2015 Hyundai Sonata vs. 2014 Mazda6

Which Is Better?
 

2015 Hyundai Sonata

The Hyundai Sonata is completely redesigned for the 2015 model year. In addition to new styling, new features and a new interior, the sedan now has a new 1.6-liter turbocharged Eco model and loses around 30 horsepower in its sporty 2.0T guise.

 

2014 Mazda6

The Mazda6 was totally redesigned for 2014. In addition to a new engine, it boasts new styling, new features and a new interior, though it loses last year's range-topping V6 model.

Reliability

Although automotive experts at J.D. Power have not yet rated the Hyundai Sonata for reliability, they've rated the Mazda6. It earned four out of five circles, indicating better than average reliability in the firm's Power Circle Ratings. That's the same score the outgoing Sonata received, so we suspect that Hyundai's new model will offer similar performance.

When it comes to warranty length, however, the Sonata blows the Mazda6 out of the water with its 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper term and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain plan. In comparison to the Mazda's more standard 3-year bumper-to-bumper/5-year powertrain warranties, we think the Hyundai deserves a slight victory here -- especially for drivers who keep their cars for a long time.

Fuel Economy

The Mazda6 offers only one engine: a 184-hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. The manual transmission returns 25 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. With the automatic, those numbers jump to 26 mpg city/38 mpg hwy.

The Sonata offers three engines. Drivers with an eye on fuel efficiency will want to spring for the 1.6-liter turbocharged Eco model, which makes 177 hp and returns 28 mpg city/38 mpg hwy. Most Sonata models, however, use a 185-hp 2.4-liter 4-cylinder, and it returns up to 25 mpg city/37 mpg highway in SE guise, or 24 mpg city/35 mpg highway in other trims. For shoppers who prefer performance, the 245-hp Sonata 2.0T returns 23 mpg city/32 mpg hwy.

Which one is better? If fuel economy is at the top of your list of priorities, the Sonata Eco is the model you'll want. For shoppers who don't need an efficiency-focused new ride, the Mazda6's standard engine does a little better than the Sonata's basic 4-cylinder. Still, this category goes ever so slightly to the Hyundai.

 

Safety

In crash-testing, both cars earned top scores from both the government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In NHTSA testing, both the Mazda6 and Hyundai Sonata earned a perfect 5-star rating, while they each scored a Top Safety Pick+ designation from IIHS.

As for safety features, the two models are roughly neck and neck, with both offering a wide range of today's cutting-edge safety gadgets and equipment. These features include available items such as a backup camera, a blind spot monitoring system, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and forward-collision warning -- though the Mazda6 takes things a little further with an automatic braking function for the forward-collision warning system. Still, safety is too close to call. Both cars are at the top of their segment for safety features and crashworthiness.

Technology

Although the Mazda6 has spent the better part of 2014 ruling the technology side of the midsize sedan segment, the Hyundai Sonata appears to be a worthy adversary. Hyundai's latest midsize sedan offers virtually all of the optional items available in the Mazda6, from adaptive cruise control and xenon headlights to lane-departure warning and forward-collision alert. In fact, the two sedans differ in only a few minor areas. For instance, the Sonata has an available panoramic sunroof and a hands-free trunk opener, while the Mazda does not. But the Mazda6 offers an automatic braking system with its forward collision alert system. Like safety, the technology category is a tie: These two cars are at the top of the segment, and it's just too close to call.

Value

When it comes to value, you won't be surprised to find out that the Mazda6 and Hyundai Sonata are -- once again -- very similar. Most notably, the two cars start at about the same base price when you add the optional automatic transmission to the Mazda6 -- and they progress through the trim levels with roughly the same MSRPs and level of equipment.

As a result, the big difference between the two cars relates more to driving style than anything else. While the Mazda6 is aimed at shoppers who want a sporty, fun-to-drive ride with excellent handling characteristics, the Sonata boasts a softer, more comfortable driving experience. To us, that's the biggest difference between these two cars.