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Hyundai Azera vs Hyundai Sonata

32 messages,  Last post on Oct 24, 2008 at 2:16 PM

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#13 of 32 Re: [moocow1] Posting #10 [njalan] by bhmr59 Jul 09, 2008 (6:37 pm)
Replying to: njalan (Jul 09, 2008 3:00 pm) Njalan, you're trying to deal with a problem no rational man can deal with. The female mind works quite differently.   Your son is neutral (probably just wants to stay out of it) and your daughter who doesn't own a car (probably hasn't looked at new cars for a while) has decided that Korean cars are inferior.   Have your wife test drive both the Sonata & Azera (although she may also have a built-in biasis). At Towne Hyundai you can get an '08 Azera for $4500 under invoice ($5500 under if you qualifiy for owner loyalty).   The Sonata is a great car, although the Azera is better. The question is how much better in $$.   DCitis is running wild.
#14 of 32 Re: [moocow1] Posting #10 [njalan] by drdonrs Jul 10, 2008 (5:04 am)
Replying to: njalan (Jul 09, 2008 3:00 pm) njalan, before I bought my Hyundai cars I leased several Acuras, from the Legend to 6 TL's over the past several years. My wife and I are both in our 70's and my days of sports sedans has begun to fade. It took a big move on my part to purchase my 06 Sonata (we were no longer going to lease) which was to replace my 03 Acura TL. My wife had a big case of badge snobbery and found the car not comfortable just as she found the TL's not comfortable (she drives close to the steering wheel and in a stark upright position). When our 2nd TL was coming off lease (her car) I had looked at the Avalon, entry level Lexus, and also the Azera. I found it a very comfortable car, had all of the bells and whistles and was several thousands less than the other comparable cars. She wanted a white car, the dealer had an Azera Limited in pearl white on the floor and offered me an excellent deal. When my wife came home from her office (travel consultant) she was driving my Sonata and her first words were "oh, another Hyundai". Fortunately my son was standing in the driveway and he said that she should take a drive in it. Long story short, she thinks it's one of the most comfortable cars she has ever driven, does not make an issue of its a Hyundai and I love to drive it which is mostly on weekends and it is our "together" car. Yes, I have had my steering wheel replaced, twice, had new front shocks installed (all under warranty) and had the timing chain tensioner replaced (under warranty). That being said the Azera which now has 16,000+ miles and is approaching its' 2nd year has been just fabulous. It has never had one squeak, is still as tight as when new. On the highway the gas mileage is satisfactory, in local stop and go traffic (live in the suburbs north of NYC) the mileage is not what you get with an 4 banger, but I like a 6 in spite of the gas situation. I have not driven the new 09 Sonata but it appears to be even better than my 06. If I was in the market for a car now, wanted an entry luxury, I would look at the Genesis with the 6 cylinder engine or the Azera. By the way my son who leases 2 cars, and had to replace his Honda CRV was convinced, by me, to at least try the Santa Fe, and I had spoken to the sales manager to let him know that he was going to have a tough time convincing him not to stay with Honda. He ended up leasing the Santa Fe. You have to convince your wife that the flying H is not a step down. Good luck! Don
#15 of 32 Sonata better than Azera in terms of reliability & durability ??? by njalan Jul 10, 2008 (7:54 am)
Posting numbers 8 thru 14 all gave down-to-earth advice for which I am grateful. However, Dr. Don (#14 drdonrs) pointed out his 06 Azera had "...steering wheel replaced twice, ...new front shocks installed, ... timing chain tensioner replaced" all in less than 2 years and under 16,000 miles. That raises the issue of reliability and/or durability. At the same time, there was no such issue mentioned in his 06 Sonata.   My wife actually sat in an 09 Sonata back seat when I test-drove it last month in a nearby Hyundai dealership. She declined to test-drive the car. She expressed some interest when she saw the 08 Azera in the showroom later. I have to admit that I never heard the name Azera (until I participated in this forum) and was surprised to see such a beautiful car in a Hyundai dealership, Sorrrrrrrrry. We just came in to see the Sonata.   