Compare the2024 Hyundai SonataVS 2023 Acura TLX

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sonata are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The TLX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Sonata has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the TLX’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sonata has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Acura charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Monitor on the TLX and the TLX’s Rear Cross Traffic Monitor does not include automatic braking.

Both the Sonata and the TLX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

The Sonata comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The TLX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Sonata 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Acura covers the TLX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the TLX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The Sonata’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the TLX’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Sonata for 1 year and 12000 miles longer than Acura pays for maintenance for the TLX (3/36,000 vs. 2/24,000).

There are over 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sonata’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai above average in initial quality. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 96 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 28th.

The Sonata N Line’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 18 more horsepower (290 vs. 272) and 31 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 280) than the TLX’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Sonata gets better mileage than the TLX:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Sonata uses regular unleaded gasoline. The TLX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Sonata offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The TLX doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Sonata N Line’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The TLX doesn’t offer launch control.

The Sonata has a standard space-saver spare (not available on N Line) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the TLX; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better maneuverability, the Sonata’s turning circle is 4.2 feet tighter than the TLX’s (35.9 feet vs. 40.1 feet). The Sonata’s turning circle is 4.3 feet tighter than the TLX with 19/20-inch wheels’ (35.9 feet vs. 40.2 feet).

The Hyundai Sonata may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 700 pounds less than the Acura TLX.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Sonata a Large car, while the TLX is rated a Compact.

The Sonata has 11 cubic feet more passenger volume than the TLX (104.4 vs. 93.4).

The Sonata has 2.8 inches more front headroom, 3.6 inches more front legroom, 2.1 inches more rear headroom and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the TLX.

The Sonata has a much larger trunk than the TLX (16 vs. 13.5 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Sonata’s trunk can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The TLX doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The power windows standard on both the Sonata and the TLX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Sonata is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The TLX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Hyundai Sonata outsold the Acura TLX by almost five to one during 2022.