2025 Toyota Camry vs. Kia K5 vs. Hyundai Sonata vs. Honda Accord: Family Sedan Comparison Test!

Once upon a time, sedans dominated the new vehicle market in America. Trends change, however, and SUV sales have long since surpassed those of sedans. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean there are no good four-doors to buy in 2024. Although now relegated to a much smaller corner of the market, the 2025 Toyota Camry, Kia K5, Hyundai Sonata, and Honda Accord are four excellent midsize sedans still sticking around, still offering buyers an incredible amount of car for their money. But which one executes this brief the best?

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Eye Candy

The good news for this test is all the cars here are either completely new generations or newly refreshed, so there’s a lot to look forward to.

Toyota introduced the all-new Camry earlier this year, and while it does adopt the spirit of the new Prius’ sharp looks, the styling remains relatively conservative. The front now features sleek, hammerhead-style running lights, while the rear end is just ... a rear end that says “Camry” on it. If you were expecting a radically new-looking Camry, this ain’t it, but also keep in mind Camrys exist to sell in bulk and not move the styling needling too much.

Inside, the use of piano-black trim has been reduced to a bare minimum (a good thing) and instead, the Toyota implements different textures and fabrics to visually dress up the cabin. The XLE Camry we drove for this test had attractive gray microfiber with cross-stitching on its door cards and dashboard. Passenger-side louver-style trim melds seamlessly with the air vent, as does the large infotainment screen. There’s one wireless charging pad but a separate cubby for a second device. Overall, there’s a good spread of physical buttons.

The K5 undergoes a not-insignificant refresh for the 2025 model year, with the Zorro-slash front amber running light being the main focus. It’s easily the sportiest-looking car in this comparison. The front of the K5 has always been attractive, but this elevates it that much more. The dashed taillight design has been broken up into two distinct strips, and the C-pillar carries a chrome strip that swoops beneath the rear glass.

Those sporty looks continue inside, with the infotainment and driver information cluster screen combined into a single piece for more visual coherence. These are equipped with the automaker’s new Connected Car Navigation Cockpit for over-the-air updates and speedier data processing. This refresh also brings a wireless phone charging pad.

When the current eighth-gen Hyundai Sonata made its debut in 2019 for the 2020 model year, we couldn’t believe our eyes. The inoffensive but bland sedan was gone; in its place was a modern and swoopy koi-like shape with cool silver detailing. So although the 2024 Sonata isn’t a wholly new model, merely a refresh, it’s a fantastically eye-catching one. Penned with an agenda, the updated Hyundai takes full advantage of a sedan’s low-slung profile by running long, horizontal lines across surfaces wherever it can. It captures some of that universally adored N Vision 74 concept coupe cyberpunk magic while remaining entirely accessible.

The Sonata gets a similar cabin treatment to the K5’s, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. Plus, as in the new Hyundai Santa Fe, the shifter has been relocated from the center console to the steering column for added spaciousness. The steering wheel, too, has received an update: Its spokes no longer “droop” downward but instead emulate the rest of the car’s horizontal motif. Among all the cars gathered for this comparison, the Sonata is the most visually interesting.

Finally, the Honda Accord. This is another all-new generation that still looks somewhat like the model it replaces. While the styling is conservative, it’s also contemporary and befitting general industry trends. There’s something unpretentious and subtly elegant to its lines, and the rear decklid flares up ever so slightly to cap the silhouette with an attractive little flick.

Things inside haven’t changed much, either, with three climate dials beneath air vents that are beneath the infotainment. The steering wheel looks the same, though the analog speedometer from the outgoing model has been replaced by an all-digital driver information display. Everything is so agreeable to the point that an owner could get out of their old Accord, get into the latest one, and implicitly know where everything is and how it works. The one snag we have with the new Accord’s cabin is the infotainment screen isn’t better integrated into the rest of the dash and still has that “tacked on top of everything” look that already feels dated in a brand-new car.

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What’s Under the Hood?

All Camrys are hybrid-only now, so our front-drive test car came outfitted with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that teams with two electric motors to make 225 combined horsepower. In the Camry hierarchy, the XLE denotes the highest comfort-oriented version you can get. Standard features include 18-inch wheels, leather and microfiber interior trim, heated seats, eight-way powered driver and passenger seats, and front-side acoustic laminated glass for a quieter cabin.

