2025 Hyundai Sonata N Line

How does the Sonata N Line drive? The idea of a 290-horsepower Sonata with a quick-shifting automatic transmission sounds pretty appealing. But that sound is quickly drowned out by the squeal from the tires under even normal acceleration. At the Edmunds test track, our test car sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds. Alas, there's not much grip from the tires, and we lost a lot of time from the front wheels spinning under hard acceleration. Highway passing maneuvers will be a cinch, though.

The N Line's hard-wearing all-season tires also hamper its braking and turning abilities. The tires simply lack grip and were the main factor in the N Line's truck-like 131-foot braking distances from 60 mph and general reluctance to corner quickly. Handling also suffers from the lack of a limited-slip front differential. Cars with one (like the Hyundai Elantra N ) are better able to accelerate and power out of turns.

How comfortable is the Sonata N Line? The Sonata N Line's combination of soft, supportive seats and a more refined ride than the standard Sonata makes it arguably the most comfortable model in the lineup. There is some low-speed stiffness to the ride, but the N Line combines elements of sport and luxury in equal measure.

The climate control cools and heats the cabin quickly and without too much noise. We only wish ventilated seats were an option but at least the rear occupants get air vents. The far more powerful N Line isn't much louder inside than a regular Sonata. The engine doesn't sound like much to us, but it's mostly benign even at full throttle.

How’s the interior? There's plenty of interior room for front occupants, and rear legroom is similarly generous. Most drivers will find that it is easy to settle into a comfortable driving position thanks to the range of adjustments in the seat and steering wheel. The Sonata's center controls are intuitive to use and easy to reach. The same goes for the sharp and responsive 12.3-inch touchscreen and its on-screen menus and buttons.

Visibility is good to the front and sides. But rear visibility is a little impeded because of the thick rear window pillars, sloping rear roofline and high rear deck.

How’s the storage? The Sonata is packed when it comes to advanced safety tech and driver aids! It has forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, a rear camera, blind-spot monitoring, rear sonar and rear automatic braking, and rear cross-traffic warning systems. The Limited we had comes with adaptive cruise control and a high-resolution 360-degree surround-view camera system. It also has helpful side-view cameras when merging onto the left or right lanes.  While in our possession, the safety systems and tech worked fairly well, but on some sections of the highway, the lane centering could be a bit lazy before reacting as you touched the lane line. - Keeping this score an 8 for the content and the mostly non-intrusive warnings and general overall goodness of this stuff. I actually used it far more than I normally would because it just works.

Is the Sonata N Line a good value? At just under $37K, including destination, the N Line is one of the most expensive Sonatas.  But it is packed with a ton of standard features, and to make buying even easier, the only real option is your choice of paint. The styling and interior look and feel more upscale than a regular Sonata too.

As ever, Hyundai's warranties are some of the best in the business. Bumper-to-bumper coverage is a strong five years/60,000 miles, while the powertrain is covered for an unbeatable 10-year/100,000-mile warranty. Hyundai even throws in three years/36,000 miles of free maintenance and five years of roadside assistance with no mileage cap.

On paper, and in the metal, the Sonata N Line looks pretty good. The Sonata's futuristic look pairs well with the N Line's sporty and sophisticated styling, while the interior kicks it up a notch over the regular Sonata. The powerful engine really comes into its own on the highway, and the N Line makes a strong case for itself as a swift, stylish family sedan.

Despite the styling, the Sonata N Line is not a sport sedan. It lacks basic hardware, like a limited-slip differential and suitably grippy tires, to handle the extra grunt of the engine. The N Line can feel out of its element on a back road and is let down by too much wheelspin even under normal acceleration.