By Nick Nelson
April 1, 2022
Camry vs. Sonata: Which Affordable Sedan Is Our Pick?
The 2022 Toyota Camry and the 2022 Hyundai Sonata are two highly-ranked midsize cars. They are similar in size, but there are key differences in terms of style and powertrains. The Toyota Camry has long-been the standard for those seeking a somewhat-stylish midsize option while the Hyundai has become much more competitive following an aggressive redesign back in 2020.
These two midsize sedans sit neck-and-neck thanks to competing easy-to-use infotainment systems, spacious cabins, and fuel-efficient-yet-powerful engines. Storage and performance are two big ticket items where the Sonata and Camry differ. In this slideshow, we will detail how the 2022 Toyota Camry and the 2022 Hyundai Sonata stack up against each other. At the end, we will announce an overall winner based on how each performs in the categories examined.
Please remember that scores on our site are constantly being updated to reflect new expert reviews and data as they become available. As a result, the scores we use in this slideshow may not line up with the scores in our reviews.
Price
Winner: 2022 Hyundai Sonata
The 2022 Hyundai Sonata and the 2022 Toyota Camry are two moderately affordable midsize options, but the Sonata beats the Accord with a lower starting price of $24,150. Even at the highest trim level, the Sonata Limited has a base price of $34,250, which is a bit lower than a number of rivals.
Pricing for the 2022 Toyota Camry starts at $25,295 and tops out at $35,720. Those figures are still reasonable for the affordable midsize car class.
Reliability
Winner: 2022 Toyota Camry
Both the 2022 Toyota Camry and the 2022 Hyundai Sonata earned Great reliability scores from J.D. Power. with the Camry edging out the Sonata by one point, coming in at 84 out of 100.
The basic warranty on the Camry is good for three-years/36,000 miles and five-year/60,000 miles on the powertrain. This is a standard warranty for the class, but the Sonata’s basic warranty of five-years/60,000-mile warranty and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty is the best in the class.
Seat Comfort
Winner: 2022 Toyota Camry
The 2022 Toyota Camry and the 2022 Hyundai Sonata each seat up to five passengers. Both midsize cars feature comfortable front seats with plenty of support for long drives.
The difference comes when you climb in the back seat. Unlike the Sonata, the Camry offers plenty of leg- and headroom for most adults in both rows.
Cargo Space
Winner: 2022 Hyundai Sonata
The 2022 Hyundai Sonata edges out the 2022 Toyota Camry when it comes to the amount of trunk space offered. The Sonata has a trunk that provides 16-cubic-feet of space. The Camry isn’t too far behind at 15.1-cubic feet of cargo space.
Interior Quality
Winner: 2022 Hyundai Sonata
The 2022 Hyundai Sonata has an inviting upscale interior. In terms of quality, it is one of the best in the class. The cabin is well-insulated from road noise and quality materials are placed throughout.
The 2022 Toyota Camry also has an attractive interior design, but lacks the quality materials of the Hyundai. The Toyota’s cabin features lots of plastics and road noise seeps is more pronounced in the cabin.
While the Camry’s higher trims are more upscale, the Sonata has a higher quality interior and takes this category.
Interior Technology
Winner: 2022 Hyundai Sonata
Both the 2022 Hyundai Sonata and the 2022 Toyota Camry offer easy-to-use technology. However, the Sonata includes more bells and whistles than the Camry. In the base model, the Hyundai features an 8-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In higher trims, that touch screen increases to 10.25-inches and can be had with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster.
The Camry offers a base model with a 7-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. Higher trims include a 9-inch touch screen display.
Acceleration
Winner: 2022 Toyota Camry
The 2022 Toyota Camry bests the 2022 Hyundai Sonata when it comes to engine power. The base Camry comes with a four-cylinder engine that puts out just over 200 horsepower. The Camry is also available with a 301-horsepower V6 engine.
Neither of the 2022 Hyundai Sonata’s engine lineup isn’t quite as powerful as the Camry’s. The base trim for the Sonata includes a 191-horsepower four-cylinder. The 2022 Sonata also features two other engine options; a turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 180-horsepower and a turbocharged four that delivers 290-horsepower.
Fuel Economy
Winner: 2022 Toyota Camry
The 2022 Toyota Camry returns between 22 to 28 mpg in the city and 32 to 39 mpg on the highway. Those are pretty good figures for the midsize class.
The 2022 Hyundai Sonata offers slightly lower fuel ratings between 23 to 27 mpg in the city and 33 to 37 mpg on the highway.
Ride and Handling
Winner: 2022 Toyota Camry
In the base trim level, the 2022 Toyota Camry rides comfortably and handles well. It offers stiff enough suspension that confidently tackles sharp curves with ease and soaks up most bumps in the road while doing so. The 2022 Hyundai Sonata also offers a comfortable ride, though handling isn’t as athletic.
Both the Camry and the Sonata also come with trims that make the ride and handling more engaging. The Camry’s sporty TRD trim offers track-tuned suspension and a beefier V6 engine. The SonataN-line trim also comes with a bigger engine and delivers a more engaging ride.
Safety
Winner: 2022 Toyota Camry
Both the 2022 Hyundai Sonata and the 2022 Toyota Camry come packed with standard safety features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and pedestrian protection. They also both rank well in crash tests with both the Sonata and the Camry earning overall safety ratings of five out of five stars from the Nation Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The current year of the 2022 Hyundai was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety but the 2022 Toyota Camry earned the Top Safety Pick+ accolade.
The Winner Is…
2022 Toyota Camry
These two midsize cars are similar in a number of regards. They’re both safe, offer easy-to-use technology, and have comfortable seating.
The 2022 Toyota Camry is a tad better than the 2022 Hyundai Sonata, but you can’t really go wrong with either choice.
Be sure to take a look at other midsize cars such as other high-ranking midsize cars like the 2022 Honda Accord and the 2022 Kia K5.
