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Hyundai Sonata vs Honda Accord - READ ONLY

664 messages,  Last post on Oct 12, 2007 at 4:33 PM

You are in the Hyundai Sonata Forum.

What is this discussion about? Hyundai Sonata, Honda Accord, Car Comparisons, Sedan

Messages Page 35 of 68

#332 of 664 Re: Let's compare fairly [elroy5] by kingsalmon

Oct 03, 2007 (6:42 pm)

Replying to: elroy5 (Sep 29, 2007 7:50 am)
I kinda agree, although if looks and style are decent, that would make it even better.
 
I have a Hyundai Elantra 2005 and I think it looks okay but not the most beautiful car out there. Wish I waited for the Sonata. Anyhow, it drives better than my 2003 Civic ever could wish for. And it had no problems where as my civic had multiple electrical failures.
 
I have to admit, the Elantra eats a little more gas than my civic did, but then again, my civic I drove mostly hwy miles so who knows.
 
So yeah, function and then style are at the top of my list. If i wanted to be flashy, I wouldn't even think about Hyundai or Honda. I just want to drive around in a decent looking car that will reliably will get me to where I want to go. Very simple really...

#333 of 664 Re: Let's compare fairly [elroy5] by shado4

Oct 04, 2007 (4:35 am)

Replying to: elroy5 (Oct 03, 2007 2:41 pm)
All my cars were bought new. There was a mistake in my list, the Ford Focus was actually a Ford Escort (duh!...now I know why the car was completely forgetable!). I started buying cars in 1984 and kept them anywhere from 2 to 5.5 years each. So 8 cars over the course of 23 years. Everything from a 2-door coupe, 3-door hatchback, 4-door sedan, and 5-door hatchback to an SUV! Who knows, maybe a pickup truck is in my future.
 
The Hyundai was the one I kept the longest. I test drove the Sonata thinking it would be my next car but didn't want something that big. The Lancer came out of nowhere, and I was impressed with its styling and features.
 
Let me ask you something. When you get ready to trade in your Accord, will you test drive other makes or go straight to the Honda dealership and say "Here's my old Accord, I want a new one." I guess I have trouble understanding that way of thinking.

#334 of 664 Re: Let's compare fairly [shado4] by kdshapiro

Oct 04, 2007 (5:32 am)

Replying to: shado4 (Oct 04, 2007 4:35 am)
"Here's my old Accord, I want a new one." I guess I have trouble understanding that way of thinking."
 
I typically jump around purchasing cars. Nissan is the only manufacturer to have three cars in a row purchased. While they were definitely okay, I would not get another Nissan or for that matter my first Infiniti.
 
But I completely understand the philosophy of "stick with a winner". There is a reason Accord owners "blindly" purchase a new Accord. While some at edmunds may not understand the "stick with a winner" philosophy or even assign it another "name", it seems Honda does the right thing for it's customers. Sales numbers don't lie.

#335 of 664 Re: Let's compare fairly [kdshapiro] by shado4

Oct 04, 2007 (7:18 am)

Replying to: kdshapiro (Oct 04, 2007 5:32 am)
I guess my confusion comes from the possibility that there could now be a "better" car out there than a Honda based on your current needs or wants. But if you "blindly" purchase the same brand every time without test driving other makes, how are you to know?
 
If you test drive other makes and still come back to the Honda, that's all well and good. I have no problem with that. I just don't see the logic in ignoring other cars from the outset simply because they are not built by Honda (or Nissan, or Chevy, or Audi, or....you get the idea).

#336 of 664 Re: Let's compare fairly [shado4] by robertsmx

Oct 04, 2007 (8:13 am)

Replying to: shado4 (Oct 04, 2007 7:18 am)
Why do you care? Some people like to stay within their comfort zone. If something works, don’t mess with it. Then there are some people like me, who get opportunities to drive a variety of cars for various reasons. At this very moment, besides my two cars (98 Accord and 06 TL), I have 07 Sonata (rental) parked on the drive way which will be exchanged for another tomorrow morning. Would I need to test drive another Sonata? No. I have plenty of seat time on it. In fact, I have probably put about 15K miles on last two generations of Sonata. This doesn’t work with all cars though. Accords are extremely rare to find at rental lots so to experience one, test driving at a dealership becomes a necessity. This would be the same reason I didn’t feel the need to “test drive” a Camry or Taurus back in Fall 97. But I did consider a variety of cars.
 
