Toyota Camry vs Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

The 2024 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid showcased a modern and sleek design with significant styling updates. Its front fascia was streamlined, featuring a single slim lightbar known as the “seamless horizon lamp,” which added a distinctly modern flair to the sedan. The badge was repositioned above the grille, while the headlights were placed independently below it. The rear end of the Sonata, already equipped with a lightbar, now resembled the all-new Hyundai Santa Fe, forming a wide “H” shape with the taillights. From the side, the 2024 Sonata maintained a similar appearance to the 2023 model, with standard 18-inch alloy wheels on the Preferred-Trend trim and 19-inch wheels on the N Line trim. The interior saw changes with a redesigned dash, a new T-shaped steering wheel, and a relocated gear shifter to the steering column. The Preferred-Trend trim offered a basic black interior with leather upholstery, while the N Line trim featured a light grey option with Nappa leather, suede inserts, and red accents.

The 2025 Toyota Camry presented a cohesive and business-like redesign, particularly noticeable from the front. It echoed the new Prius and shared a family resemblance with the Lexus spindle grille, termed the “hammerhead front face” by Toyota. Standard LED headlights and daytime running lights enhanced its assertive look. The profile remained largely unchanged, but the rear window surround extended further into the sail panel, emphasizing the coupe-like roof. The base SE trim featured 16-inch alloy wheels, while the SE Upgrade and XLE trims had black 18-inch wheels, and the sporty XSE trim boasted 19-inch wheels in black and grey. The Camry XSE offered a two-tone paint job with a Midnight Black Metallic roof and four exterior colour options. Inside, the Camry had a new dash layout with a centre touchscreen housing that flowed across the passenger’s side. The quilted Dinamica microfibre in the XLE test car was a light grey colour, found on the dash and inside the door cards, posing a risk of attracting spills or oils over time. The base SE trim came with a mix of cloth and SofTex synthetic leather upholstery, while the top XSE and XLE trims featured perforated leather seats in red, grey, or black.

The 2024 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid introduced an all-wheel drive (AWD) system for the first time, available on the Preferred-Trend trim for an additional $2,000. The N Line remained front-wheel-drive (FWD) only. The Preferred-Trend trim was powered by a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, producing 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The N Line featured a turbocharged version of the same engine, delivering 290 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque, available from 1,650 to 4,000 rpm, with power transferred via an 8-speed wet-clutch dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The Sonata's steering feel and handling were praised, along with the configurable driver-information display.

The 2025 Toyota Camry marked a shift to an all-hybrid lineup, featuring Toyota’s fifth-generation hybrid system. This system combined a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with electric motors, producing 225 horsepower for FWD models and 232 horsepower for AWD models. In Canada, the base SE trim was sold with FWD, while AWD was standard on all other models. The electronic AWD system provided extra traction with minimal impact on fuel economy, with estimated consumption figures of 5.1 L/100 km combined for AWD models with 18-inch wheels and 5.3 L/100 km for the XSE, compared to 4.9 L/100 km for the FWD version. The Camry offered two distinct suspension tunings, with the XLE focusing on comfort. The hybrid system switched smoothly between gas and electric power, though the powertrain was audible at higher speeds. The braking feel was normal, akin to a traditional gas-only sedan, with no need for regenerative braking settings. At speeds under 40 km/h, the car could switch to EV mode, relying on the battery until the engine was needed.

The 2024 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid offered competitive interior space, with 975 millimetres of front-seat headroom, slightly above the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, and just under the Nissan Altima. Rear-seat headroom was 950 mm, while front-row legroom was prioritized at 1,170 mm, leaving 885 mm for rear-seat passengers. Heated and ventilated front seats were standard in the Preferred-Trend trim, with ventilation dropped in the N Line’s sport seats. The slimmer steering wheel rim was appreciated for comfort, and the trunk close button was noted as a neat convenience feature.

The 2025 Toyota Camry featured an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and a six-way power-adjustable front passenger’s seat, standard on both X grades. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel were standard in Canada, with ventilated front seats included in the XLE and XSE trims. Dual-zone climate control and rear-seat air vents were standard. The 2025 model year introduced a panoramic moonroof on a hybrid Camry, included on the top two trims. Front-row legroom and headroom were comparable to the 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid, with back-seat legroom falling behind. The Sonata Hybrid offered more headroom but less legroom in the second row. Trunk space for the Camry measured 428 litres, compared to the Accord’s 473 litres.

The 2024 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid featured a selectable functionality for the driver’s side front USB-C port, allowing it to switch between data-transmitting and charging-only modes. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard across all trims. The curved display combined the infotainment touchscreen and driver-information display into a single panel, with the N Line featuring a pair of 12.3-inch screens. The Preferred-Trend trim had a smaller digital instrument cluster. Hard controls were minimal, but climate control and media functions had dedicated haptic “buttons.” The N Line included navigation and a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, while a six-speaker sound system was standard.

The 2025 Toyota Camry came with an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen running the Toyota Audio Multimedia system, featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and managing simultaneous Bluetooth connections with two smartphones. A wireless charging pad and five USB ports were standard, with USB-A and USB-C charging technology. Higher trims had a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital driver information display. A 10-inch head-up display and a nine-speaker JBL Premium Audio system were included for XLE and XSE trims. Drive Connect required an active subscription for features like Intelligent Assistant voice-recognition and real-time traffic updates, though voice recognition was inconsistent during testing.

The 2024 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid included blind-spot collision warning with rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist as standard. Forward collision-avoidance assist with junction turning detection, safe exit warning and assist, lane-following and lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, automatic emergency braking, and rear occupant alert were also standard. Hyundai’s infotainment system made safety and driver-assistance features easy to find and operate.

The 2025 Toyota Camry featured blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as standard, along with the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite. This included adaptive cruise control, lane-tracing assist, lane-departure alert with steering assist, and road-sign assist. The XLE and XSE grades added front cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, front and rear parking assist with automatic braking, and a panoramic view monitor. Traffic-jam assist was also included, requiring an active Drive Connect subscription. The 2025 Camry had not yet completed crash testing, but strong scores were anticipated based on Toyota’s reputation and the Camry’s history. The 2024 Camry earned a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS and scored well in NHTSA tests.