Used 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line Consumer Reviews
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2021 Sonata N Line. I didn't want to like it..
Mark B., 04/18/2021
updated 04/25/2024
2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 8AM)
58 of 60 people found this review helpful
When it comes to a daily driver, I have several parameters. I won't spend over 40G. I won't lease. And at 6ft 2 with nerve damaged legs from my battle with cancer, legroom and seat comfort are paramount. Comfort is also an extremely subjective category. What works for you might not work for me, and vice versa. Accord Sport/Touring seats don't work for me. Camry in TRD trim is too "Fast & Furious" for me. Altima has a CVT trans and horribly uncomfortable driver's seat for me. I was considering a K5 GT but none to be found locally. Figured I'd drive a Sonata N Line to get a feel for the package and scratch it off my list. I was not a huge fan of the 2020 exterior redesign although it slowly grew on me. And it does look better in N Line trim. I had a few cars on my list to spend a few days looking at and driving. The N Line was the closest so I started there. Sat in it for a bit and the driver's seat worked for me. Salesman threw a tag on it and told me to go have fun. Within a mile I was impressed. Twenty minutes later when I returned, I told the salesman to make me an offer I couldn't refuse. I drive it home 90 minutes later. The ride is firm but not harsh. It's definitely quieter than the previous generation Sonata. Handles great. Faster than a Hyundai should be allowed to be. The dual clutch transmission is fantastic. I've owned two dozen or so cars over the years, several German. I've never been approached about any of them the way I've been with this car. Seven weeks with it as I write this and I've been approached by strangers nearly two dozen times. Some knowing what the N Line is. Some asking if it's a Genesis or an Audi. Some genuinely not knowing what it could be. Gripes? Wish it had memory settings for the driver's seat. Wish it had ventilated seats although so far I really don't miss them. The light sensor for the auto headlights is beyond sensitive. I can barely clear going under an average overpass at highway speeds without the lights coming on in barely two seconds. Honestly, that's it. I don't regret my decision and I look forward to driving it every day. UPDATE 4/23/2022 Just over 20,000 miles in. Thermostat was replaced back in January. It was stuck open so wasn't really getting much heat. Other than that, routine oil changes, engine and cabin air filters, and replaced the tires only due to personal preference. I wasn't a fan of the Pirellis. A couple of 500 mile days with road trips. Still get asked what kind of car it it frequently. Fit and finish still like new. 4/25/2024 UPDATE. Three years and 48,000 miles at the moment. Nothing but routine maintenance. Still tight as a drum. No creaks/rattles. Recently drove nearly 1000 miles in a day moving cross country with my cat and dog. Stellar road trip vehicle.
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Bought an N-Line a month ago - Great car
Bob from Georgia, 05/20/2021
2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 8AM)
37 of 38 people found this review helpful
I research my cars for a year or so before buying, and was particularly interested in the Sonata N-Line and the KIA K5 GT, both built on the same platform and mechanically identical. The KIA GT has a lower MSRP but all the cars I found for sale came with the $4000 GT1 package, which jumps the MSRP up over $35K compared to 33K for the Sonata N-Line that includes all the GT1 features in the MSRP. Those 12 BOSE speakers are very nice! The question: Is this a family sedan or a muscle car? My answer is that it's family sedan with teeth. The first impression of the car, riding high on the 19-inch tires, is that it's big. My previous car was a 2017 Sonata Eco, and when I told my wife that the N-Line was identical in length and width, she said, "No way, this is a much bigger car." It was only when she saw that it fit into the same space in the garage as my 2017 that she believed the dimensions were the same. I've owned some muscle cars in the past and most of them made you drive them hard. They just weren't that smooth at low speeds. The N-Line is not that way at all. Drive it with a light touch and you'll get 28 MPG combined and it's just as smooth and elegant as can be. But when you want the power, it's there. This car won't ever be described as tossable but you can take it into a curve fast and it will hold the line. I frankly don't plan to try to beat others off the line all that often, as the car burns rubber easily and I plan to hold onto to those expensive 19-inchers for a while. But the temptation can be hard to resist. Yesterday a guy with a tricked-out Mercedes came up beside me at a light and started gunning his engine. I didn't bother switching to Sport mode and started off the line lightly to avoid burning rubber. He got out a little ahead but I blew him away