Welcome Back: The 2025 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited

Flashy cars come and go. It's the ones with the deep-down goodness that make a lasting impression.

So it is with the 2025 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited. Regular readers may recall that it's been just over a year since the last review of this vehicle---that one was Aero Silver, this one is Transmission Blue. That is a clever name and an indication of just how much latitude you have when your brand offers 10-year/100,000-mile warranties that rarely get tested because the cars are extremely reliable.

And look, Hyundai's entitled to have a little fun. In an arena of sedans dominated by the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Honda Accord Hybrid, the Sonata Hybrid not only holds its own, it makes a case for itself instead of them.

Styling is a strong suit. The Camry is maybe a little cartoonish, the Accord perhaps too bland. The Sonata Hybrid is dramatic without being overwrought. If this car had materialized out of nowhere ten years ago without badges, you'd have been trying to guess which Italian sports car maker had started doing sedans.

The Sonata Hybrid's 192 total system horsepower is a bit less than the Camry's 225 and the Accord's 204, and it is slower to 60 than either of them---a shade over eight seconds. But the EPA fuel economy estimate has the reward for your patience---44 mpg city/51 highway---beating the Camry's 44/43 and reversing the Accord's 51/44 (the Accord Hybrid Sport Touring I reviewed gets 46/41).

The Sonata Hybrid's 16.0 cubic feet of trunk space beats the Camry's 15.1, but falls just shy of the Accord's 16.7.

Rear seat legroom of 34.8 inches is tighter than the Camry's 38 inches and pretty far short of the Accord's 40.8.

But you're gonna be up front, and the Sonata Hybrid's clean, modern interior, especially in top-of-the-line Limited trim, is lighter, airier and less busy than the Toyota and Honda.

The base price of the 2025 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited is $37,700 ($38,945 including destination). And as is typical of Hyundai, this top-of-the-line model is loaded with standard equipment including selectable drive modes, LED lights, an acoustic windshield, panoramic sunroof, wireless device charging, a Bose premium audio system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, rain-sensing wipers, a color head-up display and a comprehensive suite of active safety features.

Hyundai's one-price-per-trim-level strategy means the window sticker stops where it starts---$38,945, a price below the comparable trim levels of the Camry and the Accord Hybrid.

Style, fuel economy, feature content and an attractive price all combine to make the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid a very attractive contender among hybrid sedans.