Compare the2023 Hyundai SonataVS 2023 Toyota Camry

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Sonata has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Camry’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sonata has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Toyota charges extra for rear cross-path warning on the Camry.

The Sonata’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Camry doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sonata and the Camry have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Sonata is safer than the Toyota Camry:

	Sonata	Camry
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Stress	98 lbs.	136 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	29/21 lbs.	266/310 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Sonata is safer than the Toyota Camry:

	Sonata	Camry
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	539 lbs.	752 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	577 lbs.	622 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Sonata comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Camry’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Sonata 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Camry. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Camry ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Sonata’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Camry’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Sonata for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Camry (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Sonata has a standard 760-amp battery. The Camry’s 600-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fifth.

Engine

The Sonata has more powerful engines than the Camry:

	Torque
Sonata SEL Plus/Limited 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder	195 lbs.-ft.
Sonata N Line 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder	311 lbs.-ft.
Camry AWD 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	182 lbs.-ft.
Camry 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	184 lbs.-ft.
Camry XSE AWD 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	185 lbs.-ft.
Camry XSE 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	186 lbs.-ft.
Camry 3.5 DOHC V6	267 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Car and Driver the Sonata SEL Plus/Limited 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Toyota Camry 4 cyl.:

	Sonata	Camry
Zero to 30 MPH	2.6 sec	2.9 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.3 sec	7.9 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	20 sec	20.5 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.8 sec	8.2 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	5.1 sec	6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.6 sec	16.2 sec
Top Speed	135 MPH	133 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sonata gets better mileage than the Camry:

			MPG
Sonata
	FWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/33 hwy
		SE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/38 hwy
		SEL 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/37 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/37 hwy
Camry
	FWD	Camry XLE 3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/33 hwy
		Camry XSE 3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/32 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/38 hwy
		TRD 3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/31 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Sonata SE’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Camry doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Transmission

The Sonata offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Camry doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Sonata N Line’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Camry doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Sonata N Line’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Camry:

	Sonata N Line	Camry	Camry TRD
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	12 inches	12.9 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	11.06 inches	11.06 inches

The Sonata stops much shorter than the Camry:

	Sonata	Camry
70 to 0 MPH	152 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	110 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Sonata SEL Plus/N Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Camry (245/40R19 vs. 235/45R18).

Suspension and Handling

The Sonata has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Camry doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sonata is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Camry.

The Sonata N Line handles at .93 G’s, while the Camry LE pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Sonata N Line executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Camry SE (25.8 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sonata’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Camry LE’s (35.9 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The Sonata’s turning circle is 3.4 feet tighter than the Camry AWD SE/XLE/XSE’s (35.9 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Sonata Limited is quieter than the Camry LE (37 vs. 38 dB).

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Sonata a Large car, while the Camry is rated a Mid-size.

The Sonata has 4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Camry (104.4 vs. 100.4).

The Sonata has 1.7 inches more front headroom, 4 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Camry.

Cargo Capacity

The Sonata has a larger trunk than the Camry (16 vs. 15.1 cubic feet).

The Sonata’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Camry TRD doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Sonata SEL/SEL Plus/Limited/N Line’s trunk can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Camry doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Sonata Limited, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Camry doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Sonata Limited’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Camry doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Sonata’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Camry’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The Sonata Limited’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Camry’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Sonata’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Camry and aren’t offered on the Camry Nightshade/TRD.

When the Sonata Limited is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Camry’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Sonata Limited’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Camry doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Sonata is less expensive to operate than the Camry because typical repairs cost much less on the Sonata than the Camry, including $151 less for a water pump, $36 less for front brake pads, $272 less for a starter, $224 less for fuel injection, $148 less for a fuel pump, $169 less for front struts, $805 less for a timing belt/chain and $294 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Sonata and the Toyota Camry, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its December 2019 issue and they ranked the Hyundai Sonata Limited higher than the Toyota Camry LE.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sonata second among midsize cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Camry isn’t in the top three.