in acceptable lever. It stable perform at 90km/h but
road handling are just so so.

Interior :
Soft touch everywhere with wood trim panel makes elegance looks, spacious passenger back seat comfortably for 3 adults and it still plenty of leg room left. It a great balance for both driver and passenger. Oh... Forget to mention Pockets are everywhere from front to back.

Sound System :
Factory fitted hi-fi system produce sounds quality, adjustable High, Mid, Low frequency to meet your taste, soft bass punch wouldn't making you heart attack, clear and sharp vocal mixed with low-mid feel pleasure. Lastly, the high note are just nice and it not too high. Great balance as i can say, i don't need to spend extra to upgrade.

Overall :
I'm quite happy with it accept the 4 cylinders engine, no options as its only available 2.0L variant while i prefer 6 cylinders 3.0L.

Fuel Efficiency :
No comment yet but one thing for sure that is... It will be better than my previous Chrysler 300C 3.5L V6 fuel drinker..

Conclusion :
Korean engineer in car industries are being mature over the years, you can feel they're really putting their full effort to made good cars with quality workmanship to change the mindset for those who are doubts to Koreans made.
Go ahead why wait !!

What I like
Huge
Spacious
Comfortable
Quiet drive
Interior design
Smart trunk
Reverse cam
Lots of practical auto features

What I do not like
The model... why ? I Downgrade ma...
Base model have no memory seat for driver and i need to adjust it after my dad drove.
No electric seat on passenger side but no big deal as I'm not the passenger.
FM Radio preset only allow for 12 presets.


Megasaras
Neutral Newbie
2 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 12-Mar-2011
My 2nd Hyundai car, bigger and bolder, I'm impressed!  Posted on 26 Dec 2015
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
I had been driving my Hyundai Avante for the past 5 yrs. Was a very reliable car. 50 litres could make about 500KM.

Recently decided to upgrade to a bigger car. Compared between Mazda, Toyota and Hyundai. Finally after much consideration Hyundai won my heart. For the price and features, the Hyundai Sonata VIII was the best car. Definitely it's not a Taxi.

Collected my car on 1st week of December. The looks was luxurious to the likes of Lexis and Jaguar on the outlook. Tons of reliable safety features with 6 airbags. Keyless start. HID lights. Blind spot indicators. Sunroof and Moonroof.

A very comfortable drive on the busy city and highways. Drove on average speed of around 90km/h. The 70 litre could make around a total of 700km. Not bad for a 2.0 litre car. Which comes with an 18 inch rims.

Overall a superb comfortable car which is quiet and stable on the drive. Except for the engine power which is slightly sluggish. However it picks up speed soon after.

Thumps up! I'm convinced.

What I like
- The huge cabin space
- Interior styling
- Exterior design
- Sunroof/Moonroof
- Luxurious look
- Exclusive features compared with big name cars
- Comfortable driving
- 18' inch rims
- HID lights
- Big boot space
- Safety features
- Fuel consumption
- 5 yrs free servicing

What I do not like
- Engine power slightly sluggish
- High COE vehicle pricing


Quistation
Neutral Newbie
38 reviews
1 points
4 forum posts Joined on 15-Mar-2009
New Sonata is quite surprising  Posted on 02 Oct 2015
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Comfort 4.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 3.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 3.0
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Review
The new Hyundai Sonata is in many ways a really surprising car. Its easy to get sucked into thinking that its just a taxi, but in many ways the new sonata is a very different car.

It looks handsome. Its really well equipped too, lots of gadgets and equipment. Its super spacious, tons and tons of leg room. Its a comfortable place to sit in, definitely one for the family.

admittedly its not the most exciting car to drive. Engine is on the sluggish side, handling isn't particularly quick or focused. But i suppose that's not really a big knock on the car, because i think it was designed with comfort and families in mind, and you don't exactly want to be throwing your rear passengers around.

all in all, i feel its a really good family sedan. Very quiet to drive, comfortable to drive or be driven in. Its becoming a rather viable option as a family car.

What I like
- handsome looks
- well equipped and comfortable interior
- very quiet ride

What I do not like
- engine quite lacklustre
- handling a bit bland


Whitevios
Neutral Newbie
10 reviews
0 points
11 forum posts Joined on 15-Mar-2009
A switch to 'huge' sedan  Posted on 29 Jul 2015
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Comfort 4.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 4.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 3.0
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Review
Test driven, walk around it.
price ok? Sign at the dotted line.
just booked the all new sonata on sunday.
price was attractive.
however the delivery of my sonata will have see if i can secure the COE successfully.

What I like
- DRL
- Projector headlamp
- huge cabin interior
- rear aircon for passenger
- 5 years unlimited mileage warr
- 6 speeder gearbox which some jap cars still stuck with 4 speed
- very nice interior
- quiet while cruising

What I do not like
- eyeing on color 'dark horse'... but not avail because komoco doesnt want to sell stock that they doesnt have on hand. In the end i took black...with beige interior. Pretty sad as i doesnt have beige interior cars before.
- engine was a little under power, maybe because the car is heavier


Micko8
Neutral Newbie
3 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 10-Aug-2005
This is my 3rd Hyundai car and I would say it is the best  Posted on 24 May 2015
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
The first Hyundai car I bought was a Sonata in 2004 and I changed it 5 years later due to high fuel consumption. The high fuel consumption could be due to the weight of the car as it was really solid. Changed to the i30CW in 2009 and I like it because of the spacious boot and leg space. Fuel consumption was better compared to my Sonata. Went to test drive i40 and Hyundai Sonata VIII in April 2015. Ended up buying the Sonata VIII after also trying other brands and models.

What I like
Very quiet engine.
Spacious boot and leg space.
Separate aircon temperature control for driver and front passenger.
Spacious back seats even when front seats are push back to the maximum.

What I do not like
High price because of COE.
Driving recorder only in the front and I have to spend money to install front and back.
There is no front fog lamp except LED running light.

Hyundai Sonata VIII
4 stars - based on 13 reviews