Honda Civic VS Hyundai Sonata
Honda Civic
Likes
- Great interior
- Lovely chassis
- Excellent engine
Dislikes
- Missing some safety gear
- Tight access to boot space
- Old media software
Hyundai Sonata
Likes
- Update brings modern exterior
- Double 12.3-inch cabin displays
- Great performance and dynamics for the class
Dislikes
- No Sonata station wagon
- Only one version - the N Line
- No hybrid or EV variant
Summary
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic's 10th generation is drawing to an end. Well, I say that, but there's still a pretty solid chance that the 11th generation won't quite be here this time next year.
I make the point because we've already seen a "prototype" for series 11 of the Honda Civic Story, but also because we won't actually get the car we've seen – the sedan. Just 20 per cent of Civic sales go to the booted version and then you have to merge that data with the rise of SUVs, both with Honda buyers and the market at large.Â
Things is, I think the sedan is the better of two for a variety of reasons which I will explain below. I also think the Civic, despite its advancing "age" (four years isn't really that long in the current climate) is still a fairly sensible choice among its peers, which include some serious competition.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.5L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Regular Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 6L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Hyundai Sonata
The Hyundai Sonata N Line is a sedan. Not a hatchback, not a fastback, nor a coupe and definitely not an SUV.
And even though only a handful of people in Australia buy the Sonata N Line each year it’s been updated with a completely different look and new technology, making it an outstanding car in many ways.
The thing is, because we’re obsessed with SUVs in Australia most people will never know how good this sedan is - unlike you.
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So, let me congratulate you for making it this far. There’s probably so few of you I could possibly congratulate all of you in person. In an afternoon.
The big question is, though, is the Sonata N Line fit for Aussie families? Well, it scores well, but maybe not where it counts…
Let’s see what’s new and what the Sonata N Line can do.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.5L turbo |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 8.1L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Honda Civic7.3/10
As a car to drive, the Honda Civic feels great. It had a good start, but the later addition of the turbo 1.5 and the continuous honing of the chassis, steering and driveline – an endearing, unheralded trait that Mazda and Honda do so well – has taken what was a solid car and turned it into one I'd genuinely consider owning, even in this wild orange colour.
What it doesn't have is a full suite of safety systems, which is a real shame, because its main rivals do. Some of us are happy to forego things such as reverse cross-traffic alert and some are not. If you can, the Civic sedan should be in the reckoning. And the clock is ticking.
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Hyundai Sonata7.8/10
The updated Sonata N Line looks beautifully modern from its new face to the refreshed cockpit, while remaining a ‘driver’s car’ with good dynamics, and a sporty engine.Â
The Sonata isn’t an ideal family car, however. This is down to a lack of practicality. Although the cabin is fairly roomy, if that roofline wasn’t so coupe-like and cabin storage was better, and the boot had a large hatch opening, and the ride height was more elevated then it would be a great family car. Oh, I’ve just described an SUV.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.
Design
Honda Civic
Making fun of the Civic's over-supply of angles and lines is really very easy, so for once I'll refrain. Partly because the sedan is better than the hatch in this respect and also because – somehow – I have become quite fond of its wacky face. The sedan's profile is also more flowing and, with all the RS piano black and extra aggro (which ironically means yet more lines and angles), it sat much more happily in my camera lens than before. I wonder if the Civic's controversial looks have aged well in the same way Chris Bangle BMWs have? Because we're all suddenly pretty fond of those now, aren't we?
My changed opinion is bound to infuriate Honda's designers who have cleaned up the Civic for its next version. At this point I should mention that the sedan is on its last legs here in Australia – we won't be getting the next one.
The interior is as good-looking as it is practical. I still don't like the angles of the gauges in the left and right sections of the dash, but the central digital dash section is really good and easy on the eye. The RS picks up some subtle features like the strip of chequered flag fabric on the seats. It's a nice, clean look and I like the use of metallic materials on the climate controls and the stereo. It's a very calm interior, quite a contrast to the exterior.
Hyundai Sonata
So, we’ve established that the Sonata N Line is a sedan and that means if you’re still reading this you are, a) A Sonata owner looking to trade the old one in for this new one, b) Driving another type of sedan such as a Toyota Camry or Volkswagen Passat and looking to update your trusty steed with one from Hyundai or c) Not in the market for an SUV.
Whatever the reason, sedans lend themselves to being sleek and sophisticated in their styling just by being lower to the ground than SUVs and generally longer than sports cars.
The Sonata N Line is long at 4.91m end-to-end. That’s only 8.0cm shorter than the gigantic Hyundai Palisade which has eight seats. I know… it bends the mind.
This new Sonata N Line looks even wider than the previous version, too, with that broad flat bonnet meeting the Seamless Horizon LED strip.
