2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited Review - A New Contender Emerges

The idea of Honda and Toyota slugging it out for midsize sedan supremacy, with every other contender — from the very good to the mediocre to the also-rans — fighting it out for sales scraps, is pretty much an auto-journalism cliché at this point.

Other contenders dance in and out of the ring, but never quite stay part of the conversation. Hyundai’s Sonata has long been one of those. Certain generations of the Sonata were very much a part of the mix at the top of the class. Others were forgettable, hanging out in the muddled middle.

Part of it, as I wrote last fall, was that Hyundai seemed unable to strike a balance between driving dynamics and styling. When the car looked good, it wasn’t great to drive, and vice versa. And while only a percentage of midsize buyers might care about either attribute, that doesn’t mean either one should be ignored. Even the most car-ignorant commuter would likely prefer a car that looks good and doesn’t drop them into a deep snooze on the interstate.

Enter the newest Sonata. This is the first entrant from Hyundai in a while that will make folks at Honda HQ and Toyota’s corporate offices sweat a bit. Sure, both the Accord and Camry are quite good themselves right now, but should either stumble, well, Hyundai dealers might want a word.

[Get price quote on a Hyundai Sonata here!]

Let’s start with the powertrain. The 1.6-liter turbo-four under hood makes 180 horsepower and 195 lb-ft, which is good enough for smooth, relatively swift acceleration.

Hyundai continues to improve its vehicles’ steering incrementally. The Sonata’s unit feels appropriately weighted, but even the computer-controlled magic summoned by selecting Sport mode doesn’t quite put this car in league with the segment’s sportiest offerings. If you’re an enthusiast buying a family sedan for practical reasons, the Sonata won’t be as satisfying as the Accord or perhaps the Mazda 6. But for everyone else, the dynamics are engaging enough.

My first drive in Arizona left me complimentary of the Sonata’s smooth ride, and it wasn’t a letdown on pock-marked Chicago streets. It’s a quiet machine, too.

The styling might be a bit divisive, at least in photos. But it’s not a bad look in person. The squeezed snout is, at the least, a sign that Hyundai is willing to take chances after being panned for being too conservative with previous generations. There are cool touches, like the running lights that streak back towards the A-pillar, or the C-shaped taillights connected via a light bar that dissects the Hyundai and Sonata badging.

Inside, it’s similarly mixed – the four-spoke steering wheel looks odd, and the push-button shifter will divide opinions. But the infotainment screen sweeping across the dash integrates better than most that sort of “pop up”, and the HVAC controls are cleanly mixed in.

Limited is the top trim, and my test car had only one option: Carpeted floor mats for $135. Standard features included blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic assist, forward-collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, parking-collision-avoidance assist (rear), front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, 18-inch wheels, panoramic sunroof, LED lighting, keyless entry and starting, automatic-open/hands-free trunk, digital key, leather seats, heated and cooled front seats, power front seats, Bose audio, dual-zone climate control, 12.3-inch infotainment screen, navigation, USB, auxiliary input, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, and Hyundai’s BlueLink connected-car app.

Oh, and it included the remote-control parking app, which if you remember pre-pandemic life, was memorably featured in a Super Bowl commercial. The one with the Boston accents: “Smaht Pahk.” I’d love to tell you how well this feature works, but I stupidly forgot to give it a whirl. I guess I’m still an analog player in a digital world (Internet points to the commenter who gets that movie reference).

I also can’t tell you if the digital key or its near-field communication works, because that’s an Android feature and I don’t have an Android phone.

Inside, the Sonata isn’t just quiet, it’s also comfy and spacious. It’s a well-balanced machine.

The best driver’s cars in the midsize segment are sold by other brands. But if you’re looking for a balanced, well-rounded mid-sizer that is priced competitively (a tad over $34K as shown here), you could do worse.

Welcome Sonata back to the top of class midsize mix. Maybe this time, it will stick around awhile.

[Images © 2020 Tim Healey/TTAC]