Compare the2024 Hyundai SonataVS 2024 Infiniti Q50

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Sonata have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Infiniti Q50 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sonata are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q50 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Hyundai Sonata 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 Q50 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Q50 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sonata and the Q50 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and available all wheel drive.

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 Q50’s 4-year/60,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Sonata 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Infiniti covers the Q50. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Q50 ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are over 4 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sonata’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai above average in initial quality. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is rated below average.

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 Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 80 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 23rd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 2 places higher in reliability than Infiniti.

The Sonata N Line’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 295) than the Q50’s standard 3.0 turbo V6.

On the EPA test cycle the Sonata gets better mileage than the Q50:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Sonata uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q50 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Sonata higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Infiniti Q50 (3). This means the Sonata produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q50 every 15,000 miles.

An eight-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Hyundai Sonata, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Q50.

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 Q50 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 Q50 doesn’t offer launch control.

The Sonata has a standard space-saver spare (not available on N Line) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Q50; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Sonata has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Q50’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sonata is 3.1 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Q50.

For better maneuverability, the Sonata’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Q50’s (35.9 feet vs. 36.7 feet). The Sonata’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Q50 AWD’s (35.9 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Hyundai Sonata may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 pounds less than the Infiniti Q50.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Sonata a Large car, while the Q50 is rated a Mid-size.

The Sonata has 4.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Q50 (104.4 vs. 100).

The Sonata has .5 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom and 1.9 inches more rear hip room than the Q50.

The Sonata has a much larger trunk than the Q50 (15.6 vs. 13.5 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Sonata’s trunk can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Q50 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Sonata’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Q50’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Sonata and the Q50 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Sonata is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Q50 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Sonata offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Q50 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Sonata and the Infiniti Q50, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Sonata outsold the Infiniti Q50 by over seven to one during 2023.