5:05 That's not just motor whine. It's the pedestrian warning sound that electric and hybrid cars are mandated to have at low speeds. It's the same sound you hear on Hyundai-Kia's EVs.
My Prius v has that same whine at low speeds, it actually sounds pretty cool. Though I do miss the complete silence of my first Prius when it was in electric mode. I wonder if it's illegal to disable the noise speaker?
@@DabblelyDiddly Depends on how deaf someone is, I can hear my cousins Tesla model 3 even when its moving at like 3 mph and it's not one of the newer ones with the sound and some have said they cant hear it.
the NHSTA conducted a study on replacing mirrors w/actual cameras. Study # DOT HS 812 582, "Examination of a Prototype Camera Monitor System for Light Vehicle Outside Mirror Replacement", Oct 2018. It's a 46+ page study and results are in section 5. happy reading.
@@derekchisholm972 Saving money is a good thing. If you're paying more for a super-efficient powertrain that will never reap its extra cost in fuel savings due to low fuel prices is economic suicide and makes no sense. Manufacturers couldn't have anticipated we'd enter a recession, an oil war, and a global pandemic. And gas prices will continue to be low, which I know fairly certainly because OFS sector is cancelling projects that will take a few years to complete which means people that are investing billions believe it won't be profitable even years from now. Domestic manufacturers that focused on more powerful SUVs and trucks are lucking out.
Almost two thousands kilometers free per year just using the light of the sun? The ultimate driving machine, Tom! Plus the line is VERY neat! I did like your comment about cars twice as expensive which did not get the same feature! Keep up the good work! There will be a day after this crisis...
A 2-3 year old version of this is something I'll likely consider when my kids become drivers soon. Thanks for mentioning the safety tech, Tom. Always good to see how some companies include some of that while others make it extra. REALLY like the blind spot/turn signal video feed. Great idea!
When I first saw this car stationary at the an auto show last year, I didn't care for the front design as I felt it looked a bit cat fishy. I later saw one on the road and it changed my mind. The daytime running lights look great as well.
Tom, absolutely love your car reviews. The new Sonata and its variants are great values and nice to see at least one manufacturer not putting all their eggs in the SUV basket.
Side note, Ford shouldn't kill off the fusion. It should continue selling the fusion in small quantities because people are going to be looking for fuel efficient, money saving vehicles as we restart America.
Driven Car Reviews Meryl was in the Sondheim 90th bday tribute Sunday eve. Im guessing your fans would love to see you try a duet....just a suggestion.
Absolutely love the way you said what's up then said subscribe and that you kept things short. Furthermore, the minute I heard Ova Dweet riddim in the background that was a definite subscription for me! Love all the way from The Bahamas!🇧🇸❤🇺🇸
That blinker camera is sweet! Solar panel roof makes sense for a plug in version, but not sure what it really does with a hybrid only version since regen braking and the gas engine charges the battery. Car looks really good. If I still had any interest in hybrid cars, I would definitely be interested in this one.
Recently purchased a 2023 Sonata Hybrid because of your review on this car (watched it like a 100times). Living in the Bahamas, we don't get the solar panel roof option for the region we are in but we do get the panoramic sunroof option (which I prefer anyway) and I'm just in love with it. I did a lot of comparisons between the Camry Hybrid and an Avalon Hybrid and this just checked off more boxes than the Toyota options. Modern styling and great fuel efficiency. It really does draw attention while driving.
A hybrid Santa Fe, Tucson, and Sorento--using a 1.6L turbo 4 and 6-speed auto--are expected with the upcoming mid-cycle refresh and total redesigns, respectively.
I share that view. I have to say, though, that the additional tiny cost of adding a seat back pocket on the driver's seat back would eliminate the almost universal complaint of every single reviewer of the Sonata and all other vehicles that offer only a pocket on the passenger side. Not to mention the fact that it would enable a front seat passenger (as well as someone seated behind the driver) to "stow and grab stuff" easily.
If there's only one, that's good logic. But a second one is going to get used for things not needed while driving, e.g. a dog leash, even with no passengers.
