Compare the2023 Hyundai Sonata HybridVS 2023 Toyota Prius

The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Prius doesn’t offer knee airbags.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sonata Hybrid has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Parking Support Brake costs extra on the Prius.

Both the Sonata Hybrid and the Prius have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sonata Hybrid the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Prius has not been tested, yet.

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

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

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

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

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.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Sonata Hybrid’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. The Prius doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Sonata Hybrid has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Prius AWD’s standard fuel tank (13.2 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Sonata Hybrid has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Prius FWD’s standard fuel tank (13.2 vs. 11.3 gallons).

For better stopping power the Sonata Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Prius:

The Sonata Hybrid’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Prius are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Sonata Hybrid has larger standard tires than the Prius (205/65R16 vs. 195/60R17). The Sonata Hybrid SEL/Limited’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Prius (215/55R17 vs. 195/60R17).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sonata Hybrid’s wheelbase is 3.5 inches longer than on the Prius (111.8 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sonata Hybrid is 2.9 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Prius.

The design of the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid amounts to more than styling. The Sonata Hybrid has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .24 Cd. That is lower than the Prius (.27) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Sonata Hybrid get better fuel mileage.

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

The Sonata Hybrid has 13.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Prius (104.4 vs. 91.2).

The Sonata Hybrid has 2 inches more front headroom, 2.9 inches more front legroom, 2.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 2.7 inches more rear hip room and 3.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Prius.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Sonata Hybrid. The Prius doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

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

The Sonata Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Prius uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Sonata Hybrid Limited has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Prius doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Sonata Hybrid has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Prius has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the XLE/Limited.

When the Sonata Hybrid 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 Prius’ mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Sonata Hybrid’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Prius doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Sonata Hybrid and the Prius offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Sonata Hybrid has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Prius doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Sonata Hybrid 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 Prius’ automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Sonata outsold the Toyota Prius by 49% during 2022.