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Honda Civic vs. Hyundai Sonata

151 messages,  Last post on Jan 16, 2009 at 7:50 PM

You are in the Hyundai Sonata Forum.

What is this discussion about? Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata, Coupe, Sedan

Messages Page 14 of 16

#122 of 151 Hyundai makes great cars by stockey1

May 14, 2008 (11:28 pm)

A few years ago,i wouldn't have been caught dead in a hyundai,but since i bought one ,all i can say is wow,much better quality than american cars and as good as japanese,really i am stunned..

#123 of 151 Re: LOL [lengalli] by auld_dawg

May 15, 2008 (12:51 pm)

Replying to: lengalli (May 14, 2008 7:28 pm)
Interesting........
 
So......... insulting potential future car buyers is going to bring them running to your dealership? You know, a lot of honorable things happen to folks that damage their credit scores for a part of their lives, lost jobs, divorces, etc. Calling someone a crook because their credit score isn't perfect, seems to me a bit demeaning and counter productive in sales...... However, each to his own......
 
My girlfriend has a Honda Civic. And its a nice car. Small, economical..... and very practical for a commuter car. Can't knock it, for her its perfect as a commuter car and kid hauler....
 
For me, I travel to blade shows a few times a year, and intend to continue doing so. I like to drive, so a midsize car makes more sense to me. I had been using a '94 Sable as my long distance transport, but for the last three years, it got bumped by an even earlier car {'93 Taurus SHO}. More comfortable car, and believe it or not, better mileage on the road {32 mpg, highway}.
 
Older cars, are just that, older cars. They eventually develop issues, need replacement. So, this fall, I paid off some machinery {$3600/mo}, and as spring approached started shopping to replace the Sable........ as it had reached the end. I never looked at a Civic, not because its a not good car, its just a bit small for me for a road car. I did however, research the Accords. As a dealer, I'm sure you know that there's a bit of an issue on the VCM, and even though reports are really good on the four, I really would find it hard to go with a whole lot less car than the SHO.
 
The '07 Taurus I looked at was a lot less car than I was replacing {body roll, rear drums}. I looked at both Milan and Fusion..... and looked at the Mazda6. Then I went to the Hyundai dealer.......
 
The '08 GLS V6 I got, definitely is a step up from the '94 Sable it replaced. Better than the '07 Taurus {not even close}. I won't compare it to the others, because they're all good, and a lot of this is personal judgement. I wound up really liking the Sonata, and the "value", ie, all of the features it has, plus the price, really made this purchase work......And, because the price was so good, some of the money that would have been used on the downpayment of a Mazda6 went instead to do some of the restoration work the SHO really could use {less than perfect credit, plus enough downpayment, can still get you financed}.....
 
I don't really see how the Sonata can compare with the Civic really, except maybe price. Its my take on this, that both are really nice cars, really nice values, in their respective classes.......

#124 of 151 Re: LOL [auld_dawg] by moocow1

May 15, 2008 (1:43 pm)

Replying to: auld_dawg (May 15, 2008 12:51 pm)
Well I'll explain how I compared then.
 
Sonata Advantages:
Better Warranty
Better Interior
Far more Standard Features
More Powerful Engine
 
Civic:
Better Fuel Economy(25/36 vs 22/32)
Moderately Better Resale(But not that important as I plan to run over 10 years)
 
Push:
Safety - Ratings are very similar and a larger car WILL protect better against death. Both are very safe vehicles.
Size - Sonata is larger, which means more space and trunkroom, but also means harder to park. I guess most people would consider bigger to be better assuming same fuel economy, I actually don't.
Reliability - Hyundai's problems per car is about the same as Honda now.
Looks - Who knows? I like both actually. The new 2006 civic design was an awesome thing.
Price - About the same OTD for comparable models. In this case I'm comparing a Civic LX vs Sonata GLS.
Environment - Both are PZEV cars. Which is awesome for a large car to get PZEV rating!
 
I know some people shop purely based on size of car, but I actually don't care for size as I mentioned. I prefer a moderately small car if possible...but I ended up buying bigger because it was just plain better. It would be much harder when comparing the Accord, but the Accord freaking costs $4000+ more.

#125 of 151 Re: LOL [moocow1] by hickoryc

May 18, 2008 (8:46 am)

Replying to: moocow1 (May 15, 2008 1:43 pm)
I agree with everything you wrote moocow1, plus there is the matter of driver comfort and vehicle ride. Coworker with '07 Civic switched to '08 Altima simply because of the stiff, uncomfortable ride. His daily round-trip commute, like mine is nearly 100 miles. He is not getting very close to 30 mpg in his new Altima and that is costly compared to the Civic, but worth it to him.