If we ever have a chance of owning a Korean car, I think my wife would pick the Azera over Sonata, although I very much would like to buy the latter. For me the fuel efficiency factor alone on the Sonata scores a lot of points. Since I am a senior citizen already and she is not too far behind, we are not in a hurry to go anywhere (especialy in no rush to go to the cemetery, a wishful thinking).   Now I have a tall order for you folks out there. Just in terms of reliability and durability, which is a better car to own in the next 5 plus years?   Sincerely,   njalan   p.s. Did I hear that the Azera might be discontinued in 2010 or 2011 after the all new RWD is out? (My wife and I have no interest in a RWD car.) Replies to this message: drdonrs (Jul 10, 2008 8:45 am) auld_dawg (Jul 10, 2008 8:58 am) cobrazera (Jul 11, 2008 3:10 am)
#16 of 32 Re: Sonata better than Azera in terms of reliability & durability ??? [njalan] by drdonrs Jul 10, 2008 (8:45 am)
Replying to: njalan (Jul 10, 2008 7:54 am) njalan, actually my Sonata had the timing chain tensioner replaced (these were all issued TSB's) and because I had an exce4llent relationship with the service manager he also authorised replacement of the rear shocks. The shock situation is a factor that creates, for some, a suspension that is somewhat noisier than some individuals like. It happens going over "rippled' pavement at around 35 to 40 mph. You can look up the postings regarding suspension here at Edmund's and at the other web-site, Hyundai Forums. It absolutely doesn't detract from the overall ambiance of the Azera or the Sonata. If you look up the distress some new car owners have with other models, and that includes Honda, Toyota, and some of the luxury names, you will come to realize that the Hyundai product is, in most cases , equal to or better than many others. As an aside if you want to give your wife a treat then buy the Azera with all the toys except maybe a built in GPS which is a waste. I have a Garmin which I can move between the 2 cars and it's next to foolproof. You should be able to save a goodly amount of money on the purchase price as compared to other comparable models. Take your spouse out for a ride in both cars over the type of roads that you normally drive on. The difference between the Sonata and Azera is more luxury and more room. I love my Sonata but if we are driving anyplace of any distance from home, it's a no brain er. It is the Azera. Don
#17 of 32 Re: Sonata better than Azera in terms of reliability & durability ??? [njalan] by auld_dawg Jul 10, 2008 (8:58 am)
Replying to: njalan (Jul 10, 2008 7:54 am) Actually, the Sonata had the timing chain tensioner and "thunking" problem {front suspension} in 06 too. Both issues taken care of long before the 09 model year came out.   The 09 Azera is out now, and these two issues are also history in the Azera. I haven't heard about the steering wheel issue, that I'm not sure of..........   Even all dressed out, the Sonata will cost less to own over the next five years, taking things like fuel costs {which will probably continue to rise} into account. Whether a Sonata will be any more durable is a question, the Azera too has improved.........   Good luck on the "badge" question. When I made the decision to go with the Sonata, I wound up getting a lot of static over the decision from my g/f {now ex}. An Acura TL would probably have been ok, an Accord maybe... but a Hyundai? Even sharing my research, and letting her see the the issues raised on the Accord forum over the 08s wasn't as important to her as the "badge" issue........   Good luck..........
#18 of 32 Re: Sonata better than Azera in terms of reliability & durability ??? [njalan] by cobrazera Jul 11, 2008 (3:10 am)
Replying to: njalan (Jul 10, 2008 7:54 am) We have owned an '06 Azera for 16K miles and a bit over a year and a half, and also have chipping on the steering wheel which consists of 3 or 4 spots of about 1/8" diameter where the shiny outer layer has chipped off from a ring or keys. It shouldn't happen, but is not even worth a trip to the dealer to fix. The suspension, except for some minor harshness and noise on very rough pavement, suits us very well with good control and a smooth and quiet ride. We could get the struts replaced under warranty, but again, not worth a trip to the dealer, IMO. I guess it all depends on whether you expect your car to be absolutely perfect. If we had spent $40K-$50K, we'd expect perfection, but not at the $25K we spent for ours. The Azera is worlds better than the $42K Jag we traded, though. Bottom line: our Azera has been to the dealer twice - for oil changes. Who knows what the future holds, but just in case, there's the 10 year/100K warranty.
