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Payne: King Camry vs. the Kia-Hyundai twins
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 13, 2025
Oakland County — The midsize sedan segment’s perennial sales leader, the Toyota Camry, is winning huzzahs for its comely 2025 makeover. Sultry face, coupe-like roof, all-wheel drive.
It had to upgrade. Camry has a galloping herd of competitors breathing down its neck.
Take a look at the Korean tag team — Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited and Kia K5 GT — sitting next to the Camry in my driveway. Chiseled fascias, lean lines, tech-tastic interiors.
“What is that?” exclaimed my friend Mark when he saw the K5. “That’s a nice-looking thing. Looks luxury.”
Detroit automakers may have abandoned sedan segments, but Japanese and European automakers continue to slake our thirst for cars. American makes are gone but not forgotten. To my eye, they once set the standard for looks and ergonomics. Think the aging Ford Fusions, Chrysler 200s and Dodge Chargers that still populate our roads. Dodge has long set the standard for ergonomics with its intuitive Uconnect system, knob controls — even clever goo-gaws like radio volume and station controls on the backside of the steering wheel.
Asian makers have won over customers with their reliability and 100,000-mile warranties (Hyundai/Kia), and now they’re making strides in exterior and interior design. Good looks and handling are a must in the midsize segment to attract customers who would otherwise choose SUV hatchback utility.
Give the K5 and Sonata high-fives.
Lookers
My midsize $39K Kia GT stunner borrows luxury-class tricks like flat-gray paint and colored calipers to turn Mark’s head. Heck, the Korean automaker even poached Audi TT designer Peter Schreyer to sketch its distinctive “Tiger Nose” front grille. Sonata impresses, too, with its sci-fi wraparound LED running light and scalloped shoulders.
The art tour continues inside, where Kia and Sonata share BMW-like hoodless, 24.3-inch jumbotron screens that sprawl across the dash housing a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen. The tech echoes the cockpit of a Bimmer 5-series costing twice as much.
Camry was a leading contender for the 2025 North American Car of the Year because it has spent hours at the beauty parlor.
Its face takes cues from the handsome Prius, which got its own extreme makeover for the 2024 model year (scoring a COTY trophy). Alas, that aesthetic restraint doesn’t apply to the rest of the Toyota’s body, which is a maze of sheet metal stampings. There’s a lotta Lexus here, which may be the premium intent.
The Kia-Hyundai twins are sleek, the Toyota busy.
Inside, Camry is more traditional than the Koreans, choosing a hooded instrument display and separate 12.3-inch console screens on up-trim models like my XSE. The Toyota wows with optional red leather seats. Red never gets old and Mrs. Payne enjoyed slipping into Camry’s rouge thrones whenever we went out.
Not to be outdone, Kia dresses its GT with yellow seat stitching — matching the yellow brake calipers on the outside. That’s a lot more coordinated than my wardrobe, where I often can’t match socks, for goodness’ sake.
All three sedans provide ample rear legroom to accommodate friends ‘n’ family.
Ergonomics, technology
The Toyota, Kia and Hyundai also bridge the premium moat by stuffing their cabins with tech. There is little here you won’t find in a much pricier Audi, Bimmer or Caddy.
Adaptive cruise control with lane-keep? Check. Emergency braking? Check. Blind-spot assist? Check. Rear cross-traffic alert for tight parking lots? Check. Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto? Double check. Indeed, my $39K Sonata tester is as easy to operate as it is easy on the eyes, with easy auto unlock and phone syncing.
Cruising Metro Detroit’s congested highways, I put the three Asians on adaptive cruise control to maintain a safe distance from the vehicles in front of me. With traffic racing past in both lanes of the Daytona tri-oval race track — er, I-96 — I glanced at the mirror blind-spot indicators before making a lane change.
Impressive tech, but the brands still have work to do to catch up with the ergonomic geniuses at GM, Dodge and Ford.
The K5 andSonata are built on the same platform and their steering wheels have gone to GM ergonomics school with tactile buttons that I could toggle for cruise speed and radio volume without taking my eyes off the road.
