When you first think of a midsize vehicle, sporty and hightech typically do not come to mind. But as body styles have progressed over the years, midsize vehicles are getting bold new looks that are getting noticed. While the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord have dominated the midsize sedan segment, the Hyundai Sonata is here to see if it can stand up to its competitor, the Honda Accord, and take it’s top ranking spot.
The examples we’ll be comparing are the fully loaded 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited 1.6T and the 2020 Honda Accord Touring 2.0 Touring. We’ll be looking at their overall pricing, handling and performance, exteriors, and interiors.
Pricing
Hyundai is known for its value and their fully loaded limited model starts its MSRP at $33,000; while the Honda Accord shows their fully loaded touring trim starting its MSRP at 36,250. That’s almost a $3,000 difference! Lets take a look at the engine to see why we have this price gap.
Handling/Performance
Both of these vehicles are working with an updated engine however, the Sonata has a 1.6L Turbo 4 cylinder and a 180 HP and 195 lb ft of torque. An 8-speed automatic transmission is standard across all Sonatas and provides fast and smooth shifting. Currently the Sonata only offers front wheel drive and does not carry an option for 4 wheel drive. While the Sonata does have a spunky feel and quick launch for acceleration, it is not designed for extra performance, but what it lacks in extra performance, it gains in fuel economy; It has a City/Highway/Combined MPG of 27/36/31. The less powerful engine comes out ahead by a substantial margin compared to the Accord.
The Accord has a torque rich 2.0L 4 cylinder and with 252 HP and 273 lb ft torque, that definitely gives you the get up and go to push you back in your seat. The Accord does stand out with its 10-speed automatic transmission, which no other current competitor has. The Accord has the best steering wheel setup in its class and includes adaptive dampers that are both comfortable and sporty and provides extremely smooth riding. While the Accord has the more power with the larger engine, it cannot compare to the Sonata with its fuel economy. The Accords City/Highway/Combined MPG shows 22/32/26.
Both have a button down athletic feel that is fun to drive. They both handle very well and have a very agile feel to them. While the Accord has the larger engine and 10-speed transmission, In practice, the average person would not be able to tell much of a difference between the transmissions. With performance, we want to accompany it with good looks and sleek design. Let’s take a look at their exterior and see how they compare.
Exterior
For years the midsize auto segment had been dull, and lacked appeal in design and looks, but the Sonata kicked off the style revolution back in 2011 and this year brings even more appeal. The Sonata offers a bold black triangular grill, no matter what paint color you choose. The LED headlights have a unique feature where chrome accents will light up as daytime running lights, however, the Sonata does not come with fog lights. A built in spoiler gives the Sonata a sport look and comes with 18” alloy wheels. Mirrors are heated with blind spot monitoring and their advanced safety suit which includes, auto emergency braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and automatic high beam headlights, is thrown in as standard equipment, even on the lowest trim levels.
The Accord has a large grill with accented chrome above it and features LED fog lights which the Sonata does not include. The Accord shows it’s sporty side with dual exhaust outlets and 19” alloy wheels. It also provides heated mirrors with blind spot monitoring and also includes the same safety features as the Sonata on it’s lower trim.
While design might come down to being a personal preference, what sets these two apart is the outstanding warranty that Hyundai offers. Their basic warranty is 5yr/60k miles with a powertrain warranty of 10yr/100k miles. Honda offers a basic warranty at 3yr/36k miles and their powertrain warranty is 5yr/60k miles. As you can see, Honda’s Powertrain warranty is Hyunda’s basic Warranty. The Sonata is clearly the winner and rightfully so offers America’s Best Warrant.
Interior
While both the Sonata and the Accord have a smart keyless entry, the Sonata takes it a bit further and offers a digital key system as well. The digital key system is able to lock and unlock via your phone through Bluetooth and is able to offer parking assist in a very unique way. Similar luxury vehicles, like the BMW 7 series, you can exit your vehicle and use the key fob to have the car back up into a parking spot and pull out when coming back to the vehicle.
Taking a closer look inside, both the Sonata and Accord feature premium black leather color schemes as well as soft to touch dashboard, leather wrapped steering wheel, and a spacious interior storage in the center console including wireless phone charging pads that cover the bottom of the front bins. The Accord is able to provide a touch of class as it has a realistic dark faux wood trim and a padded leatherette covering the center console.
Both vehicles also have a head up display that projects the MPH on the windshield, push button shifters that are not commonly offered in its class, standard dual zone automatic climate control as well as rear seat vents. The front seats also offer heating, ventilation, memory seats as well as 8-way seating adjustment in the Sonata and 12-way seating adjustment in the Accord. They both include a moonroof, but only Sonata gives you a panoramic moonroof to enjoy more of the outdoor scenery.
Some features that stand out in the Sonata are the digital gage cluster with vivid graphics and is fully reconfigurable, and a large and vivid 360 degree backup camera and blind-spot camera monitoring system that displays the corresponding images on each side. This is similar to the lanewatch system that Honda used to offer, but no longer offered on the accord and is not a 360 degree backup camera.
The steering wheel in the Sonata, while leather wrapped, is also heated and the back rear seat vents also contain a smart charging USB port. The infotainment system has a 10.25” display, navigation and includes Apple Carplay and Android Auto. The Sonata also includes a premium Bose audio with 12 speakers to really enhance your music experience, while the Accord only has premium audio (not Bose) with 10 speakers. The Accord’s infotainment system also includes navigation, Apple Carplay and Android Audio, but only has an 8” display.
As far as space goes, the Accord is able to provide just a bit more rear headroom, legroom and trunk space. The Sonata’s measurements are:
-leg – 34.8in
-head – 38.4in
-trunk space – 16.0 cubic feet
While the Accord’s measurements are:
-leg – 40.4in
-head – 40.2
-trunk space – 16.7 cubic feet
Overall, the vehicles are pretty comparable to each other, and it might just come down to personal preference. But as far as value goes and getting the most for you money, the Hyundai is the better choice. With the upfront savings as well as the savings on gas mileage and it’s outstanding warranty, The Hyundai Sonata is the Midsize vehicle that will give you the sleek style and design, sporty handling, top safety features and all the bells and whistles to give it that extra flair.
Want to learn more about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata? Check out our website at www.tulsahyundai.com for more information.
