Not since the late nineties have I been this excited about a mid-size sedan. The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited has me rekindling my love for the most basic form an automobile can take: four wheels, four doors and a somewhere to sit. The automotive market has been robbing the average car consumer of an exciting sedan by playing it too safe for too long. The 2020 Sonata blazes some new roads both in terms of style and substance and somehow it manages to do this without overstating itself.
If you’re a dad driver – or any kind of driver – who isn’t flocking to the crossover craze and prefers the cost savings of a sedan over a large vehicle, the 2020 Hyundai Sonata deserves your attention. It’s the perfect car for a dad who wants to relive the days when sedans ruled the road and cars like the Honda Accord was something of a cultural status symbol. The 2020 Sonata is the “it” sedan for a whole new generation and not only is it affordable but it also proves that once again Hyundai is not afraid to raise the bar.
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Is it for everyone? No. Does it have its faults? Yes. Is there enough remarkability to entice new drivers to the Hyundai brand? Hell yeah! The 2020 Sonata is shaking up the sedan segment and could certainly be a car that your kids won’t be ashamed to drive when it gets passed down to them.
What Zoë Liked About the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited
As a 1 year old toddler, Zoë naturally has very discerning tastes that sometimes border on the ridiculous. I never know what will catch her attention which is why it was interesting she was actually mesmerized by the absolutely sick “Phantom Black” paint job that our Sonata review vehicle came in. This shade of black is beautifully inky and really makes the chrome trim pop. When the Sonata was parked, Zoë would run her hands over the blacked out grill which blends in gorgeously with the sloping hood line. If you think black is just black, you haven’t seen Phantom Black. It’s like falling in love with darkness.
What this Dad digs about the 2020 Sonata
It’s the James Bond of mid-size sedans. Maybe it’s the gorgeous black paintjob or the chrome lines that run down the hood to hook around the headlights, but the Sonata likes so classy that if it could actually walk into a bar wearing a tuxedo, it would ask for its motor oil shaken, not stirred. Lame attempts at James Bond references aside, the Sonata has just enough of an aggressive stance that it nonchalantly lets you know to clear a path as it approaches. It’s as aerodynamic as a bullet and although it’s got an impressive length it’s compact enough that it fit comfortably in the garage. Walking around the Sonata, there is so much to take in and love about the design; it gives meaning to the phrase “If looks could kill.”
Hyundai redesigned the Sonata for 2020 and I can’t find anything I don’t like about the upgrades. The body is re-sculpted into an elegant, powerful, and surprisingly refreshing work of art. Just when you think you’ve seen all the sedan design elements you think you could possibly see in your life, the Sonata shows up on fire. Inside and out, it oozes confidence and that’s something any dad driver can get behind.
Minimalistic Marvel. The interior of the 2020 Sonata is marvelously minimalistic. Clean lines, a spacious digital gauge cluster, an uncluttered dash and a simply functional center console all work in harmony to treat the drive and passengers to a refreshing vista of automotive aesthetics. Even the 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is surrounding by a housing that juts out from the dash in diagonal curves that look like it could melt back into the dash at any moment. Heck, even the slender, elongated air vents are beautiful in both shape and placement! The minimalism extends to the interior door design where congruent lines give a sense of speed and fun. Call me old fashion but I love the vertical switches on the dash that operate various climate controls. Hyundai really knocked interior design out of the park.
Deceivingly spacious. The 2020 Sonata feels like the perfect length and size for a mid-range sedan but its deceiving in the amount of space it appears it could offer inside. At 101 cubic feet of space, the interior of the Sonata has plenty of leg, hip and head room for all passengers. Zoe’s rear-facing car seat fit nicely in the back seat and I was pleasantly surprised to find a few inches between the car seat and the back of the driver’s seat. The trunk space has an average 16 cubic feet of space but its more than enough space for your everyday cargo needs.
Smaht Pahk. Hyundai’s Smart Park feature won me over the minute I saw the 2020 Super bowl commercial starring Chris Evans and John Krasinski. Perhaps it’s because I believe the Boston accent is an American treasure and both actors bull it off beautifully. But I digress. Smart Park is Hyundai’s remote, driver-less parking assistance feature that allows the car to back in and out of a tight parking spot with the push of a button on the key fob. While in autonomous mode, the Sonata will only inch forward and backward at no more than a mile an hour and it can detect objects in front and back of the vehicle that will cause it to automatically brake. I tried this fun, futuristic feature and it worked nicely (check out the video below) but I can’t help but wonder how often I would use it. Perhaps it’s the fact that I would never park a car like the 2020 Sonata in a tight space to begin with because I’m in the habit of parking my vehicles away from risky situations where a nearby car door could ding mine. Still, the Smart Park feature does work as it should and its a cool party trick.
The Middle of the Road
Just Enough power. From the looks of it, the Sonata seems poised to rocket off at any given moment and it does manage to hit 60 mph in about 7 seconds. Buts that’s not rocket speed. There was never any real disappointment in the amount of power the turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four engine delivered but I can bet there will be drivers who prefer a more robust experience. Handling was clean and the Sonata was more than nimble enough to weave in and out of traffic. I could have used a tiny bit more “omphf” during quick bursts of acceleration but I doubt most drivers will notice. I never felt enticed enough to use the paddle shifters to climb the gears strategically – it just didn’t feel like that kind of car.
The Sedan is Back and its Cool
It’s a crossover/sports utility world out there in the automotive market, because that’s what the modern consumer wants. But maybe that’s because for too long sedans have been a yawn-fest. The 2020 Hyundai Sonata is bold and for those looking for the mileage benefits of a sedan will be pleased by the Sonata’s range. 28 miles per gallon in the city and an impressive 37 miles per gallon on the highway are exactly the icing on the cake for a vehicle that’s already a winner.
Starting at around $24,000 for the base model, the Sonata is priced competitively and sets a high bar for value. The Limited version of the Sonata that I tested rang up closer to $34 because it included options like the Smart Park feature. In fact Smart Park is only available on the Sonata Limited so if that’s the key feature for you, expect to pay above $30k.
The fun to be able to proclaim that the sedan is indeed back and like an updated remix track, the 2020 Sonata is Hyundai’s way of updating something familiar and making it engaging for a while new generation.
Phillip is a filmmaker, an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and craft beer aficionado. He writes about cars, car tech, and various other cool Dad things. He lives, works and plays in Dallas, Texas.
