What we see here today is a beater — a cheap car that generally is not well maintained by its owner, who generally cannot afford anything nicer. Our featured car is missing all of its hubcaps, has mismatched quarter panels, and obviously has had some quick and dirty rust repair done. It will be driven by its owner until something major breaks that’s not worth fixing, and they will then move on to their next car. So it goes.
But this car is also something much more than a lowly beater, as it is also one of the last cars marketed by the ‘old’ Hyundai – a purveyor of affordable cars desperately trying to break into the highly-competitive US market. An entity almost entirely unrecognizable to the juggernaut of the global auto industry we know today. But Hyundai’s rise couldn’t have happened without cars like this 2003 Sonata. So let’s appreciate it before it, like all beaters, one day goes to the great big junkyard in the sky.
Image credit: Wikipedia user Damian B Oh.
Hyundai Motor Company was founded in 1967, as the automotive arm of the Hyundai Group chaebol that began its operations twenty years prior. Hyundai began manufacturing Ford Cortinas under license one year later, but quickly expanded into building a car of its own design; the Hyundai Pony, by 1975. Engineering help did come from Ford and British Leyland, but the Pony was its own distinct model. With it, Hyundai showed the world they were serious about building cars, even ponying up (forgive the pun) cash to hire Italdesign’s Giorgetto Giugiaro to style it.
image credit: eightiescars.com
Hyundai entered the American auto market ten years later, in 1985, with the Excel — its first front-wheel drive model and the first South Korean car sold in the US, period. The Excel, well, excelled in the Land of the Free, moving over 160,000 units in its first year on sale. However, it was absolutely a budget model, and marketed as such. The Excel started at $4995 ($14,360 in 2023 dollars), and its claim to the title of ‘Cheapest Car in America’ was only foiled by the lowly Yugo, also introduced that year, which retailed for $1000 less.
And from there, Hyundai remained a value automaker in the US for nearly two decades. But just because their place in the market didn’t change much, it didn’t mean that Hyundai wasn’t making moves behind the scenes to improve their model range. The Excel and many other early US-bound cars featured engineering by Mitsubishi, but by the middle of the 1990s most of their cars were fully developed in-house, or with the help of Kia, which it would later acquire a major stake in. The Excel was complemented by the introduction of the larger Sonata in the early 90s, and replaced by the Accent in 1995. And to combat the image of poor quality that the brand quickly obtained by selling such cheaply-made cars (‘Hope You Understand Nothing’s Drivable and Inexpensive,’ the old jokes went), Hyundai introduced two years of free maintenance on new vehicles in 1992, and shortly afterward their famed 10-year, 100,000 powertrain warranty made its debut as well.
And this brings us back to our featured car — a fourth-generation Sonata, built after the model’s mid-cycle refresh, which gave it a new set of vaguely-Mercedes-Benz-esque headlights. The facelift also came with new options under the hood: its Sirius II 2.4 liter inline-4 now made 138 hp, and the upgraded optional Delta 2.7 V6 engine made 170 hp. Despite all the updates, though, the Sonata was still solidly a budget car, starting around $15,500 in 2003 when most of its other midsize rivals had their base models priced around $19,000.
But all that would change with the fifth-generation Sonata, which was introduced in 2004 as a 2005 model. As this article published last year by CC’s Edward Snitkoff details, the Sonata of the mid-aughties helped to push Hyundai into the big leagues of the US market, as it was now a competent, if maybe underrated, competitor in the midsize market. Likewise in 2004, Hyundai completed construction of its first plant in the US in Alabama, and production of the US-market Sonata moved there the next year.
The fifth-gen Sonata represented the birth of a new Hyundai, and they only kept moving from there. Now, Hyundai is the fifth-best selling automaker in America, selling nearly 750,000 cars here in 2023, and produces a wide array of vehicles, all of which are very competitive in their market segments. Sure, Hyundai’s recent success has been built mostly on the backs of SUVs, but they couldn’t have done it without the Sonata. And it’s nothing to sneeze at that the Sonata remains on sale in the US when most other automakers have given up the ghost on midsize cars altogether.
