1998 Hyundai Sonata | Retro Review
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
- WOW! There's some heavy Jaguar design cues in the front facia of this early Sonata. What other inspirations do you see?
Show 1749 | Original Airdate 08-12-1998
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Amazing that for so long since its inception in the American market, I thought I’d never by a Hyundai Sonata yet just a leased a ‘23 N-Line and absolutely love it. Hyundai has truly come a *long* way. LOL
I have a 22 Sonata SEL I leased,
My wife wants to buy it at the end in two years. So comfortable and easy to drive I averaged 39 miles to the gallon yesterday on the highway.
@@paleocon777 Definitely understood - I doubt I’ll want to give it up at the end of the lease but have future sights on Genesis. My N-Line is so damned fun but gas mileage is abysmal as a result; I’ve only accomplished 20 mpg once in the ~3 months I’ve had it, which was on a road trip. 🤦🏾♂️
I got the 21 sonata n-line and I love it
@@donteadoss
I love all the Genesis models ♥️
Even the older ones
Hyundai Genesis
@@paleocon777 agreed … always bringing something different to the marketplace … they’re to me what Infiniti, Lexus, and Acura were at their inceptions
Man these 90’s and early 2000’s Hyundai’s and Kia’s are so forgotten. That Sonata is so rare nowadays
I think a lot of it was due to so many periodic tweaks to the front or rear end treatment
Meaning qualities are bad. If you didn't see it in California that it just the matter of manufacturers
@@devinbiz Yeah it seemed like the Sonata was redesigned every 2 years during that time. I remember they got Charles Barkley in commercials for these.
Pre 2002 Hyundais were of horrible quality, all the interior plastics broke, mechanically they were awful and the electronics had the quality of family dollar
It's hard to see even in Korea. It's very rusty.
This car takes me back to the days when I was 15, that car was just arrived to where I belong , my friend’s dad bought a new one it was sky blue , such a nice shape with a revolutionized design for that time , I can’t forget it was the Titanic days , we went to the cinema complex to watch the movie with that car , the smell was amazing and we were as a teenagers that time so excited. Miss those days .
I loved the first generation Sonata and this generation wasn't bad looking, haven't seen one of these in a long time probably sometime in the early 2000s though these cars wasn't as good like they are now they have come a long way.
I love fisrt generation Sonata, best generatiom
The front end looks kind of like a mix between a mercury cougar and Ford contour, but the back looks like an 04 Camry
Hyundai did it’s fair share of copying over the years
I said to myself that I could slap a Ford badge on the front of this, and tell people it's a Taurus, and they would believe me. 💀
You do realize this came out in early 1996, so those examples you gave are hollow?
The inspiration was the W202 C-Class launched in 1993 and anything else available to copy until late 1994.
Styling changes require 15-18 months between completion and release. I don't know where a Camry released 5 years after this comes into the picture.
@@geolehman Yes, I agree, but the listed examples are irrelevant if they weren't even available to copy at the time of this being designed in first half of the 90s.
People commenting on yt seem to lack common sense and go solely off of opinion, not fact.
A car (ugly or not) released in domestic SK in February 1996 as a midlife update, cannot be influenced by cars introduced years after the fact.
Hyundai definitely copied the 1993 C-Class taillights and maybe another car revealed prior to late 1994, since facelift designs in their first year are created 15-18 months before release.
If any car did not exist for benchmarking in 1994, Hyundai couldn't copy them with this car. So none of them should even be mentioned, if newer than 1994.
I doubt Hyundai copied Mercury and Ford, but leave it to the OP to be entirely off the mark. The only cars with similar taillights were the C-Class and SLK.
@@cloed0ll It looks nothing like any Taurus of the early 90s. Get your eyes checked.
Owned 2 Hyundai’s and 2 Kia’s and no major issues with either. Really like our older, 2008 Azera. Only 73,000 miles on the clock. Still smooth and plenty of power. Hoping our 2019 Sorento 4 cylinder engine lasts. Only 29000 miles so far so we shall see.
Us too! We've had a few kia and hyundais that were very good and reliable. Both exceeded 300,000 miles without any issues.
I'd like to see the 1989 Road test of this car
These must not have weathered the storm too well. I was born in 99 and I have always paid attention to cars since I was a kid. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this generation of sonata, definitely don’t remember it.
I was born same year and as a gear head. I’ve never seen it either lol. I definitely remember the one right after though.
