2022 Hyundai Sonata Review

The Digital Key and Remote Parking Assist are among the most remarkable features available on the Hyundai Sonata. You won’t find them on rivals such as the Toyota Camry or Honda Accord.

The Hyundai Digital Key lets you use your phone as the key to the car. As long as you have your smartphone app enabled, the car will recognize you and let you in. Then you can start it with push button start. You simply don’t need the physical key when you have this system.

Remote Smart Parking Assist lets you get out of the Sonata and park the car. It can maneuver into a parallel or perpendicular space while you watch. This is a good feature in general, but it’s especially useful if parking is too tight for you to enter or exit your sedan.

If you love to see your money go further, you will like the way the Sonata look more expensive than it is. That aura, as Edmunds calls it, is part of what makes the Hyundai so competitive. Considering the price tag, this affordable sedan simply looks like it should cost much more. Plus, those good looks indicate the vehicle build is sound and the materials are of a good quality.

The design incorporates the best elements expected from automotive design today. This includes soft touch materials and elegant lines. Technology looks at home in the sedan’s ergonomic cockpit. On the road, generous insulation keeps out road noise and ensures passengers are more comfortable.

The 2022 Hyundai Sonata has 104 cubic feet for passengers. This spaciousness ensures that the rear seating is comfortable. If you compare it to a Toyota Camry, you’ll find that the Hyundai is bigger by about 4 cubic feet.

Cargo Capacity and Features

With a trunk measuring 16 cubic feet, the Sonata outdoes the Toyota Camry with its 15.1-cubic foot trunk. A hands-free trunk device is standard on SEL and higher trims. The keyfob opens the trunk with the touch of a button.

Furthermore, Hyundai engineers have made it easier to use the Sonata’s generous cargo hold. The squared off shape is easier to organize. The split-fold seat allows for pass-through cargo space. There are helpful switches that allow owners to easily fold down the second row.

Exterior

The 7th generation Sonata is notable for its avant garde style which sets it apart from more hum-drum sedans on the road today. The fresh look has been enhanced by new standards such as LED headlights. SE models wear lightweight 16-inch wheels.

SEL Sonata models upgrade to 17-inch trim-specific wheels that look just right with its more athletic style. The fascia, rear diffuser and other trim-specific elements are sporty and fun. Side rocker panels add a glossy black accent to the package. SEL Plus models take the muscular look further by adding 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels.

Wearing fancy 18-inch wheels, the Limited exterior exudes a high-class stylishness. The LED headlights are upgraded for an even more distinctive light signature. As the most sporty of them all, the N-Line offers an exclusive Crimson Red exterior.

Helping drivers see what’s around them, the mirrors have a power-heat function, and the windshield wipers are sensitive to the vehicle’s speed. The high beams have an automatic function to allow the driver to enjoy balanced lighting without moving a hand from the steering wheel.

Trim Levels

The Sonata SE trim level is one of the best equipped at the entry level. A high tech choice, it has a sizable touch screen with essential Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Driver assistance covers frontal collision dangers and lane departures. It also includes adaptive cruise control, a feature often reserved for more expensive trim levels in other brand sedans

SEL models add accessibility features such as a proximity key and a hands-free trunk opener. The driver enjoys the benefits of a power-adjustable chair and push button start. Climate controls are upgraded with dual-zone automatic temperature regulation. Power-heat is added to the front seats. Hyundai Blue Link services, a blind spot monitor, and a rear cross traffic feature are added.

The SEL Convenience package adds more reasons to love the 2022 Hyundai Sonata. Opening the cabin up, there’s a panoramic sunroof. Helping the second row, there are rear air conditioning vents. Assisting the driver, there’s an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a leather-clad steering wheel, digital instrumentation, and a wireless phone charge. Accessibility is even easier with the Hyundai Digital Key.

SEL Plus and Limited Trim Levels

Reviewers at Edmunds, Car and Driver really like this model, especially with all the new stuff that it now has. The 2021 Hyundai Sonata SEL Plus was already value-packed. Then the brand added much more for 2022. Shoppers can upgrade to the turbo four.

SEL Plus models include everything in the convenience package and go even further. The seats are covered in a combination of supple leatherette and a soft microsuede. Behind the steering wheel, a large digital screen provides driver instrumentation while the center screen is easier to see and use. A Bose audio system surrounds the passengers with better sound.

If you prefer the performance Sonata, you’ll love the N-Line. It has a new look and an available appearance package. This front-wheel drive sedan is matched to a 290-horsepower turbo. Sport seats wear a special combination of leather and microsuede.

