TEST DRIVE: The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is Our New Favorite Green Sedan

Are you one of those green drivers who pays obsessive attention to squeezing every mile out of your car? Your <a title="Inhabitat: hybrid car" href="http://inhabitat.com/index.php?s=hybrid+car" target="_blank">hybrid</a> is finally here. The new <a title="Hyundai Sonata Hybrid" href="https://www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicles/2012/sonata-hybrid/?" target="_blank">Hyundai Sonata Hybrid</a> is designed in such a way that if you ease off the gas at nearly any speed, you can switch into EV mode and start saving those precious drops of fuel. Add to that the fact that Hyundai has unabashedly borrowed major design elements from recent <a title="Mercedes B-Class E-cell Plugin Hybrid with Inductive Charging" href="http://inhabitat.com/daimler-is-attempting-to-make-its-b-class-e-cell-plug-in-hybrid-with-inductive-charging/" target="_blank">Mercedes</a> models, and you’ve got a pretty sweet green sedan. We tested the Sonata Hybrid at city and highway speeds, and on all kinds of roads, and found it to be one of the most livable hybrids <a title="Laura Cowan, Road Test Editor" href="http://inhabitat.com/author/lauracowan/" target="_blank">we’ve driven</a> to date. The mileage averaged just under 40 mpg, so you could do a bit better if mileage is your one and only priority, but hear us out. The Sonata Hybrid has awesome acceleration when you need it, great technology features, drives just about like a regular gas-engined car, and other than its average suspension really does feel luxurious like a Merc. Come along with us as we take you through our obsessive list of awesome details to be found in the new Sonata Hybrid. We promise to be as thorough as you would be.

From the front the Sonata Hybrid almost looks like a Ford - proof that Hyundai is still working out its design language - but check out the attention to detail on the upper grill and side mirrors.

Here's where you can see the Mercedes pinched lines along the sides, and the upswing of the body shape. The low ground clearance is more for improved mileage than sport, but it doesn't hurt the looks any.

Hyundai paid special attention to the headlights and taillights in this car, giving the rear an atom-with-swirling-electrons look in red LEDs. It's hard to see in daylight, however. We wish Hyundai had gone just a bit further in flaunting this design detail.

This mirror has turn signal indicators and that stretched Mercedes-like wafting shape. Hyundai has been working hard to bring its cars upmarket, and it's starting to work, even though it doesn't look original yet.

There are those atomic taillights. They look like nothing special during the day, unfortunately.

Can you see anything special yet? You have to look closely.

Here is where the awesome new designs of most carmakers fall flat--right in the rear. Looks like, well, any car from back here. But did we mention 35-40 mpg and an awesome drive? It gets better, trust us.

Plenty of trunk space, which is nice in a hybrid.

Hybrid cargo spaces may not be totally filled with batteries anymore, but they are still strangely chopped up with blocked off sections hiding bits and pieces of the hybrid system.

One of our favorite features of this car was the dual sunroof, which is blacked out on top for a sporty cohesive look.

A real grownup door for grownup hybrid drivers. Hyundai has left the insulation in the doors on this car so you don't feel like you're closing yourself into a tin can when you set off on the freeway.

Power everything, which is really something considering how many miles you get for the weight in this thing.

Heated leather seats are a true luxury in this car, not a necessity like they are in some electric cars since you can't engage the HVAC without draining the battery. Rest assured you can drive the Sonata Hybrid without worrying about draining anything.

Yay, the sunroof makes us happy just looking at it from the inside. Also power controls for this element.

The Sonata Hybrid has steering wheel controls, a digital instrument cluster display, sophisticated navi, audio, and HVAC controls on the center stack, and a nice gear shifter on the center console.

It's hard to appreciate without driving it, but it's so nice to have a steering wheel that is the right size to fit your arms and hands, and the Sonata delivers better than many small hybrids.

Push button start always makes us happy. Enough said.

We loved the glissando chime and green leaves animation that activated with the dimmed lights every time we turned on the car. This quickly fades to an image of the car staring back at you, and then you can toggle through various screens to monitor your mileage or car's systems.

Hyundai has come closest to the Chevy Volt's instrument cluster with this system, and we like it. It's bright, colorful, and helps us keep track of all the green tech in the car.

We loved that the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid can coast at nearly any speed in EV mode if there is minimal acceleration. This opens up many types of driving to high gas mileage possibilites, not to mention a nice and quiet ride.

What would a hybrid be without a battery and energy flow meter you can watch instead of keeping your eyes on the road?

The controls here seem cribbed from a more sophisticated car. Didn't we see a similar HVAC system on Jags a few years back? Wherever it came from, we like this arrangement on the center stack.

The Sonata Hybrid has XM radio and all the trimmings of an upmarket sedan, so like we said, you don't have to give anything up to drive green in this car.

The navigation system was sophisticated and worked well. We liked the full-size screen, as well. You don't have to shrink anything in this car to get good mileage either.

Dual A/C and all the goodies arranged in a nicely visual package for you.

In something tiny like a Smart Car, you barely get a transmission at all, and you have to seriously compromise on shifting speed and the quality of materials. The Sonata Hybrid brings the quality of a midlevel luxury sedan to the gear shifter. It's heavy but smooth, has a manumatic option for more fun, and fits just right in your palm.

Insulation and power controls back here, too.

We enjoyed the attention to detail throughout the Sonata Hybrid. Most hybrids are trying hard to be affordable and well made at the same time, but few come close to achieving both goals. The Sonata starts at just $25,000.

It's hard to argue with 35-40 mpg, great performance, good looks, and a $25k pricepoint. Go test drive one already.