2019 Hyundai Sonata

The 2019 Hyundai Sonata is available in five gas-powered trims, namely the SE, Eco, SEL, Sport, and Limited. The 2019 Hyundai Sonata is also available in eco-friendly hybrid and plug-in hybrid forms too. The prices for the basic SE trim start at $22,650 and go up to $ 27,850 for the top-of-the-line Limited trim. It faces serious competition from the likes of Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, and its own cousin Kia Optima.

The classy-looking sedan has a total of 5 trim levels on offer, which are named ‘SE’, ‘Eco’, ‘SEL’, ‘Sport’, and ‘Limited’. It offers quite practical and usable features in the base trim itself which includes blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7-inch infotainment panel with all the required features, and many more. If you expect some luxurious features like power-adjustable seats with heating and ventilation function, leather upholstery, smart cruise control, automatic emergency braking, then you need to opt for the mid-level trims. The ‘Limited’ trim of the sedan focuses more on the sportier drive.

Which trim should you buy? 

With this car, one really wants a comfortable ride, and every trim on offer has a plush cabin with highly comfortable seats. However, some luxurious amenities like power-adjustable seats with heating and ventilation function, leather upholstery, power sunroof, LED headlights, and smart cruise control are missing in the lower trims. Therefore, we recommend you to opt for its top-end ‘Limited’ trim, which along with the luxurious amenities, offers a sportier driving experience as well. The 2.0L turbocharged motor in the ‘Limited’ trim has an impressive power output and can make your office commute a little more exciting.

The 2019 Hyundai Sonata comes with quite a few engine options The ‘SE’, ‘SEL’, and ‘Sport’ trims have a 2.4L inline-4 motor as a standard which generates 185 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque and is mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission. However, the ‘Limited’ trim has two engine options: the base will be the same 2.4L motor while the other one is the 2.0L turbocharged motor mated with an 8-speed automatic gearbox and produces 245 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque.

Under the hood of the ‘Eco’ is a 1.6L turbocharged engine that is mated with a 7-speed automatic gearbox and produces 178 horses and 195 lb-ft of torque. All the trims offer only FWD drivetrain and perform well on road. However, we expected the base engine to perform better in terms of acceleration. It takes 6.8 seconds to sprint from 0-60 MPH and can complete a quarter-mile in 16.1 seconds.

All the cars in the competition come with a similar engine capacity, but the Camry produces somewhat higher power and better torque figures, while the Fusion feels quite underpowered. The Camry also comes with an 8-speed transmission which makes it a better highway cruiser. The power produced by the Sonata and the Optima are identical and are quite decent figures. Surprisingly, the Optima and Sonata are the fastest among the others, while the Fusion is the slowest to sprint from 0-60 MPH.

How well does the 2019 Sonata handle?

The 2019 Hyundai Sonata offers comfortable seating and good NVH levels rather than providing you a fun-to-drive experience. The steering response is quite good, and it adds on some weight in the Sport mode, which further enhances handling and gives a crisp response. The suspension is tuned towards the softer side and can absorb road undulations well. 

The sedan, even with its considerable length, manages to offer a shorter turning radius and has decent agility. It is also easy to maneuver in the city. The lower height really helps in keeping the body roll very minimal. However, the car doesn’t give awe-inspiring performance even with its 2.0L turbocharged motor. It's not slow by any means, but the adrenaline rush is missing.

Braking Performance

The panic braking situation tests haven’t been conducted on this sedan, but considering the 12-inch brake rotors at the front and 11.2-inch ones at the rear, an impressive braking performance can be expected with it. Especially in the Sport mode, the brakes get even better than the comfort mode, and you can expect much more effective braking.

The brake rotors in the Sonata are of similar size as compared to the competition, while the Fusion is equipped with smaller rotors. However, the stopping distance of the Fusion is really appreciable, considering its weight and smaller rotors. Considering the fact that Optima and Sonata are cousins, we expect the Sonata to have a similar stopping distance as that of the Optima.

In the sedan segment, the Sonata won't disappoint you with its fuel economy, moreover, it has better MPG figures than some of the class-leading models. Its 2.4L motor delivers an economy of 26 MPG in the city and 35 on the highways, while the turbocharged motor has an economy lowered by 2-3 MPG, but that is totally acceptable considering its performance. The sedan has a larger tank in its class which carries 18.5 gallons of fuel and gives a driving range of more than 480 miles in the city and 640 on a highway drive, which is just commendable.

The Sonata offers better fuel efficiency figures than most of the other rivals, but the Camry has best-in-class MPG figures which are class-leading and unheard of in the sedan category. However, owing to a smaller fuel tank of just 14.5 gallons, the Camry cannot offer a better range in its segment. The Fusion stands last in the fuel economy, which might be due to its bulkier body compared to others. The Kia Optima offers the second-best range in the comparison. 

Yes, the interior of the 2019 Hyundai Sonata is a place where you’ll definitely like to be. Moreover, the interior is a key aspect of this Sonata. It has a dual-tone cabin and it looks very sophisticated. The selection of light-colored materials gives a roomy feeling inside and makes the passengers feel at ease over long journeys. The dashboard has an elegant design approach, which is covered with soft-touch materials on the top and some brushed aluminum finish rear AC vents, which feel absolutely rich and rugged. It is slightly angled towards the driver, which makes the cabin driver-centric. The door panels have also featured some soft-touch elements and aluminum trims.

Talking about the seating comfort, the Sonata has extremely comfortable seats, but it misses certain luxurious amenities in the base and mid-level trim levels. In the base trim, it gets 6-way manually adjustable front seats in fabric upholstery, while the top two trims get leather sport seats with power adjustments along with heating and ventilation function. The rear seats have an adequate amount of room, but a tall person might feel cramped owing to lesser legroom. Coming to the boot space, you’ll have plenty of space and nothing to complain about. It has 16.3 cu-ft. of space behind the second row, which is enough to carry luggage for four.

