2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Review

Name: 2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Review
Brand: Hyundai
Price: 14932 USD
Rating: 4.1 (25 reviews)

Price Estimate: $14,932 - $17,974

Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Limited Sedan Exterior Shown.

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Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid model years

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Edmunds' Expert Review

by Mark Takahashi^{Correspondent
Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the Edmunds YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.}

Pros

Spacious interior with comfortable front seats
User-friendly infotainment interface

Cons

Low fuel-efficiency figures for the class
Not as much cargo space as hatchback competitors
Grabby brake-pedal feel can make it hard to stop smoothly

What's new

The 2018 Sonata Plug-in Hybrid gets a styling refresh
EV range extended to 28 miles
Advanced safety features now include automatic braking and lane keeping assist
New features include adaptive LED headlights, a driver inattention monitor and a wireless charging pad
Part of the first Sonata Plug-in Hybrid generation introduced for 2016

When it comes to plug-in hybrid vehicles, fuel efficiency and electric-only range are vitally important. Unfortunately for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid, those are some of its weak points. With an electric-only range of 28 miles and EPA-estimated 39 mpg combined rating, it's well below what alternatives such as the Honda Clarity Plug-in, Toyota Prius Prime and Chevrolet Volt deliver.

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The Sonata may gain favor with shoppers seeking a more traditional-looking sedan, though, and we like its easy-to-use tech. This year the styling gets a refresh to match the rest of the Sonata lineup and gains more advanced safety features and interior conveniences. Combined with Hyundai's generous warranty, it certainly has its appeal, but those probably aren't enough to overcome its efficiency shortcomings.

Edmunds' Expert Rating

The 2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid may gain favor for its traditional sedan styling, but compared to other cars in the class, it's held back by its short EV range, disappointing fuel economy figures and limited trunk space.

Driving

The Plug-in accelerates to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds, which is average for a hybrid sedan. We like the six-speed automatic transmission since it provides a more traditional shifting experience than a CVT. Less impressive is the grabby feel of the Sonata Hybrid's brake pedal.

Comfort

The Plug-in Hybrid's ride is smooth on all manner of pavement, and the cabin is quiet at highway speeds. This is a car that will get you to your destination without wearing you out. It's not an exciting car to drive, certainly, but the Sonata Hybrid heads where you point it.

Interior

The Plug-in Hybrid's cabin is roomy and comfortable. The seats are supportive and nicely padded, and the cabin itself is remarkably quiet. There's generally plenty of head-, legroom and shoulder room, but backseat headroom is nevertheless tighter than in the hybrid's competitors.

Utility

The Sonata Plug-in Hybrid's trunk is smaller because of the larger battery pack, leaving just 9.9 cubic feet of cargo room compared to the Sonata Hybrid's 13.3 cubic feet. The Honda Clarity and Toyota Prius Prime also have considerably larger trunks.

Technology

Both the 7- and 8-inch touchscreens have crisp graphics and straightforward menus. But some drivers might find that it's a bit of a stretch to reach the screen comfortably. A unique gauge cluster displaying various hybrid system readouts is one of the few visible indicators that you're driving a gas-electric car.

Compare 2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid trim levels

Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart

2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid models

The 2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid is a midsize family sedan offered in two trim levels: base and Limited. Under the hood is 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a 50-kilowatt (67-horsepower) electric motor. Total system output is 202 horsepower, delivered to the front wheels by way of a six-speed automatic transmission. It has an EPA-estimated EV range of 28 miles on a full charge.

Standard base model features include 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, heated mirrors, a hands-free trunklid, keyless ignition and entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, an eight-way power driver seat, a manual height-adjustable passenger seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a rearview camera, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning systems, Hyundai's Blue Link emergency communications, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone app integration, a 7-inch touchscreen and a seven-speaker sound system with satellite and HD radio, and two USB ports (one front, one charge-only in the rear).

If you are looking for more, though, step up to the Limited. You'll get adaptive LED headlights, rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, a power front passenger seat, a heated steering wheel, driver-seat memory functions, a wireless charging pad, an 8-inch touchscreen, a navigation system and an upgraded nine-speaker Infinity sound system. The Limited also comes with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, a drowsy driver warning system, and automatic high beams.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid 6A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.09 per gallon for regular unleaded and $0.25 per kWh for electricity in New York.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in New York

$104/mo

$165/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

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Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.1

25 reviews

5(68%)

4(8%)

3(4%)

2(8%)

1(12%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Just enough battery to do the job...