I have never seen this car in my life. I’ve only ever seen the next generation.
Same
The optional ABS on V-6 cars would’ve included rear disc brakes and definitely would’ve had better braking performance. Also that V-6 was a Mitsubishi design, the same one Chrysler also used. The 1999 redesigned Sonata used an all Hyundai designed V-6, the 2.5L Delta engine but the 2.4L 4 was still a Mitsubishi design, oddly, up to the 2019 model year (the Theta engines were joint developed)
Yep. You can see the heritage in the intake design.
You know what's completely insane imo? The range rover that was a complete failure ( I can't recall the name of the model) used the same engine as the kia van! The range rover version of the motor had an extra timing chain on the firewall side and was much more complex and far less reliable. It simply shocked me when I found that out.
That Mustang front end on that silver Hyundai is ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS
Never seen one in person
Didn’t think Shia LaBeouf was old enough to demonstrate that cars interior.
It’s legit insane to see how far Hyundai’s cars has come, not to mention Genesis.
Released on Feb 1996 here in Korea
Released in August 1996 in the United States as well. This was a peculiar review considering that the redesigned 1999 model was already revealed at this time.
1999 model was released on April 1998 here in Korea
@@sedona3495 That early? I guess makes sense, since Hyundai mentioned finishing EF design effort in late 1995.
Owned a 2011 gls for 6 1/2 years - one of the best vehicles I've ever owned in 43 years of driving...❤
I never see these. I’ve only seen one my whole life, it was white and about 20 years ago, it was also broken.
The beginning of greatness for Hyundai! Now they’re a brand to reckon with!😎👍they’ve have come a long way!
I don’t see these 98 Sonatas on the road anymore unlike late 90s Accords and Cameys I still see sometimes.
I love that odd, yet generic corporate dedign from asia brands from that era. Oslo, that generation Sonata was just good - nice mpg, power and reliability.
Without the option package you buy any 1998 sonata for under 20,000. That's a steal.
the V6 only had 5hp more than the 4cyl lol you may as well get the 4 banger for easier cheaper maintenance and whatnot lol😂
Won’t be as smooth
Or just spend some extra and get either the Camry V6 or the Accord V6. Which was what most people did anyway.
@@damilolaakanni Hell most people bought ANY other midsized sedan over these back in the day - Here in California I even saw more Chevy Malibu's on the road than these during this time.
Had way more torque and ran smoother without buzzy sounds. V6 gives a mid level car a touch of luxury class feel with the engine.
For the first 20 years in the west, Hyundai/Kia were bought exclusively by people who thought basic maintenance is a superstition and kerbs are just bigger speed bumps. They did last when maintained, my dad; a super cheap engineer type, got 460k out of his 2004 bought new Elantra before FINALLY replacing it a few years ago.
I've never seen that generation sonata in my life
Love these videos
4:40 "We do understand dealers are willing to negotiate". Oh how the tables turn.
I love how the driver is wearing a helmet ⛑️ for safety in a car that takes 10 seconds to hit 60mph 🤣😂
Illusions of safety first!
Would you trust a '90s Hyundai to protect you?
@@mediocreman2 this lamb will note that it scored marginal in the 40% offset crash test.
its to hide his identity, hes shamed for driving such a turd
I'm not sure if I've ever seen one of these out in the wild
This was a pretty odd review at the very end of a life cycle, considering that the 1999 model was about to enter showrooms at this point in 1998.
The '99 Sonata also introduced an important, if often overlooked, feature - an automatic passenger airbag cutoff if there wasn't enough weight on the seat. This was the first midsize sedan to include such a feature, several years ahead of its competitors, most of which put in this feature starting in 2004 or 2005. Not sure what the weight cutoff was, and if I remember correctly it was marketed more to prevent unnecessary damage to the dash if there was no passenger than as a child safety feature, but it's great to see such a feature in a non-luxury vehicle that early.
February 3, 2023 1:19 am
@@whattheheck1000 You're still commenting :) all these years later. Interesting to know, remember that next generation back in 1999.
Our ex neighbor owned a Hyundai dealer in the late 90s-early 2000s, so I saw every type of Hyundai he'd park in his big garage.
I only remember seeing this one briefly, but for awhile the pre-facelift example circa 2000.
@@whattheheck1000 Also remember it had standard side airbags notably, which the Accord didn't even offer until 2 years later in 2000.
My uncle rented one in the spring of 1999 and noticed that pretty quickly.
