Our 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line Disappoints after 40,000 Miles
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40,000-Mile Wrap-Up
By the time our long-term 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line finally crossed the 40,000-mile finish line, the most powerful front-drive sedan the Korean automaker has ever built left us feeling disappointed. Originally, we had hoped it might be a modern-day muscle car for a new generation, but the sportiest Sonata turned out to be a half-baked hot rod. What went wrong?
The Sonata N Line joined our fleet riding a wave of goodwill generated by Hyundai's steady stream of exciting new models and budding N performance subbrand. The N Line models exist between mainstream machines and the track-focused full-blown N cars. In the case of the Sonata, however, the N Line is the performance peak because there's no full N version of this sedan.
In retrospect, the N Line designation caused confusion over the car's core mission, revealed in the logbook's initial mix of positive and negative comments. As the miles mounted, however, the latter began to outnumber the former. Eventually, our collective opinion largely soured on the sedan. Asked for their final thoughts, staff members participated in an impromptu roast:
"The N Line was a real disappointment, especially coming from Hyundai, which has been doing such a great job integrating performance with comfort." —Elana Scherr, senior features editor
"It drove more like a development mule than a finished performance sedan." —Rich Ceppos, Buyer's Guide deputy editor
"Worst launch control ever. All it does is raise the launch rpm, which just creates more wheelspin faster. It in no way controls the tire slip for maximum performance." —Dave VanderWerp, testing director
"This transmission is a mess, so clunky at low speeds, which made crawling through parking lots and trying to be inch perfect when parallel parking very nerve-racking." —Caleb Miller, associate news editor
"That transmission calibration, maybe even the transmission itself, has no business being in a modern production car." –K.C. Colwell, executive editor
The confusion surrounding the Sonata's N Line designation was evidenced by its incongruous parts. It's the only Sonata with a turbo four that makes a heady 290 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, yet the rest of its performance-oriented add-ons appear arbitrary. For example, sticky summer tires are optional, but a limited-slip differential is off the table. The latter omission is notable because it permits chronic traction issues—one of our biggest gripes with the sport-tuned Sonata.
The sedan's tendency to frantically spin its front tires when pulling away from a stop, especially on slick surfaces, was a tiresome trait and a common complaint. Our car switched between all-season and winter tires, but we experienced the same front-wheel-peel behavior with a Sonata N Line on summer rubber. A limited-slip diff would have improved straight-line traction and made the sleek four-door more fun to drive on curvy roads by helping it claw out of corners, but it's not part of the recipe.
The Sonata N Line does have above-average entertainment value. Its steering is quicker than the normal models', and it supplies a satisfying amount of feedback. Its model-specific chassis tuning features a firmer ride that helps the N Line feel more agile and composed, separating it from other Sonatas. However, several staffers thought the starchy suspension was too stiff, diminishing the sedan's comfort in daily driving and offsetting the fun factor.
More so than the firm ride or even the front wheelspin, the issue that bothered us most was the transmission, which hiccups and stumbles more than Charlie Sheen on a bender. The eight-speed wet dual-clutch automatic, developed in-house by Hyundai, did have some positive attributes, executing snappy downshifts and enabling effortless passing maneuvers. But it was so bad in stop-and-go scenarios—you know, where most driving occurs.
The gearbox's vexing low-speed behavior became the car's Achilles' heel, and the Hyundai dealer that serviced our Sonata could never sort it out. Near 37,000 miles, we had the dealer upgrade the transmission control unit to address the poor shift quality, but it didn't fix the problem. Hyundai has since issued a recall for 2021–22 models equipped with thistransmission because a fail-safe malfunction in its oil pump can cause a total loss of drive power. Our N Line was included in the recall, but its long-term test concluded before we had the work done.
Over the last 10,000 miles, we did have scheduled services (air-filter replacement, oil change, tire rotation, etc.) performed around 32,000 and 40,000 miles. Since the latter was after the complimentary maintenance period, it cost us $96. We also had a wheel bearing replaced under warranty followed by an alignment ($325) to quell vibrations in the steering wheel and driver's seat at high speeds. We also swapped the sedan's unevenly worn all-season tires for a winter set. And in the N Line's final days, we spent $60 to repair a windshield chip.
