2023 Sonata Limited

The 2023 Hyundai Sonata blends style with value to make itself an appealing midsize sedan. Prices start at $24,950.

Some midsize sedans are just kind of there, working away in near-anonymity, as another car on the highway or in the parking lot. The 2023 Sonata is different.

Yes, it can perform all the usual sedan tasks with no issues whatsoever, yet there’s an extra dimension. The Sonata has an assertive, confident look — similar to a luxury car. The prices aren’t similar, though.

There’s substance beneath the style as well, with a generous amount of standard equipment and excellent warranties. The Sonata was also named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and awarded a maximum 5-Star overall score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The Sonata Hybrid sedan is reviewed separately.

2023 Hyundai Sonata Pricing

The 2023 Hyundai Sonata starts at $24,950, plus a destination charge, for the base SE model. Trim levels progress through SEL, SEL Plus, N Line, and Limited. This plushest version comes in at a fraction under $35K.

For comparison, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry start in the $26K region. The Nissan Altima and Kia K5 (the Sonata’s close relation) are priced from around $25K. And the Subaru Legacy (with all-wheel drive as standard) begins just below $24.5K.

Before buying a new Sonata midsize sedan, check the KBB.com Fair Purchase Price to see what others in your area paid for theirs. The Accord and Camry lead the resale values table, although the Sonata should do at least as well as the Altima.

Exceptional Warranty

Hyundai offers some of the best warranties. The new-car warranty is 5 years or 60,000 miles, whichever happens first. And the powertrain is covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles.

Driving the 2023 Hyundai Sonata

Highway Driving Assist was available in the SEL Plus last year. For the 2023 Sonata sedan range, it’s only in the N Line and Limited. This feature helps keep the car centered in its lane, a useful addition to adaptive cruise control.

So drivers of the more affordable SEL Plus are obliged to raise their levels of engagement. Not that there’s much to engage with in the first place, given the mundane efforts of the 180-horsepower engine under its hood. The SE and SEL’s 191-horsepower engine is similarly subdued.

People don’t buy a new Sonata because of the way it drives. It merely does what’s necessary in this department — unless we’re talking about the N Line model. Yes, the sportier (firmer) suspension is only going to interest a small section of the great driving public, but it pairs well with a lively turbocharged 290-horsepower engine.

Interior Comfort

Although not the most spacious midsize sedan cabin, the 2023 Sonata should be roomy enough for most people. If passenger and cargo space is absolutely crucial, check out the slightly more accommodating Honda Accord.

We reckon most potential buyers will also find the interior design agreeable. It’s tidy and with a shrewd amount of flair. This year sees the SEL gaining a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen. The base SE sticks with an 8-inch display.

Exterior Styling

It seems as if this generation of Hyundai Sonata (the seventh, which debuted for the 2020 model year) didn’t have its visual impact dulled or diluted by committees or focus groups before reaching the production stage. It’s one of the more arresting-looking members of the midsize sedan class. We mean that as a compliment.

The N Line comes with model-specific alloy wheels, extra aerodynamic tweaks to its bodywork, and a quad exhaust system.

Favorite Features

1. Fuel economy
Even though we’ve not exactly been thrilled by two of the engines offered with the 2023 Sonata sedan, they are at least quite easy on gasoline, achieving up to 38 mpg on the highway.

2. Proximity key with push-button start
The second most affordable 2023 Sonata is the SEL trim, which is more recommendable than the base SE. It comes with extra features like this keyless entry/start feature that’s just really convenient.

3. Hyundai Digital Key
Possibly even more convenient, this digital key enables access by using a smartphone app in the case of Android devices or a key card for people with Apple iPhones. It’s part of an options bundle with the SEL or standard in the SEL Plus.

4. Digital driver information display
This smart 12.3-inch LCD instrument cluster is also part of that SEL bundle or standard in the SEL Plus. It makes the cabin tech-richer.

