2022 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited: No Distance Is Too Far

More Stopping for Coffee, Less Stopping for Gas

The 2022 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited nets an EPA estimate of 45 mpg in the city, 51 on the open road, all for a combined 47 mpg; the base Blue trim outperforms the Limited and SEL (which have the same estimates as the Limited) at 50/54/52. A single tank of fuel lasts around 550 miles.

My trip to and from Chesapeake Beach is 596 miles, per Google Maps. Add in the 7.2-mile round trip between my hotel and the gathering point for the 2021 WAPA Rally in North Beach, and we\’re at nearly 605 miles of total driving.

Once I topped off the tank for the trip, could I make it without refueling until I returned home?

Oh hell yeah! Peak MPG arrived early on at 69.1 mpg, averaging around 56 mpg for the overall trek. Throw in regenerative braking, the solar panels, electric-only travel, and tons of aero tricks not found on the non-hybrid Sonata, and I managed to arrive home with 36 miles left in the tank.

Let\’s just say if you play your cards right – like I did – you\’ll be hitting up your favorite gas station more for coffee than for fuel. Not a bad trade.

In Closing

Fuel prices have reached levels not seen since the Great Recession. Some areas have been hit pre-Great Recession levels of pain at the pump, as well. And no one knows when (or if) prices will return to their nadir prior to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Thus, if you\’re shopping for a new vehicle, the thought of the pump pains you and your finances, and the usual hybrid suspects don\’t fit your style, the 2022 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited needs to be on the list immediately.

Photos: Aubernon Highway/Cameron Aubernon