Why? Because they’re cheaping out. I use the one behind the driver seat, especially considering I have a 4 door. Not a deal breaker but attention to detail.
LOL... Good for you to have a "cooperative" spouse in filming this, Tom. I really like the features of this particular hybrid although I'm still not sure about the front end appearance. Perhaps it will grow on me.
Nicely done video, the comments, photography, editing, split screen, the humor, etc. My only suggestion on the dialog: it should be “anyway”, not “anyways”.
They should pair the 1.6 turbo motor with the electric motor to make it as fast or faster than the hybrid accord and Camry. The new models now have Smart Park.
Thank you for showing off the trunk and the seats folding down! I've been trawling so many videos to find one that featured this. I love the narration, and your evil twin is certainly cute! ;)
Looks nice but one thing bugs me (in general): why do so many manufacturers insist on covering high traffic areas (shifter, center console, buttons) in gloss black plastic? That's a thingerprint, dust and micro scratches magnet...
I think that's because if they use mat plastic, it looks cheap, but if they use aluminum, wood, leather, it would bring up the cost. Even BMW uses glossy materials for interiors. You need to go for a very expensive vehicles to get real wood or aluminum.
@@geethsan1567 "I kinda don't like the front end on this Sonata." ¿Do you like it . . . Or, do you not like it? This "kinda don't like" attempt at clarity just does not say anything.
One step forward and two steps back. "No more plug-in going forward." The new solar panels are neat, better than little used roof window or roof rack. But solar panels without plug-in? The 2019 Sonata PHEV combined electric mileage beats this 2020 hybrid's fuel economy.
BTW, love Hyundai. Have had an Elantra Limited I bought for my wife back in 2015 and it has been perfect in operation! Have only done regular maintenance oil and filter changes and such. Plus 4 tires front break pads and a battery since day one. Just about to turn 60 K on the odometer. Will buy another Hyundai. I have been a car guy my whole life. Sold Luxury cars for 15 years, then the economy crashed and so did luxury car sales, moved to Hyundai for my last 5 years of car sales before I retired. Loved the product and my dealer operated like a Luxury store, took great care of the customers and their service department was great too!! PUGI Hyundai in Downers Grove, Illinois!!
Love this new gen Sonata. I hope Hyundai intends to offer at least a regular size moonroof on the Hybrid models. I am strongly considering one of these. The solar panel roof seems nice in theory but the real world benefit doesn't seem to justify it IMHO.
Moonroofs are a waste of space for me lol when you have leather seats, you cannot have the moonroof shade opened in the summer or you'll grill yourself either eith your seats or seat belts...
That’s a very nice and efficient car. So glad to see efficient doesn’t mean a car has to look weird like a prius. Did Tom say the solar roof is capable of powering the car upto 1200 miles a year? Where was this video filmed? That looks like a nice neighborhood.
This was filmed in Seattle right? I had a Sonata Hybrid while I was living in Seattle, a 2013 limited, blah blah. I loved the car. Now maintenance was crazy expensive. For the 60k Hyundai renton asked me 1,000 usd. The cheapest price I found was 700 usd. Crazy....
Seat belts. When I was a kid (I’m 70 now) my dad was a traffic engineer for the California Division of Highways (CalTrans now) and frequently had to investigate accidents. We got a 1956 Chevy Nomad new and the first thing he did was have seat belts installed. There was no federal regulation back then, so seat belts weren’t required, but he had seen so many fatalities from untethered passengers that he had them installed and we were required to use them.
Tom, I share your enthusiasm for the high mpg number that comes with the Hybrid. I would like to know exactly what fuel savings are accrued by dropping the doughnut spare.
...I'm not an engineer, but it is tough to say what a 50lb difference would make. Sure, it will have some effect, but I'm thinking tenths or even hundredths of a mpg difference over a fixed distance...a very small number nonethless. removing the spare tire is offset by adding people, stuff, fuel, and possible even extra batteries. Personally, I'd take the "savings" hit and want the spare. If I autocross, I'll take it out, but for everyday use, I want a spare tire.