The waning time with our long-term Sonata N Line included an exit exam at the track for a final round of testing to compare with its initial results. The transmission issues didn't affect acceleration, with some metrics slightly quicker and others slightly slower. With the car wearing its standard Pirelli P Zero all-seasons, the sprint to 60 mph increased from 5.2 to 5.4 seconds. Meanwhile, quarter-mile passes were virtually identical, and the 50-to-70-mph time shrank by a tenth. Our N Line also improved its pace in the race to 130 and 140 mph, reaching the speeds 1.1 and 1.8 seconds quicker, respectively. Finally, cornering grip barely changed, but the stop from 70 mph was significantly shorter at 167 feet versus the previous 183.
Another noteworthy test number was revealed at the end of the Sonata N Line's 40,000-mile journey: The powerful sport-tuned sedan averaged 30 mpg. That beats our beloved 2018 Honda Accord 2.0T, which finished its long-term test with a 29-mpg average. The Hyundai, though, had an advantage thanks to the sheer amount of highway miles it accumulated.
Fun fact: Our long-term Sonata completed the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, a cross-country race pioneered by Car and Driver legend Brock Yates back in 1971. Well, sort of. During its stay, the N Line made multiple trips from our Midwest headquarters to Southern California and from the Midwest to New York City. Using the transitive property, that counts, right?
As the sun sets on our time with 2021 Sonata N Line, it makes us wonder what the late Yates would've thought of it. Would he believe a half-baked hot rod is better than one that's not baked at all? We can't say. But we can report that while we respect Hyundai for offering a souped-up version of the otherwise ordinary Sonata, we wish it had gone all in rather than just "N"ee-deep.
Months in Fleet: 17 months Current Mileage: 40,114 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 30 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 15.9 gal Observed Fuel Range: 470 miles
Service: $96 Normal Wear: $0 Repair:$325
Damage and Destruction: $880
30,000-Mile Update
Almost immediately after our long-term Hyundai Sonata N Line hit the 20,000-mile mark this past June, it hit something else. As the sleek blue sedan cruised down I-405 in Southern California, a plastic wheel cover flew off a poorly maintained dually pickup truck and into our path. We were unable to safely avoid the debris, which banged into the Sonata’s lower front lip and got lodged underneath the car, mangling the undertray. We managed to resecure the dangling piece with some gaffer's tape and make it home, but the damage required a repair that cost us $820 for parts and labor.
The blunt force trauma to the Sonata occurred on the very first day that senior features editor Elana Scherr was handed its sturdy, oblong key fob. After the freeway incident, the car sat on her property for over a week awaiting an appointment at the Hyundai dealer in Mission Hills, California. When the time came, its battery was dead. When it got to the shop, the undertray was out of stock (it arrived about a week later). The dealer inconclusively investigated the battery issue but suspected it wasn’t due to a draw. The inspection didn’t cost a penny, but it led to a patronizing lecture about not letting cars sit without disconnecting the battery. Thanks, Dad!
With the sporty Sonata all bandaged up and back in action, it returned home to Scherr’s personal fleet for the next several weeks. She has an impressive collection of vintage muscle cars that includes a 1969 Dodge Charger, a '69 Plymouth Satellite wagon, a '70 Chevy Nova project, and a turbocharged '81 Pontiac Trans Am. That makes her the perfect staff member to evaluate our original hypothesis that the Sonata N Line is a modern-day muscle car. Is its 290-hp 2.5-liter turbo four a contemporary version of a high-output V-8 of yore? Is it big and comfortable enough to shuttle a family but also quick enough to dispatch an unwitting opponent during a spontaneous drag race between stoplights?
It's no secret that the feisty front-wheel-drive sedan is a speed demon. Our initial test clocked a 5.2-second sprint to 60 mph, and the N Line's quickness even earned kudos from legendary drag racer Don Prudhomme, who was riding shotgun one day when Scherr circumvented traffic with a right-lane hole shot on their way to lunch. While the N Line's gutsy acceleration and unavoidable front-wheel squeals delivered a few laughs, neither offset its fatiguing torque steer or the powertrain's disjointed behavior. Once again, the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that Hyundai developed in-house was called out for its clunkiness in slow-moving scenarios such as traffic and parking.
Scherr also derided the driving position and the comfort of the driver's seat, noting that they didn't work for her five-foot-three frame. Combined with her gripes about big blind spots and the late-to-brake adaptive cruise control, she wasn't upset when it was time to say sayonara to the Sonata. "Yes, this car is quicker and handles better than one expects of a mid-size four-door sedan in this price range," she wrote. "It is not awful. I do not hate it, but it is not Hyundai's best work. It's a half-assed hot rod, a powerhouse with no refinement. If I want a loping, lumpy, jumpy fast car, I'd be better off with a cammed-up, four-door Nova."
