2025 Hyundai Sonata

The 2025 Sonata is a carry-over year of the facelifted eighth generation (DN8, from 2020; refresh for MY2024). The volume SEL uses the naturally aspirated Smartstream 2.5L GDI four at 191 hp — modest for the class; the 290-hp N Line is the range maximum.

181 lb-ft from the naturally aspirated 2.5L is below turbo and hybrid rivals and normalizes low in the sedan band.

Hyundai publishes no 0–60 claim. MotorTrend clocked the 2024 SEL HTRAC (same powertrain, heavier AWD) at 7.9 s and U.S. News reports 7.3 s for the 2.5L; the FWD volume SEL is taken at ~7.7 s, mid-pack for non-turbo mid-size sedans.

The naturally aspirated 2.5L is smooth and lag-free at part throttle with linear response, but short of low-end torque and coarse when worked hard. Below the Accord's two-motor hybrid and a little under the Camry's hybrid.

A conventional 8-speed torque-converter automatic that shifts smoothly and avoids CVT drone — an advantage over the Altima and gas-era Accord — though it can be slow to kick down. The N Line's 8-speed wet DCT is crisper.

HTRAC AWD is offered only on the gas SEL for 2025 — SE, SEL Convenience, N Line and both hybrids are front-drive only — and the system is a basic on-demand setup with no terrain modes. Better than FWD-only rivals, but restricted to one trim.

Three distinct powertrains — 191-hp 2.5L, 290-hp 2.5T N Line, and 2.0L hybrid — cover economy, performance and electrified needs in a segment where rivals have narrowed. Held below 80 for the lack of any PHEV or EV variant.

The volume SEL 2.5L FWD is EPA-rated 29 MPG combined — the SE's idle stop-start version earns 32. Unremarkable against hybrid-led mid-size rivals.

25 MPG city is the weakest part of the SEL's label; without the SE's stop-start or any electric assist, stop-and-go economy lags.

36 MPG highway is the gas Sonata's strongest figure, competitive among non-hybrid mid-size sedans.

A 15.9-gallon tank at 29 MPG combined gives about 461 miles — adequate but mid-pack for the class.

EPA's current annual-cost estimate for the SEL is $2,250 on regular fuel, noticeably more than hybrid mid-size rivals.

The 2.5L GDI runs on 87-octane regular, as do the hybrid and even the N Line's EPA certification; there is no plug or premium requirement on the volume trim.

NHTSA rates the 2025 Sonata 5 stars overall. Frontal crash is the one 4-star result; side and rollover are 5 stars.

The 2025 Sonata is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ (vehicles built after November 2024), with Good ratings in every test that counts toward the award, including the tougher updated moderate-overlap (rear passenger) and updated side tests. Many mid-size rivals fail those two.

Hyundai SmartSense on the base SE includes the following as standard: forward collision-avoidance with pedestrian, cyclist and junction-turning detection; lane keeping assist; Lane Following Assist centering; Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go; blind-spot warning; driver attention warning; High Beam Assist; and rear occupant alert. That covers all five benchmark features on every trim. On the SE, blind-spot coverage appears to be warning-only.

In IIHS pedestrian testing, the Sonata's FCA avoided collisions in the day crossing-child tests at 12 and 25 mph and in the night crossing-adult and parallel-adult scenarios. The only weaker result is IIHS's harder vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 test, rated Acceptable rather than Good.

Blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alerts are standard on every trim. Higher trims add the active-braking avoidance-assist versions, Safe Exit Warning and, on the Limited, the Blind-Spot View Monitor camera. On the base SE, blind-spot coverage is listed as warning-only (BCW).

Lane Following Assist gives every 2025 Sonata true lane centering as standard, which is ahead of much of the class. Reviewers find it usable on well-marked highways but note it wanders on faded markings and that the LKA nudges are abrupt.

Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go is standard from the SE up and works reliably to a stop and back. Highway Driving Assist 2 is available on upper trims. It combines adaptive cruise with lane centering, navigation-based speed adjustment and assisted lane changes, making it one of the better-integrated highway systems at this price.

No trim offers hands-free highway driving. HDA and HDA2 are hands-on systems that check for steering-wheel input. A few points are given for HDA2's assisted lane change, the closest thing it offers.

IIHS rates the headlights Good on every trim. The LED projector low and high beams are standard across the range, and High Beam Assist is standard. Curve-adaptive lighting is not offered.