Love this car. Great review. At 5:05, is that sound really "motor whine"? I assumed that was artificial sound projected via a speaker. I know that new hybrid and electric cars are required to make noise when traveling at low speeds to warn pedestrians of approach. That noise turns off at higher speeds.
On the Kona the VESS tapers off at about 25 km/h. If you're hearing something similar at speed, that is very odd. Unless Hyundai has lost its mind and decided the car must always make a mechanical noise.
52 MPG is really a drop in the bucket when you consider that this car will cost you almost 3 times as much as a comparable regular gasoline vehicle. In other words, if you purchase this hybrid, or any other hybrid for that matter, you will actually be paying for the gasoline in advance. Also, keep in mind that 5-7 years down the road you will also need to shell out about $2500 for a new battery. This makes this, and any other hybrid, a complete farce when it comes to saving you money. It actually drains money out of you. The 52 MPG is simply an illusion to lure you in.
I have a 2015 Sonota hybrid and love it. I was impressed to see the size of the trunk on the 2020. On my hybrid, the cost of completely replacing antifreeze is very high due to difficulty of access because of hybrid components. I don’t know if this applies on the 2020 model but I would ask.
I like the faster versions so I'm hoping the N is properly sorted. Totally get ya with missing your filming partner - I'm a teacher who hasn't seen students since March. Glad you still do the vids though. They are a nice distraction.
Not seeing turn signals, Tom? You should stop driving around in Ballard. :) As far as the Sonata is concerned I'm not usually a fan of Hyundai vehicles' looks. I think the design process must be a multi-step process. Once the designers are done each vehicle goes to a committee where everyone gets a chance to add a crease or a bulge or two to the design. (Lookin' at you, Palisade.) There's some of that in the Sonata but I have to admit the overall design is appealing and more unique and attractive than alternatives like the Accord, Camry or that forgotten stepchild, the Legacy. The Mazda6 is still the best looking of the bunch (imo) but the Sonata is a close second. Of course, even the best car has at least one or two ridiculous features that must be endured rather than used. My GTI's parallel parking assistance system has been used exactly once when I demonstrated it to my teenage daughter. If you can't park a GTI without a robot to help you shouldn't have a driver's license. The Sonata has a several clunkers along that line, I think. The lighted portion of the chrome "lasso" that surrounds the headlights and runs up the edge of the hood will get old rather quickly, I think. The Sonata's fully autonomous parking feature might be occasionally useful when the car must be inserted into an overcrowded garage or extracted from a parking space hemmed in by an oversize SUV crammed into an adjoining "compact" space. Personally, though, I'd prefer an explosive sledgehammer embedded in the door to move the offending SUV a few inches out of the way. Finally, the solar roof. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I can't see the benefit, especially since it means the absence of a roof that admits sunlight on our gray days. But the most offensive feature award has to be the recorded external sound effects pumped into the cabin through the audio system. Faux exhaust sounds are silly enough. (That's another annoyance in my GTI.) But who on earth wants to hear rain on the car on a dry day, much less the chattering of fellow diners in a sidewalk cafe? Hyundai and KIA have introduced some truly useful driver assistance features in their vehicles. (i.e. cameras that display blind spots when the turn signals are activated.) But sounds of the forest piped into the cabin? Please, no! As far as the hybrid Sonata is concerned, my inner adolescent would want to wait for the forthcoming N-Line Sonata with a 2.5L turbocharged engine, instead. And given fuel prices this week, I wouldn't be drawn to the hybrid version. But the non-lizard part of my brain tells me that cheap fuel is a temporary condition and literally doubling the fuel efficiency of my GTI is both a rational personal and a responsible social choice. That the hybrid Sonata doesn't look like a spaceship from a 1930's Flash Gordon movie serial is an additional selling point. All in all, the Sonata is a winner, I think. Its strengths are obvious and its weaknesses are relatively minor.
