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Buying a Used Hyundai Sonata

23 messages,  Last post on Sep 10, 2010 at 12:09 PM

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What is this discussion about? Hyundai Sonata, Sedan

Messages Page 3 of 3

#14 of 23 Need A Reality Check On An '07 Sonata GLS I'm Looking At... by kjarrett

May 22, 2010 (1:32 am)

Hi everyone, .
 
I am in the market for an 06-07 Sonata GLS for my college age daughter. Just went to see one and decided to walk away. Wondering if I made the right call!
 
Car in question is an '07 GLS with a 4 cyl., pretty much what she's looking for. Guy is asking $9,500. Car has 62k miles and is in decent shape. Edmunds TMV is about $8,000 (private party value, good condition). Has had regular oil changes but only the 52,500 mile service at the dealer, not the 60,000 (or any others). Front end alignment is off, driver's side front tire is noticeably worn more than the passenger side, but the car doesn't pull, even when hard braking. Trunk lid has some light damage but opens and closes fine. Body had a couple of chips where rust was forming underneath but the paint overall was in good condition. Overall it appears to be a solid car. Drives well.
 
My concerns are the missing 60k service and the alignment. I know what the 60k service entails and I need to make some calls to find out what it costs to have done (only for the exact items in the owner's manual). I also need a price on an alignment (4-wheel, I presume). Can anyone here give me a ballpark on those? I'm in New Jersey.
 
What would you offer this guy for the car knowing the above? We're just starting our search for a Sonata (it's the 2nd one we've looked at) and we've got cash so we're in no rush. Still, it was hard to walk away, my daughter really wanted this car. I just wasn't feeling the love...
 
Thanks for any input,
 
-kj-

#16 of 23 Re: Need A Reality Check On An '07 Sonata GLS I'm Looking At... [kjarrett] by LASHAWN

May 22, 2010 (5:33 am)

Replying to: kjarrett (May 22, 2010 1:32 am)
To bad you don't live here in GA, I would have sold you my 06 LX for $9500.00. It's a V6 with 69k miles, 6-disc mp3 radio/cd player, leather seats, heated front seats, brand new OEM Michelins, 17" alloy wheels, sunroof, rear deck spoiler, and all services done by local Hyundai dealer. But to answer your question, I'd probably only offer $6500-$7500. The 60k service is gonna run you between $300.00 to $500.00 anyway depending on the dealer performing the service.

#17 of 23 Re: Need A Reality Check On An '07 Sonata GLS I'm Looking At... [kjarrett] by backy

May 22, 2010 (5:41 am)

Replying to: kjarrett (May 22, 2010 1:32 am)
I think you did the right thing by walking away. First, the car is way overpriced--it's NOT in "good" condition, and it's $1500 more than Edumunds' price for "good". The lack of servicing throughout its lifetime is a huge red flag, IMO. That tells me that the car might have been abused in other ways, also. The 60k service is one of the biggest, will probably cost a few hundred bucks, but at least a timing belt change is not needed (it has a timing chain). One thing to check is the brakes. Some Sonatas are prone to rear brake problems if they are not serviced regularly, especially in areas where road salt is used. I'll bet these brakes were never touched. If not, it's possible it'll need new pads if not new rotors--that is pretty expensive.
 
For not much more, you could get a similar car that truly is in "good" condition, and maybe with some factory warranty left. I recommend you keep looking. There's lots of '06-7 Sonatas out there. I bought a used '07 last November from a dealer with 38k miles, and it was in like-new condition--traded a Rabbit that had a value of about $10k on it. Wife loves it. Good luck.

#18 of 23 Re: Need A Reality Check On An '07 Sonata GLS I'm Looking At... [backy] by kjarrett

May 22, 2010 (4:30 pm)

Replying to: backy (May 22, 2010 5:41 am)
Outstanding 411 ... thanks. Appreciate the confirmation of our decision and the perspectives on the situation. We're in no rush and we've got cash so we can afford to wait for the right deal. Thanks again! -kj-

#19 of 23 2004 Sonata: Is This A Good Buy? by diana_elaine

Jun 19, 2010 (8:47 pm)

#20 of 23 2004 Sonata: Is This A Good Buy? by diana_elaine

Jun 19, 2010 (8:10 am)

I have a deposit on a 2004 Sonata, automatic 2.4 engine.
 
It's got the updated cloth seats, all standard options... in mint condition. Did a test drive, no pull .. great on highway, good pick up, everything works except one front side speaker, which dealer agreed to fix.
 
44,000 miles
 
Price dealer wanted: $7,990
Price I got it for: $7,100
 
I need a really dependable car, as I'm a woman on SSI and can't afford too many repairs. '
 
Would appreciate any and all opinions.
 
Diana

#21 of 23 Re: 2004 Sonata: Is This A Good Buy? [diana_elaine] by aqua33v6

Jun 19, 2010 (12:11 pm)

Replying to: diana_elaine (Jun 19, 2010 8:10 am)
The deal you got was about $800 to $1000 below the Kelly Blue Book MSRP for "excellent" condition w/45K miles. Pretty good deal.
 
The biggest maintenance items will be fuel filter replacement, spark plug and spark plug wire replacement, engine coolant replacement, and transmission fluid changes (I'd recommend "2 drain and fills" at a time so that most of the old trans fluid gets replaced).
 
The above four items should be done about every 50K miles, at a cost of around $500 to $600 depending on where you have it done. Other than that, just change the engine oil and filter every 5,000 miles, and change the engine air filter every 10K to 20K miles (depending on how dusty the air is where you live), and the car should run well for decades.
 
Figure about $3,500 to $4,000 in total maintenance costs (incl. tires, brakes, shocks, car washes, etc) for every 100,000 miles you drive, excluding the cost of gasoline and insurance, of course. So about $30 per month in maintenance if you drive 10,000 miles a year, $15/month if you drive 5,000 miles per year, etc....

#22 of 23 Re: 2004 Sonata: Is This A Good Buy? [aqua33v6] by diana_elaine

Jun 19, 2010 (8:47 pm)

Replying to: aqua33v6 (Jun 19, 2010 12:11 pm)
Thanks Aqua: good to know I got a good deal, and sounds like a dependable car.
 
I drive very little ... probably about 5,000 a year. I appreciate your advice on maintenance, I'll surely keep this little car in good shape. My car now is a Chrysler Concorde, so I'll miss the power of the engine, but the paint is peeling off everywhere, air conditioner went last summer, and other things are failing. It's time for a new ride ... but funny that I'll miss my Concorde.
 
Thanks again ....

#23 of 23 2009 Sonata GLS V6 by thegraduate

Sep 10, 2010 (12:09 pm)

Hi all!
 
Figured I'd make a quick post to let you know I bought an '09 GLS V6 in great condition (1 scrape on the mirror that isn't noticeable except when within three feet of it). Cocoa, camel interior. Moonroof and PEP, 48k miles. Certified, which includes the full balance of the 10/100k powertrain and 5/60k b2b warranty. Brand new tires, clean one-owner carfax.
 
$13,892 + $508 tax = $14,400 OTD.
 
Love it!

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