Quick Facts:

Pros:

• Great safety ratings.
• Good fuel economy across several powertrains, with hybrid availability.
• Nice interior design.
• Decent standard tech.

Cons:

• Not as refined as some of its competition.
• Suspension and handling not as good as the competition.
• Consumers have to pay for extensive tech features.

Vehicle Type: Four-door, five passenger midsize sedan.

Price Range: $21,600 - $26,600, plus an additional $835 freight charge.

Powertrain: The 2027 Hyundai Sonata comes equipped with a mix of efficient four-cylinder engines: a naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter producing 185 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque, a turbocharged 1.6-liter delivering 178 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, and a turbocharged 2.0-liter making 245 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.

Most trims come equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission with what Hyundai calls Shiftronic, or the ability to shift each gear manually for a mildly-sportier experience. All trims come equipped with front-wheel drive. The only outlier is the Eco trim, which comes from the factory with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with Shiftronic; this is a quicker-shifting and more efficient drivetrain that helps yield better overall fuel economy.

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Overview:

The Hyundai Sonata is the major South Korean brand's entry into the world of middle-tier, midsize sedans. This new-car segment isn't as popular as it used to be, with the rise of crossover SUVs, but that doesn't mean manufacturers aren't trying; they all offer many infotainment options, driver assistance tech, powerful engines, and good fuel efficiency.

The 2017 Hyundai Sonata comes in several trim levels: Base, SE, Eco, and Sport, with Limited and sub-trims available on the Base and Sport with a tad more luxury and convenience. Specific packages are known to increase the convenience factor, making it an ideal commuter and family hauler. There is also available Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid trims, which possess very good fuel-sipping, carbon-limiting hybrid technology.

Its competition includes some heavy hitters -- the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Mazda6, Chevrolet Malibu, and Ford Fusion -- and many have been around much longer than the Sonata.

Overall Score: 8/10

Safety Features: 8/10

The 2017 Hyundai Sonata earned an overall five-star crash safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with five stars in Front and Side Crash and four stars in Rollover. It also earned the highly-regarded Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) 'Top Safety Pick' designation, achieving a 'Good' rating in every Crashworthiness category, as well as Crash Avoidance and Mitigation. It received the highest grade of 'Superior' for Frontal Crash Prevention at 12 MPH and 25 MPH, an indication that this is one safe city-street commuter.

Conventional safety features are thorough across all Sonata trims, including electronic stability control, electronic brake-force distribution, traction control, ABS, dual front airbags, side-curtain airbags, and driver's knee airbag, and a rearview camera.

Unfortunately, to achieve top-level safety equipment, consumers must spring for the Limited trim, where several modern safety technologies are optional. Lane-departure warning, Smart Cruise Control with Start/Stop, rear parking sensors, automatic emergency braking, and Hyundai's Dynamic Bending Light headlights increase nighttime visibility by lighting up the road around corners. To stay competitive, we're surprised these aren't standard.

Value: 7/10

While the Sonata has a lot available, not as much is standard in tech and convenience as the competition, especially from Honda and Toyota. To achieve top-notch equipment in these categories, consumers have to spring for the Hyundai Sonata Limited and its optional packages. The base Honda Accord LX comes equipped with Honda's Sensing suite of high-tech driver aids and starts at $22,198. The Sonata SE begins just $500 less and does not have nearly as sophisticated tech or other standard features.

Reviewers noted that the Hyundai Sonata generally has good convenience tech, an excellent design, and a fair amount of value. However, it isn't as refined or fun-to-drive as long-time competitors in this field, such as the Accord and Camry. Notably, the engines were a bit harsh at times, and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic in the Sonata Eco shifted harshly as well. Still, considering the amount of progress the Sonata had made since the late 90s when the fourth generation came onto the North American scene, Honda and Toyota better keep an eye out.

In terms of hybrid availability, reviewers did also note that there's a lot of value in Hyundai's hybrid-powertrain trims, which only turns the heat up higher on the competition.

Tech Features: 8/10

The 2017 Sonata has good base tech, though nicer features are optional on higher trims only. On the non-Limited trims, a rearview backup camera, a six-speaker sound system, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, HD radio, Hyundai's Blue Link connectivity, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment, and USB and auxiliary jacks are standard. To achieve a better infotainment system with an 8-inch screen and 400-watt 10-speaker stereo system, consumers have to upgrade to the Limited trim.

The Value Edition Package adds a sunroof, chrome exterior door handles, hands-free trunk opener, proximity keyless entry, push-button start, sportier front seats that are heated, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

The Tech package offers substantially more, well, tech, though it is available only on Limited trims. It includes xenon headlights, Hyundai's fascinating Dynamic Bending Light, LED interior lights, an 8-inch touchscreen, blind-spot monitoring, an Infinity premium audio system, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, rear sunshades, and satellite radio.

Practicality: 9/10

As a spacious, four-door midsize sedan, the Sonata ticks this box quite well. Across all trims, the headroom is great at 40.4 inches up front and 38 inches in back, legroom is quite spacious at 45.5 inches up front, and 35.6 inches in back, and hip room is even better at 57.9 inches up front and 56.5 inches in back.

Reviewers noted that the interior had great overall comfort, and these figures indeed prove that.

Cargo room is very good -- not hatchback-level, but superb for a midsize sedan that will surely see a lot of road trip action because of its good comfort and fuel economy. The trunk has 16.3 cubic feet of cargo room, though, with the rear 60/40 split rear seat folded down, this expands a bit further. Loading cargo in and out isn't quite ideal, however, due to a narrow trunk opening.