AGREE 100%. That car would be the business and one that could really benefit from the hybrid tech. AWD isn't necessary but it would give Alltrack and Outback a decent fight. I could only imagine a longer rood solar setup to add more potential mileage, even it is just 1-2 mpg, it's still more. A Sonata N Wagon Hybrid...imagine the possibilites...
That "Catfish Grille" is starting to grow on me, primarily because my neighbor bought a beautiful black one, which will make me look like a copycat-fish if I decide to buy one - it probably won't be a hybrid, though. I'd have to rent one first to get the feel of how it operates.
Yeah, and in terms of the well-to-wheel efficiency, hybrids are not really far behind EVs depending on the source of energy. When your state gets more electricity from fossil fuel than from renewable or nuclear energy, then hybrids can be greener.
Tom, great review as always. Can you do a review on the new Corvette? BTW, is that the old Roland digital 16 ch. recording studio from the late 90s? I had great time with it.
Since the Big 3 have decided to quit making sedans I am forced into the Imports. Not a Toyota or Nissan fan. This, however, seems to be a better option. Going to do more research and watch YT videos. Thanks!
How many donuts did this cost? Still too much shiney piano black plastic. need more modern looking pho-materials. Car looks the business, but I'd love to see Hyundai take this to the "R" or "N" level w/a bit more aggressive body styling. The solar roof will inspire lots of parking garage top deck parking; however, those w/garages are out of luck unless tempted to leave in the driveway...does the car have an active cabin ventilation system to keep interior temps tolerable on those hot summer days?
Best review/look at this car I've seen yet. It was very informative and even the car seat and shade reference was helpful since we just had a baby girl. Thanks!
Can those side-view cameras be activated without the turn signals? When I signal my intention to change lanes, it often induces the car in the next lane to speed up to close the gap. 😁
Mig Y yeah, I depend on them speeding up when I signal so I can squeeze in behind by just easing off the gas a little. Then you drift them for a while and get even better gas mileage. Ha! That side view camera will come in handy for the quick squeeze.
I don't understand paying ~ $30k for a non wagon design. I have a 2004 Saab 9 5 wagon. It's comfortable, quiet interior, with a 2.3L 4 cyl turbo, it's very peppy
When I was learning how to drive, my dad taught me how to restart the car if it stalled at a traffic light. Every time I hear one of these cars stop running at a light, it triggers that instinct for me. Does it do the same to you?
Just a thought. Can you share details in modern speak? Gallons? Mpg? Only Americans use this dated system. The rest of us moved on to metric, decades ago.
Consumer Reports (CR) rated this lovely car as "not as good as" the Honda Accord hybrid and Camry hybrid. They complained of a more rough ride on the test track of CR as compared to the other two. On a test drive I found this car very smooth as regards the ride, and even the engine noise was very acceptable for a hybrid. They even complained that you have to look down to push the gear selector buttons. But which idiot would want to change from drive to park or reverse while the car is going forward anyhow? The folks at CR kind of get on my nerves sometimes! 😎 The Accord only has an 8" touchscreen whereas the Sonata Hybrid has 8" standard but optional 10.25" screen on the Limited. Even my 2013 Lexus ES 350 has an 8" screen (not touch; you to use a sort of a mouse to operate it). After being accustomed to our Tesla 15" screen, I likely won't get anything less than a 10.25" screen if I get a new car for the 2021 or 2022 model year.
Great video & thanks for sharing. Also big thanks to your wife for helping out. Assuming these aren't all yours, & w/ zero connection to any brand, sponsor, etc.. Pls be sure to give a shout out/thanks to whomever provided this car for you too, tho. The natural bias & any connection to or gain, has to be transparently stated & disclosed, as required. As both a viewer AND consumer, it would be greatly appreciated. ~ Stay safe & be well.
It kind of looks like there's space on the window switches in the rear seat for a button there, but I'm guessing that if there are heated rear seats, it's only for the Korean market models.
I think he’s confused that is the blue version not the limited the limited has the black front and grill plus way more feature, also yeah that’s not engine wine it’s the low speed safety nose since the car is silent
