City Chic in a 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited

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A few months ago, I had the opportunity to spend a week driving around in a 2015 Hyundai Sonata Limited and it changed my perception about the luxuries that Hyundai can offer. And I loved everything about it except the estimated fuel economy.

Don’t get me wrong. A combined estimate of 29 mpg with a breakdown of 25 city/37 highway is nothing to scoff at. But I currently drive a hybrid. And once you get used to not only the crazy good fuel economy but also the distinct sound of a hybrid engine, there’s just no looking back.

Enter the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid. Could I get all the luxury I found in the Hyundai Sonata but in a hybrid? Let’s find out.

To put it to the ultimate test, I drove the Sonata Hybrid into Washington, DC, a town focused on economy and energy policies. While it may not seem like Congress has your back, I can attest to the fact that most of the government community in and around DC drive a lot of hybrid and electric vehicles. We’re a pretty progressive town in that regard.

Okay, so technically I didn’t drive to Washington, DC. I drove to a suburb that’s so urban and congested, it might as well be the city. I drove to Chevy Chase, MD (yes, it’s a real town) for an appointment at an upscale skincare and laser center. In a town full of luxury, I felt right at home as I backed the Sonata into a front row parking space (easy with the back up camera).

I finished up my appointment and since I had made what seemed like a long trek inside the Beltway, I figured I should tool around town a bit. Plus I was feeling pretty chic in this car and it was a beautiful day.

I ended up meeting my brother and his wife in nearby Bethesda for lunch at a longtime Asian establishment called Raku. I think it was literally two miles or so away from where I was but by the time I made it through traffic and found parking and quarters for the meter and then figured out where I was walking to, my city chic was feeling less chic.

We dined on sushi and pho and ate bananas foster for dessert along with our Diet Cokes (yes, I see the irony) and then I needed to split. Not only did my brother tell me the meter maids (or whatever they’re officially called) are pretty diligent but it was after 2pm signifying that DC rush hour could literally begin at any moment.

Although traffic wasn’t too bad (it’s never really good), I loved that the navigation system with the SiriusXM Travel Link alerted me to potential construction slowdowns and gave me the realtime ability to update my route if the traffic necessitated it. In fact, there were a lot of features that I noticed on this Hyundai that I never noticed on the others that I’ve driven.

My Favorite Features

I’m a sunroof kind of girl and this one did not disappoint. In fact, this car boasts a panoramic sunroof.

Ah, yes! Love the light AND the air.

Cupholders matter. And this is my favorite design. Why?

Because not all of us are organized enough to use a travel mug and we need a place for the handle!

And my favorite feature was, of course, the gas mileage.

That’s the kind of gas mileage I’ve come to know and love and it’s hard to go back once you’ve experienced fuel efficiency!

There were, of course, many more features that made this a great car from the cargo space to the technology connections to interior design to proprietary Blue Link system.

This 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited was provided to me for a week by DriveShop to facilitate this post. This vehicle starts at $26,000. As outfitted in this post, this vehicle has an MSRP of $35,765.