Hyundai Sonata (2024) Review

Hyundai wins the specification sheet and knows it. The 2024 refresh brought a single curved panel spanning two displays, wireless phone mirroring, ventilated front seats well down the trim ladder, and a driver assistance suite that on higher trims will hold a lane on the motorway with genuine confidence. The new nose is aggressive in a way that will date, but the car looks expensive from three quarters. The 2.5 litre four is adequate and no more, sending 191 horsepower through a conventional eight speed automatic that behaves itself, and the hybrid is the one to buy if economy is the point.

Ride and refinement are good, handling is safe rather than involving. The catch arrives at trade in. Sonatas lose value faster than the Camry or Accord because rental and fleet volume floods the used market, and that gap is worth thousands over three years. Insurance premiums also rose sharply after the well documented theft vulnerability on earlier Hyundai and Kia models, which colours perception of the badge even on cars that were never affected. The warranty is genuinely long. The depreciation is genuinely bad.