Motor Trend - USA (2021-04)

MERCEDES-BENZ

GLE 450

“We take our long-term Hyundai

Sonata to the test track in pursuit

of hard data.” Kelly Lin

Service life: 2 mo/3,413 miles

Average Fuel Econ: 26.5 mpg

Avg CO2 0.73 lb/mi Energy cons 125 kWh/100 mi Unresolved problems

None Maintenance cost $0 Normal wear cost $0 Base price $34,475

As tested $34,630 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ 27/37/30 mpg

2020 Hyundai Sonata

TOYOTA GR

SUPRA

APRIL 2021 MOTORTREND.COM 77

UPDATE SUBARU OUTBACK

MAZDA CX-30

RAM 2500 HD

UPDATE

UPDATE

HONDA CIVIC SI

UPDATE

BMW X7

UPDATE

HYUNDAI SONATA

TOYOTA VENZA

ARRIVAL

NISSAN

SENTRA

T

he 2020 Hyundai Sonata

Limited has proved a

pleasant companion

around town and on interstate

adventures thanks to its balanced

driving dynamics. To find out

how it performs when pushed to

the limit, we took it to the track,

where we learned it can outgun a

similarly powered Honda Accord.

Our Sonata packs the

upgraded engine: a 1.6-liter

turbocharged four-cylinder with

180 hp. It took 7.4 seconds for the

sedan to go from 0 to 60 mph,

making it a pinch quicker than a

2018 Honda Accord EX we tested

with the 192-hp engine that’s

standard on most trims. This

Accord, as well as a four-cylinder

2018 Camry XLE we tested with

203 hp, reached 60 mph in 7.6

seconds. Both the Accord and

Camry offer significantly more

powerful variants, though. With its

potent 252-hp four-cylinder, the

Accord makes it in as little as 5.7

seconds; a V-6 Camry XLE does

the deed in 6.0 seconds.

Although the Sonata is no

speed demon, it has just the right

amount of juice to merge and

pass other cars on the freeway. If

you’re a lead foot, you’ll quickly

discover one of the Sonata’s

annoying quirks. “There’s some lag

from when you mash the pedal

to when the engine really wakes

up,” associate road test editor

Erick Ayapana noted during

acceleration testing.

Nimble handling is one of the

Sonata’s best traits. Put it in Sport

mode, and it feels agile on canyon

roads, and it’s easy to maneuver

into a parking spot despite its

size. Given its agility, it’s not

surprising this sedan performed

well on the figure eight. Achieving

a time of 26.6 seconds at an

average 0.66 g, the Sonata once

again bests the base Accord and

Camry, and it even out-handles

the more powerful versions of

both these sedans.

Road test editor Chris Walton

noted the steering is crisp and

accurate. “There’s some body

roll and eventual understeer,” he

said, “but otherwise it’s quite well

behaved and balanced.”

Our test team also praised

the Sonata’s good body control

under hard braking. The brakes

brought the car from 60 to 0

mph in 115 feet, which compares

favorably with its rivals.

GENESIS G70

Enter the Venza’s cabin,

and it welcomes you with soft

materials, an upscale design,

and tons of features that make

you think you could be in a

luxury SUV.

Besides the aforementioned

options, our XLE comes with

LED projector headlights,

a wireless charger, an auto-

dimming rearview mirror,

puddle lights, a powered

tilting and telescoping

steering wheel, and two-zone

automatic climate control.

What’s more, some of the

features that come standard

in the Venza XLE are only

available as options in some

luxury brands.

How much does it cost?

The Venza XLE starts at

$37,175—a good value for the

hybrid powertrain and the

laundry list of features. With

the two packages, our Coastal

Gray metallic XLE crosses the

check-out counter at $39,735,

which is still a value price for a

well-equipped hybrid SUV.

We have a year to see how

the Venza treats its drivers and

passengers, and we’re excited

to take several road trips over

the next 12 months. We’ll keep

you updated.

KIA SOUL KIA TELLURIDE MAZDA 3

The Toyota Venza doesn’t break
new ground as a hybrid, but it sets
itself apart with luxury appeal.

THE VENZA MAKES A STATEMENT WITH

ITS ELEGANT DESIGN, CLEAN CABIN,

AND THE VALUE TOYOTA IS KNOWN FOR.