The fastback roofline, high beltline and thick rear pillars limit the view over the shoulder and out the back. Camera help is basic on volume trims; the surround-view and blind-spot view monitors come only on the Limited. The forward view is good.

IIHS rates LATCH ease of use Acceptable. The two outboard rear seats have full lower-anchor sets and the center has a tether only. The roomy rear seat and wide doors help, but the anchors are not class-leading in ease of use.

Conventional five-passenger mid-size sedan on every 2025 trim and powertrain.

The SEL volume trim has no sunroof, so it gets the full 40.0 in, at the top of the sedan band; Hyundai's generous measuring convention inflates the on-paper lead.

46.1 in is the largest published front-legroom figure in the mainstream mid-size class, above the top of the sedan band.

Rear headroom is competitive despite the fastback roofline; CR says there is enough room in back for full-size adults.

On paper, 34.8 in of rear legroom trails the Accord (40.8 in) by a wide margin; the figure is partly an artefact of Hyundai measuring front legroom generously, but it is what's published.

15.6 cu ft is mid-pack for the class, behind the Accord's 16.7, with a useful 60/40 pass-through.

Competitive everyday storage: a center console with a bin, cupholders and a phone tray, with wireless charging from SEL Convenience up. The 2024 refresh freed up console space by moving the shifter to the steering column. Nothing clever beyond that.

The SEL driver seat is comfortable with power lumbar, and the rear bench suits adults. Reviewers still rate the seats a notch below the Accord and Camry for long-haul support.

The refreshed Sonata absorbs bumps well and rides much better than the stiff pre-2024 car, though some testers still call it a touch firm.

The cabin is mostly serene, and the windshield and front door glass get standard acoustic film. Against that: the 2.5L sounds raspy at high revs, and there is a constant rustle of wind noise on the highway, slightly louder than rivals.

The SEL volume trim has standard heated front seats and dual-zone automatic climate. Ventilated seats and a heated wheel are Limited/N Line only, and the SE lacks heated seats.

For 2025 Hyundai brought back the SE as a lower entry point, opening at $27,800 delivered. That undercuts a Camry, which went hybrid-only for 2025, and a base Accord, so the Sonata has one of the lowest mid-size sedan entry prices.

The SEL is the gas volume trim and comes to $28,900 delivered, which is about what a base trim of most rivals costs. Only the N Line and Hybrid Limited go past $36,000, so the core of the lineup stays in the low part of the segment band.

The published estimates disagree a lot. KBB, which runs high across the whole class, says $6,816, while CarEdge's figure covers scheduled maintenance only. Hyundai's 3-year/36,000-mile complimentary maintenance and a very small repair line ($646 on KBB) put the Sonata slightly below the class norm. The value is a blend, set against the same-dataset Sentra ($4,400) and Altima ($5,400).

The forward-looking KBB residual for the 2025 SE is about 48%. The backward-looking used-market studies (iSeeCars, CarEdge) come in at 54–55%. A 50% blend puts the Sonata level with or just ahead of the Altima and Malibu, but well behind the Camry and Accord, whose retention is in the high 50s to 60%.

Hyundai's 5-year/60,000-mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty is at the top of the segment band. It runs two years longer than the 3-year/36,000-mile coverage from Toyota, Honda and Nissan, and it applies to every 2025 Sonata.

The 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage is the top of the band and double the 5-year/60,000-mile coverage from Toyota and Honda. The catch is that it applies to the original owner only.

Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance covers scheduled oil changes and tire rotations for 3 years/36,000 miles, which beats ToyotaCare's 2 years/25,000 miles and anything Honda includes. It comes with 5 years of unlimited-mileage roadside assistance and a complimentary Bluelink connected-services period. It misses the top of the band because there are no fuel credits and wear items aren't covered.

$28,900 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (50% retained, or about $14,450) leaves about $14,450 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,500 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $18,950 in total.

The 2025 Sonata is the second model year of the 2024 facelift of the eighth-generation (DN8, 2020–) car, a carry-over with mature hardware. J.D. Power rates it 81/100 on quality & reliability and it placed second among midsize cars in the 2025 IQS. That puts it above the mid-pack Hyundai norm but still short of the Camry and Accord at the top of the segment.

Hyundai does much better on initial quality than on three-year dependability. It finished second among mass-market brands in the 2025 J.D. Power IQS, but it sits outside the top ten in the 2026 VDS, where sister brand Kia ranks ninth. That is a mid-pack dependability standing, and the brand still carries some reputational drag from the Theta II engine campaigns.

