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2025 Hyunda Sonata Limited Hybrid - Review by David Colman +VIDEO


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2025 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid

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2025 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid

Tailored Excellence and Great Driving Range

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David Colman
Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL


Three compelling benefits make purchase of Hyundai's 2025 Sonata Limited Hybrid a smart move. Leading the justification parade is this sedan's unearthly driving range. When it arrived for my week-long test with a nearly full tank of gas (just 13.2 gallons of regular grade 87 octane), the range estimate indicated a whopping 558 miles before refill. Motor Trend magazine has stated "range is expected to total an incredible 680 miles." We drove our test Hyundai day after day, on back roads and freeways, and by the end of our week, the fuel needle had barely dislodged itself from Full. In fact, 365 miles still remained available before refueling. With this hybrid system producing virtually untethered travel freedom, it's hard to endorse buying an EV which forces you to play recharge roulette every 300 miles.


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
2025 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid

PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
2025 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid

The second reason you will want to give this Sonata a close look is the tailored excellence of its interior. The Limited is the top model in the Sonata line, and as such comes with a full complement of really cushy luxury touches. Literally topping the list is a huge panoramic sunroof which admits so much ambient light when open that you and your backseat companions will feel like you're enjoying a convertible. The exceptionally comfortable and supportive front seats are heated (along with the steering wheel) and ventilated. They're also finished with high-quality leather. The dark gray hide sported a salt and pepper look that brightened the spacious interior and integrated artfully with the striated ivory and charcoal dashboard. The 60/40 split folding rear seats are fully sized for grownups and offer an abundance of legroom.


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2025 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid

The third outstanding benefit you will derive from your selection of a Sonata Limited is financial. Our test hybrid carried a base price of just $37,450, which is close to ten grand below the average retail price of a new vehicle in the USA today. When you consider the list of extravagant standard features that the range-topping Limited affords above and beyond lesser Sonatas, you will likely consider its choice a done deal. Both front seats are 4-way power-adjustable, and my wife and I agreed that the support provided was exceptional. The driver can lock mirror/seat configurations into the two position integrated memory system. The Limited offers a standard 12 speaker Bose Premium Audio system with a 90-day free trial subscription to SiriusXM Radio. Every album cover that XM deejays play is vividly depicted on the cockpit's 12.3-inch touchscreen. The brilliant monitor also displays AM/FM/HD radio as well maps for the onboard Navigation System. Finally, the Limited also features remote smart parking assist that allows the Sonata to be operated via the key fob for short distances.


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2025 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid

Happily, the Limited also proved itself to be rather entertaining to drive, with good cornering instincts, decent straight line power (0-60mph in 8.6 seconds), and a triple play of driving modes that offered distinctly different feedback parameters. We sampled ECO MODE for a while and were quite happy with the moderate resistance level of the steering, and the responsive actuation of the throttle. Unlike so many ECO biased modes, this one is fully acceptable for daily touring. The SPORT MODE tightened the steering to a level that felt unnecessarily high, and also provided a tad too much resistance when engaging the throttle pedal. Drivers can also resort to the MI-DRIVE MODE which allows you to differentiate steering choice from throttle response, so you can individuate your game plan.

Hyundai equips this top-tier Sonata with dazzling 7J x 17-inch alloy rims that look like pinwheels. They're shod with 215/55R17 Kumho Solus TA 31 all-season radials (TW 500) which provide an excellent combination of grip and ride comfort. While we never pressed them hard enough to lose grip, these tires offered a surprising ability to damp ruts and potholes while sticking to the asphalt when dive-bombing apexes. With its well-configured driving environment, long list of luxury enhancements, and stupendous touring range, the 2025 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid is one of your best choices in the medium-size sedan range. While it will never match the race bred N Sport version of the Sonata for track chops, the hybrid offers daily practicality and comfort the super sport N model is incapable of achieving.


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2025 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid

PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
2025 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid

2025 HYUNDAI SONATA LIMITED HYBRID

    • ENGINE: 2.0 liter inline 4-Cylinder + 51kWh electric motor
    • HORSEPOWER: 192hp
    • TORQUE: N/A
    • FUEL CONSUMPTION: 44MPG City/51MPG Highway
    • PRICE AS TESTED: $38,810

HYPES: Off-the-Map Range

GRIPES: 12.3 inch LCD Instrument Cluster Mounted Too High

STAR RATING: 9.5 Stars out of 10

©2025 David E Colman