2024 Hyundai Sonata Vs. 2025 Kia K5 Vs. 2025 Toyota Camry: Auto Show Faceoff
The humble sedan has been all but written off as SUVs, trucks and electric vehicles have taken center stage, but the 2024 Chicago Auto Show was a good reminder that there is life in the mid-size sedan class after all, with new versions of the Hyundai Sonata, Kia K5 and Toyota Camry on the show floor.
Related: More 2024 Chicago Auto Show Coverage
The 2024 Sonata and 2025 K5 are corporate cousins, and both get exterior updates and interior revisions as part of their changes. The 2025 Camry, meanwhile, also sees significant exterior and interior changes, and it’s now exclusively offered with a gas-electric hybrid system.
While there are a lot of similarities between these models from a features standpoint — all offer optional all-wheel drive and have standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, for instance — they do other things differently, and some better than others. Here are a few areas where one (or in one case, two) stand above the rest.
Dashboard Design: Tie, K5 and Sonata
One of the most significant changes to the cabins of the K5 and Sonata are the sedans’ available 12-inch (K5) or 12.3-inch (Sonata) digital instrument cluster and standard 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system; together, they form a continuous curving panel across the left and center portions of the dashboard. It’s the kind of thing that until recently would have been reserved for the interior of a luxury car rather than being in a mainstream family sedan. The Camry can also have a 12.3-inch touchscreen, but it’s not connected with the instrument panel, nor is it standard (the car’s standard screen measures 8 inches).
Climate Controls: Camry
Both the K5 and Sonata have touch-sensitive climate controls, but they go about them in different ways: The Sonata’s panel is dedicated only to climate controls and has temperature dials at its edges, while the K5 uses a touch panel that can switch between climate and audio controls that saves dashboard real estate by letting the driver go between systems as needed. They’re both very tech-forward, for sure, but they can’t top the simplicity of the Camry’s physical buttons and switches right below the car’s dashboard touchscreen.
Gear Selector: Sonata
Console gear selectors have been a staple for years, and both the K5 and Camry still have them poking out of the center console. The Sonata, however, takes a different approach we’ve seen in Hyundai’s EVs. The gear selector has been moved to the steering column and is now a twist-knob stalk for selecting Drive or Reverse, with Park a button on the end of the stalk. The previous Sonata already had a unique gear selector with a push-button setup on the console, but moving the selector to the steering column opens up the console and gives the interior a cleaner look overall.
Seating, Front and Rear: Camry
All three of these sedans have comfortable front seats and enough space to accommodate taller drivers, but the Camry gets a slight edge when the backseat is factored in; while rear-seat legroom and seating positions are similar for all three, the Camry’s backseat feels a little more open and airier — likely a combination of the Toyota’s light-colored headliner versus the black headliners in the Kia and Hyundai, as well as its better outward visibility thanks to larger side windows.
More From Cars.com:
- 2025 Kia K5 Gets More Power, More Tech, Sharp New Looks
- 2025 Kia K5 Up Close: Mid-Size Master
- 2024 Hyundai Sonata Up Close: The Family Sedan, Sportified
- 2025 Toyota Camry Up Close: Still Kicking, Now With Even More Style
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