Styling & Design: 8/10

The 2017 Hyundai Sonata is maybe the best-looking version yet. It looks substantially more modern and high-class than its previous generations, and not big and bulky like the most-recent eighth-generation that debuted in 2019. The 2017 model year Sonata has aesthetically-pleasing styling, with clean lines and a more athletic look.

The spacious interior proportions mix well with the clean, simple, pillar-to-pillar layout and large center console area. While the center touchscreen infotainment system is small at seven inches, there are plenty of physical buttons around it, so consumers don't have to rely on a small touchscreen to do routine tasks like adjusting climate control, volume, etc.

One small-yet-significant upside about the interior design is the large center armrest for front-seat occupants. It gives the Sonata a particular air of luxury and also improves overall comfort. The proof is in the pudding with the Sonata's front-seat shoulder room dimensions.

Driving Experience: 8/10

When it came to performance, Hyundai left a lot on the table with the 2017 Sonata. Reviewers clocked the most powerful 2.0-liter turbo engine-equipped model's 0-60 mph time in 7.1 seconds. That's not bad and significantly faster than the previous-generation Sonata, but it doesn't stack up the Honda Accord 2.0T's 5.7 seconds, which the Chevy Malibu 2.0T matches.

The Sonata Hybrid's performance is a bit worse: it takes a whole 8.3 seconds to reach 60 mph from a stop, most likely due to its increased weight. The Toyota Camry Hybrid and Honda Accord Hybrid take only 7.1 seconds. The Ford Fusion hits the mark in 7.5 seconds.

Elsewhere, the Sonata handled well enough and had good brake feel, though rode less refined than its competition. It achieved an average of 0.66 lateral g-forces on the skidpad, comparable to most competitors.

Its light steering with a good ratio made it quick and easy to maneuver as well, adding to its appeal as a capable city street commuter.

Fuel Efficiency: 10/10

Across all engines, the 2017 Hyundai Sonata gets excellent gas mileage for its size and class. The base model equipped with the 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder achieves 25/36 mpg city/highway. In the more energetic 2.0-liter turbo-equipped models, mileage drops to 22/31 mpg city/highway, though this engine makes around 80 more horsepower, improving overall acceleration.

The sweet spot for those most economy-conscious is the Eco trim, which comes equipped with a 1.6-liter turbo engine, which makes a tad less horsepower than the 2.4-liter, but a bit more torque and noticeably better fuel economy. This model boasts an EPA-rated fuel economy of 28/31 mpg city/highway.

The great fuel economy stats don't stop there, as the hybrid and plug-in Hybrid powertrains significantly boost economy. The standard Hybrid trim reaches an impressive 39/45 mpg city/highway; the Hybrid Limited achieves slightly less due to weighing marginally more. The economy figures soar higher in plug-in hybrid-equipped models, reaching 39 mpg city, though the MPGe (or "miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent") jumps to 99, with an all-electric range of 27 miles. That makes it a tremendous in-town runabout.

What’s it Going to Cost Me?

As hinted at above, Hyundai does trims and pricing a tad differently than other manufacturers: each trim level is based on the engine offered, then the Limited version exists higher up on the totem pole, which is essentially a base 2.4-liter four-cylinder model with a significant amount of added luxury, convenience, and tech.

The base Sonata begins at $22,435 and includes the 2.4-liter four-cylinder, several airbags, 16-inch alloy wheels, rear lip spoiler, a chrome window surround, projector headlights, remote keyless entry, alarm system, and the base infotainment tech we detailed above. Unfortunately, tech is lacking, as only AM/FM radio with Bluetooth, CD, and MP3 are available. The Hybrid powertrain is available here, which works out to $26,835. The Plug-In Hybrid is also available and bumps pricing to $34,600.

The Hyundai Sonata SE begins at $22,785 and adds automatic headlight control, the 7-inch infotainment display audio system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, HD radio, and Hyundai Blue Link.

Next up, the Sonata Eco rings up at $23,960 and has all of those features mentioned earlier plus eco-friendly efficiency to boot. The 1.6L turbo four-cylinder engine with seven-speed EcoShift dual-clutch transmission with Shiftronic, and efficient Michelin tires.

Following the Eco, the Hyundai Sonata Sport works out to $24,235. It adds LED daytime running lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, a sporty front grille, a sporty front bumper fascia, dual exhaust, sport rocker panels, side mirror-mounted turn signal indicators, chrome exterior accents, carbon-fiber-like interior trim, and a 10-way power driver seat with lumbar support.

Above that is the Limited at $27,985, including welcome lights, a hands-free power trunk, proximity keyless entry, push-button start, leatherette/woodgrain trim, leather seats, and a six-way power passenger seat, heated front seats, a leather steering wheel, and dual-zone climate control.

Finally, there are the Sport 2.0T and Limited 2.0T, which work out to $27,435 and $35,185, respectively. These trims possess paddle shifters, sport-tuned suspension and larger front brakes, 18-inch alloy wheels, a rear diffuser, quad exhaust tips, 3D Tech appearance interior trim, aluminum pedals, and sport seats that include leather bolster with cloth inserts. The Limited has dual-zone climate control, LED interior lights, a panoramic sunroof, an eight-inch navigation system, a 400-watt Infinity premium audio system, and upgraded SiriusXM satellite radio.

The Hyundai Sonata has come a long way since it became a capable contender nearly twenty years ago. With good tech, excellent fuel economy, a spacious, comfy interior, and a hybrid availability, it may not be nipping at the heels of competitors like Honda and Toyota for much longer. The Sonata has already left some of the competition in the dust, thanks to its generous 100,000-mile warranty.

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