#126 of 151 Apples and Crescent Wrenches by redflea

May 20, 2008 (11:08 pm)

This is an entertaining, albeit somewhat silly thread. Thanks for all the impassioned posts...quite a show.
 
Maybe someone can start a thread comparing a can opener and a roast beef sandwhich next. They are both found in the kitchen, cost about the same, and are useful around lunch time. Which would you buy?!?!
 
We were talked into test driving a Sonata when we told the Hyundai salesman that the booming acceleration engine noise in the Elantra was a deal-breaker. We came back after the test drive and said "Thanks, not for us." We weren't shopping for a large-ish, full featured but unexciting-to-drive family sedan, we were shopping for a small-ish, fun-to-drive, high-MPG sporty sedan. The only thing these two cars have in common is some price overlap (depending on model) from what we experienced.

#127 of 151 Re: Apples and Crescent Wrenches [redflea] by pat

May 21, 2008 (4:43 am)

Replying to: redflea (May 20, 2008 11:08 pm)
It's okay if people want to compare cars that do not seem to you to be comparable. People have differing criteria and priorities. That does not make their choices "silly", it makes their choices "theirs" just as your criteria, priorities and choices are yours.

#128 of 151 Civic Vs. Sonata (Vs. Accord Vs. Camry) by 2002slt

May 21, 2008 (7:50 am)

It was very easy for me to decide. I'm 6' 4" and could barely squeeze into a Civic. I was just looking for a daily driver to offset my SUV's fuel consumption, so I was looking at the low end. After a month of driving everything under $20k, I thought it may be more practical to just replace the SUV.
 
I drove the new Accord and Camry. I liked the drive of the Accord, but again, I felt squeezed in the driver's seat. The Camry fit me very well and I would have bought it if it wasn't for their low-ball offer on my trade. Then, on a recommendation, I looked into the 2009 Sonata. I had the mindset that Hyundai's were junk, but gave them a shot anyways. Boy, was I surprised. The interior is better looking than the Accord's, the Camry wasn't even close to the Accord. The drive was in between the two. Not too soft and not too stiff. I'm coming from a 400hp SUV, so I had to go with a V6. All three are very similar in MPG's and acceleration. They all actually surprised me.
 
Hyundai offered me almost $3k more for my trade and invoice on the Sonata. Both the Accord and Camry were offered to me at invoice price, too. I guess everyone's hurting right now. I jumped on the deal and can't believe how happy I am.
 
I also see the price as the ONLY comparison between the Civic and the Sonata. They were designed for two totally different purposes.

#129 of 151 Re: Civic Vs. Sonata (Vs. Accord Vs. Camry) [2002slt] by thegraduate

May 21, 2008 (8:57 am)

Replying to: 2002slt (May 21, 2008 7:50 am)
For some people, buying a car IS a price purchase; "What can I get for $XX,XXX?"
 
For others, like yourself, its not.
 
You must be a big broad guy. I'm 6'5" and drive 2 older Accords, one with a moonroof, and have plenty of room; not Yukon room, but plenty.
 
The Civic and Sonata are very different cars though, you are right. Civic - small, efficient, sporty. Sonata - big, more powerful, cushy.

#130 of 151 Shopping by price by redflea

May 21, 2008 (11:27 am)

This is an interesting area for marketing types, I'm sure.
 
My experience for myself and watching my friends/family car buying experiences is that the buying process goes from general to specific, starting with some high-level decisions about key requirements (e.g., cost, MPG, car style, size and comfort level, performance, etc.) that drive (excuse the pun) someone to a car category (e.g., family sedan) that they believe best fits their overall requirements.
 
Then they review offerings in that category and either narrow down to a car, or if they don't find what they want they review their requirements and try another category. I can't remember hearing someone tell me they were looking at SUVs and found a great deal on a minivan, so they snapped it up. (Though I'm in an upper-middle class income group, maybe that is more common at lower income levels.) From what I've seen, people want an SUV, for example, and shop until they find one they like and can afford.
 
BTW - my "silly" comment wasn't directed at the posters in this thread, but more at the idea that there are a sufficient number of shoppers out there trying to choose between the Sonata and the Civic such that we need a multi-page thread on it. (But since I'm contributing to the thread I'm looking pretty silly myself.)

#131 of 151 Re: Shopping by price [redflea] by thegraduate

May 21, 2008 (11:33 am)

Replying to: redflea (May 21, 2008 11:27 am)
It's not that there are a large number of people making this decision, but it does at least pose a decent discussion (131 posts now). Not too bad for a little bit o' car talk, eh?
 
Personally, I just like talking about and learning about most new cars in general, whether or not I'm in the market (which I currently am not - I'm quite happy with my car).

Messages Page 14 of 16

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