But enough about the present, let’s go back to the past with our 2003 model here. This Sonata, its gray paint matching the lovely Pittsburgh skies on the day I shot this photo, would fade into the background for most passersby even if it couldn’t blend into its dreary surroundings. Its styling is rather bland even by early-2000s soap bar standards, and its only pop of color is its right quarter panel; also gray, but a different shade of such. In interior design, this would be called a color accent, but in the automotive realm, it’s clearly a cheap repair.
And besides, this is a Sonata, not an Accent. I’ll pause for laughter.
One thing that does stand out about this Sonata are its eyeballs. As mentioned before, the Sonata got a facelift for the 2001 model year, which included a new set of peepers — prior to this, the car was even blander. It also got a new grille, which is more upright than the original fourth-gen car’s. With these changes, it seems as if Hyundai was trying to ape certain Mercedes-Benz models of the time, which also featured blobby headlights that looked an awful lot like two fried eggs merging together. Talk about punching above your weight class.
I don’t know if it looks good, but it’s certainly recognizable; beyond my neighbor’s Accent, this version of the Sonata is the first Hyundai I can clearly remember puttering around my hometown when I was young. And even though its successor was on the whole a better, and more attractive, car, it definitely wasn’t as distinctive with its presentation.
Even if this wasn’t the car that promoted Hyundai out of the minor leagues of the US car market, it was still definitely a step up from prior models of the same make. I couldn’t get a good shot of this car’s interior, but it seemed like an acceptable place to sit in — about on par with my old Sentra. Not great, mind you, but still a step up from the Fisher-Price grade plastics of 90s Hyundais. And despite some exterior roughness, it’s still in one piece, and not completely full of holes as many cars of a similar vintage are here in Rustsylvania.
Plus, it’s a 20-year old Hyundai, with a current inspection. Has there ever been another time when you could reasonably find a two-decade old Korean car in decent nick? That alone speaks to how much Hyundai had improved by the early 2000s. And they’ve only gotten better since. Hyundais are certified Good Cars now. Now people buy them because they want to buy them, not because they can’t afford anything else. Certain models, like the Palisade, have even gone through shortages in recent years due to how much demand there’s been for them. Ironic how former engineering buddy Mitsubishi is now in the same spot in the US market that Hyundai used to occupy.
The fourth-generation Sonata may not have been the car that put Hyundai on the map, but without it and its predecessors, Hyundai would never have been able to make the voyage to begin with. This individual car may be an uncelebrated beater, but it carries a legacy that led to something greater. All great music has an intro, and all great works begin from rough drafts. I don’t know how much longer this car’s song will go on, but Hyundai as a whole has got plenty of music left in it.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 2007 Hyundai Sonata – Hyundai Changes Its Tune And Sings A Sweeter Melody
“In interior design, this would be called a color accent, but in the automotive realm, it’s clearly a cheap repair”
Very well written. Thank you! I love to see modern not-yet-classics featured here. I think almost any car is worthy of musing over from time to time.
Good find! Haven’t seen one of these for awhile.
This Sonata was interesting when it came out, mainly because it was very ambitiously styled. The Mercedes C-Class headlamps and the cut-and-paste Jaguar S-Type tail end evoked a premium image that Hyundai had in no way earned. The gulf between what they were emulating and what they actually were was embarrassing.
H/K styling has been a wild ride since then. They’ve had some nice conservative designs but then have also gone off the absolute deep end on multiple occasions (sometimes successfully to my eye). Now they are on a rapid cycle of hyperactive and incoherent design swings. They have completely changed the styling and identity of models at redesign, muddied brand identity, and ruined a few really good designs at midcycle refresh (i.e. Palisade, Forte). Good/bad, who’s to say for certain, but throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks comes off as a bit desperate and immature rather than disciplined and focused.
