2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
Competitors: Honda Accord and Toyota Camry
Engine: V6-equipped 2.0 and 2.4-liter engine
Mileage: 36 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway
Other Info: Sonata is a sedan that has always shown up with the kind of styling, efficiency and price this low which make consumers to scurry for their checkbook.
All new 2011 Sonata can also be driven in all electric mode. Hyundai says that the Sonata Hybrid can cruise on all-electric at speed of up to 62 mph, and company's engineer indicated that the car might do even better. Hyundai did this by converting its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine to the Atkinson Cycle and added a 40-horsepower electric motor, which is good for a combined 206 horsepower and 193 pound-feet of torque, but the main thing is the car's battery pack.
Instead of cull out the cheaper nickel-metal hydride cells, Hyundai's choice was costlier lithium-polymer cells with a total of 72 cells into the pack, which weighs a relatively 96 pounds.
