Alsbou Motors' Expert ReviewOverall ratingWe might be living in an era where crossover SUVs have become the new family vehicle of choice, but that doesn't mean you should overlook excellent midsize sedans like the 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The Sonata earned our Arating two years ago upon its redesign and it still holds up today.For 2017, the Sonata remains unchanged, save for a slight reshuffle of some standard and optional features. And it's fine that Hyundai has left the Sonata well enough alone. The cabin is still cavernous and comfortable, with loads of room in the backseat for when you need to ferry the kids, their friends or adult friends. The Sonata also drives confidently, with a smooth ride quality and precise control that avoids that floaty big-sedan feel out on the highway.You also get plenty of features for your money. Even if you pick the base model, you're not going to feel as if you're getting the short end of the stick, while the top-of-the-line Limited 2.0T has luxury-car levels of equipment.The Sonata's technology features are impressive, from available driver safety aids like blind-spot monitoring and automatic emergency braking to large, crisp touchscreen displays for navigation and entertainment functions.Remember, however, that the midsize sedan segment is full of strong competitors. The Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are the long-running standard-bearers in this class for near flawless value and execution. But there are other excellent choices as well, including the handsome and well-rounded Ford Fusion, the stylish Mazda 6, the sporty Nissan Altima. and the Chevrolet Malibu. Despite this formidable company, the Sonata offers plenty of comfort, performance and value to make it a standout.Standard safety features on the 2017 Hyundai Sonata include antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and a driver knee airbag.All Sonatas except the base model also come with a rearview camera and Blue Link, Hyundai's emergency telematics system (includes roadside assistance, crash response, remote door lock control and monitoring features for parents with teenage drivers that include speed, geo-fencing and curfew limits).Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on the Limited and Limited 2.0T models. Lane departure warning, automatic forward collision emergency braking and rear park assist are standard on the Limited 2.0T, optional on the Limited.In Edmunds' simulated panic-stop testing from 60 mph, the Sonata Sport 2.0T stopped in 125 feet, an acceptable distance for midsize family sedans. The Eco and Sport models did the job in an even more impressive 119 feet.In government crash testing, the Sonata earned a perfect five-star overall rating, with five stars overall for its performance in frontal- and side-impact crash tests. In crash testing conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Sonata earned the top rating of Good in the moderate-overlap frontal-offset impact test and a second-best Acceptable in the small-overlap frontal-offset impact test. The Sonata posted a Good rating for the remaining side-impact, roof-strength and whiplash protection (seats and head restraints) tests.2017 Hyundai Sonata modelsThe 2017 Hyundai Sonata is a midsize sedan available in Base, SE, Sport, Eco, Limited, Sport 2.0T and Limited 2.0T trim levels. The Sonata Hybrid is reviewed separately.