easily. Get the N Line up to 1650 RPM gently and then step on it and it will fly. The Mercedes chased me around for awhile trying to do it again and I just ignored him. Guess he just couldn't believe his hot car was clobbered by a Hyundai. But where the N-Line is particular impressive is in mid-range acceleration. Its goes from 60 to 100 so quickly, quietly and smoothly that you almost don't believe it's that fast. I really like the sleeper aspect of the car. I like to use the power just occasionally, like when you're cruising down an on-ramp to the interstate with a nice fat space waiting for you, and some jerk decides to speed up and cut you off. Or when someone is doing 55 in the fast lane in a 70 MPH zone and you need to go around. Or just pulling out and passing on a one-lane highway. The N-Line gets the job done easily and smoothly. Look at the cars with equivalent horsepower, DCT, brakes, suspension, safety features and amenities, and you'll find most of them run $20 to $30 K more. If you need baby-butt leather and wood paneling, you'll have to buy the more expensive car. The N line, despite nice seats and red stitching, looks like a Hyundai inside. But the exterior is beautiful and the features are awesome. It's the right car for someone like me who wants the power and comfort but doesn't believe in paying $20K for the hood ornament.
Avoid this car
Ali, 06/08/2021
2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 8AM)
26 of 39 people found this review helpful
I bought this car about 3 weeks ago. The car has had nothing but issues after the initial 2 weeks. In 2 weeks I drove the car maybe 300 miles. Since then the cars engine light has turned on. Initially I was told it was an electrical component that needed to be swapped in the car would be ready within 7 days (4 days for the component to ship etc. ) I was called today and was told the engine harness needs to be replaced as well as that is no longer a functioning. This replacement will take 6 to 8 weeks. I would avoid this car at all cost. Not worth the headache. To top it all off the dealership service department is sub par.
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Will be getting rid of mine
Anthony, 12/21/2021
2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 8AM)
5 of 7 people found this review helpful
The vehicle is a great car to drive, the interior is silky smooth, the sound system is awesome and the way the body lines are is sexy. However, the reliability of this car has disappointed me. The car has only 10,000 miles and i have been informed it needs a new transmission. A couple months before this, I needed to get the water pump replaced because it malfunctioned as well, causing my engine to tell me it’s overheating. It’s a sad story that must end because of mechanical issues. So much potential with this vehicle, and I am really disappointed in the quality that has been put out by Hyundai.
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Worst car I have owned
Shen, 02/17/2023
2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 8AM)
3 of 7 people found this review helpful
I have owned a 2021 Sonata N-line for about 10 month. The car has a fairly good design and features, but the build quality is extremely horrible, as well as the material quality. Huge safety concerns and reliability concerns, I am more nervous driving this car than driving my old Grand AM that with over 350K on it. The driver seat was faulty in a few months, had it replaced. The lumbar support activates by itself when I was driving. Very very scary, like a ghost was pushing you while you were driving. Reminds me of the earthquake I had experienced, exactly the same feeling. Only if you has experienced in a earthquake understand how scary that is, when sitting on a office chair, the chair moves unpredictably, and carrying you with it. In winter, the transmission was slow on my first couple of brakes, when I hit the brake to a stop, the rev drops below 500rpm, and the car shakes really bad, then the clutch releases when the engine nearly comes to a stall, this happened everyday in winter. Engine lights was on in 10 months. I had experienced twice when accelerating, there was a feeling of losing power all of a sudden for a few seconds. Other than these critical issues, there are also lots of fit issues from the interior to the exterior. squeaking noise on the trunk mechanism when the weather is cold. High pitch whistling noise from passenger side cruising at over 120 km/h with recirculation on due to either HVAC or seal issue, I had to give up AC on highway driving in Summer. Hyundai Dealer refuse to diagnose this issue because I am not suppose to drive over the speed limit which is about 100km/h in Canada, so, lesson learned, Hyundai is designed for 100km/h, any issues related to speed over that, not covered by their warranty. There are more to say, but I am tired. lots of fits issues, to me looked like the entire body frame may get weld out of tolerance, the left and right side are definitely not symmetrical.
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