Compare the2025 Hyundai SonataVS 2025 Honda Civic

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

Safety

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With its standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, the Hyundai Sonata is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Honda Civic, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Sonata	Civic
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-22 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-21 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
37 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-18 MPH
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.4 sec	1.1 sec

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Hyundai Sonata achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Honda Civic has not been tested.

The Sonata offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Civic doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

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. Rear cross-path warning is not offered on the Civic LX and the Civic’s Rear Cross Traffic Monitor does not include automatic braking.

The Sonata has a standard Blue Link, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Civic doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Sonata and the Civic have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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 driver alert 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 Honda Civic:

	Sonata	Civic
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	356	444
Neck Stress	98 lbs.	189 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	29/21 lbs.	275/164 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 Honda Civic:

	Sonata	Civic
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	125	195
Abdominal Force	234 lbs.	286 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	250	268
Spine Acceleration	60 G’s	79 G’s
Hip Force	223 lbs.	516 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	780 lbs.	805 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 Civic’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 Honda covers the Civic. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Civic ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Sonata for 2 years and 24,000 miles longer than Honda pays for maintenance for the Civic (3/36,000 vs. 1/12000).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Honda With 8 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Hyundai higher than Honda.

Engine

The Sonata’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 41 more horsepower (191 vs. 150) and 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (181 vs. 133) than the Civic’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Sonata N Line’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 90 more horsepower (290 vs. 200) and 79 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 232) than the Civic Hybrid’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Hyundai Sonata 4 cyl. is faster than the Honda Civic 4 cyl.:

	Sonata	Civic
Zero to 60 MPH	7.9 sec	9.6 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	17.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87.2 MPH	84.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the Sonata SE and the Civic have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Sonata SEs have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The Civic Hybrid doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

The Sonata has 5.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Civic Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (15.9 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Sonata has 3.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Civic’s standard fuel tank (15.9 vs. 12.4 gallons).

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 Civic doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Sonata SEL	Sonata N Line	Civic
Front Rotors	12 inches	13.6 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	12.8 inches	10.2 inches

The Sonata stops shorter than the Civic:

	Sonata	Civic
60 to 0 MPH	118 feet	122 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

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

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sonata N Line has standard 19-inch wheels. The Civic’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sonata’s wheelbase is 4.1 inches longer than on the Civic (111.8 inches vs. 107.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sonata is 3.1 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Civic.

The Sonata N Line handles at .87 G’s, while the Civic Sport Touring Hybrid Sedan pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Sonata’s turning circle is .2 feet tighter than the Civic LX/Sport Hybrid’s (35.9 feet vs. 36.1 feet). The Sonata’s turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the Civic Sport/Sport Touring Hybrid’s (35.9 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

Passenger Space

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

The Sonata has 5.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Civic (104.4 vs. 99).

The Sonata has .7 inches more front headroom, 3.8 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 5.5 inches more rear hip room and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Civic.

Cargo Capacity

The Sonata has a larger trunk than the Civic Sedan (15.6 vs. 14.8 cubic feet).

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Sonata’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Civic’s useful trunk space.

The Sonata’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Civic LX Sedan’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

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 Civic doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

The Sonata uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Civic 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 power windows standard on both the Sonata and the Civic 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 Civic prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Sonata’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 Civic only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the car. Pushbutton Start is not available on the Civic Sport/Touring.

The Sonata’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Civic LX/Sport’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

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

Compared to traditional radio, the Hyundai Sonata’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the Civic Touring/Sport Touring.

Recommendations

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 Civic isn’t in the top three in its category.

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