5. Remote Smart Parking Assist
Only the Limited trim has this, allowing the driver to nose the Sonata into or out of a parking space while standing outside and pressing buttons on the key fob. Not the most useful feature, but a neat party trick at the very least.

6. Matrix-type LED headlights
Another Limited exclusive, these headlights have multiple LEDs that can automatically turn on or off to provide optimum illumination without dazzling other drivers.

Engine & Transmission

The base engine — found in SE and SEL trims of the 2023 Sonata sedan — is a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder unit making 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque.

A 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine goes into the SEL Plus and Limited models. Although its output of 180 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque doesn’t seem especially different to the base engine, this is relatively more eager, thanks to a turbocharger.

The N Line version has its own setup, with a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine generating 290 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque.

Front-wheel drive (FWD) is the only configuration with the 2023 Sonata. All three engines connect to an 8-speed automatic transmission, and regular gasoline is acceptable in every Sonata fuel tank.

2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine (SE, SEL)
191 horsepower @ 6,100 rpm
181 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 28/38 mpg (SE), 27/37 mpg (SEL)

1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine (SEL Plus, Limited)
180 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
195 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27/37 mpg

2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine (N Line)
290 horsepower @ 5,800 rpm
311 lb-ft of torque @ 1,650-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 23/33 mpg

KBB Vehicle Review and Rating Methodology

Our Expert Ratings come from hours of both driving and number crunching to make sure that you choose the best car for you. We comprehensively experience and analyze every new SUV, car, truck, or minivan for sale in the U.S. and compare it to its competitors. When all that dust settles, we have our ratings.

We require new ratings every time an all-new vehicle or a new generation of an existing vehicle comes out. Additionally, we reassess those ratings when a new-generation vehicle receives a mid-cycle refresh — basically, sprucing up a car in the middle of its product cycle (typically, around the 2-3 years mark) with a minor facelift, often with updates to features and technology.

Rather than pulling random numbers out of the air or off some meaningless checklist, KBB’s editors rank a vehicle to where it belongs in its class. Before any car earns its KBB rating, it must prove itself to be better (or worse) than the other cars it’s competing against as it tries to get you to spend your money buying or leasing.

Our editors drive and live with a given vehicle. We ask all the right questions about the interior, the exterior, the engine and powertrain, the ride and handling, the features, the comfort, and of course, about the price. Does it serve the purpose for which it was built? (Whether that purpose is commuting efficiently to and from work in the city, keeping your family safe, making you feel like you’ve made it to the top — or that you’re on your way — or making you feel like you’ve finally found just the right partner for your lifestyle.)

We take each vehicle we test through the mundane — parking, lane-changing, backing up, cargo space and loading — as well as the essential — acceleration, braking, handling, interior quiet and comfort, build quality, materials quality, reliability.

More About How We Rate Vehicles

Will there be a 2023 Hyundai Sonata?

The sporty trim with race-inspired style. 2023 SONATA SE: 28 City/38 Hwy/32 Combined MPG. 2023 SONATA SEL: 27 City/37 Hwy/31 Combined MPG. 2023 SONATA N Line: 23 City/33 Highway/27 Combined MPG. 2023 SONATA SEL Plus/Limited: 27 City/37 Hwy/31 Combined MPG. All figures are EPA estimates and for comparison purposes only.

Is Hyundai Sonata Limited a luxury car?

No, the 2021 Hyundai Sonata is not what most people would consider a luxury vehicle, but some elements of this model come very close to what one would experience in a luxury ride.

Is the Hyundai Sonata being discontinued?

An N Line model was added for 2021. Hyundai maintains such reports are speculation. "Sonata remains and will continue to be an important part of Hyundai's product lineup," a brand spokesperson said in a statement. The Sonata has been a key global model for Hyundai, but the auto giant is focused on electrification.

Is Hyundai Sonata Limited a reliable car?

Overall the Hyundai Sonata reliability is 63.15 and that makes it very reliable.