#19 of 32 Sonata vs. Azera by wamba2000 Jul 16, 2008 (12:18 pm)
Njalan, I went through this same process a couple years ago. We went in looking at the Sonata, ended up saying, "what it that" when we saw the Azera. After over two years and 17000 miles, the only things repaired have been the rear shade screen was crooked ( fixed by dealer under warranty) and a piece of the under car cladding came loose ( there was a TSB about this, fixed under warranty.) My steering whell has a few chips, but I just never seem to need to take the Azera in for service, so I'll get around to having it replaced one of these days.   In the meantime, the Azera has proven to be so comformtable, mileage ranging from about 18-19 in all town driving and high 20's on highway. It is quiet and very comfortable. It is my wife's car to drive, and she greatly appreciates the comfort and looks of the car.   My suggestion: go with the Azera, if it will make her happy. The difference in mileage and upkeep isn't worth mentioning.   PS, Because of my Azera experience, we now also have a Santa Fe and an Elantra in the family. Hyundai, much to mine and others suprise, has it's act together on quality and my dealer has been just fine to work with.
#20 of 32 Azera Limited or Sonata Limited? by budh Oct 03, 2008 (5:57 pm)
Not only do I have the 2009 Azera Limited (preferably with no option package, although tough to find) on my radar screen, so is the 2009 Sonata Limited V6 and, to a lesser degree, the Honda Accord EX-L 4-cylinder.   As for the Sonata Limited V6, is the Azera Limited worth the extra money over it? Is the Azera significantly quieter and smoother? Are there are other attributes to the Azera that make it worth the extra money and 3 mpg less than the V6 Sonata?   I admit one appeal to the Azera is how few of them you see on the road.   And any comments comparing to the Accord would also be appreciated.   Bud H
#21 of 32 Re: Conpare Azera with Sonata [oskidunker1] by sonaz Oct 11, 2008 (6:56 am)
Replying to: oskidunker1 (May 27, 2007 4:01 pm) Probably too late now, but here goes:   I initially passed on a 2007 Sonata because of the short seats which were not as supportive as what I needed for long drives. But ended up getting one mainly for my wife who loves it. Limited 6 Cyl 3.5 .  I like it too, and the seats are ok for about a 1 hour drive in the NY metro area. We get about 21mpg around town, and up to 31 with steady high speed driving.   Later, I got a 2007 Azera for myself, as I needed the more solid seating for long (4+ hours) trips. I get 30 mpg at steady highway speeds 60-65 mph, slightly less if I go 70-75. 16-20 mpg in town, depending on traffic, roads taken, time of day, etc. I got the 3.8 l but the 3.5 motor is probably would have been adequate. The 3.8 has about 34 more HP .   I'd have done bettter with a 2008 because they tightened up the front end a bit. The 2007 does lean a bit in corners as you observed.   Any dealer service will be costly, compared to non-dealer. I haven't had any real service issues (except tires had to be replaced when new on the Azera, and brake rotors on the Sonata had rusted on the lot - had to be re-ground)   Regards, Hal in NJ Replies to this message: budh (Oct 14, 2008 3:16 pm) cobrazera (Oct 15, 2008 2:55 am) oskidunker1 (Oct 16, 2008 7:13 am) and 8 more...
#22 of 32 Re: Conpare Azera with Sonata [sonaz] by budh Oct 14, 2008 (3:16 pm)
Replying to: sonaz (Oct 11, 2008 6:56 am) The recent posts from a few owners on how their new 640 shocks are not working out for them is making me greatly reconsider my 2009 Azera Limited purchase. It would be nice to know if the 2009 models have similar issues, but it might be awhile before I find out about anyone with similar issues on a 2009 model.   Perhaps back to the drawing board on what car to buy: Accord, Sonata, Azera, all on my list, but it would be great to get a somewhat luxurious car with good headroom and moderately decent gas mileage for close to $30K or less!   Any other choices out there if not the Azera?   Bud H Replies to this message: cobrazera (Oct 15, 2008 2:55 am) oskidunker1 (Oct 16, 2008 7:13 am) budh (Oct 16, 2008 5:06 pm) and 6 more... donna388 (Oct 16, 2008 5:12 pm)

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