The front-drive K5 comes equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 191 hp. EX denotes the midtier trim, and it seems like this is the one Kia paid special attention to. You get a power-adjustable driver’s seat, a heated steering wheel, phone-as-a-key functionality, a premium Bose sound system, and a 360-degree camera as part of your standard features. We can’t recall another mainstream midtier trim that comes this loaded.

SEL Sonatas can now be optioned with AWD, which is how our test car was equipped. Like the K5, the Sonata’s 2.5-liter engine makes 191 hp. Refreshingly, the base-trim SEL offered us a rare glimpse of a model when it doesn’t have every option box ticked. The result is a highly attractive interior that, yes, has cloth seats and undressed plastics, but it also doesn’t make you feel like you’re missing out if you didn’t spend more money. The seats have pretty stitching and are heated, and you still get the big 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment.

Conversely, the Accord Touring Honda sent us is the highest-trim model you can get. In addition to coming exclusively with a hybrid powertrain (2.0-liter four-cylinder, 204 combined hp, front-wheel-drive only), the Touring trim nets you a bunch of nice stuff as standard, like the larger touchscreen, premium Bose audio system, laminated acoustic windshield and front door glass, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and built-in Google features. As a result, the Touring is also the most expensive vehicle here, with a starting MSRP of $39,985.

From a strictly vibe-based perspective, all four cars had similar second-row and trunk volumes. We found head- and legroom decent across the board, though numbers empirically show the Accord and Camry offer the most of both. The Accord has the most trunk space.

As for fuel efficiency, nothing is really able to touch the Camry’s impressive 48/47/47 mpg, though the Accord’s 46/41/44 mpg comes close.

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Sedans on the Streets

There’s something to be said about perfecting a technology for a quarter of a century, as Toyota has done with hybrids. The Camry is the latest evidence of all those years of development, and it shows. Driving it is to experience a truly lovely powertrain, whose low-end power gets you effortlessly around town. Quick and powerful, the experience feels more buttery and modern than ever. You’ll still need to really step on it to pass others when traveling at speed, but it’s hardly an imposition. Things in the cabin can get a little loud at wide-open throttle and on the highway, however.

Despite the XLE guise and its general lack of flash, this is the sportiest Camry we’ve ever driven. Although it doesn’t provide much feel, the weighty steering builds confidence in corners, and the powertrain’s torque ensures you’re never really caught off-guard. Editors were split on two things, however. First, the firm ride quality. One camp found it engaging, while the other rapped it for being uncomfortable and acutely transmitting road imperfections. Second, the braking. Some thought the short-travel, quick-bite pedal feel was nice and responsive, a good match for the rest of the Camry’s overall athletic-leaning nature; others felt it was too stiff and difficult to modulate.

In the past, we’ve criticized the K5 for looking sportier than it drives, and that was true again here. There’s a fun chassis under there, but it’s subsumed by a spongy, slow-reacting brake pedal, indecisive transmission, overstepping traction control, zero-feel steering, and bouncy suspension. It makes the Kia difficult to enjoy. In particular, the engine’s prominent vibration at idle and nasally drone—especially in Sport mode—grate on the nerves after a while. It’s best not to push this car and simply cruise highways and neighborhood streets.

Creature comforts and technological convenience features are where the K5 shines brightest. You just don’t really expect to get heated and cooled seats and a 360-degree camera on the middle trim of a mainstream midsize sedan. In this sense, the Kia reminds us of Mazda: offering buyers something relatively luxe for unluxe prices. And with the K5 looking as cool as it does, we figure these two aspects are enough to be compelling.

That engine in the Sonata didn’t fare much better—features editor Christian Seabaugh went as far as to call it “dog slow”—but at least it’s wrapped in a far more cohesive package. Because the anti-roll bars feel softer and it isn’t as stiffly sprung as the K5, the Hyundai rolls over pavement more the way a mainstream sedan ought to. It makes up for its lack of power with heavy and precise steering and by riding its own momentum well. Putting it in Sport mode yields no real discernible difference in feedback. We were impressed by the brakes because they felt natural and solid to use; repeated 60–0-mph stops during testing revealed consistent stopping distances.