Fact is the Sonata N Line is 1.86m across - exactly the same as the previous version. Remind me never to wear a 'seamless horizon' T-shirt on days I’m feeling rotund.Â
If you look closely at the photos you can see the hidden LED headlights flanking the large, dark and low-set grille.
The rear of the new Sonata looks so different from the previous version, too, with its boot lid spoiler and LED tail-lights.Â
The menacing body kit comes with the N Line grade and accentuates the sporty nature of this car. It’s a good thing it has an engine to back up the looks, but more on that later.
Inside, the Sonata has been given the new 12.3-inch curved screens and a digital climate control display, while the steering wheel is new and adorned with the Hyundai 'Morse Code' badge (the letter H is four dots in Morse Code). It’s a premium and modern looking cockpit topped off with suede and leather leather N Line sports seats.
Practicality
Honda Civic
The Civic's cabin is swimming in space and and filled with comfortable seats and lots of storage.
The back seat is super-spacious as it has been forever. Having driven the i30 Sedan last week, I'm having difficulty splitting the two for legroom and lounging space. Where the Civic loses out – and it's close – is in rear headroom.
There are four cupholders and bottle holders and a massive central bin between the front seats, big enough to conceal the massive new PlayStation 5 (okay, maybe not that big, but it it certainly looks big enough).
The boot holds a gigantic-for-a-small sedan 519 litres with the seats in place. Honda doesn't supply a total figure with the seats down, but it will be a lot. The opening for the bootlid is a little tight, so don't get too excited at Ikea.
Hyundai Sonata
Sedans might be sleek and sophisticated but practicality is not typically their strength because their low height means passenger access isn’t as easy as it is with an SUV, but mainly because the cargo carrying ability is limited by the relatively small boot opening.
Still, the Sonata N Line does have a big 480-litre boot and cabin storage has been improved thanks to the gear shifter being relocated to the steering column and freeing up space in the centre console for stowing items and a wireless phone charger.
Rear legroom is also good. I’m 189cm tall and I can sit behind my driving position with space to spare. Headroom back there is also good thanks to contoured heading which has a ‘carved out’ section for extra space.
Along with the wireless phone charger there are two Type-C USB ports up front and another two for the second row.
There are four cupholders (two up front and two in the second row) and decent sized bottle holders in the doors.
This lack of practicality compared to an SUV or even a station wagon means the Sonata N Line really isn’t the perfect family car.
Price and features
Honda Civic
The Civic RS price has slowly crept north, along with the prices of its mostly Korean rivals, now at $34,090. It's a fair bit more than the Ford Focus ST-Line, but you can't get a sedan version of that and infuriatingly neither can you get the wagon.
The RS has 18-inch alloys, a 10-speaker stereo, faux leather seats (nothing wrong with that), auto LED headlights and DRLs, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry and start, electric driver's seat, auto headlights and wipers and a space-saver spare.
The 7.0-inch matte-finished touchscreen runs Honda's homage-to-the-80s software package that is bolstered by the presence of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also has DAB, which is a nice touch, but it is missing built-in sat nav, which most of its rivals have.
Hyundai Sonata
Hyundai offers one type of Sonata in Australia, so there’s not a lot of choice. Actually there’s no choice: it’s the petrol version of the Sonata in the sporty N Line grade or nothing.
But if I were to choose one Sonata this would be the one, even if at a list price of $55,500 it’s quite expensive and about $3500 more than the previous Sonata N Line.
In return for the almost $56K price you’re getting a lot of standard features, including a mountain of new equipment for this updated model.
So, new for this 2024 Sonata are dual 12.3-inch curved screens for media and driving instruments, the digital climate control display, there’s a column-mounted gear shifter, LED ambient lighting and a hands-free boot lid. That’s in addition to proximity unlocking, sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 12-speaker Bose sound system.
There’s also suede and Nappa leather seats, a leather steering wheel, sunroof, dual-zone climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, LED headlights and the LED strip which wraps around the front of the Sonata.
Hyundai calls it the 'Seamless Horizon', which sounds beautifully poetic and leads us nicely into the Design section of this review.
Under the bonnet
Honda Civic
The 1.5-litre four-cylinder has a light pressure turbo bolted in to produce 127kW at 5500rpm and 220Nm between 1700-5500rpm. Those numbers are 23kW and 46Nm up on the 1.8-litre, which goes without the turbo.
You can let the continuously variable transmission (CVT) look after the turning of the front wheels or if you're feeling sporty – not an unreasonable expectation if you've picked the RS – you can use the paddle shifters which tell the computer to put some fake gears into the box for you to shift up and down.
Hyundai Sonata
The Sonata N Line comes with a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine making 213kW and 422Nm, which is plenty of oomph, and it all goes to the front wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
So no, there’s not a diesel version nor an all-wheel drive version, but this sporty engine suits the Sonata N Line perfectly.