I liked the car, even if my parents were luxury car types who quickly ended up in an E38 LWB Highline and Jaguar X308 XJ8 Vanden Plas S.
I avoided sitting in the front seat, because our family vehicle was a Grand Caravan and those were often in the headlines for airbag deaths much of my childhood, so I didn't even trust cars with early smart airbags either.
@@jmin8400 You could tell Hyundai really was doing their best with the 1999 Sonata. Sales vastly increased over the 95-98 models and I still see the 99-05’s very occasionally. I can still hear the “Freedom is Calling You!” song in their ads from 2000-ish.
That being said, crash test results on the 1999 Sonata still fell short of the Camry and Taurus, though they roughly matched the Accord and were competitive for the class. The 95-98’s results were pretty bad.
February 4, 2023 4:43 am
Oh,we had a 1995 Lantra with a 1,6 Mitsubishi Lancer engine in it. For 30% less money it had more equipment than a VW Passat,standard A/C,all 4 windows and mirrors electronic,"Recaro" shaped seats etc.
I can remember being a kid and looking down on Hyundai/Kia/Daewoo from my mom's Chevy Lumina. Weren't many cars that I could say "that's worse" and these were it. A lot has changed.
Engines were Mitsubishi.
Yikes, 22 MPG and 9.8 seconds to 60; my how far we've come.
yup. now it's 30 mpg and 60 in 5.8
I’ve never seen one of these in person i wonder if there’s still some on the road today
98 Sonata's *priciest* configuration would cost *$36,800* USD in 2023 dollars. The *base* price is *$27,939* USD today (for the 4 cylinder and manual transmission).
98 Toyota Camry's most *expensive* trim cost *$42,834* in 2023 dollars. The Camry's *base* price is *$37,654* in 2023 dollars.
And now the sonata is king.
Straight forward anything is hard to get nowa days.
1:52
I don't know about that 90s Sonata, but the Accent is actually very reliable. I still see those first gen Accents on the road. The same with first gen Kia Sportage.
Is that Shia LeBouf in the driver's seat? 🤣
Also, gotta love that ignition chime.
First generation of Sonata is my favorite
There literally aren’t any of these on the road anymore. Crazy.
I just actually ran into this video and I just love it because the Hyundai Sanota GLS is a great car
@MotorWeek can you please upload a review of the all-new 1995 Hyundai Sonata?
still looks good in 2023.
How many of these are still on the road?
Where I live, none. The oldest I've seen is a 2012.
@@damilolaakanni oldest I seen where I live was 1999-2006.
@@damilolaakanni That's nonsense, as usual.
I remember wanting this car could never find one for sale when I learned to drive 😅😂
Crazy this is smaller than the current Elantra
Was that Foo Fighters’ version of “Baker Street” at 2:02?
Don’t think I have ever seen one before
I see 30 year old Hondas and Toyotas still driving on the road all the time. You do not see these at all and yet people are still buying Kias and Hyundais...
I expected much higher fuel economy given the car's power, but my expectations can very well be unrealistic.
tail lights look exactly like the 90’s accord
94 Galant please!
I hope they do, you’ve been asking for like 3 years straight😂
It's already on UA-cam. Look for it and stop asking.
3:25 back looks like the early 2000 Jaguar XJ… 😮
I’d take the Camry or Accord over this
I am 51 a car fan, and own a 2021 Santa Fe with the 2.5l turbo. In 1998, I NEVER would've considered a Hyundai product.
This particular model was so boring and bland I can't recall seeing one. But, as said, it's a stepping stone and the current line up seems quite good.
Sorry to Hyundai, but these early Sonatas I always found to be like wooden clogs with leather trimmings.
The Accord, Camry, and Altima, were barely more expensive than this. Why would anyone choose this in 1998?
1:49 tinkle tinkle
What song was playing on the radio on the 97.9 channel?
I loved sonata models V6 manual
18 city / 24 highway? 🥴 I’m pretty sure my aunt had one of these or the model prior. I think it was dark blue. Otherwise, never seen one on the road.
My dad used to have this one for 14 years, I got 2014 sonata and my brother got 2020 Sonata
Im planning to buy one what's the issue of this car?
Throwback🚘
The second and third generation were WAY more reliable than the new junk.
Hyundais engine is a throwback 91 engine released for 1998🤣
1997 Camry redesign used the same engine from the 1992 redesign.
@@palebeachbum You'd have to be specific, as that's not true when it comes to the V6 launched in late 1993 on '94 models. Maybe the 2.2 was carryover at launch in September 1996, but there's no comparison with Hyundai I'd say.
