Inside the New Hyundai Sonata

The 2017 Hyundai Sonata, a midsize sedan, offers six trim packages: the SE, the Sport, the Sport 2.0T, the Limited, the Limited 2.0T, the Sonata Eco, the base Hybrid and base Hybrid plug-in trims, and the Limited Hybrid and Limited Hybrid plug-in trims.

The 2017 Sonata luxury features include an eight-way power driver seat with power lumbar support, a six-way power passenger seat, ventilated front seats, driver memory settings, rear seat vents, rear window sunshades, dual-zone automatic climate control, and an available power-tilt-and-slide sunroof or a panoramic sunroof. Interior features include a sporty D-cut steering wheel, paddle shifters, a sportier instrument cluster, and aluminum pedals on the Sport 2.0T and Limited 2.0T. Hyundai adds sport leather seating and large side bolsters on the Limited 2.0T. Soundproofing materials and chassis rigidity ensure a quiet ride.

The exterior has a chrome front grille, dynamic bending light HID lighting system, High Beam Assist, side mirror-mounted turn-signal indicators, side rocker panels with chrome molding, dual exhaust tips, rear spoiler, and hands-free smart trunk.

Specifications

The 2017 Hyundai Sonata is 191″ long, 73″ wide, and 58″ high with a 110″ wheelbase. The base Sonata starts at $21,600 MSRP. The Sonata SE starts at $21,950 MSRP. The Sonata Sport starts at $23,400 MSRP. The Sonata Sport 2.0T starts at $26,600 MSRP. The Sonata Limited starts at $27,150 MSRP. The Sonata Limited 2.0 starts at $34,350 MSRP. The Sonata Eco starts at $23,125 MSRP. The base Hybrid starts at $26,825 MSRP. The base Hybrid plug-in starts at $35,435 MSRP. The Limited Hybrid starts at $30,925 MSRP. The Limited Hybrid plug-in starts at $39,435 MSRP.

Features

The performance features on the 2017 Hyundai Sonata include a 2.4-liter, 185-horsepower, GDI engine, a six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC, MacPherson struts front suspension, and multi-link with stabilizer bar rear suspension.

With the Sport 2.0T and the Limited 2.0T models, you can get a 245-horsepower, turbocharged, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, GDI engine, a sportier suspension, quad exhaust, larger front disc brakes, a rear diffuser, Rack-mounted Motor-Driven Power Steering, and 18-inch wheels. The 2017 Sonata Eco has a 1.6-liter, 178-horsepower, turbocharged engine.

All models offer an eco, normal, and sport mode. The twin-scroll turbocharged engine reduces lag, improves combustion efficiency, recovers more energy from the exhaust than a single-scroll turbocharged engine, provides low-engine-speed efficiency, and is lighter than a conventional turbocharged engine.

With aluminum front and rear suspension, you get enhanced steering response, handling capability, weight reduction, stability, and strength. The 2017 Sonata has a dual lower-arm rear suspension for high-speed maneuvering stability and braking.

The 2017 Hyundai Sonata safety features include antilock disc brakes, front-seat side airbags, a driver knee airbag, full-length side curtain airbags, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Departure Warning, rearview camera, Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross-traffic Alert, and Vehicle Stability Management.

The Sonata earned a five-star overall government crash test rating and a five-star rating in government front and side impact crash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Sonata a top rating of good for moderate-overlap frontal-offset impact, side-impact, whiplash protection, and roof-strength tests. They gave the Sonata an acceptable rating for the small-overlap frontal-offset impact test.

For your entertainment and to keep you connected, the 2017 Hyundai Sonata has Apple CarPlay with Siri Voice Control, USB and auxiliary input jacks, a seven-inch touchscreen, and an eight-inch navigation screen. Just plug in your iPhone and you can text, make calls, or listen to music using the Siri Voice Control. Apple CarPlay will also give you directions, traffic conditions, travel time, and offer directions to the most frequent destinations or locations listed on your appointment calendar. It has an audio system with HD Radio™ technology, AM/FM/CD/MP3, and SiriusXM Satellite and Pandora Radio.

How Does the 2017 Hyundai Sonata Compare With Its Competition?

U.S. News and World Report ranked the 2017 Hyundai Sonata #1 in the mid-size sedan class against strong competitors. Like others, they praised the Sonata for its roominess, comfortable ride, and loads of features for the price. They mentioned that the Sonata had the lowest price for its base trim in the mid-size class.

According to CarPreview.com, the 2017 Hyundai Sonata beats the Chrysler 200 in every way, and beats the Nissan Altima due to the sluggish driving of the Altima. They point out that the Kia Optima has different styling than the Sonata but the same mechanical features. They say that for the price, the Honda Accord is the best mid-size sedan, the Mazda 6 has the best looks and handling, and Chevrolet Malibu has the best driving appeal among mid-size sedans.

Fuel Efficiency

The base Sonata and the Sonata SE with the 2.4-liter engine get 25 MPG in the city, 36 MPG on the highway, and 29 MPG combined. The Sport and Limited models get 25 MPG in the city, 35 MPG on the highway, and 28 MPG combined. The 2.0T Sport and Limited models get 23 MPG in the city, 31 MPG on the highway, and 26 MPG combined.

The Eco model gets 28 MPG in the city, 36 MPG on the highway, and 31 MPG combined. The base Hybrid model gets 39 MPG in the city, 45 MPG on the highway, and 42 MPG combined. The Limited Hybrid gets 38 MPG in the city, 43 MPG on the highway, and 40 MPG combined. In hybrid mode, both Hybrid models get 40 MPG combined and 99 MPGe.

Pros and Cons

The 2017 Hyundai Sonata is among the most spacious in its class with lots of passenger head and leg room. It has 16.3 cubic feet of cargo space with 13.3 cubic feet of cargo space in the hybrid. Edmunds.com praises its spacious interior and smooth, comfortable, and quiet ride. They say that, even on the base model, you get a lot of features for the price and that the Limited 2.0T has features that compare with luxury sedans. Edmunds says that there is a lot of good competitors in the mid-size sedan class, but they say the Sonata is a standout in that class. However, CarPreview.com suggests that the Hyundai Sonata should get improved steering and handling and be restyled to bring back the look of the 2011 Sonata. Motortrend also said that its driving performance was its only issue.

So, if you are looking for a spacious mid-size family sedan that gives you a lot of features for the price and provides a smooth, quiet, and comfortable ride with good gas mileage for long family trips, then the 2017 Hyundai Sonata should be your next car.