All the cars have seating for 5 and provide sufficient room at the front. The Sonata especially has more room than others at the front, but at the rear, the leg space is not very good. The Optima has a much roomier cabin than others, specifically at the rear. Coming to the cargo space on offer, the Sonata has a voluminous trunk on offer, while the Camry has the smallest. The Optima and Fusion come with nearly the same cargo capacity. Some of the standout interior features are as follows:

• Leatherette cabin (offered in higher trim levels)
• Heated front seats (in Limited trim)
• Heated steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic AC
• Auto-dimming IRVM

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The 2019 Hyundai Sonata has the most user-friendly and truly intuitive infotainment unit. It has a 7-inch BlueLink touchscreen display which has a fluidic touch response without any lag in touch or voice command either. The Limited trim gets a bigger 8-inch display with Navigation functionality. The graphics are very sharp, and Hyundai optimized it to be legible under direct sunlight. 

You get access to SiriusXM Satellite Radio and HD Radio services from SEL trim onwards. The BlueLink Connected Car Technology has almost every basic feature you need and offers seamless connectivity. The system also offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay from the base trim itself which is a good thing. Some of the highlights of the infotainment system are as follows:

• Apple CarPlay
• Android Auto.
• Voice Activation feature.
• Wireless phone charging.
• 6-speakers audio system. (Lower trims)
• Infinity 400-Watt Premium Audio system with 8 speakers (Limited Trim)
• 7˝color touch-screen display AM/FM/MP3 audio (Lower trims )
• 8˝high-resolution touchscreen navigation (Limited Trim)

The sedan looks elegant but doesn’t look as appealing as rivals in its class. It sits quite low and has a decent number of character lines to amplify its character. The headlamps are projector set up and designed in oval styling which doesn’t look bad nor too good. The front grille is designed with signature Hyundai styling in a kind of hexagonal shape with lots of chrome highlights. It has DRLs at the bottom which look sharp and enhances its front profile. The side profile is highlighted with two straight-line creases, one over the door handle and the other at the bottom. 

The door handles and the window liners are finished in chrome which looks premium. The ‘SE’ and ‘Eco’ trims are offered with 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, while the other trims come with 17-inch wheels. From the rear, the car has minimal design elements and is almost clean with no such cuts and creases, especially at the boot. The tail lamps are sleek and look quite aggressive. There is also a Sonata badging below the Hyundai logo on the rear liftgate.

The Fusion is the heaviest in the competition, and that might be a reason for its lower MPG figures. The Sonata has almost the same curb weight as the other two rivals, but still, it delivers quite a good economy. The Camry looks very attractive, while the Sonata is the least appealing one. The ground clearance isn’t available for the Sonata, but you can expect the same as that of the Camry and the Optima. Some of the standout exterior features are as follows:

• Chrome door handles
• Heated ORVMs.
• Light tinted glass
• Automatic headlamps with DRLs
• Power tilt-and-slide sunroof (Lower trims)
• Panoramic Sunroof (Limited)
• Hands-free smart trunk with auto open 
• Sport diffuser with dual chrome exhaust tips (Sport and Limited 2.0 T Trim)

The Sonata has been developed on the Hyundai-Kia N3 platform, which is also being shared with Kia K5. Sonata has proven its top-notch safety through rigorous crash testing. It has been tested by NHTSA and the IIHS, and both result in impressive ratings. NHTSA has given an overall 5-star rating for its safety while the IIHS awarded it as ‘Top Safety Pick+’, which is enough to show its robust build. Hyundai also offers many safety and driver assistance features to ensure safety and offer the buyers complete peace of mind. Some of the standout safety features include the following:

• Blind-spot detection system
• Lane change assist
• BlueLink emergency SOS
• Automatic emergency braking
• Pedestrian detection and rear cross-traffic alert
• Low tire pressure warning

2019 Hyundai Sonata vs 2019 Toyota Camry 

The 2019 Toyota Camry has a 2.5L engine while the Sonata has 2.4L, and the power figures of the Camry are somewhat higher than the Sonata, but surprisingly, the Sonata is quicker than the Camry in 0-60 MPH sprint. The Camry has a much more attractive MPG figure but comes with a smaller fuel tank capacity thus reducing its range. Looks-wise, the 2019 Camry is no doubt much more appealing than the Sonata, but the cabin comfort of the Sonata has no competition.

2019 Hyundai Sonata vs 2019 Ford Fusion

The Ford Fusion has lower power figures and is sluggish as well. The Sonata is much faster than the Fusion, which might be due to the bulky weight of the Fusion. Coming to the fuel economy, the Sonata has much better MPG figures than the Fusion and has a class-leading driving range as well. The cabin space of both the cars is decent enough, but the rear leg space of the Fusion is much better than the Sonata. 

2019 Hyundai Sonata vs 2019 Kia Optima

Both the cars have exactly the same power figures, but the Kia Optima completes quarter-mile drag faster. The Sonata has better fuel economy and has a better driving range, although the tank capacity of both cars is the same. The exterior looks of the Optima are very aggressive and appear better than the Sonata, whereas the Sonata looks quite elegant.

If you want a luxurious ride and you don’t have expectations for superior handling and driving, then the 2019 Hyundai Sonata will be a good choice for you. The car churns decent power from its 2.4L motor, while the turbocharged motor produces somewhat better power and gives a sportier driving experience. The cabin comfort is the main highlight of this sedan, where you will get almost every luxurious amenities, especially in its top-end trim. All in all, the car gives better utility than many of the sedans in competition at the price point of $23,000 to $28,000.