No NHTSA recall campaign in the recall feed lists the MY2025 Sonata. The DN8 generation as a whole has a normal, non-systemic record: a 2020–2023 fuel-tank check-valve recall with fire risk, a 2023 Idle Stop & Go oil-pump controller campaign, a 2021–2022 transmission fail-safe mode recall, a 2024 brake-light software fix, and a 2026 instrument-cluster software update. None of these reaches the 2025 model year, but the generation's record isn't clean enough for the top band.

The volume powertrain is the naturally aspirated 2.5L Smartstream GDI four. It is a low-stress engine unrelated to the troubled Theta II family, and it drives through a conventional 8-speed torque-converter automatic rather than a CVT. What keeps it below the Toyota and Honda benchmarks is the carbon buildup common to direct-injection engines, the generation's transmission oil-pump and fail-safe campaigns, and the N Line's 2.5T wet dual-clutch (not the volume trim).

The 2024 facelift cabin carries into 2025 unchanged: a curved panel housing twin 12.3-inch displays, better switchgear, physical climate controls, and padded upper dash and door tops on most trims. Hard plastics remain low in the console and on the rear door cards. Relative to price it presents better than the Camry and about on par with the Accord.

Initial quality is the Sonata's strongest reliability signal: it placed second among midsize cars in the 2025 J.D. Power IQS and won the segment in the 2026 study. By 2025 it is six model years into the generation and has no widespread rattle or panel-gap complaints. Minor inconsistency in trim and switchgear keeps it just below the Accord.

Hyundai has a dense nationwide network of roughly 830 franchised dealers, and the Sonata is a core volume nameplate every store can service. Service satisfaction is mid-pack and varies a lot from store to store, which keeps it below Toyota and Honda.

The Sonata is a long-running high-volume U.S. nameplate, so parts are abundant and cheap, and independent shops support it widely. Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain and 5-year/60,000-mile new-vehicle warranties absorb much of the early-ownership risk. The N Line's turbo hardware and the large curved display are the costly out-of-warranty exceptions.

Every 2025 trim gets the 12.3-inch touchscreen, SE included.

CR calls the dual-12.3-inch ccNC system 'super easy to use' and credits the physical climate and audio controls it keeps. It's a step behind the class-best Accord Google-built system.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard from the base SE up.

Bluelink voice and native navigation (standard per KBB SEL data) work, with 3 years of OTA map updates, but most owners will use phone projection.

The base 6-speaker system is adequate. The 12-speaker Bose is available but not on the base SEL, and it is a modest upgrade.

The 12.3-inch digital cluster that forms the panoramic curved display starts at SEL Convenience. The base SEL volume trim keeps a smaller cluster, so the full digital cluster is only on the upper trims.

ccNC receives OTA updates for infotainment and maps (3 years included with Bluelink, subscription afterwards). There's no evidence of whole-vehicle OTA that adds features.

The Bluelink app covers remote start/climate, lock and locate. Digital Key 2 (phone-as-key) is available from SEL-grade trims; some remote features become subscription-gated after the trial.

The ports are adequate, but wireless charging is missing on the SE and base SEL (SEL Convenience and up only). There's no AC outlet.

Proximity key with push-button start is standard even on the SE. Digital Key 2 phone-as-key is available on higher trims, and Bluelink handles remote start.

A rear camera with guidance is standard. Surround View, the Blind-spot View Monitor and Remote Smart Parking Assist are limited to the Limited/N Line.

A full-color HUD is available but only on the top Limited (and N Line), not on volume trims.

The big rear doors and a rear seat that fits adults help with family use. Against it: the fastback roofline, a low seating position for loading kids, only 34.8 in of published rear legroom and an Acceptable IIHS LATCH rating.

It's an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ (built after Nov 2024) with 5-star NHTSA overall, and SmartSense (AEB, lane centering, stop-and-go adaptive cruise, blind-spot warning) is standard from the SE.

The ride is comfortable and quiet enough, but rear amenities are thin on gas SEL-grade trims (a rear console vent is only confirmed for the N Line), and the 15.6 cu ft trunk holds a family's luggage only with some Tetris.

It's easy to live with: a smooth 8-speed, a softened ride, the column shifter, an easy infotainment system and standard stop-and-go adaptive cruise.

