Our 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited Performs Surprisingly Well at the Track

The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited has proved a pleasant companion around town and on interstate adventures thanks to its balanced driving dynamics. To find out how it performs when pushed to the limit, we took it to the track, where we learned it can outgun a similarly powered Honda Accord.

Our Sonata packs the upgraded engine: a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 180 hp. It took 7.4 seconds for the sedan to go from 0 to 60 mph, making it a pinch quicker than a 2018 Honda Accord EX we tested with the 192-hp engine that's standard on most trims of the Japanese sedan. That Accord, as well as a four-cylinder 2018 Camry XLE we tested with 203 hp, reached 60 mph in 7.6 seconds. Both the Accord and Camry offer significantly more powerful variants. With its potent 252-hp four-cylinder, the Accord makes it in as little as 5.7 seconds, while a V-6 Camry XLE does the deed in 6.0 seconds. The more powerful 290-hp Sonata N Line crossed the finish line in 5.3 seconds, though.

Although our Sonata is no speed demon, it has just the right amount of juice to merge and pass other cars on the freeway. If you're a lead foot, you'll quickly learn one of the Sonata's annoying quirks. "There's some lag from when you mash the pedal to when the engine really wakes up," associate road test editor Erick Ayapana noted during acceleration testing.

Nimble handling is one of the Sonata's best traits. Put it in Sport mode, and the Sonata feels agile on canyon roads, and it's easy to maneuver into a parking spot despite its size. Given its agility, it's not surprising this sedan performed well in the figure eight. Achieving a time of 26.6 seconds at an average 0.66 g, the Sonata once again bests the base Accord and Camry, and it even out-handles the more powerful versions of both these sedans. (We have not tested the base 2.5-liter naturally aspirated Sonata, though). Road test editor Chris Walton noted the steering is crisp and accurate. "There's some body roll and eventual understeer," he said, "but otherwise it's quite well-behaved/balanced." Our test team also praised the Sonata's good body control under hard braking. The brakes brought the car from 60 to 0 mph in 115 feet, which compares favorably with rivals.