Topic: Quick Spin: 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

[Autos_Editor]

The Sonata Hybrid looks good on paper, but its performance and fuel economy are disappointing.

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[Ex-airbalancer]

Great styling , not for me , Kia looks nicer
A project manger I know has a Kia hybrid and I have ask him how he is enjoying it now he has some seat time in it

Also a person should get smitten every time they write about Canadian fuel rating , you should only be quoting EPA numbers

[OliverD]

I think the hybrid version is fairly ugly. Hybrid or not, the Kia Optima looks much better. The Sonata already looks dated to me.

[chrischasescars]

Also a person should get smitten every time they write about Canadian fuel rating , you should only be quoting EPA numbers

You want us to fall in love with NRCan? :-P

What we should be doing is quoting both NRCan and EPA numbers, to illustrate the difference. Maybe that'll shame NRCan into being realistic for once.

[hemusbull]

Talking about the shift between real life gas mileage and official fuel consumption is a sensitive issue. I believe we must introduce the shift value as an subjective lie level for any manufacturer. For example Hyundai Sonata Hybrid according to this article has lie level of 2 l and Toyota Camry has a lie level of just 0.6 l. This childish at first site criteria could be a very practical consumer's tool!

[dewey9315]

This isn't the first article (in fact they all do), that mentions an electric motor's torque being available from "0-XXXX RPM"

How can anything be creating torque at 0 rpm? Shouldn't it really say "available from 1-4000 rpm".

[carcrazed]

Hyundai's battery is supposed to perform better in colder weather whereas Toyota's battery performs better in warmer conditions.

If that is true, it should even out on annual basis.

I agree that the Optima looks better than the Sonanta too.

[Ex-airbalancer]

 Li-ion battery are crappier on job sites, they cannot handle the cold as good as ni cad battery
Sale reps for Dewalt, hitachi say not to leave your batteries out of the truck in the winter time
I believe on the plug in Pruis it has a battery warmer for the winter time

[Northernridge]

Li-ion battery are crappier on job sites, they cannot handle the cold as good as ni cad battery
Sale reps for Dewalt, hitachi say not to leave your batteries out of the truck in the winter time
I believe on the plug in Pruis it has a battery warmer for the winter time

Thanks for the power tool tip...didn't know that. Been thinking Li batteries are the best thing since sliced bread.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

This isn't the first article (in fact they all do), that mentions an electric motor's torque being available from "0-XXXX RPM"

How can anything be creating torque at 0 rpm? Shouldn't it really say "available from 1-4000 rpm".

Electric motors do produce torque at 0 rpm. The term is locked rotor or starting torque.

[jaari]

I wonder how broken i the test cars are, every Hyundai I have owned did not get it's best milage until  it was over 10,000+kms.
My '11 Accent Took almost a full tank on it's 4 hour maiden voyage home.
The '11 Sonata the same, 07 Accent the same , 99 Accent the same.
I usually average between 5.5-6.7 easily on hwy, 9-12  city in the Sonata 2.4, I bet I could better that with the hybrid. Maybye because I drive like a sane person.

[sacrat]

I wonder how broken i the test cars are, every Hyundai I have owned did not get it's best milage until  it was over 10,000+kms.
My '11 Accent Took almost a full tank on it's 4 hour maiden voyage home.
The '11 Sonata the same, 07 Accent the same , 99 Accent the same.
I usually average between 5.5-6.7 easily on hwy, 9-12  city in the Sonata 2.4, I bet I could better that with the hybrid. Maybye because I drive like a sane person.

I'm hoping you're correct about the break in period as our 2012 Accent has been getting a dismal high 9s so far 

[Ex-airbalancer]

Look in the mirror, you are stopping one that stopping from getting better mileage

[dirtyjeffer]

I'm hoping you're correct about the break in period as our 2012 Accent has been getting a dismal high 9s so far 

i don't know how many kms you have on your car, but my new 2012 Kia Rio5 has the same engine and it has settled in nicely, after about 7000 kms on it...i generally average mid 6s now, whereas low 8s were the norm for the first few months...i drive "normally"...i don't drive it like i stole it, but i don't hypermile it either.

[jyarkony]

Great styling , not for me , Kia looks nicer

I have to agree on the styling. The front end on the Hybrid Sonata, looks out of place with the rest of the styling IMHO. The Kia has a much more traditional look to it and doesn't scream "look at me I'm I hybrid".

airbalancer–that's a great way to put it, I'm in the same boat about Hyundai's styling. I can objectively look at it and say that it is great styling, but don't feel that it suits me. And I also much prefer the straighter lines and geometric shapes of the Kias... although the Sonata Hybrid is probably my current favourite in the Hyundai lineup—i do like that grille treatment, although i don't really like it as much on the Genesis Coupe or Veloster Turbo.

But the Santa Fe is going to change all that—the Santa Fe seems to have taken some of the best aspects of Kia designs and applied them to a Hyundai, a really amazing design.

but the Sonata interior is really amazing—much more grown up than the too-swoopy styling of the Elantra, and so many amazing features at that price, although the value is still even better in non-hybrid models.