However, with my experience over the years, I’m leaning more towards the first category, where I may have found my comfort zone. So, my list is going to be much smaller than it was ten years ago. In fact, there may not be a list at all. I could find better use for my time.
 
And it is not a case of "simply (not) built by Honda". It is more about what other manufacturers have delivered in the past and in the present. This is where brand loyalty steps in, and for very good reasons.

#337 of 664 Re: Let's compare fairly [robertsmx] by backy

Oct 04, 2007 (8:30 am)

Replying to: robertsmx (Oct 04, 2007 8:13 am)
If someone wants to stay in their "comfort zone" and stick to one brand, or one model, that's their choice. The downside of that approach is that it doesn't account for the major changes that are taking place in the automotive world. Who would have thought a few years ago that a Hyundai would be seen by many people, including the consensus automotive press, as strong competition for the Accord? If someone last drove a Sonata in, say, 2004, they would have an outdated view of how the Sonata stacks up against the Accord. That's why I think it's worth the time to take a look at all current choices before buying a car, especially if it will be kept for many years. Otherwise, yuou really don't know if something else would meet your needs, and maybe for a lot less money.
 
I am glad I broke from my Japanese-car "comfort zone" several years ago and took a look at other options, including the Focus and Elantra, before making the automatic choice for a Civic. I didn't like some of the things I saw in the Focus, but I found to my surprise that I liked the Elantra more than the Civic, not considering the price differential. But with the price difference, it was a really easy decision. Did it take some of my time? Sure. Most of it was in research on forums like this, auto mags, etc. But I had to go out and drive the cars, so that took a few hours total. Time well spent, IMO, given that I drove that car for 5-1/2 years (and it's still in my family) and it led to my purchasing a 2nd Elantra a few years later, and that car will be in the family for at least 10 years.
 
If someone doesn't have the time or desire to check out the options, OK, that's their business. For me, buying a car is too big a purchase to not take some time to make the best choice possible for me, at that time, with my money.

#338 of 664 Re: Let's compare fairly [robertsmx] by shado4

Oct 04, 2007 (9:06 am)

Replying to: robertsmx (Oct 04, 2007 8:13 am)
Not so much care as curious. When I see statements like "Will I ever buy another brand of car? Not until an Accord fails to meet my expectations," it just strikes me as a sure-fire way to limit your exposure to lots of great cars being sold today.
 
I'm a "free spirit," with no brand loyalty. Because of this I've been able to experience a wide variety of different makes and models. I've done the American 4WD SUV thing, the German turbocharged pocket rocket thing, the Korean basic transportation thing, and the Japanese reliability thing.
 
Makes me wonder what I haven't done yet...

#339 of 664 Re: Let's compare fairly [shado4] by thegraduate

Oct 04, 2007 (9:20 am)

Replying to: shado4 (Oct 04, 2007 9:06 am)
Makes me wonder what I haven't done yet...
 
THe Japanese Reliability/Pocket Rocket Combo? (Civic Si, etc). The Hybrid thing. The AWD car thing (Subaru, etc). There's still others you haven't stated! Others are cross-cultural (Japanese AWD Sedan, etc).

#340 of 664 Re: Let's compare fairly [shado4] by kdshapiro

Oct 04, 2007 (9:27 am)

Replying to: shado4 (Oct 04, 2007 7:18 am)
"But if you "blindly" purchase the same brand every time without test driving other makes, how are you to know?"
 
It's not worth the amount of money my time would cost me to find something "better" for my needs. For example, I have my sights set on the 335, I have no intention of test driving the G37 to find out if it actually is "better" and cheaper, I just don't care enough.

#341 of 664 Re: Let's compare fairly [backy] by kdshapiro

Oct 04, 2007 (9:30 am)

Replying to: backy (Oct 04, 2007 8:30 am)
"Who would have thought a few years ago that a Hyundai would be seen by many people, including the consensus automotive press, as strong competition for the Accord?"
 
I view it as weak competition, and since it's my dollars I get to vote with my dollars. Sales numbers of Accord vs Sonota don't lie. You are not going to get people who are extremely satisified with Accord to move elsewhere.

Messages Page 35 of 68

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