Rob Davy, 11/12/2016

2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)

I commute 34 miles each way to work. The battery on this car has been able to get me almost all the way to work with minimal use of gas (like 2 to 14 miles of gas depending on my charge percentage). When I charge at work, I have actually been able to get all the way home just on battery. I am 6'7" tall and I fit very comfortably in this car. And, that actually says a lot considering I … am a very large man as well. Being able to fit was obviously my number one most important criteria. My buying decision also included carpool lane access criteria. This car is allowed to drive in the carpool lane in Utah. But, you have to have a C Decal, which is won only through a lottery process. I happened to already have access with my Prius, so I was allowed to transfer the permit. My third factor was tax credits. This vehicle is eligible in Utah for $1000 of tax credits at the state level. And, it is eligible for around $5000 of tax credits at the federal level. So, that knocks $6000 off the price at tax time (assuming you are able to claim it). It is good to know that if you can't take all of the deductions or credits in year one, then the government will allow you to take the remaining credit the following year. When gas prices are low, the breakeven period for this car takes much longer. But, high gas prices can make the break even period much shorter. Of course, the price of electricity is also a critical factor. The fact that this car has a lifetime warranty on its battery (for the first buyer) is comforting. I was told that the battery warranty is not transferable, so that is something to consider. I think that this PHEV (plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) offering is one of the most compelling in the segment. The Prius prime gets 15 miles per gallon better fuel efficiency, but you lose one of the back seats. And, you gain 5 miles of electric-only range in the Sonata. And, that is a big deal for people with a 34 mile each way commute like myself. The Ford C-Max received very poor ratings by consumer reports, so that one is out. The Audi E-Tron is a very fun car to drive, but it is smaller and has lower specs on both gas mileage and electric-only range. The Kia Optima looked comparable (or perhaps a bit better), but it is not available in Utah at this time. Availability in your state depends on whether or not a given dealer has two trained technicians that can work on PHEVs. I admit that I am still very new to this experience of driving electric cars, but I love how quiet the car drives. And, I love the thought of saving money and avoiding gas stations whenever possible. So, as for me, I believe this vehicle is an outstanding value. I am not a tree hugger by any means, but this car makes me happy from the standpoint of keeping money in my pocketbook. So, I say it is a great buy! I am a mechanical engineer, and I am not easily impressed. But, this one is impressive.

Excellent Car Overall - Big Improvement Over Prev

GD, 05/14/2016

2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)

Now that gas is cheap - under $3 in California (of course it won't last) I wanted to update my Sonata Plug In Review. First - FINALLY - Hyundai made good on its promise to add Apple Car Play and Android Auto via a very long and painful software update (3 hrs+). They also fixed an annoying problem on the LCD display in EV mode instead of a big giant battery it now splits the screen in 2 … with the battery on the right and the EV remaining distance on the left (previously only seen in the instrument cluster display) So, there's that. Also something was fixed with Bluetooth, my Samsung phone now pairs very fast and remembers the last App playing audio and starts automatically but it STILL will not stay in Shuffle mode if you have an ipod or iphone, so everytime the car is started its about 50 clicks to go back to shuffle/random play mode sigh. So, the Truth is I have only bought 16 gallons of gas in 5,800 miles of driving, I think that speaks for itself. Even with cheap gas -- I am paying nearly zero to drive all over the place. Since gas is so cheap, I tried 91 instead of 89 and it made a HUGE difference in the engine's performance. Seriously a big improvement, and I don't know why because Hyundai says do not use 91 so whatever. The gas mode is much more responsive and smooth on 91. Also, not explained well in the manual, the CHG MODE will recharge the EV battery with 380 volts on the highway in about 30 minutes. The engine is also much more responsive in the mode, but of course there is no hybrid mode working so I only use it on the highway where I can keep a consistent speed. One other weird thing I have experienced, the ventilated front seats (AC) are not very good or mine are defective. I have tested them in a Dodge Charger V8 and they are way better, more air flow and cooler. Hyundai probably just went with a cheap version. I STILL MUST complain about the awful Blue Link Mobile App. Why Hyundai??? The app is still slow, slow, slow, doesnt connect much of the time, and it should be free! So I can still see charge info but I cannot start the car -- lol because they want me to pay for it. no way I have owned this car for one month, and 1,543 miles. I have not bought gas once. The free full tank from the dealer is about 1/2 full, the only time it uses gas is on my way home from work (Toll Road) in Southern California and it switches silently into Hyb mode. But, understand it still has battery left for hybrid mode and its then begins charging the battery. Unfortunately, my Sonata Plug In (Limited) always shows incorrect battery info. For example, 30% battery remaining but only 2 miles of all EV mode available. Hyundai needs to fix this and the "stupid" battery gauge under the speedometer. It has blue and white lines but its so confusing even the Service Manager couldn't figure it out! Vehicle is really nice, and drives great. HOWEVER -- the BlueLink Mobile App and Service are TERRIBLE! Most of the time the service is "unavailable" or some other useless error message. When it does work it takes 10-15 minutes to reach my car with the App - Unacceptable Hyundai. I decided to Lease this time because no matter how great a Hyundai vehicle is, their resale value is the worst in the auto game. I know, I had 2 Sonata hybrids and had to pay to get out of them both. The 2015 lost 50% of it value in 10 months!!! So beware - only lease this car so you can give it back at the end. One additional comment about charging. You would think in Southern CA where Hyundai is headquartered there would be EV charging stations everywhere -- Nope. They are a nightmare to find and when you do, every Tesla is town is plugged-in for hours. Also, the charging stations are not free. There are several different ones Charge + and others that you have to sign up for in advance and get a card to use them. It's really a hassle. Unlike Nissan, Hyundai will NOT allow you to charge your car at their dealerships - really bad PR Hyundai. Overall I enjoy the car a lot. But no Apple OR Android App integration means old bluetooth for your phone. And, Hyundai bluetooth is soooo slowwwww to connect to my iPhone and Samsung S7, I usually end up listening to my old iPod I have plugged in. The XM sound quality is horrible, so I wouldn't even bother signing up for a subscription. One other weird thing, the radio keeps playing after turning off the car (can be configured) but the power windows stop working...lol very weird. The car needs a usable Mobile App and to charge faster (9 hrs in my garage on a standard outlet and the cable gets very hot too. Sometimes the fan under the hood kicks on while its charging..hmm) Lastly, on a new model with all this technology - -why did Hyundai put plain old bulbs in the license plate holder (and the dome lights). I mean that just seems really like an oversight in my view. I replaced them with Sylvania White LEDS from Amazon but I dont think I should have needed to.