When our Sonata N Line left sunny SoCal, it had approximately 23,000 miles on the odometer. Nearly 2400 more were added on its return trip to our headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where it promptly went in for its third scheduled service at 25,532 miles. The dealer performed an oil change, tire rotation, and engine air-filter replacement—again covered under Hyundai’s complimentary maintenance program (three years or 36,000 miles).
Despite returning to our long-term fleet with a few new bruises and mounting criticisms in its logbook, the Sonata continued to collect miles. It even drew some praise for a change when online production assistant Andrew Berry took it on a trip to Put-in-Bay in Ohio. Heavy-metal music apparently sounds awesome on the 12-speaker Bose audio system, because he claims it properly melted his face. Berry also wrote that, for him, the driver's seat was comfortable and cradled his bigger body well.
Perhaps most notably, when the N Line finally crossed the 30,000-mile threshold, its average fuel economy had risen to 29 mpg—2 mpg higher than its EPA combined rating of 27 mpg. Of course, that has a lot to do with the large amount of highway miles our Sonata has seen, where, at 75 mph, it returns a whopping 38 mpg. Maybe Hyundai's hot-rod family sedan is not the muscle car we thought it was. We have 10,000 miles left to decide.
Months in Fleet: 13 months Current Mileage: 30,300 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 29 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 15.9 gal Observed Fuel Range: 460 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair:$0
Damage and Destruction: $820
20,000-Mile Update
After spending most of Michigan's winter season in relative hibernation, our long-term 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line has finally muscled past the 20,000-mile mark. About halfway to that milestone, the hot-rod mid-size sedan headed west to sunny Southern California, collecting nearly 2500 miles on the cross-country trip from Car and Driver's headquarters in Ann Arbor to technical editor Dan Edmunds's driveway in Santa Ana.
Before our Sonata N Line made the westward journey, its logbook had accumulated several comments since the 10,000-mile update. Several of the newer notes reiterated prior grousing about the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that's exclusive to the N Line and has garnered its share of complaints for its low-speed behavior. Most staff members have praised the responsive nature of the N Line's 290-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four, but deputy video editor Carlos Lago and senior reviews editor Mike Sutton both had uncomplimentary opinions about its power delivery. "This feels more uncouth every time I'm in it," said Sutton.
While we obviously have mixed opinions about the powertrain's overall cohesiveness, most everyone agrees that the Sonata N Line would be better with all-wheel drive to help regulate traction. Whether they've considered it fun or frustrating, everyone who has driven the feisty front-drive sedan is familiar with its virtually unavoidable wheelspin. Once up to speed, though, the complaints about burning rubber and the klutzy transmission are forgotten. Buyer's Guide deputy editor Rich Ceppos complimented the N Line's exhaust presence, and road test editor Becca Hackett said she was impressed by the car's value and fun factor. She also noted that the Pirelli P Zero Winter tires we fitted last November worked wonderfully in ugly weather on her daily commute. Plus, we're now currently averaging 28 mpg—a 1-mpg increase over our previous average and the EPA combined rating.
We replaced the winter rubber with the standard-issue P Zero all-seasons at exactly 13,694 miles, right before the car left Michigan for California. As soon as the Sonata N Line reached its new home in Orange County, we took it in for its second scheduled service at 16,194 miles. Once again, this was covered under Hyundai's complimentary maintenance program that includes basic maintenance for the first three years or 36,000 miles. The dealer performed an inspection and oil-and-filter change, and replaced the in-cabin air filter. We elected not to have the engine air filter replaced because it wasn't time, and we skipped the tire rotation since it had been done as part of the pre-road-trip tire swap.
Regardless of what rubber it wears, the Sonata N Line's starchy ride quality has been a sticking point among our staff. Is it too stiff or justifiably firm? Neither side will likely change its position over the final 20,000 miles, but Edmunds might be able to help readers who want a more nuanced opinion. After all, he's previously had suspension development jobs for two different automakers (just peep his bio). He writes, "The ride is nicely damped and well buttoned down, even on the pretty wavy asphalt that you typically find in the Pacific Northwest. There's no float at all, and it has just the right amount of rebound damping." Edmunds does point out that the rear suspension, which has slightly firmer springs as part of the N Line treatment, feels constrained over expressway expansion joints, a road condition that's far more prevalent in places where they have a real winter.
