Both the 2022 Honda Accord and 2022 Hyundai Sonata offer roomy cabins, ample trunk space, and a choice of engines. Which is better?
Quick facts
- Honda Accord’s 2.0-liter turbo makes 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque.
- Both are available as hybrids, and neither has all-wheel drive.
- Sonata comes standard with a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
2022 Honda Accord
Base price: $ 25,470
What we like: Roomy; numerous engine choices, including a hybrid; reputation for reliability; standard driver assistance features.
What we would change: No all-wheel drive; jerky automatic transmission; push-button shifter.
Overview: Among the great midsize sedans, a consistent best-seller for decades, the 2021 Honda HMC, -0.75% Accord was awarded a Best Buy by our friends over at KBB.com. Fortunately, the 2022 Accord is a carryover model, with the same choice of engines as before and the top build quality that has always been a Honda hallmark.
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Among the good things about the 2022 Honda Accord is its wide variety of engines, from a fuel-efficient 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder to a 252-hp turbo. In between is a 212-hp hybrid that returns 48 mpg combined. Each of them provides plenty of power to move the Accord along, although the 10-speed automatic paired with the 2.0-liter can sometimes be reluctant to downshift for passing maneuvers. Handling is impressively adept, though.
Inside, the 2022 Accord has a spacious 5-passenger cabin, with good rear-seat legroom. While the looks are conservative, the Accord still has a futuristic yet understated look. We appreciate the knobs for both stereo volume and tuning, although we’re not fans of the push-button shifter.
Base Accords get cloth upholstery, although upper trims get such things as leather seats and an 8-speaker audio system. Standard on all trims is the Honda Sensing suite of driver and safety functions and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
What’s new for 2022: There are no significant changes to the Accord for 2022. It’s a carryover of last year’s model.
Features and technology: There are several engine choices in the 2022 Honda Accord. The base model has a choice of either a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder or a 2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder. Both are front-wheel drive, with the 1.5 connected to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and the 2.0-liter using a 10-speed automatic. Also available is a hybrid powering its own automatic. All 2022 Accords are front-wheel drive; all-wheel drive is not an option.
The base LX trim comes with dual-zone automatic control, cloth upholstery, an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple AAPL, -2.66% CarPlay/Android Auto integration, Bluetooth, two USB ports, and a 4-speaker/160-watt audio system. Advanced safety features include forward-collision warning with automatic braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams.
Sport trim adds full LED headlights, larger wheels, a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, more USB ports, and a better audio system. It is also eligible for the 2.0-liter engine, including heated front seats, remote start, wireless phone charging, blind-spot monitoring, a moonroof, and satellite radio.
Honda does not offer much in the way of à la carte options, with everything bundled within trims. Higher trims bring an adjustable passenger seat, leather upholstery, and a more powerful audio system. The top Touring 2.0T has the more powerful engine and an adaptive suspension, a head-up display, and other goodies.
What does the future hold: Honda is a very conservative, slow-and-steady company, and the Accord has been a success for decades. Given that not much changed for 2022, we don’t expect much until the next redesign.
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2022 Hyundai Sonata
The 2022 Hyundai Sonata
Hyundai
Base price: $ 24,150
What we like: Spacious cabin; fuel economy; optional hybrid; long warranty.
What we would change: Its looks are not for everyone; plain driving experience; no all-wheel drive.
Overview: In its seventh generation, the 2022 Hyundai HYMTF, +0.39% Sonata has established itself as a strong contender in the midsize sedan segment. It offers a choice of fuel-efficient engines and a hybrid and a sporty N Line variant with a more powerful turbocharged engine and a sport suspension. However, the Sonata is no thrill ride in any form, with competent but not exciting driving manners.
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The Sonata offers interior space, and the EPA actually considers it a large car rather than a midsize. There’s good space for four plus a smaller middle seat, and the trunk has 16 cubic feet of capacity.
The looks of the Sonata are not for everyone, and to some minds, the front grille makes it resemble a catfish. But it’s comfortable and well equipped. The base model gets cloth seats, and the upper trims have leather. Standard features are decent, although we would actually suggest skipping the base trim and paying a little more for at least the SEL.
