Compare the2024 Hyundai Sonata HybridVS 2024 Toyota Prius

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 and rear 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.

Warranty

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).

Reliability

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai above average in initial quality. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota 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 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.

Fuel Economy and Range

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 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Prius AWD’s standard fuel tank (13.2 vs. 10.5 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).

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Sonata Hybrid	Prius
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	11 inches

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.

The Sonata Hybrid stops much shorter than the Prius:

	Sonata Hybrid	Prius
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	142 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Sonata Hybrid has larger tires than the Prius (215/55R17 vs. 195/60R17).

The Sonata Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Prius LE’s standard 60 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

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 track (width between the wheels) on the Sonata Hybrid is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than on the Prius.

The Sonata Hybrid Limited handles at .83 G’s, while the Prius Limited pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Chassis

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.

Passenger Space

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, 2 inches more rear headroom, 2.7 inches more rear hip room and 3.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Prius.

Cargo Capacity

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.

Servicing Ease

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.

Ergonomics

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’s standard Proximity Key allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Pushbutton Start standard on the Prius doesn’t offer a sensor on the trunk or any door except the driver’s, so you’ll have to walk to the driver's door to touch the handle. Pushbutton Start is not available on the Prius XLE/Limited.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Sonata Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Prius’ headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

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.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Sonata Hybrid to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Prius doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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 Limited 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Prius XLE/Limited offers wireless charging.

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 Limited’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Recommendations

The Hyundai Sonata outsold the Toyota Prius by 19% during 2023.

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