@@jmin8400 the 2.2L and 3.0L in the 1997 Camry were carryover engines from the 1992 Camry.
@@jmin8400 I was addressing Xxxpensive's criticism that this 1998 Sonata has a 7yr old engine. There's nothing remotely unusual about that. Toyota uses engines just as long. they just make modifications over the years and give them a new engine code name. New code does not = all-new engine design.
@@palebeachbum No they weren't.
As a Detroit engineer who comments casually on UA-cam, with insight into different global OEMs past/present/future, years of experience and several patents in my name, I beg to differ on your theory.
A new V6 was introduced in September 1993 for 1994 and subtly mentioned during Camry ads in late 1993 and early 1994.
Toyota marketing in Torrance could lie all they want, but most customers don't care about a new V6 if there's little power difference. The mention of a new V6 was a matter of fact, not manipulated fiction.
Engine nomenclature changing happens whenever a new block is introduced or revision to an existing block or engine family takes place.
There's similarity in output between the heavy duty 3VZ-FE 3.0L V6 in the 1992-93 model year Camry and 1994-96 MY Camry 's light duty 3.0L V6 known as 1MZ-FE, but they're entirely two different engines. You're trying to claim otherwise, but they are different indeed.
The 1MZ was a means to save money per JPN bubble burst trends, a reason why a manual transmission was no longer offered until that redesign in 1996. The 3VZ was costlier to manufacture from 1991 to 1993. Remember engine sludge issues on 1MZ engines? Cost cutting.
The Camry used the same platform from late 1991 to mid-2001, so the base I4 5S-FE was retained with changes throughout the years, but it not being a flagship engine meant no urgency to either streamline production costs (as in the V6 engine) nor a need to keep it up-to-date beyond a normal cycle.
I often casually come across your commentary on UA-cam, which I've observed errs on subjective opinion versus objective fact, based on how you like or dislike a vehicle or brand/parent company.
Toyota offering the same engine 2.2L I4 engine 5 years after introducing it in a given marketplace, is not out of place. Even a redesign, which used a revised platform.
This Sonata generation was introduced in 1994 with a 4 year old engine and left unchanged for 4 more years. They used the same Sigma V6 engine across both generations from 1990 to 1998. No issue in reality.
The OP comment is a silly complaint anyway, seeing as 7-8 years isn't a lot on the eve of a redesign for 1999. Toyota offering the same 4.0L 1GR-FE since 2003 is more of a crime, considering that this generation of Sonata was already replaced at the time of this review in 1998.
Motorweek should've been reviewing this car in late 1996 or early 1997, not when the redesign was in showrooms.
If MW couldn't get access to a 1997 Sonata, the review wasn't really necessary at that point, since 1 year earlier there were spy shots in 1997 of the '99 Sonata hot weather testing in Death Valley.
I don't know why they were reviewing a very old car, when the new one was almost out and already on stage for months.
3-2-1 hynudai supporters will say they came a long way but won't say what they think of this car.
sonata - reliable car, nothing much in the interior, but a lot of space inside
Is it true that both the K5 and sonata will be cancelled models in the future?
142hp out of 3.0 v6 is just pathetic
Good Ole Mitsubishi V6
OK, I have to admit just how fast Hyundai went from a crap car company to be very good. The first Hyundai Excel model they sold was pure 100% unadulterated crap. I remember those as an early teen. And yes, they were crap as well as its twin, the Mitsubishi Precis. I'm old enough to remember.
My buddy got a new electric Hyundai car a few weeks ago, the Ioniq5 and damn! I was honestly very impressed by it. My mind was changed about Hyundai. Well, Japanese cars were considered to be trash at one time as well.
That v6 looks eerily similar to Mitsubishi 6g72....just saying
Had one of these as a rental for two weeks and it was by far one of the worst driving vehicles I ever experienced
Sensacional cara👍👍👍👍
WHAT IS THAT THING?
CELICA 2000 PLEASE!!😭
2035 camry please 🙏🏽 😭
Step By Step
Made in Korea 😍 💓 💕 🇰🇷
None of the numbers associated with this car are impressive
They were on par for the time. Also, keep in mind it was the cheapest midsize car around at the time.