When it isn't overwhelmed by torque steer, the wheel provides authentic feedback that's absent on lesser Sonata models. The steering's positive on-center feel and progressive buildup through sweeping corners both drew praise from Edmunds. Less praiseworthy was the steering column's limited telescoping adjustment and some missing infotainment features. Not only was he disappointed that the stereo doesn't have a tuning knob, but he questioned the value of the wireless charging pad when Apple CarPlay and Android Auto still require wired connections.
The only greater annoyance Edmunds mentioned was the N Line's push-button shifter. Stands to reason: Unlike the ongoing debate over the ride quality and powertrain behavior, the staff is united in its disdain for our long-termer's unintuitive push-button shifter arrangement. And now we have just under 20,000 miles left to argue about and evaluate the most powerful front-drive sedan Hyundai has ever built.
Months in Fleet: 9 months Current Mileage: 20,121 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 28 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 15.9 gal Observed Fuel Range: 440 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0
10,000-Mile Update
The front-wheel-drive 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line that joined our long-term fleet at the end of last summer averaged roughly 2300 miles per month during its first three months in our care. However, as soon as November hit and the N Line's standard all-seasons were swapped out for a set of Pirelli P Zero Winter tires, its mileage accumulation slowed to about 1000 miles a month. As much as many of us enjoy driving Hyundai's performance-oriented family sedan, it's not our first pick when snow blankets our local thoroughfares.
It's a given that wintertime in Michigan will generally curtail the number of long road trips our staff takes. The all-wheel-drive alternatives in our fleet, such as our gas-guzzling Ram 1500 TRX, have received a lot more love lately. The N Line, on the other hand, is racking up miles at a similar pace to our mid-engine Corvette Stingray and rear-drive BMW M3 long-termers. But could our Sonata's lull in activity also stem from us growing cold to its excessive wheelspin, firm ride, and sometimes clunky dual-clutch automatic transmission? All three matters have been mentioned in its logbook since our last update, though the context of those comments wasn't entirely negative.
Even before we signed up for 40,000 miles with the most powerful front-drive sedan Hyundai has ever produced, we knew that this car has a tendency to torque-steer and spin its front tires. Love it or hate it, that trait is to be expected when only the N Line's front axle must handle both steering duties and harnessing the 290 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque from its 2.5-liter turbo-four. The sensation can be entertaining or exhausting, depending on its pilot's disposition and the driving scenario. "Accelerating with any real zest requires quite the dance with your right foot, but it is fun, nonetheless," wrote road warrior Jacob Kurowicki. He was less enthused at times with the eight-speed automatic, which occasionally stumbles at low speeds but is otherwise quick and precise in operation.
Buyer's guide deputy editor Rich Ceppos believes that the Sonata N Line's rubber-burning antics would be less obnoxious if it had a limited-slip differential. An electronic diff is standard equipment on Hyundai's sportier Elantra N and the Veloster N models, so why not this similarly powerful Sonata? According to Hyundai, it's because this isn't a full-blown N model like those two other cars, but we still think it deserves the upgrade. The N Line's rather stiff ride also has divided our staff on whether this car's setup is too aggressive for a volume model. Some drivers have deemed the ride uncomfortable, while others compare its buttoned-down behavior to our dearly departed 2020 BMW M340i long-termer. Ceppos leans toward the latter opinion: "The ride always seems choppy for the first couple of miles, but my inner ear gets used to it, and for the rest of the trip it feels fine."
As one of two staff members who has recently taken the Sonata N Line on a longer journey, Ceppos complimented its excellent lane-centering feature, part of Hyundai's semi-autonomous drive mode called Highway Driving Assist. Our travels also have helped maintain the N Line's 27-mpg average fuel economy, equaling its EPA combined estimate. Similarly, a previous test of another Sonata N Line on our 75-mph highway route returned an EPA-matching 33 mpg—impressive for this car's hot-rod-like personality—even if our 2018 Honda Accord Sport long-termer was thriftier at the pump still.
Although the Sonata N Line's popularity has (likely only temporarily) waned, it remains problem-free. The first scheduled service visit happened at 8333 miles and was covered under Hyundai's complimentary maintenance program that includes basic maintenance for the first three years or 36,000 miles. Included in that initial pit stop was an inspection, oil-and-filter change, and a tire rotation, plus the fixing of a loose-fitting fuel pipe per a recall. Now we just need to talk the dealer into installing a limited-slip diff to help with the N Line's frenzied wheelspin.
