2015 Hyundai Sonata wins midsize sedan challenge

(November 17, 2014) CHICAGO — Cars.com, USA Today and MotorWeek  have named the 2015 Hyundai Sonata the winner of its annual Midsize Sedan Challenge. The Challenge put 10 of the most popular midsize sedans against each other in a series of expert and car shopper testing to determine which was the overall best-in-class.

In addition to the 2015 Hyundai Sonata, competitors included the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu, 2015 Chrysler 200, 2015 Ford Fusion, 2015 Honda Accord, 2015 Mazda6, 2015 Nissan Altima, 2015 Subaru Legacy, 2015 Toyota Camry and the 2015 Volkswagen Passat.

"Many shoppers have come to recognize the Hyundai Sonata as a value-packed option among midsize sedans, and the 2015 redesign raises the Sonata even higher and above its many competitors," said Joe Wiesenfelder, Cars.com executive editor. "The Sonata does many things well, has loads of space, impressive features, driving refinement and offers plenty of value. The Sonata's generous warranty is also a real value lacking in many of the other competitors."

Experts from Cars.com, USA Today, MotorWeek and a family in the market for a midsize sedan tested the 10 contenders over several days to compare features, comfort, fuel efficiency and overall drivability.

Tests included:

    •180 miles of driving on varying roads to test real-world fuel economy.

    • One day of round-robin testing where each expert evaluated each car's ride, handling, acceleration, roominess, comfort and features.

    • Testing by a family in the market for a new midsize sedan who evaluated each car for the same categories as the experts, from a family point-of-view.

"Midsize sedans remain the best-selling category of cars in the U.S.," said Wiesenfelder. "With this class remaining hot, the competitors have more to offer than ever before, with advances in technology, features and mileage making them more desirable."