29 MPG combined (SEL 2.5L) on regular fuel, or 32 on the stop-start SE, is class-average for a non-hybrid. The hybrid versions and the hybrid-only Camry are far cheaper per mile.

At 193.3 in it is a long mid-size sedan, but the 35.9 ft turn is tight for the class. Rear visibility through the fastback is poor, and the SEL has only a rear camera.

There's no published US tow rating and only a 15.6 cu ft trunk; it's not a work tool.

The 2.5L GDI / 8AT has had no major widespread 2024–25 failures, and J.D. Power predicted reliability is 86/100. Cloth interior on the SEL, but no fleet-duty reputation.

No onboard power, no rack or upfit ecosystem, and only basic trunk tie-down provisions.

It's a good highway cruiser: 36 MPG highway gives ~550 mi of highway range from a 15.9 gal tank, the seats and ride are comfortable, and stop-and-go adaptive cruise is standard. Highway Driving Assist 2 is only on upper trims, and wind rustle holds it back.

HTRAC AWD is available on the SEL, which helps in snow and on gravel. With 5.3 in of ground clearance, no roof rails and no tow rating, it is otherwise pavement-bound.

A 15.6 cu ft trunk with a 60/40 pass-through handles normal luggage, but bulky gear is a squeeze, and there are no roof rails or hitch.

CR calls the handling 'responsive and secure', and the car stays poised at the limit. It's tuned for comfort, and the K5 twin and Accord are sharper.

No steering-specific review was retrieved this run; scored at segment norm for a comfort-tuned mid-size sedan with electric power steering: accurate enough, light, little feedback.

CR praises its short stopping distances and a pedal that's easy to modulate.

The 191 hp 2.5L with its conventional 8-speed is smooth and well-timed in normal driving, but unhurried: CR measured 8.7 s to 60 mph.

The engine is quiet at cruise but raspy and buzzy when revved.

A 35.9 ft turn is tight for a car of the Sonata's length, and well inside the Accord's figure.

The 8-way power seat with lumbar and a column shifter that frees the console make for good ergonomics, and the physical climate/audio keys help. Minuses: the wheel hides some cluster icons for short drivers, the car sits low, and rear visibility is poor.

The 2.5L SEL is pleasant but forgettable. The fun Sonata is the 290 hp N Line, which isn't the volume trim.

The new $27,800 SE comes standard with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, proximity key with push-button start, 16-inch alloys and the SmartSense driver-assistance suite. At that price rivals give you a smaller screen. Add the segment's best warranty and the Sonata is loaded for its base price.

The Sonata gives a lot for the price. The gas SEL is $28,900 delivered, a 290-hp N Line is $36,400, and a hybrid starts at $32,150. It stops short of the top band because the volume 2.5L makes only 191 hp, and its middling resale gives back some of the sticker advantage.

There are seven configurations spread from $27,800 to $38,600: SE, SEL, SEL AWD, SEL Convenience, N Line, Hybrid SEL and Hybrid Limited. Between them they cover three different powertrains, and the SEL offers HTRAC AWD, which the Accord doesn't have. The gaps are that 2025 has no gas Limited, AWD is limited to one trim, and there's no PHEV.

The Sonata is a declining mid-pack seller. US volume fell 17% in 2025 to about 51,000 units, a small fraction of Camry and Accord volume, in a mid-size sedan segment that is shrinking overall.

Hyundai's image is neutral to positive, helped by bold design, the best mainstream warranty and the halo from its Ioniq EVs. On badge alone it still isn't at Toyota or Honda's level, and the Sonata's middling resale shows it.

Scored on how much buyers benefit. Hyundai habitually offers some of the heaviest incentives among mainstream brands, and with Sonata sales falling, subvented APR, cash rebates and competitive leases were widely available on the 2025, plus stackable military and college-grad bonuses. Nothing points to pricing at or over MSRP.

2025 is the sixth US model year of the eighth-generation (DN8) Sonata, which launched for 2020. It is also the second year of the 2024 facelift, which added the curved dual 12.3-inch display and reworked the cabin. The tech reads as current, but the platform is mid-to-late cycle.

Reviewers praise the Sonata's ride comfort, standard tech, warranty and value, and IIHS named 2025 models built after November 2024 a Top Safety Pick+. It still finishes behind the Accord and Camry in comparisons, and this generation has no 10Best or NACTOY win.