Compare the2025 Hyundai SonataVS 2025 Lexus ES

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

Safety

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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 Lexus ES has not been tested.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sonata 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. Rear Cross-Traffic Braking costs extra on the ES.

Both the Sonata and the ES 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, 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 all wheel drive.

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 Lexus ES:

	Sonata	ES
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	33%	33%
Neck Stress	98 lbs.	159 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	29/21 lbs.	473/518 lbs.

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Sonata is much safer than the ES:

	Sonata	ES
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh Forces L/R	90/225 pounds	270/337 pounds
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh Forces L/R	90/225 pounds	270/337 pounds
Leg Forces L/R	315/495 pounds	427/697 pounds
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL

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 Lexus ES:

	Sonata	ES
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	250	300
Hip Force	223 lbs.	541 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	264	326

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Hyundai Sonata is safer than the ES:

	Sonata	ES
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	180	403
Neck Tension	268 lbs.	312 lbs.
Neck Compression	-89 lbs.	89 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.38 in	1.54 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	669 lbs.	1026 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	95	197
Neck Tension	89 lbs.	134 lbs.
Neck Compression	-156 lbs.	22 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	469 lbs.	1205 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Hyundai Sonata (Built after November 2024) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The ES is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

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 ES’ 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

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

The Sonata’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the ES’ (7 vs. 6 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Sonata for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the ES (3/36,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sonata’s warranty.

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 Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 8th.

Engine

The Sonata has more powerful engines than the ES:

	Torque
Sonata N Line 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder	311 lbs.-ft.
ES 250 Luxury AWD 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	184 lbs.-ft.
ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid
ES 350 3.5 DOHC V6	267 lbs.-ft.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Sonata
	FWD	SE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/38 hwy
		SEL 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/36 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy
ES
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/32 hwy
		F Sport 3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/31 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/33 hwy

Both the Sonata SE and the ES Hybrid 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 Sonata has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (15.9 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 ES 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 ES 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 ES:

	Sonata N Line	ES
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	11.1 inches

The Sonata stops much shorter than the ES:

	Sonata	ES
60 to 0 MPH	118 feet	140 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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

Suspension and Handling

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

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sonata is 1.1 inches wider in the front and .9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the ES.

The Sonata SEL AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the ES 300h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sonata SEL AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the ES 300h (27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sonata’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the ES’ (35.9 feet vs. 38 feet).

Chassis

The Hyundai Sonata may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 400 pounds less than the Lexus ES.

Passenger Space

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

The Sonata has 4.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the ES (104.4 vs. 99.9).

The Sonata has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 3.7 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear hip room and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the ES.

Cargo Capacity

The Sonata has a much larger trunk than the ES (15.6 vs. 13.9 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 ES’ useful trunk space.

The Sonata’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The ES doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

Ergonomics

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 ES’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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

The Hyundai Sonata outsold the Lexus ES by 54% during 2024.

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