Offering luxuries for less, the Sonata Limited has rich leather upholstery, dual front power chairs, and ambient lighting. Drivers get a head-up display, the new blind spot monitor camera, rear automatic braking capabilities, and Smart Parking Assist. Pleasing Phoenix AZ drivers, ventilated front seats are standard on this luxury-like trim.

Hybrid Trim Levels

The Hybrid Blue is much like the SE. However, it does include the proximity key and dual zone automatic climate controls. It also has more safety features. This provides assistance with avoiding frontal collisions, blind spot collisions, lane departure collisions, and more.

Similar to the SEL Plus, the 2022 Sonata Hybrid SEL has power-adjustable seats for both front positions. Highlights include a 12-speaker Bose system, a wireless charger, and the Digital Key.

At the top of the ladder, the Hybrid Limited has leather upholstery and a soft leatherette-clad dashboard. Ventilated front seats make hot days easier. The driver will appreciate dual dash screens and ambient lighting. A solar roof can power the battery that runs the car accessories.

Every upgrade available is here. This includes Hyundai’s Dynamic Voice Recognition for the large touchscreen with navigation. It also includes the surround-view parking camera system, highway driving assist, and a blind spot camera.

N-Line Trim Levels

With special exterior and interior trim detailing, the Sonata N-Line is the performance edition in every sense. The steering and suspension have been tuned for sport driving. Special driving modes and paddle shifters add to driving fun.

Hyundai has equipped the 2022 Hyundai Sonata N-Line much like the SEL Plus edition with the tech package. In addition, the front seats have sport bolstering. Drivers will love the high tech cockpit and the Digital Key.

The N Line Night edition wears special matte black alloy wheels that have carbon fiber center caps. A carbon trunk spoiler further sets this trim level apart from the others.

Sonata Performance and Fuel Economy

The 191-horsepower engine generates 181 pound-feet of torque. The alternative turbo four-cylinder generates 180 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. Both are front-wheel drive models with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Gas mileage is 31 mpg combined. This includes 27 mpg in city driving and 37 mpg on the highway.

The fun N Line and N-Line Night have a special turbo four engine. It kicks out 290 horsepower and 311 lb-ft feet of torque. It is controlled by a trim-specific 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission.

Hybrid Fuel Savings

Your commute can be much more affordable when you drive a car that earns 50 mpg in the city. The Blue trim earns 54 mpg during highway drives.

Fuel economy isn’t the only reason to choose the Sonata Hybrid. The four-cylinder engine generates 192 horsepower with the help of an electric motor.

Most drivers will find the hybrid’s 8-speed automatic preferable to the CVT style transmissions in the Honda Accord. As for fuel economy, the Sonata Hybrid outdoes the Accord Hybrid by 2 mpg city and by 7 mpg highway.

Is the 2022 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid a plug in? A plug-in hybrid Sonata is available in a limited number of states for 2022. However, the 2022 Sonata Hybrid does not need to plug in.

Safety

The 2022 Hyundai Sonata has earned the five-star safety rating from the federal crash testers. It has plenty of driver assistance and standard adaptive cruise control, a feature often withheld by other brands.

Driver assistance includes forward-facing pedestrian awareness, forward collision warning, and an emergency autobrake. A lane keeper watches the road and warns the driver about an unsafe trajectory.

The available Highway Driving Assist is a semi-autonomous system that makes highway driving less stressful. A camera-based system can upgrade the blind spot monitor for greater safety in busy traffic.

Parking gets easier with a rearview camera and the available reverse automatic braking feature. There are front and rear sensors available plus a perimeter camera system. Best of all, the Remote Smart Parking Assist can handle the process while the driver watches from the curb.

Sonata Price and Value

Saving from $500 to $5,000 over rivals, the gas-powered Sonata offers flexibility other midsize sedans may not. Shoppers can choose to save the money or to apply it toward a higher trim level.

Speaking of which, the top-of-the-line Sonata Limited tends to be less expensive than rival top trims. As for Sonata Hybrids, it is priced the same or less than competitors. For instance, the Toyota Camry Hybrid MSRP is about $700 more.

As for value, the price-to-equipment ratios often lead the class. Edmunds calls it overdelivering in key areas. Car and Driver calls it remarkable value. For 2022, Hyundai added more equipment at each trim level. LED headlights are now standard on all models. A panoramic sunroof and many more tech features are added to the SEL Plus. Limited models now have dynamic voice recognition.

Check out your choices, and select one to test drive. You can get a full demonstration of the vehicle’s technologies as well as its different powertrains.