Months in Fleet: 7 months Current Mileage: 11,169 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 27 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 15.9 gal Observed Fuel Range: 420 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0
N-troduction
Calling the Hyundai Sonata N Line a modern-day muscle car is a surefire way to get accused of automotive heresy. After all, it's just a family sedan with a hotter engine, a stiffer suspension, a flashy body kit, and some red interior accents, right? Well, yeah, but the original GTO was just a Pontiac Tempest with a high-output V-8, upgraded chassis and drivetrain components, and various visual distinctions. The point isn't to directly compare the souped-up Sonata to the legendary GTO. They're obviously incomparable. Philosophically, though, they're cut from the same cloth, only they exist in different eras.
The New York Times reports that, in 2020, millennials bought more new cars than baby boomers for the first time ever. Coincidentally, that aligns with the rapid expansion of Hyundai's N performance subbrand, which makes many of its mainstream models more emotionally stimulating. The 201-hp Elantra N Line and the 286-hp Elantra N are prime examples. To see if the Korean automaker can teach a younger generation that cars can be fun—but mainly to see how the new N-branded version of Hyundai's mid-size sedan holds up over the course of 40,000 miles—we welcomed a 2021 Sonata N Line to our long-term fleet.
Unlike the compact Elantra, the Sonata's performance peaks with the N Line. It's the only trim level that features a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The engine makes 290 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. That's nearly 100 ponies and 130 pound-feet more than the Sonata's 2.5-liter four-cylinder base engine. With all that power solely feeding the front axle, there's more squealing from the N Line's front tires than a barnyard full of pissed-off pigs. Even in the default Normal drive mode, we found ourselves involuntarily burning rubber when leaving stops with relatively mild throttle inputs. As a result, we'll be monitoring our test car's tread wear. Every N Line rolls on intricately designed multi-spoke 19-inch wheels that can be wrapped with Continental Premium Contact 6 summer tires as a $200 option, but ours came with the standard Pirelli P Zero all seasons.
We regret not upgrading to the Continentals, because the N Line we track-tested with them outperformed our long-termer on the standard Pirellis. On summer tires, the N Line stopped from 70 mph in a short 152 feet; it needed 183 feet on the all-seasons. Likewise, the stickier tires helped the N Line generate a notable 0.93 g on our 300-foot skidpad versus 0.85 g. At least the tires on our long-term Sonata barely affected its acceleration times. It launched to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and cleared the quarter-mile in 13.8 ticks at 104 mph. We'll have to see if we can close the 0.2-second gap versus the summer-tire-equipped N Line during its exit test.
Still, the differences between the Sonata N Line and the rest of the lineup go deeper than tire options, an exclusive powertrain, and excessive wheelspin. The engine and transmission mounts are stiffer to better handle the higher torque output. Along with larger brake rotors all around, Hyundai says the calipers are revised to work with the bigger discs and upgraded brake pads. The N Line also has thicker anti-roll bars and features specially tuned dampers and slightly firmer rear springs. Its steering ratio is quicker, too, and the electric motor that assists the steering system is relocated from the column to the rack to improve the feel. The net result is a car that handles really well and drives more cohesively than the regular version. The downside is that the N Line's ride is considerably stiffer.
Apart from the optional summer tires—which aren't available on its corporate sibling, the Kia K5 GT—there are virtually no options to distinguish your N Line from your neighbor's. Selecting the audacious Glowing Yellow paint might be one, especially since it has been dropped for the 2022 model year. Our 2021 example wears no-cost Stormy Sea (deep blue) paint and $169 carpeted floor mats that raise its $34,305 base price to $34,474 as tested. The N Line comes standard with a 12-speaker Bose stereo, a full suite of driver assists, heated front seats, passive entry, a panoramic sunroof, and wireless phone charging. Plus, it has a digital gauge cluster and a 10.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with built-in navigation, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
So far, we've racked up just nearly 7000 miles. Most of that was around our headquarters in southeast Michigan, but we've also traveled to the state's Upper Peninsula and into Ontario, Canada. The N Line has a combined EPA rating of 27 mpg, which is what we're averaging. The early logbook comments praise the car's chassis tuning and transmission calibration. However, some staffers have called its interior drab. There are quibbles about the push-button shifter and that the plastic behind the door handles isn't as nice as the surrounding trim. The driver's seat height is also unnaturally high, leaving some of our noggins uncomfortably close to the microsuede headliner.
With thousands of miles left to go, we'll ultimately decide if the sportiest Sonata excites us or exhausts us. And hopefully along the way we'll also find out if the N Line can inspire this generation the way the Pontiac GTO once did past generations.
Months in Fleet: 3 months Current Mileage: 6969 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 27 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 15.9 Observed Fuel Range: 420 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair:$0
Damage and Destruction: $0
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