[fve]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAAysAYYvF0[/fve]
By Derek Price
Automotive Writer
The Hyundai Sonata has been one of the world’s hottest cars since it was redesigned in 2009.
It’s also been widely praised in the automotive press as a symbol of Hyundai’s resurgence. This is a brand that used to be known for cheap economy cars but, after a rapid climb in the 2000s, built one of the best family sedans in the world with this new Sonata.
For the past two years, though, the Sonata lineup has had a weak link: its hybrid version.
Introduced in 2011, the Sonata Hybrid didn’t quite match the gas mileage and overall refinement of other hybrids that had been on the market longer. The 2012 Sonata Hybrid, for example, was rated for 34 mpg in the city compared to, say, 41 mpg in the Ford Fusion Hybrid.
You can tell Hyundai is trying to address these issues with some tweaks it made to the 2013 hybrid version.
It gets better gas mileage, for starters.
With a gaping air intake and blue badging, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid stands out for more than its improved gas mileage. It has a refined driving feel and sleek looks.
Hyundai changed the hybrid system so that less power comes from the gasoline engine in comparison to the electric motors, so the mileage ratings are bumped up to 36 in the city and 40 on the highway.
That’s an increase of 2 mpg city/1 mpg highway — not a massive change, but still noteworthy.
The bigger difference is in the hybrid system’s feel. Engineers spent a lot of time ironing out the clunkiness that hybrids sometimes have when braking and transitioning between gasoline and battery power, so it’s got a smoother feeling this year. It can also run longer on purely electric power before the engine fires up.
Aside from that, the Sonata Hybrid still has the same features that make the regular Sonata so popular and praiseworthy.
To my eyes, it’s one of the best-looking family cars for sale today. It’s sleek, modern, highly styled and visually interesting at a time when most sedans have opted for more boring and conservative bodies.
The Sonata’s well-built, nicely styled cabin is one of its strong points that have won praise since the current generation car was introduced in 2009.
It also carries the air of a more expensive car. It’s polished and tightly constructed — especially on the interior, where soft-touch materials and sweeping curves make it a class leader — and has a suspension that’s tuned with a nice balance between comfort and sportiness.
Overall, the Sonata remains one of the most faultless cars for sale today. Even its hybrid-powered version, which has been its sole weak point since the current generation launched, is better than ever before.
It’s good and getting better.
At a Glance
What was tested? 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited ($30,550). Options: Panoramic sunroof package ($1,000), carpeted floor mats ($110), iPod cable ($35). Price as tested (including $795 destination charge): $32,490.
RATINGS
Style: 10
Performance: 9
Price: 8
Handling: 8
Ride: 9
Comfort: 10
Quality: 10
Overall: 9
Video Review:
What’s cool about the Hyundai Sonata
Why buy it?
It’s one of the most refined, good-looking family cars for sale today. It drives and feels like a more expensive vehicle.
Why hesitate?
While they’re better than last year, the gas mileage ratings still don’t match those of its best hybrid competitors.