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2021 Honda Accord vs. 2021 Hyundai Sonata
2021 Honda Accord Hybrid ・ Photo by Honda
A comparison of the 2021 Honda Accord and the 2021 Hyundai Sonata pits a heavyweight champion against an up-and-coming challenger. The Accord has been one of the industry’s best-sellers for decades; it's an icon that needs no introduction, only an explanation. In contrast, the Sonata, while growing in popularity, is not nearly as well-known as the Accord. That said, Hyundai has proved in both words and action that it intends to compete with the Accord tooth-and-nail. To that end, the 2021 Sonata has been equipped with a variety of weapons to do battle with the Accord. Included among them are hybrid and high-performance variants. At its heart, the Sonata is vying for a bigger piece of the family-car pie. Hyundai has already endowed it with an industry-leading warranty and a sterling record of build quality. Now it intends to leverage all that. Here is a comparison of the 2021 Honda Accord and the 2021 Hyundai Sonata.
Exterior Design
From virtually every angle, the 2021 Hyundai Sonata is a good-looking car. It is adorned with premium features like the LED lighting that surrounds the headlights. Its low cowl and semi-fastback roofline add to the premium impression. In comparison, the 2021 Honda Accord is more conservative. Its front end has a more upright, conventional look. In terms of dimensions, the two midsize sedans are practically twins; they are virtually the same length, width, and height. Both have wheelbases that are within millimeters of each other at around 111 inches. The Sonata and Accord each use front-drive unit-body platforms that offer excellent interior space. For those who seek performance-oriented exterior styling, both models have sports versions that look the part.
: Hyundai Sonata
Photo by Hyundai
Interior Style
One of the ways Hyundai competes with the Accord is in interior comfort, convenience, and decor. Even in lower trims, the Sonata offers feature-filled interiors full of soft-touch materials. For example, the SEL trim has heated front seats, an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, remote start, push-button start, and an audio system with Sirius/XM satellite radio and Blue Link connectivity. The Honda Sport trim offers similar equipment but its suggested retail price is more than $2,000 higher than the Sonata SEL. The Sonata has more interior space than the Accord, but from the inside, you won’t notice much difference. The Sonata offers more front legroom, while the Accord has more rear legroom. For a road trip for two couples or a family of four, both Accord and Sonata will more than fit the bill.
Photo by Hyundai
Infotainment & Technology
In recent years, Hyundai infotainment systems have established a reputation for ease of use. And the units in the 2021 Sonata continue in that tradition. The Hyundai offers two 8-inch touchscreen units and a system with a 10.25-inch touchscreen display. The 8-inch systems have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the uplevel 8-inch system adds Sirius/XM satellite radio and Hyundai Blue Link connectivity. The 10.25-inch-touchscreen system offers Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and integral navigation. The available premium audio is a Bose system with 12 speakers and a rear-mounted subwoofer. The Accord counters with 8-inch touchscreen displays that include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across the entire lineup. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard starting with the EX-L trim. Some top Accord trims offer a 450-watt audio system with 10 speakers including a subwoofer. Sport and Sport Special Edition trims have an 8-speaker 180-watt audio system.
Photo by Hyundai
Powertrains
Both the Accord and Sonata offer several powertrain choices, including hybrids. Four of the Accord models are fitted with a 1.5-liter 192-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. A 2.0-liter 252-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder is the uplevel powertrain. The 2.0-liter employs a conventional 10-speed automatic transmission, while the 1.5-liter has a continuously variable automatic transmission. The Accord Hybrid has a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine plus an electric motor, giving it 212 total system horsepower. The 2021 Hyundai Sonata offers three conventional engines plus a hybrid powertrain. The SE and SEL trims have a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder rated at 191 horsepower. The SEL Plus and Limited trims have a 1.6-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder rated at 180 horsepower. The Sonata N Line is fitted with a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder that delivers 290 horsepower. The Sonata Hybrid uses a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine plus an electric motor delivering a total of 192 horsepower.
