Price
Winner: 2018 Hyundai Sonata
Buyers interested in the lowest possible purchase price will find the Hyundai Sonata hard to beat. It undercuts the base Honda Accord by $1,520, a more than 6 percent advantage.
However, the base Accord comes with a wider range of standard equipment, including dual-zone automatic climate control and Honda Sensing, which includes adaptive cruise control, automatic collision mitigation braking, and lane keep assist, among other features. Honda also includes a drowsiness monitor that keeps tabs on the driver.
Most of these features are available on the Sonata, but not on the base model. To get the lane keep assist, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control on the Sonata, it is necessary to step up to the $23,700 SEL model and then add the $1,000 Technology Package. Every Sonata does include blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert, however. These two features are standard on only upper-trim Accords.
Equipment level differences aside, the lower price prevails, which gives the Hyundai Sonata a win in this category.
Acceleration
Winner: 2018 Honda Accord
With its 2018 redesign, Honda has eliminated the Accord’s V6 engine option, a step that Hyundai took with the previous generation of the Sonata, introduced in 2010. Yet, even deprived of V6 power, the Accord wins this category.
The two turbocharged four-cylinder engines in the Accord have no noticeable turbo lag and deliver smooth acceleration. Lower-trim models with the 1.5-liter 192-horsepower engine have plenty of power for daily driving. Trim levels ending with 2.0T suffix use a 2.0-liter 252-horsepower four-cylinder engine that, as we noted in the Accord’s review, makes driving more fun.
As for the Hyundai Sonata, its base 185-horsepower engine receives a lukewarm evaluation in our review. We further noted that the optional 245-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine falls short of delivering the energetic feel present in rivals.
Fuel Economy
Winner: 2018 Honda Accord
The EPA numbers show that the Accord is the more economical of these two cars, though its ratings of 30 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway when equipped with the 1.5-liter engine and the CVT transmission fall short of the very thrifty 2018 Toyota Camry. Accord Sport models with the 1.5-liter engine fall to 29 mpg city and 35 mpg highway with the CVT, or to 26/35 mpg with the six-speed manual. Accords with the 2.0-liter engine and 10-speed automatic transmission get 23 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway. Those numbers drop to 22 city/32 highway with the six-speed manual transmission.
The base Sonata falls short of these numbers, earning an EPA rating of 25 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway with the base engine. Even the ECO version of the Sonata with its 28 mpg city/37 mpg highway ratings falls short of equaling the base Accord. The most powerful Sonata, equipped with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, brings up the rear, with ratings of 23 mpg city and 32 mpg highway.
Ride and Handling
Winner: 2018 Honda Accord
Both cars deliver a family-friendly ride. We called the Accord’s ride smooth, and the Sonata, with its revised suspension for 2018, also rides smoothly even over rough pavement.
As noted in our reviews of these two midsize sedans, Hyundai’s new suspension, which demonstrates good composure, still doesn’t deliver the agility that can be found in some rivals. As for the Accord, it navigates curves easily while delivering a sportier feel than many of its competitors. That makes the Accord the winner in this category.
Interior Comfort
Winner: 2018 Honda Accord
The new Honda Accord, with its generous rear-seat legroom, wins in this category. The Hyundai Sonata is also roomy, but its rear seats could leave taller occupants wanting more headroom. Front seats in both cars earned favorable comments for their support and comfort, but as we concluded in the reviews, there are no bad seats in the Accord.
Cargo Space
Winner: 2018 Hyundai Sonata
Both trunks are impressive for this class with the Hyundai Sonata’s measuring 16.3 cubic feet. The Accord’s trunk measures 16.7 cubic feet. Both are large enough for four golf bags, or beach chairs and a cooler. However, despite having a slightly larger trunk, we downgraded the Honda for its shallow trunk opening, which can complicate loading larger items. We then gave the Hyundai Sonata extra credit for offering a hands-free power trunk as standard equipment on SEL and higher trims.
Interior Quality
Winner: 2018 Hyundai Sonata
The Hyundai Sonata boasts a wide range of high-quality materials and a pleasing design in its cabin. The new Accord’s interior is also quite good, with ample use of soft-touch materials and top-notch overall quality.
In our rankings of the two cars, however, we gave the Hyundai Sonata’s interior an overall score of 8.5 out of 10. The Accord earned a score of 8.3 on the same scale. This is a close call, but the win goes to the Sonata.
Interior Features
Winner: 2018 Honda Accord
Both cars feature Bluetooth connectivity, but the Sonata also makes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard on all trim levels. Honda does not offer these smartphone interfaces on the base LX, but makes them standard on all other trim levels.
Every Accord comes with dual-zone automatic climate control. Only the top Limited trim level of the Sonata offers this feature. Honda also provides two USB ports and Siri Eyes Free in the Accord. Compare that to the single USB port offered in the Sonata.
Safety
Winner: To Be Determined
The Hyundai Sonata has earned the highest ratings in crash testing conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In addition, the IIHS judged the Sonata’s optional crash avoidance and mitigation system as Superior, the highest rating.
The new Honda Accord has been named a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS, although it hasn’t been tested by the NHTSA yet.
Reliability
Winner: To Be Determined
Neither vehicle has been rated yet by J.D. Power for reliability, though the Hyundai Sonata is part of a generation of vehicles that has earned an above-average score of four on a scale of five. The Honda Accord is new, so the reliability of previous models does not apply.
The Winner Is ...
2018 Honda Accord
After reviewing these two cars, we concluded that both the Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata are quite good. These two, along with the even higher-ranking Toyota Camry, are the benchmarks by which other midsize sedans should be measured.
In the final analysis, however, the Accord’s greater agility, superior fuel economy, and back-seat headroom helped tip the scales in Honda’s favor. This was a close competition, but the Accord is the better choice.
More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report
To learn more about the Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata, check out their reviews. Then, see how they stack up to the competition by exploring our midsize car rankings. And, when it comes time to buy, use our Best Price Program to get the best deal on your new car purchase.
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Accord vs. Sonata: Which Highly Ranked Family Sedan Is Best for You?
Here are two midsize sedans that are highly ranked by U.S. News. Each is nicely equipped and each boasts a starting price that is significantly below the $33,000-plus that the average American now pays for a new car.
The Honda Accord has been completely redesigned for 2018, while the Hyundai Sonata was refreshed for 2018 and saw its last complete redesign for the 2015 model year. Will the newer Honda Accord prevail, or will this comparison victory go to the tried-and-true Hyundai Sonata?
The following slides answer that question, as we compare these two popular family sedans using criteria that are important to buyers. Keep in mind that the scores on our site are updated constantly as new expert reviews and data become available. Therefore, the scores mentioned in this slideshow may not match the scores in our reviews.