Hyundai Sonata (DN8) review: more car than a Camry for less money, if you can live without the badge
3.9/5MotorsSouq Editorial Team
The Sonata is the better-equipped, better-riding car for the money, and the 2.5-litre engine and 8-speed automatic are a proven, easy-to-service combination. The honest reason to still buy a Camry instead is resale, not capability — if you plan to keep the car past five years and don't mind losing a little more at trade-in, the Sonata is the smarter buy today.
Pros
- Larger rear seat and boot than the Camry
- Conventional 8-speed automatic, no DCT reliability concerns
- More standard equipment for a comparable price
- Confident, distinctive exterior design
- Smooth, comfort-biased ride on rough roads
Cons
- Resale value well behind the Camry in this market
- Naturally aspirated engine is smooth but not quick
- Dual-screen dash graphics can lag on start-up
- Firm-branded rivals still carry more social cachet
- Turbo engine option not commonly stocked by GCC dealers
The DN8 generation dropped the Sonata's reputation for anonymous styling in favour of a low, wide stance and a chrome trim line that runs from the grille into the headlights. It is a more confident design than the Camry's, and the interior follows through with a dual-screen dash that feels a class above on paper.
The 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four is the volume engine in Bahrain, making 191 hp through a conventional eight-speed automatic rather than the CVT or turbo-DCT combinations some rivals use. It is not quick, but it is smooth, and — more importantly for a car people keep for years — it has no dual-clutch reliability questions attached to it.
Space and comfort
Rear seat space and boot volume both beat the Camry on paper, and the difference is noticeable with three adults in the back for a Riffa-to-Manama commute. Ride quality is tuned toward comfort, which works well on Bahrain's uneven secondary roads, at some cost to body control if you push it through a cloverleaf on-ramp.
The resale question
This is where the Sonata loses the argument it otherwise wins. Toyota's decade-plus of dominance in the mid-size segment here means a used Camry commands a premium the Sonata cannot match, regardless of how it compares on paper. Buyers who plan to sell within three years should price that gap in before deciding; buyers who plan to keep the car will barely notice it.
Judged purely as a car to drive and live with, the Sonata is at least the Camry's equal and arguably its better in comfort and equipment. Judged as an investment you will sell in three years, it is the harder case to make.