Hyundai to this day still harkens to me that of Chrysler. They're products are impressive INITIALLY. And while there are exceptions, it seems once they get past a certain age, it's one thing or another with them. I personally would never BUY one. I wouldn't mind a LEASE on a new N model of some sort, due to value. But I'll have a hard time getting rid of my 17 Camaro SS. Cheers.
I’ve never seen one of these and I pay attention to cars. Typical Korean junk from that time
I saw some many years ago, haven't seen one in probably 10 years. Then again, I was born in 1992, someone under 25 now might not remember them at all.
February 3, 2023 1:20 am
@@whattheheck1000 I was born in 1993. It’s crazy I haven’t seen one. I’ll probably see one today now hahaha
@@DStabs720 That would be funny! Come to think of it, you possibly saw some as a kid but just don’t remember it, lol. But yes, most of these cars would have vanished by 2006 or so and they never had the highest production numbers. I was also paying attention to cars uncommonly early, but even I don’t remember the first generation Sonata from 1989-1994.
February 3, 2023 1:19 pm
Saw a gold-colored one in a South Texas town in late 2010. The car was in a bad condition and that was the first and the last one I've seen.
No manual SMH
Hyundai? This thing looks like a Buick with Ford fixtures.
The 2015-2023, the 2.4 4cyl blows up.
Yea it has a 10 year 100K mile warranty but who wants to take public transportation while your engine is being replaced?
쏘나타3ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Hyundai: horrible junk then , pure garbage now.
@@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587 and Renault Nissan Mitsubishi.
@@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587 whatever bs makes you sleep an night princess
@@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587 well let me level with you, you see Renault really didn’t leave America, I always say that Nissan are just Americanized Renaults so technically a Nissan Altima is just a Americanized Renault Laguna and a Nissan Versa is basically a Renault Mégane need I say more.
@dr.jillalicecooper2587 well you've quoted me wrong and I call them as I see them, princess and please explain how you wear a purse? I ask because I'm sure that a "guy" such as yourself will have detailed information
25 years later and the Sontata still isn't as good as the Japanese competitors.
😂😂😂
Sonata interior materials quality and build quality surpassed Camry's with the 2006 Sonata redesign. I had one...well an Optima, same thing...at the same time a friend had a 2007 Camry. His felt and sounded like a hollow tin can in comparison and it was so uncomfortable. They last mechanically but Toyota's built quality is garbage in comparison.
Yeah, JD Power and Consumer Reports says otherwise.
You know being a Honda guy from many years, I give credit to Hyundai because they came a long way
This lamb cannot recall seeing one since Barrack Obama became President.
Hideous and a horrible car you don’t even see them on the road in years I guess so much for reliability 😂
God this was ugly, the '99 Sonata was a much better looking car
Heh 25 years later and they still haven’t made it to the level of a good domestic. Can’t fault you for trying.
Like the domestic even exists anymore
That’s A Cool Lookin’ 1998 Hyundai Sonata.
Hyundai Sonata first generation is best, my favorite
Hyundai should be given more credit. The type of people that bought these new never changed the oil and also made sure there was a dent on every body panel within a year of delivery.
This lamb concurs.
They also manufacturer heavy equipment. People don't really know anything. They just repeat what they hear. They don't learn for themselves. Hyundai is the Korean Toyota
Looks like a knockoff Buick Regal from the front.
That's stupid considering it came out before that Regal in early 1996. Smh
This one and the one after were some of those forgotten Hyundai models. I think it was from the 2006 model onwards that things started to pick up for the Sonata.
I think these look a lot better than the following generation
This generation looks mildly sportier. The generation after got a weird blobby look.
I remember my sister bought a Sonata V6. On the way home from the dealership we were pulled over by a cop. My sister hadn't done anything wrong, the reason we were stopped was because the cop saw that the cars hubcaps we're melting and the wheels were red hot. Although the e-brake was not engaged the breaks had remained locked up. The current generation Hyundai's are leaps ahead of their first attempts in the US.
Most of these had rotting subframes after 4 or 5 winters in the frost belt. If that didn''t take the car out, then either transmission or suspension problems would total the car around the 80-100K mile mark.
hyundai and kia have questionable quality standards but seems like people ignore/forget those for the "eye-candy" appeal, I mean... if you are ok with changing cars every 5 years or as soon as the warranty runs out, I guess it is ok, because for me, those kia/hyundais are disposable cars and sub-par quality, without mentioning the crazy copy cat designs lol
At first I thought this was a Buick, never seen this sonata before