However, Kia jumped the shark in designing radio controls that double as climate controls. That’s right, if you want to control the radio, you have to first look down at the console to make sure it’s not set to, um, climate. Otherwise, you might turn the cabin temp to 80 degrees thinking you’re raising the volume. Argh.
Sonata sanely maintains a distinction between radio/climate controls. As does Camry. Alas, the steering wheel control buttons are flat, requiring that I look away from the road to use them.
The sedan trio don’t take a hint from GM/Dodge to put radio volume/station controls buttons on the back of the wheel. Instead, K5/Sonata paddle shifters on the back of the steering wheel are as useful as sneakers on a fish.
None of these boulevard cruisers will tempt you to Hell, Michigan’s twisty roads.
Driving
Performance is what you are really paying for by buying premium these days. Power. Verve. The thrill of side G-forces. At its stratospheric 80grand price, a BMW 550e packs a 483-horsepower hybrid powertrain that stirs a smoking cocktail of turbochargers, six cylinders, and electric motors for gobsmacking acceleration.
The Toyota and Hyundai also offers hybrids … with the sole purpose of thrilling your wallet. At an impressive 44 and 47 mpg, respectively, the Camry and Sonata Hybrid will rarely have to visit a gas station. You’ll rarely stomp your foot on the throttle through a corner, either.
Though their platforms are sturdy, the pair’s handling won’t induce goosebumps. The Camry, however, does offer all-wheel drive over the Hyundai front-wheeler for better winter traction — and 232 horsepower versus Sonata’s 183.
The K5 GT is more ambitious (Sonata has a similar N-Line offering).
Its 2.5-liter turbo-4 gains a whopping 100 ponies over the standard K5’s 191-horse 2.0-liter. Paired with an eight-speed transmission, I zipped to 60 mph in just over 5 seconds (at the sacrifice of 27 mpg compared to the hybrids). Alas, I spun the front tires because the GT trim (like the comparable Sonata N-Line) doesn’t come with an AWD option like models powered by the standard 1.6-liter turbo-4. A head-scratcher, that.
Hybrids will save you at the pump — but they will cost you at sticker. The AWD Camry clocked in at $45K and the Sonata at $39K. With sexy looks and a lot more grunt, the $39K Kia GT is this gearhead’s pick. But if you demand AWD and better fuel economy … well, the Camry will make up that added $6K with fuel savings in about eight years.
Next week: 2025 Rivian R1S
2025 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
Vehicle type: Gas-powered, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger sedan
Price: $38,810 as tested, including $1,150 destination charge ($27,800 Sonata base)
Powerplant: 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder combined with electric motor, 0.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed
Power: 192 horsepower, 210 pound-feet torque
Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.8 seconds. (Car and Driver); top speed, 120 mph
Weight: 3,400 pounds (est.)
Fuel economy: EPA est. 45 city/51 highway/47 combined
Report card
Highs: Sleek looks; excellent fuel economy
Lows: No AWD option for hybrid model
Overall: 3 stars
2025 Kia K5 GT
Vehicle type: Gas-powered, front-wheel drive, five-passenger sedan
Price: $39,625 as tested, including $1,155 destination charge ($28,145 K5 base)
Powerplant: 2.5-liter, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed
Power: 290 horsepower, 311 pound-feet torque
Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.2 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 155 mph
Weight: 3,581 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA est. 24 city/27 highway/32 combined
Report card
Highs: Easy on the eyes; premium interior
Lows: GT only comes with FWD; confusing climate/audio controls
Overall: 3 stars
2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid AWD
Vehicle type: Gas-powered, all-wheel-drive, five-passenger sedan
Price: $45,431, including $1,095 destination charge ($29,495 Camry base)
Powerplant: 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder combined with twin electric motors, 0.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Continuously-variable automatic
Power: 232 horsepower
Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.8 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 115 mph
Weight: 3,774 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA est. 44 city/43 highway/44 combined
Report card
Highs: Pleasant to look at; AWD for Michigan blizzards
Lows: Lacks verve, gets pricey
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.