No real competition in a full size plug in

Charles, 02/18/2016

2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)

I stumbled across the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid while researching the Chevy Volt and and Ford Fusion Energi. I'm glad I did! Hyundai did their homework with this car. It's spacious, quiet, refined with a well laid out interior with high quality materials and intuitive easy to use controls and electronics interfaces. The Limited version has a luxury feel to it with a myriad of features … that rival our S Class Mercedes. Though only rated at 27 miles of battery range, I have been consistently getting 30-35 miles over the last two weeks before reverting to hybrid operation, where it gets an average of just over 40 MPG. On a 1000 mile trip combining interstate and secondary highways, it averaged about 41 MPG, which isn't bad considering we were going 75-80 on the freeway sections. On one 70 mile section of Highway 1 in northern California it actually did 48 MPG. The comfort level is high with excellent ventilated seats, an extremely smooth and controlled ride, and a noise level that's about as quiet as any car I've been in. The navigation/information/media system is outstanding with loads of information and easy to use. The price at $39,000.00 seems high, but rebates and dealer discount brought the price down over $5,000.00. In addition, the California rebate of $1,500.00 and Federal tax credit of $4,900.00 (?) drops the net price down below $28,000.00, which is a screaming deal for a car with this content and capability. It has more electric range than the Ford Fusion and a vastly bigger interior than the Volt. The adaptive cruise works very well, as do the electronic driving assists. There just aren't any glaring flaws or shortcomings I've discovered yet, other than the trunk is a smallish 10 cubic feet due to the battery pack. Hyundai hasn't just established itself as an equal competitor. With this car, it leads the pack. UPDATE 8/18/17 Car broke down on 7/26/17 with hybrid warning lights on the dash. Had to be towed to nearest dealer, where it has been sitting since it stopped. They were not able to analyze the problem, and after finally replacing a part which didn't fix the problem, now say the hybrid battery needs replacement. Problem is, the battery is not available and they don't know when it will be! I had an initial contact with Hyundai customer care, and was promised they would look into it and get back to me. That was 12 days ago and I have heard nothing back, despite leaving 5 messages which weren't returned. Customer service seems non-existent. I am definitely done with Hyundai, and this will probably end up as a California Lemon Law claim. Buy one of these at your own risk! UPDATE NUMBER 2 2/21/18 Hyundai purchased the car back from me, paying back all of my costs less a fair pro-rated amount for miles driven. In the end Hyundai was fair and did the right thing. Shame. I really liked the car.

End up buying a hybrid-plugin

Herman E. of San Jose, 05/12/2016

2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)

I am presently leasing a Nissan all electric leaf car and my lease is expiring so we started to do research on which car to get to replace the Nissan leaf. My main goal is to have a car to be able to use HOV lanes here in northern California(San Jose). I wanted to get into the higher range(200+mile) electric vehicle such as Tesla, Ford Energi, Chevy Bolt and new Nissan Leaf but all wont …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid, so we've included reviews for other years of the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid since its last redesign.

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2018 Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Highlights

Trim:

Base

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$33,250
EV Tax Credits & Rebates	$4,100 Based on income
Engine Type	Plug-in hybrid
EPA Electric Range	28 miles
Combined MPGe (Electric + Gas)	99 MPGe^{MPGe is the official metric that the EPA uses to measure the efficiency of alternative-fuel (including electric) vehicles. Just like regular MPG shows how far a car will travel on one gallon of gas, MPGe shows how far a vehicle will drive on 33.7kWh of electricity - the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. Combined MPGe is the combined total of 45% city MPGe + 55% highway MPGe.}
Cost to Drive	$104/month
Total Charging Time (240V)	2.7 hours
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	9.9 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid models:

Automatic Emergency Braking: Provides an audible warning if a collision with a vehicle ahead of you is imminent and will apply the brakes if you don't respond in time.
Blind-Spot Detection: Monitors blind spots and provides a warning if you start to change lanes with another car present.
Lane Keep Assist: Provides an audible and visual warning if you drift outside of your lane and will nudge you back if you don't respond in time.

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros