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Compare the2025 Hyundai SonataVS 2025 Volkswagen Jetta

2025 Hyundai Sonata
2025 Volkswagen Jetta

Safety

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2024/11/02

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 Volkswagen Jetta 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 Jetta 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 Jetta doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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

Sonata

Jetta

Overall Evaluation

GOOD

MARGINAL

Crossing Child - DAY

12 MPH

AVOIDED

AVOIDED

25 MPH

AVOIDED

-12 MPH

Crossing Adult - NIGHT

12 MPH Brights

AVOIDED

AVOIDED

12 MPH Low beams

AVOIDED

AVOIDED

25 MPH Brights

AVOIDED

-18 MPH

25 MPH Low beams

AVOIDED

-18 MPH

Parallel Adult - NIGHT

25 MPH Brights

AVOIDED

No Slowing

25 MPH Low beams

AVOIDED

No Slowing

37 MPH Brights

AVOIDED

No Slowing

Warning Issued-Brights

1.8 sec

No Warning

37 MPH Low beams

AVOIDED

No Slowing

Warning Issued-Low beams

1.4 sec

No Warning

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

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 Jetta doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sonata and the Jetta have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

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 Jetta:

Sonata

Jetta

Overall Evaluation

GOOD

ACCEPTABLE

Structure

GOOD

GOOD

Driver Injury Measures

Head/Neck

GOOD

GOOD

Head Injury Criterion

180

226

Neck Compression

-89 lbs.

22 lbs.

Torso

ACCEPTABLE

ACCEPTABLE

Torso Max Deflection

1.42 in

1.85 in

Pelvis

GOOD

MARGINAL

Pelvis Force

669 lbs.

1182 lbs.

Head Protection

GOOD

GOOD

Passenger Injury Measures

Head/Neck

GOOD

GOOD

Head Injury Criterion

95

274

Neck Compression

-156 lbs.

45 lbs.

Torso

GOOD

MARGINAL

Shoulder Deflection

.98 in

1.97 in

Shoulder Force

312 lbs.

379 lbs.

Torso Max Deflection

1.02 in

1.69 in

Torso Deflection Rate

7 MPH

10 MPH

Pelvis

GOOD

ACCEPTABLE

Pelvis Force

469 lbs.

1049 lbs.

Head Protection

GOOD

GOOD

The Hyundai Sonata achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Jetta is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Warranty

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

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Sonata 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Jetta. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Jetta ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Sonata’s 7 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Jetta runs out after 100,000 miles.

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Sonata for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Jetta (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

There are over 29 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Sonata’s warranty.

Reliability

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To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Sonata has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Jetta’s 140-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Sonata’s reliability 23 points higher than the Jetta.

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 Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 79 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th, below the industry average.

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 Volkswagen With 69 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Hyundai higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 16 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

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The Sonata’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 33 more horsepower (191 vs. 158) than the Jetta’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Sonata N Line’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 132 more horsepower (290 vs. 158) and 127 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 184) than the Jetta’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

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The Sonata has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Jetta (15.9 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

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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 Jetta 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 Jetta doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

Sonata SEL

Sonata N Line

Jetta

Front Rotors

12 inches

13.6 inches

11.3 inches

Rear Rotors

11.2 inches

12.8 inches

10.7 inches

The Sonata stops shorter than the Jetta:

Sonata

Jetta

60 to 0 MPH

127 feet

135 feet

Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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For better traction, the Sonata N Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Jetta (245/40R19 vs. 225/45R18).

The Sonata N Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Jetta SEL’s 45 series tires.

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

Suspension and Handling

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For superior ride and handling, the Hyundai Sonata has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Volkswagen Jetta has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Sonata has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Sonata flat and controlled during cornering. The Jetta’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sonata’s wheelbase is 6.1 inches longer than on the Jetta (111.8 inches vs. 105.7 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 3.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Jetta.

Passenger Space

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Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Sonata a Large car, while the Jetta is rated a Compact.

The Sonata has 9.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Jetta (104.4 vs. 94.7).

The Sonata has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 5 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 3 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Jetta.

Cargo Capacity

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The Sonata has a much larger trunk than the Jetta (15.6 vs. 14.1 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Sonata easier. The Sonata’s trunk lift-over height is 27 inches, while the Jetta’s liftover is 28.7 inches.

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 Jetta’s useful trunk space.

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

Servicing Ease

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The Sonata uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Jetta 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

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On a hot day the Sonata’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Jetta can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

The Sonata has a standard Proximity Key that 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. Only the Jetta SE/SEL offers Keyless Access.

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’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Jetta’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

Both the Sonata and the Jetta 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 Jetta doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Recommendations

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Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Sonata, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen Jetta isn't recommended.

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

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