N Line with Thrills: A Review of the 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line

My dad grew up admiring American sports cars and owned a few during his youth. He’s a car enthusiast, like me, so he generally shows interest in the vehicles I review. But when I pulled the 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line into his driveway one bright Sunday afternoon, he perked up and that old sports car twinkle in his eye lit up. That was the pivotal moment in my review of the Sonata. I had already enjoyed driving it for a week and was pleasantly surprised on multiple occasions behind the wheel. Still, nothing compared nor spoke more volumes then his genuine first impression of the Sonata. He dug it and I knew I had something special on my hands.

I’ve always mentally compared the Sonata to the Toyota Camry-mostly because they compete in the same segment-and thus I’ve considered Sonata a safe, reliable, but ultimately unexciting sedan. I had no basis for this opinion, other than the fact that in recent years the Camry has left me wanting more. I was quickly reminded that the Sonata is no Camry and with the N Line version, Hyundai is proving that it’s sedan can flaunt it’s sporty side with the best of them. 

What This Dad Digs about the 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line

Oozing with Style – I shouldn’t have been surprised at how stylish the 2021 Sonata looked parked in my driveway. Last year, I reviewed the Elantra and fell in love with its sexy curves and bold stylings. Those same stylings grace the body of the Sonata and with even more room to play with, those curves are more bodacious than ever.  The Sonata is long and lean but flares out at just the right spots. My Dad was quick to point out the fastback roofline and I agreed with him that it was a thing of beauty. I’m not particularly fond of how that roofline comes to a sharp point at the Sonatas rear, making for a weirdly angled backside. But I didn’t hate it and the ultra-cool taillight configuration more than makes up for it.

The N Line edition of the Sonata brings some subtle upgrades to the already aggressive Sonata body style. Most notable is the new blacked out grille that sports larger air intakes. The N Line also adds quad exhaust pipes and a funky bumper design that might take some getting used. Finally, new star-shaped rims complete the N Line package and look handsome in the wheel wells. Hyundai offers this N Line edition across several of their vehicle lineup and after admiring it in person, it’s no wonder why it’s a popular option.

N-gaging that N-gine – A sporty addition of the Sonata wouldn’t be complete without a kick ass engine and this N Line doesn’t disappoint. Under the hood you’ll find a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four engine that produces 290 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. If you want to know how highly Hyundai regards this engine, know that it’s the same engine used in the Genesis G80 and the GV80, the Kia K5 GT, and the Stinger. Imagine the power of a Stinger in a sedan and you’ve got the 2021 Sonata N Line.

The engine roars with a respectable growl and from a complete stop, it launches the Sonata forward with confident power and zippy speed. Handling was a dream and makes for an extremely fun drive. The N Line dips into corners in an exhilarating manner, but the suspension keeps you feeling grounded. The Sonata definitely feels heavy in the steering wheel but that adds to the confidence I felt maneuvering it. Sport Mode kicks things up a notch, but honestly Normal driving mode is such a blast that I mostly left it there and had a thrilling time.

A Pleasant Cabin – Hyundai keeps things simple and roomy inside the 2021 Sonata and I’m all for it. The dash design is minimalistic and functional, and the slightly curved 10.2 inch infotainment screen screams coolness from its perch high on the dash. The steering wheel design was a bit basic for my taste but that’s probably because the exterior is so kick-ass. The N Line edition brought some nice stitching on the seats and some cool badging throughout but nothing too extreme. I particularly like how crisp and functional the digital gauge cluster is – the animations are a nice touch and at night the design pops.

Being a long sedan means the Sonata offers up a generous amount of interior space. Lots of legroom graces the front and back seats, and there is plenty of headroom too. I found adequate space for my daughter’s car seat and there was enough leg room that she wasn’t able to easily kick the back of the front seats. The trunk offers up 16 cubic feet of cargo space to work with, which is on par for this segment. It took some maneuvering to successfully put in our two-seat stroller, but it did eventually fit.

Safety Tech with a New Twist – The Sonata comes complete with the usual safety tech features you’d expect from a modern car including bling spot monitoring, rear cross traffic warning, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. What’s new this year is something Hyundai calls Safe Exit Warning and it’s kind of genius. You may already be familiar with rear cross traffic warning systems that alert you if a car is crossing your path as you back out of a parking spot, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a warning system that watches traffic as the car exits a parallel parking spot. Safe Exit Warning (SEW) uses existing blind spot radars on the car to automatically warn the driver the same way it would if the car was being backed out of a spot. Very cool tech and handy for dads who are driving away with screaming children in the back seat to distract them. 

Fuel Economy – I’m constantly impressed these days at how many miles sports cars are capable of squeezing out of every gallon of gas. The Sonata is one such car-the N Line version has an estimated fuel economy of 23 miles per gallon in the city, 33 miles on the highway and 27 miles per gallon combined. I tried hitting those numbers, but the Sonata is so fun to drive that I often put a tad bit too much pedal to the metal. I averaged 21 miles per gallon in the city and around 25 miles per gallon combined—still not too shabby.

What Gets This Dad’s Downvote

User Interface – For all the ingenuity the Hyundai team places on the stylings and performance of the Sonata, I wish they would have given a little more to the design of the infotainment user interface. It’s not exactly terrible and gets the job done but there is something unattractive about it that feels out of place. The navigation system wasn’t as intuitive as others I’ve used and instead there were weird features such as a nature sounds app that plays ambient noise like a rainstorm or a forest at night. Thankfully, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work in the Sonata and I found myself relying on my android to navigate me most of the time.

 

Okay, Maybe the Sonata is a little TOO Peppy – Like a new puppy that wants to go for a walk, the Sonata sometimes feels like it’s too peppy, especially for urban and suburban streets. There were times it wanted to lurch forward if I just gave it a bit more gas. Switching the Sonata into Sport and Sport Plus mode only exacerbates the problem by turning off traction control. Driving with this mode switched on the Sonata would drift, ever so slightly, around corners with more gusto than I intended. This doesn’t take away from the thrill of the ride, but instead can feel like an unintended walk on the wild side.

Straddling Two Worlds for Dad Drivers

My dad didn’t say it out loud, but I could tell that as he ran his hand over the fastback roofline of the 2021 Sonata N Line, he was realizing that this is the evolution of modern sports car design. He spent many years behind the wheel of sporty muscle cars and thus I grew up listening to him regale his tales of driving. Now that I’m a dad myself, my admiration for sporty cars hasn’t diminished so I count my lucky stars that I can easily fit child safety seats into the back of vehicles like the Sonata N Line. My personal car is a sporty sedan and like the Sonata it offers drivers an ability to straddle two worlds: the world of day-to-day driving and the world of thrilling rubber burning.

The Sonata N Line is battling (for your attention) against vehicles like the Acura TLX, the Mazda 6, and for that matter, the Camry TRD. What’s amazing is that it holds its own against those competitors and does so at a reasonable price. The N Line Sonata starts at $33,300, just below the top-tier Sonata Limited. For my money, the N Line is the better deal over the Limited mostly for its engine and stylistic additions. But again, I grew up listening to stories of Firebirds and GTs so if a cushiony sedan ride is what you’re looking for, Hyundai offers Sonata trims for that. But if my dad taught me anything, it’s to go with your gut. Especially when hoping behind the wheel of a car.