Particularly on the Sonata, Hyundai stylists would swing back and forth every generation between bold, perhaps questionable designs for the American market, and solid, conservative lines for the Korean businessman.
Thanks for this excellent write-up of this oft-ignored car!
I would argue that both Hyundai and Kia have gone through 3 phases. This was the end of Cheap Hyundai, which you described so well. I think there was a middle period with cars that were quite competitive but were still inexpensive and had not yet reached what most consumers considered as top-tier. Now the vehicles speak for themselves and are sought after on their merits rather than on price.
I see a lot of old Hyundais and Kias that have reached beater status in my area. I would certainly pick one over much else of that category.
This was also the end of a small car trying to compete in the midsized segment for Hyundai. The next-gen Sonata was a step up in size, too.
Hyundai had a car in this size/price class before the Sonata. It was called the Stellar, and it was as stellar as the Excel excelled, which is to say, not at all. Similar styling as the first-gen Sonata, but RWD. Like the Pony, it was sold in Canada, but not the US. Seems to be a completely forgotten car now.
I do recall that time about 15 years ago when Hyundais went from cars that were “a good value” to cars you bought because you liked them better than the alternatives. They have a really strong lineup now, including some of the best EVs on the market.
I think part of the problem with some of Hyundai and Kia’s earlier efforts was that they were uncomfortable pastiches of other, much more expensive cars, so then it looked like you were trying a bit too hard. The Kia Amanti, in particular, looked like an unholy mashup between a Jaguar S-Type, a Lincoln Town Car and a Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Really, it competed with such unassuming cars as the Toyota Avalon, Ford Five Hundred and Buick LeSabre. The XG350 wasn’t much better, looking like an insecure Mitsubishi Diamante. Even those projector beams on your this fourth-gen Sonata make it look like something it isn’t. They just don’t belong.
And yes, Kia and especially Hyundai then endured an era of cars that were about as interesting as a bar of soap, looks wise, but that were value-priced, were competitive and that functioned well, and they really got traction there. That’s where your fifth-generation (2006-2010) Sonata belongs, as does the second-generation (2007-2012) Santa Fe, third-generation (2006-2011) Accent and fourth-generation (2007-2011) Elantra.
I think that’s the sweet spot for Hyundai/Kia, and really, they were no more boringly styled than the vaunted Toyotas of the era.
The era during which Hyundai and Kia began to get more daring with their styling, starting with the 2010 Tucson, 2011 Sonata, 2012 Elantra and Accent and 2013 Santa Fe is right when longevity took a hit. Those cars are a serious gamble, as my family and friends have learned the hard way. We’ve been burned by a 2012 Sonata, a 2014 and 2016 Soul, a 2015 Santa Fe Sport, a 2014 Optima and a 2018 Elantra.
At this point, I wouldn’t trust any of their wares newer than 2010 beyond maybe the 3.3- and 3.8-liter V6 products for long-term durability. That said, I love the new IONIQ EV and would consider leasing one. Rental review forthcoming, on that.
You’ve said it well – I think Hyundai’s golden era was c. 2001 – 2010, and since then they’ve put their resources into styling rather than quality. They are now poorly thought of here, due to the high number of engine failures.
The 1st-gen Sonata featured in this article was met with skepticism initially, and then earned grudging respect. An article c. 2005 wrote something like “This is a car that auto journalists mock, and then secretly rush out to buy”.
I knew several people who bought Hyundai Ponys c. 1985 – 1986. They weren’t bad at all, pretty much like a Japanese car of 10 or 12 years earlier – RWD, 4-speed manual. They may have still had points-and-consensor ignition, and certainly carburetors.
Nice write-up! I see these once in a while around here but hadn’t quite felt inspired to document them.