That said a hybrid variant would be good seeing it’s 2023.
Efficiency
Honda Civic
Honda's official testing suggets a combined cycle figure of 6.3L/100km which is lower than the 1.8-litre, a nice bonus when you have all that extra power to play with. My week with the Civic was mostly suburb-bound and I scored a respectable (indicated) 8.2L/100km.
Hyundai Sonata
As we were saying above there’s no hybrid variant of the Sonata N Line and there should be. Actually there is, but Hyundai says it isn't available for the Australian market.
So, this turbo-petrol four-cylinder is all we have and according to Hyundai it uses 8.1L/100km on the combined cycle.
When we tested it at the launch our trip computer was reporting exactly 8.1L/100km, but the roads were clear, the traffic was nowhere to be seen, so you can expect that consumption to climb higher if you’re commuting around the city.
Driving
Honda Civic
This iteration of the Civic has been with us for a while now. I wasn't absolutely sure about it when I first drove it – that was partly down to the less-than-stellar 1.8 and an at-times doughy CVT.
Over the years I've been very lucky to drop my posterior into two, three or even four Civics per year. During that time I have noted some subtle changes, such as the CVT's more attentive nature and the progressive improvement of the ride on particularly bumpy surfaces, such as Sydney's concreted arterial roads.
The RS itself is no different mechanically to the other 1.5-litre turbo-engined cars in the range (it's an entire engine's worth of power short of the madcap Type R) but over the years, that has meant good things. I've always liked the low-set driving position, it's lower than many hot hatches. You sit in and down in the Civic and it feels quite sporty.
Turn the wheel and it's all very positive, with a very pleasant ride and handling balance. The CVT is still a CVT but, especially in the turbo, it has more grab off the line and doesn't indulge in flaring as you'd find in a Subaru, turbo or not. It's actually fun to drive, especially if you draft in the paddles to do some work.
But it's also a car you need never provoke to enjoy driving. The comfortable ride and secure handling make it the kind of car anyone can like. The steering wheel is just right, the controls all feel really nice to use and touch. There's nothing particularly flashy about the Civic apart from its looks, but it's such a comfortable car with a super-solid feel to its engineering.
The main advantage of the turbo engine is that it doesn't have to work as hard as the 1.8 to keep the Civic moving. The extra torque is always there and makes it a much more relaxed car around town than the 1.8-powered Civics, while giving you the extra grunt to push out into traffic, or pull off a tricky overtake.
Hyundai Sonata
The Sonata N Line’s performance matches its sporty looks. That turbo-petrol engine is responsive and provides great acceleration, the transmission shifts fast and the steering is nicely weighted and accurate.Â
Add to this better rigidity in the car’s structure in this updated model and a feeling of stability thanks to this being a sedan with a low centre of mass and you have a dynamic and enjoyable vehicle in your hands.
Sure it doesn't have the sky-high visibility that comes from the pilot’s seat of an SUV, but the Sonata N Line is for those who like to drive but still want the practicality of four doors, back seats and a boot.
Safety
Honda Civic
All Civics come with six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls.
The Honda Sense package adds forward collision warning, forward AEB (high and low speed), lane departure warning and lane keep assist.
One of my favourite Honda quirks is LaneWatch. Flick the indicator for a left-hand turn and the media screen displays the output of a camera pointed down the left-hand side of the car. It's still too bright at night, but you can disable it or tap the button on the end of the indicator stalk to cancel it.
You also get two ISOFIX anchors and three top-tether points.
The Civic sedan was last assessed by ANCAP in April 2017 and scored five stars.
Hyundai Sonata
The Sonata N Line hasn’t been tested by ANCAP, but it does have an extensive armoury of safety tech including AEB (which also works at intersections) able to detect pedestrians, cyclists, other cars and now motorbikes.
There’s blind spot warning which pulls you back into your lane and lane keeping assistance, plus rear cross-traffic alert with braking, as well.
A rear occupant alert will remind the driver there are passengers in the back seat and 'Safe Exit Assist' will protect children from opening the door into moving traffic.
Along with all this, which Hyundai bundles together in its 'Safety Sense' package as standard on the Sonata N Line, there are also side airbags protecting the rear passengers and plenty of airbags in the front for the driver and passenger.
Ownership
Honda Civic
Hondas ship with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is competitive as more and more manufacturers consider this a minimum.Â
The "Tailored Servicing" program caps nine of the first 10 services at $281, with just one service jumping to $310. That's reasonable value for a turbo engine, except servicing is every 12 months or 10,000km. That means more than one trip per year to the dealer if you drive more than 10,000km per year.
Hyundai Sonata
The Sonata N Line is covered by Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.Â
Servicing is recommended annually or every 10,000km. There’s no capped price serving but you can buy a 'Lifetime' or a five-year plan that work out to be between $350-$400 on average a year.Â