Photo by Honda
Driving Impressions
The bulk of drivers will find little difference between the Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata in day-to-day driving. Even with the “base” engines, both sedans have ample power. The Sonata’s powertrains are a bit confusing because the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder has a higher peak horsepower rating than the 1.6-liter turbo. But the turbo has a wider torque curve and offers slightly better drivability. Some drivers might prefer the Sonata’s conventional automatic transmission to the CVT in the lower-level Accords. When it comes to performance models, the Sonata N Line offers significantly more power than the Accord Sport 2.0T. The Accord and Sonata hybrids deliver driving experiences that are very similar to the non-hybrid mid-line trims. For comfortable, quiet long-distance cruising, both Accord and Sonata will fill the bill.
: Tie
Photo by Honda
Safety & Driver Aids
The Honda Accord and the Hyundai Sonata offer impressive collections of electronic safety and driver aids. Hyundai’s SmartSense bundle of safety and driver-assistance tech includes forward-collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, and driver attention warning. Automatic high-beam headlights and rear occupant alert are also standard. Blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic warning, and safe exit warning are standard on all but the base SE.
The Honda Sensing suite of standard safety technologies includes Road Departure Mitigation System, Collision Mitigation Braking System, forward collision warning, and lane departure warning. Lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and automatic high-beam headlights are additional standard Honda Sensing features. Sports Special Edition and higher trims are equipped with rear seat reminder, blind-spot monitor, and rear cross-traffic warning.
: Hyundai Sonata
Photo by Hyundai
Interior and Trunk Space
While crossovers offer an elevated driving position and lots of versatility, few can match the interior comfort and quiet of a well-built midsize sedan. And both Accord and Sonata match that description. A driver and four passengers will find each of the sedans a nice place to make miles disappear. The Accord offers 105.6 cubic feet of passenger volume, while the Sonata has 104.4 cubic feet of passenger space. The Accord has a 16.7 cubic foot trunk. The trunk in the Sonata measures 16 cubic feet. The Sonata has a 60/40 split-folding rear seat with a center pass-through. The Accord has a 60/40 split-folding rear seat on all but the LX trim.
Photo by Honda
Trim Levels
The Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord offer a variety of trims and options. The Accord lineup has six conventionally-powered trim levels: LX, Sport, Sports Special Edition, EX-L, Sport 2.0T, and Touring 2.0T. The Accord Hybrid is available in four trims: Hybrid, Hybrid EX, Hybrid EX-L, and Hybrid Touring. The Sonata sedan is available in five trim levels: SE, SEL, SEL Plus, Limited, and the performance-oriented N Line. In addition, Sonata hybrid models are available in Blue, SEL, and Limited trims. The Accord offers more base horsepower and more horsepower in the uplevel Sport 2.0T and Touring 2.0T trims than the comparable Sonata trims. On the other hand, the Sonata has a 290-horsepower performance model.
: Honda Accord
Photo by Honda
Pricing & Value
If you are looking for a high-quality midsize sedan that is filled with features, the 2021 Hyundai Sonata and 2021 Honda Accord will give it to you. Both sedans have enviable quality records and excellent cost-to-own numbers. The least expensive Accord trim is the LX with a suggested starting retail price of $25,985 (including destination charge.) The least expensive Sonata trim is the SE. It has a suggested starting retail price of $24,955 (with destination charge.) The top-of-the-line Accord Touring has an MSRP of $37,915 with destination, and the line-topping Sonata Hybrid Limited has an MSRP of $36,305. The most expensive conventional Sonata, the Limited trim, has a suggested retail of $34,955 with destination charge included. Pricing in the hotly contested segment is very closely aligned, but the Sonata is typically lower-priced on a comparable equipment basis.
: Hyundai Sonata
Photo by Hyundai
The Winner
First off, we don't think you can go wrong buying the Honda Accord. It has been a quality and value leader for decades, and it hasn’t lost its edge. That said, the Hyundai Sonata offers a very compelling alternative. It, like the Accord, has a stellar quality and reliability record. And it offers very user-friendly tech and high levels of equipment on a dollar-for-dollar basis. In picking a winner, the analysis is mixed. The Accord offers some power advantages plus the strength of its reputation that pays off in high resale. The Sonata counters with tons of value and a performance version the Accord can’t match. So in a very close decision, our winner is the Hyundai Sonata.
: Hyundai Sonata
Photo by Hyundai