As a builder/old house renovator, I was actually more drawn to the old houses in your photos. There are segments of the older cities in the US where the housing stock is starting to get seriously obsolete and marginal. The house in photo #2 is particularly fascinating. These almost look like they were or could have been row houses, with the lack of windows on the sides. But presumably that was done because they are on narrow lots with very little setback to the neighboring houses that were once there. Now it all looks a bit like a person’s mouth missing half (or more) of their teeth.
The white house has a couple of extremely narrow tall windows; it looks like they were sized to fit right between the existing 16″ OC studs. Have not seen that before.
It would be interesting to be able to see what this neighborhood will look like in another 25 or 35 years. I assume quite likely it will need to be fully rebuilt, with the possible exception of renovating a few of the better ones.
I’ve never seen windows like that, either. And, yes, it looks exactly like they’re designed to fit between the studs. It suggests they were added at some point after the house was built. Saves you the trouble of having to do the whole king stud/jack stud/cripple stud thing, especially on an existing structure.
As for the rest, right you are. At some point, a house is just not worth continuing to fix and retrofit, when it could be torn down and a newer one–usually with less character and less respect toward the geography or history of the place–can be built and yield more value. Much as some of these cars, these houses look like they may be near the end of their lifespan for the sake of sheer economics.
Sadly, when that happens to a low-income neighborhood, the longstanding residents get pushed out and often don’t end up owning a subsequent home, instead renting from someone else, somewhere else.
Regarding the lack of windows on the sides of the houses, that’s something seen regularly in the central Appalachian area in its surroundings. Houses were often built very close to each other, so side windows weren’t desirable. I’ve seen houses that were so close that their roof eaves overlap. This setup is common in western Pennsylvania, western Maryland and eastern Ohio.
Here’s a picture of this house from before the two neighboring houses were demolished:
As a native Pittsburgher, I knew before I read the text that the homes were likely in my hometown.
In fact, the 4th photo (showing the front of the Sonata close up) resembles very closely a street within a half mile of where I grew up (current view from Google Street View).
Hyundia/Kia really stepped up their game in the 2010’s in terms of style, feature content and the “percieved” quality of their cars. IE the interiors look/feel nice, the cars feel solid, quiet, rattle free, all those things that trick the new car buyer in to thinking its a quality product. Ford, VW, Audi, BMW, and Benz have been doing the same thing for years as well IMO. All the stuff you see is nice, whats under the skin is junk. The Theta engine fiascio, all the thefts cause they were too cheap to put immobilizer chips in the cars. Other than looking pretty, Hyundia/Kia still builds junk IMO.
Never paid much attention to Hyundai over the years and after the picture with that yellow house it happened again. I got more focused on that “strange” yellow house and then started to notice the neighborhood in all the pictures. I would say the neighborhood is also a beater.
I have owned 9 Hyundais including an ’86 Excel,an early Sonata and a first year Veloster.I maintained them by the book at the dealer.Have found them to be generally well made, rarely had any mechanical failure.Weak spots?A ’99 Elantra lost its transmission at 110,000 miles and my Veloster was within 2 weeks of 10 years (80,000 miles though) and lost its transmission, bought a ’22 Accent and am well pleased with it.
Nice write up. I happen to have a 2002 Hyundai Accent GL 5-speed manual purchased in 2003 with a whopping 8k miles on it. It now has only 124k on it. Granted I don’t put a lot of miles on it but it has never needed any major work. Tires, brakes, a timing chain and regular oil changes. The clutch must be made out of diamonds, I taught 2 kids how to drive a stick on it and both took it away to college when the time came.
Just simply basic transportation 35 mpg, A/C, power windows and a thumping stock CD player. It’s always been garage kept which helps no doubt but I’d buy another Hyundai in an instant.
As rare as they are on small cars these days, at least in North America, modern clutches seem pretty durable. Our 2001 VW Beetle is still on the original clutch despite having been used to teach two kids, who in turn (we only learned later) used it to teach several of their friends.