No doubt weighing down the Sonata with additional passengers and cargo will further punish its wheezy engine, but it’s clear this is set up to be a family sedan. The more relaxed ride maximizes comfort, and the optional AWD broadens the car’s performance envelope. (Only the Accord doesn’t offer AWD as an option among our quartet.) There’s even an added Snow mode, which buyers in places with inclement weather will appreciate.

More often than not, affordable vehicles will lay bare their prices in tactile ways, such as with chintzy-feeling buttons and plastics. That’s not the case with the Accord, which pays attention to small details that elevate a cabin’s richness: a satisfying-to-use HVAC knob and soft, leatherlike knee rests for the driver as two examples. That sense of quiet luxury is only elevated by the refinement of the hybrid powertrain and its willingness to dip into its electric torque. It handles better than it needs to when presented with a twisty road, and the Honda can snap off the line with satisfying urgency. The brakes can be a little grabby if you aren’t careful, but press with deliberation, and pedal feedback is direct and reactive. Like on a pure EV, you can set the strength of the Accord’s regenerative braking. In its strongest setting, it feels akin to one-pedal mode, though it won’t stop the car completely.

Among all four cars, the Accord’s lane keep function was the most disappointing. While engaged, it had us ping-ponging in the lane and even allowed a complete lane departure. The others performed their jobs adequately. It is worth noting, however, that we’ve experienced Honda Sense inconsistencies between vehicles before. Some have worked perfectly, while others, such as this particular Accord, less so.

Our official test figures indicate the Accord is quickest to 60 mph, through the quarter mile and around our figure-eight course, while the K5 had the best braking distance (likely because it’s the lightest of the bunch).

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And the Winner Is ...

The winner of this comparison? The 2025 Toyota Camry. It offers the most modern and complete package of powertrain, features, driving feedback, and price. It has incredible fuel economy, and there’s even the option of AWD. Cars like the Camry are often accused of being “boring appliances.” That’s no longer the case, as the new one is genuinely fun to drive. We feel buyers will get the most for their money here.

Second place goes to the Hyundai Sonata, which impressed us with its modesty and willingness to just get the job done. The Sonata doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t, and its relaxed air makes it a pleasant companion to any household. True, the engine is a bit wheezy, but it almost takes a back seat to everything else the car offers. Even in base-trim guise, the cabin is lovely and upscale.

In third place is the Honda Accord, and this was admittedly a tough call to make—we were torn between it and the Sonata for second. Being a hybrid smoothed out the Accord’s powertrain in places we felt the non-hybrids were unrefined, but the deciding factor ultimately came down to price. Most of the wonderful luxury features we enjoyed—acoustic glass, ventilated seats, bigger screen, wireless charging, Google apps, head-up display—require the most expensive Touring trim. At just shy of $40,000, the Accord was the priciest car in our test. Furthermore, the hybrid powertrain is only offered on upper Accord trims, and as mentioned, there’s no AWD option at all. The entire Camry lineup is hybridized, and there’s available AWD.

And in fourth, the Kia K5. While perfectly adept on its own, the K5 clearly trails the pack when driven side by side with the others. It’s noisy and not particularly sporty. But it looks cool, comes well-equipped, and is inexpensive to buy.

While many U.S. buyers are so quick to snag an SUV, sedans are still a great option if ground clearance and raised hip height are low priorities. The four we assembled for this test all start under $40,000, and they all punch above their weight and class in many ways. It’s hard to go wrong in this segment, but right now the best way to go right is the Camry.

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4th Place: Kia K5

Verdict: Perfectly capable on its own, just not superlative by any means when compared with these other three.

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3rd Place: Honda Accord

Verdict: Sophisticated and refined, the new Accord hybrid is as good as they come; it’s just expensive for what you get.

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2nd Place: Hyundai Sonata

Verdict: Although low on power, it’s a stylish and affordable option even if you go for the base trim.

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1st Place: Toyota Camry

Verdict: Offers a full-hybrid lineup with optional AWD, and it’s surprisingly athletic on curvy roads.

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