HYUNDAI SONATA vs TOYOTA CAMRY vs HONDA ACCORD – STRICTLY NUMBERS

GoodCarBadCar.net often plays host to an opinion which says something like this: the merit of a vehicle can only be judged in the context of its price, and its opposition at that price. Hyundai has typically sold cars at substantially lower prices than Honda, Toyota, or any other automaker. In recent years this led to people – automotive media and consumers alike – suggesting Hyundais were “great cars considering….” or “terrific based on the price at which they’re being sold” or “quite a lot of car for the money”.

That’s not a problem in and of itself. However, we need to know more. Yes, the Hyundai must be judged on its merit at a specific price. A more in-depth analysis should also reveal at what price the Hyundai could be justifiably purchased. The same car which is great at $18,000 may only be impressive at $20,000, decent at $22,000 and a ripoff at $24,000.

In truth, determing the true value of a product is a decision you can make after a test drive. Last year, 356,824 new Toyota Camrys were registered in the United States. During the same twelve months of ’09, 290,056 Honda Accords were sold in America. As for the outgoing generation of the Hyundai Sonata, “only” 117,357 were purchased or leased in 2009. Now that the 2011 Hyundai Sonata is exclusively a 4-cylinder car; now that its design could be perceived as polarizing; now that Camry sales will suffer slightly in Toyota Turmoil, will anything be different?

Here are some Numbers to keep you informed before heading out for those test drives. For each car – the Hyundai Sonata, Honda Accord, and Toyota Camry – the absolute base version’s spec sheet is used. Add freight/delivery/pdi and you’ll come up with some interesting figures. Check’em out below.

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19,915 – lowest MSRP possible on a 2011 Hyundai Sonata, the GLS model

21,765 – lowest MSRP possible on a 2010 Honda Accord, the LX model

20,400 – lowest MSRP possible on a 2011 Toyota Camry, the Standard model

198 – horsepower under the hood of every 2011 Hyundai Sonata, along with 184 lb-ft of torque

177 – horsepower under the hood of the Honda Accord LX, along with 161 lb-ft of torque

169 – horsepower under the hood of the Toyota Camry in Standard trim, along with 167 lb-ft of torque

24 – city fuel economy, as rated by the EPA in miles per gallon, for the Hyundai Sonata GLS with a 6-speed manual transmission, a car capable of 35 mpg on the highway

22 – city fuel economy, as rated by the EPA in mpg, for the Honda Accord LX with a 5-speed manual transmission, a car capable of 31 mpg on the highway

22 – city fuel economy, as rated by the EPA in mpg, for the Toyota Camry with a 6-speed manual transmission, a car capable of 33 mpg on the highway

1 – total number of cars in this trio with Bluetooth connectivity fitted as standard equipment, that being the 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS. All other major interior equipment is equal across the board: power windows, air-con, and audio

100,000 – total number of warranty-covered miles remaining on a brand new Hyundai Sonata’s powertain, if 10 years doesn’t come sooner. Bumper-to-bumper coverage is 5 years/60,000 miles. Corrosion is covered for 7 years or an unlimited number miles.

60,000 – total number of warranty-covered miles remaining on a brand new Toyota Camry or Honda Accord powertrain if 5 years doesn’t come sooner. Bumper-to-bumper coverage is 3 years/36,000 miles. Corrosion is covered for 5 years or an unlimited number of miles.

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