What’s new for 2022: There are a couple of mild updates for the 2022 Sonata, including LED daytime running lights on the base SE trim and a sunroof, and a couple of new features for the SEL trim. Limited adds dynamic voice recognition, and the N Line version is offered with a new option package called Night Edition, with specific wheels, a special spoiler, black exterior features, and red brake calipers.
Features and technology: There are two base engines in the 2022 Hyundai Sonata: a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder and a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder. A 2.5-liter turbo is also available but only on the sporty N Line trim. All trims get an 8-speed automatic, although the one on the N Line is a dual-clutch automatic (DCT) with paddle shifters. All Sonatas are front-wheel drive. The hybrid gets a 4-cylinder plus an electric motor, which powers the front wheels via a 6-speed automatic.
Expectedly, the base SE trim is rather sparse, with cloth upholstery, A/C, and split-folding rear seats, as well as an 8-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a USB port, and an 8-speaker audio system. Base safety features include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection ad adaptive cruise control.
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Just under $ 1,800 more gets you the SEL trim, with keyless entry and ignition, heated front seats, a power driver seat, dual-zone climate control, satellite radio, and blind-spot monitoring. It’s also eligible for the Convenience package, with a 12.3-inch driver information display, wireless phone charging, and a panoramic sunroof, among other things.
The SEL Plus takes all that and adds a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, navigation, a 12-speaker Bose audio system, and Highway Driving Assist, a semi-autonomous driving feature. Limited adds leather seats, heated and ventilated front seats, a head-up display, and a 360-degree camera system.
If you’re going for sport, the N Line gets the 2.5-liter turbo, a sport suspension, sport front seats with Nappa leather and simulated suede, quad exhaust, and a rear spoiler, plus many of the Limited trim’s features.
What does the future hold: Given a genuinely sporty variant, we would like to see more interesting driving dynamics. Other than that, the Sonata has done well for Hyundai, so we don’t expect much more than incremental changes before the next, hopefully, less aquatic-looking redesign.
Accord vs. Sonata: strengths comparison
Accord benefits: Sharper driving; reputation for reliability; resale value.
Sonata benefits: More engine choices; dedicated sport model; longer warranty.
2022 Honda Accord vs. 2022 Hyundai Sonata: Which is better?
One of the most solid and reliable sedans on the market, the 2022 Honda Accord is roomy, reliable, and even kind of sharp-looking these days. Formerly a bit of a snooze to drive, it’s more responsive as well and a great choice for any midsize sedan buyer.
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It’s a bit more polarizing in its looks, but with many great qualities, the 2022 Hyundai Sonata might not be as fun to drive in base form, but the top N Line is actually very engaging. But even the base Sonata is spacious and fuel-efficient and comes with a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty for added peace of mind.
Compare the specs:
| 2022 Honda Accord | 2022 Hyundai Sonata | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 1.5-liter I4, turbocharged | 2.5-liter I4 |
| Horsepower | 192 hp @ 5,500 rpm | 191 hp @ 6,000 rpm |
| Torque | 192 lb-ft @ 1,600 rpm | 181 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm |
| Transmission | Continuously variable | 8-spd automatic |
| Fuel Economy | 33 mpg (30 city/38 hwy) | 32 mpg (28 city/38 hwy) |
| Also Available | 2.0-liter I4, turbocharged; 10-spd automatic; 2.0-liter I4 + electric motor | 1.6-liter turbo I4; 2.5-liter turbo I4; 2.0-liter I4 + electric motor; 8-spd dual-clutch automatic |
| Specs | ||
| Basic warranty | 3 years/36,000 miles | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 10 years/100,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety Rating | 5 Stars | 5 Stars |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 111.4 inches | 111.8 inches |
| Overall Length | 196.1 inches | 192.9 inches |
| Width | 73.3 inches | 73.2 inches |
| Height | 57.1 inches | 56.9 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 38.2 feet | 35.9 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 39.5 inches | 40.0 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 37.3 inches | 38.4 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 42.3 inches | 46.1 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 40.4 inches | 34.8 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 58.3 inches | 57.9 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 56.5 inches | 56.1 inches |
| EPA Passenger Volume | 105.6 cubic feet | 104.4 cubic feet |
| EPA Cargo Volume | 16.7 cubic feet | 16.0 cubic feet |
This story originally ran on Autotrader.com.