Some old Hyundais run even more than some newer ones because they were not yet immersed in direct injection GDI producing a lot of carbon and also the massacre of machining remains in the crank of the Theta II 2.4 engine leading to bearing failure, metal debris riding on contaminated oil, piston ring defects , which sowed doubt about the quality control of these manufacturers (kia-Hyundai) then in full emergence.
My father worked for Hyundai heavy industries in the 80s, supervising the building of massive container ships in the Pusan dockyard in South Korea. His ‘limo’ to get him back and forth from home to the yard was a 1st generation Pony. It was well beaten by then. We practically sat on the floor as the seat springs were way past their use by date. I got a strong sense of deja vu seeing the car first time. It was a near copy of the 70s Hillman Avenger. I’m told that Leyland group sold the license and body dies to Hyundai. Talking about flogging a dead horse!
Interesting! We (Canada) got only the 4-door hatchback Pony (like the blue one shown in the post, although with different headlights).
Yes, I see the Hillman Avenger DNA, sold here rebadged as a Plymouth Cricket c. 1971, before Chrysler turned to Mitsubishi for its small cars.
Man these are some depressing pics! Even the condition of the street surface is “decrepit”.
Neighborhood of the “burgh”?
Before the Sonata, Canada had the Stellar (along with the Pony).
https://www.hagerty.com/media/buying-and-selling/auctions/this-hyundai-stellar-is-the-rare-luxury-sedan-you-never-knew-existed-unless-youre-canadian/
Someone who works in the same building as me drove one of these until about last year. I would scarcely have noticed were it not for Those Headlights. When these came out, I thought the front design was downright ridiculous… copying Mercedes, but badly. “Two fried eggs merging together” is the best possible description.
But now, the front end doesn’t seem so bad, and at least it’s distinctive. Unlike the remaining 75% of the car’s design.
I like these because they represent an interesting bridge between Cheapo Hyundai of the 1980s & ’90s and Modern Hyundai. The story of how Hyundai extricated itself from a bad and cheap reputation to become a desirable brand is a pretty interesting business story. And this car I guess is Chapter One. Great find and writeup.
I thought it was interesting to learn that the initial Excel was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. While it sometimes seems that more cars in the 1980s were designed by him than not by him, I’d have to say that it appears that he wasn’t trying super hard with the Hyundai. It’s as if they got one of the rejected designs for the Golf.
Those houses are pretty grim, but they’re also so typical of big sections of Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia. And on those old frame houses, as others have noted, there are often no side windows at all, or if any, narrow (or otherwise entirely oddly dimensioned) ones like in these pictures. These remind me of the neighborhood scenes in the film The Deer Hunter…which was filmed in and around Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
The Sonata got passed for taxi duty here which made the diesels popular in that job the can be seen for sale still going with huge mileages at the end of their cab careers, cheap.
The mismatched fender isnt a biggie, somebody backed into the side of my C5 bent a door $3400 to make it right, there is one 2nd hand door available in this country thats the route I’ll be going, its the same or similar colour as my car close enough.
I loved my 02 Sonata. It took a while to like it though. I paid $200 for it in 2010. I bought it from a friend that couldn’t figure out why it kept going through serpentine belts alternators and batteries. The crank shaft pully was bent. I got it fixed for about $400. I drove it for 2 years before it was taken out by a deer running in front of me. It took me a while to get used to driving an automatic instead of a stick. The seats also sat a lot higher than my previous car (95 grand am). And I know Hyundai is a car people want now…. But a friend of mine has had 13 sonata and a 13 Elantra. My 02 had a better interior feel than his newer ones. I think Hyundai has gone above and beyond on the features of the newer models at the expense of the tactile feel of the interior. I’d love to find another sonata from this generation in good shape.
SOPHIEN, “two fried eggs merging together” is priceless! Thank you.