Ask the Car People.SM


2011 Hyundai Sonata

5326 messages,  Last post on Feb 15, 2013 at 11:34 AM

You are in the Hyundai Sonata Forum.

What is this discussion about? Hyundai Sonata, Future Vehicle, Sedan

Messages Page 443 of 533

#4420 of 5326 Now Comes the Hybrid-Sonata by jerryk33

Oct 11, 2010 (9:02 am)

My personal opinion is somewhat based on the technology reviews for this newer model due soon. (I hope) In any case it is MY choice for my next new car. The Buick, Ford, Toyota and other Hybrid's do not appear to have the technical advantage here. Hyundai appears to be the clear winner. I will wait for 3-six months after release to purchase.
 
I am the proud owner of a 2002 Maxima with 88K miles which was and is an amazing automobile!

#4421 of 5326 Re: Buick Regal vs. Sonata [cincyhoya] by priggly

Oct 11, 2010 (4:41 pm)

Replying to: cincyhoya (Oct 11, 2010 6:08 am)
To me, the dealer argument is loose, at best
 
Actually, is is not so "loose."
 
Break down in your new Sonata in, say, Cody, WY and you are in for a 92 mile tow whereas if you break down in your new Regal, the nearest Buick dealer is around the block.

#4422 of 5326 Re: Buick Regal vs. Sonata [priggly] by cincyhoya

Oct 11, 2010 (7:53 pm)

Replying to: priggly (Oct 11, 2010 4:41 pm)
Well - can't argue with that. Geography certainly matters, absolutely. In fairness, I guess you'd have to say the same thing about Audi or other brands you might not find before you get to Bozeman or Billings. But point taken - that's certainly something you'd need to consider
 
It's funny, between my wife and I, we've owned 5 new cars (2000 Focus, 2003 Liberty, 2005 Hyundai Elentra GT, 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe and 2011 Hyundai Sonata) and have never had a dealership experience we really liked (cars purchased in Cincinnati OH, Greenbelt MD, Alexandria VA, and the last two in Fairfield OH). I don't know if it's an age thing (we're both 32), a lack of trust, or what, but I always feel like dealerships scream rip-off at every corner. I'd guess it would only take one really good relationship to change my mind, but I still come back to the dealer point is pretty personal.
 
Priggly - do you drive a Buick or have you? How have your dealership experiences been? Just curious - maybe it's a geography thing or maybe it's a brand thing. I'm actually interested in this because my wife and I both agree that we could see moving up to an Enclave and Lacrosse, respectively, next time around. Buick's doing some great things design wise and certainly has my interest - the price tag isn't quite right just yet.

#4423 of 5326 Re: Buick Regal vs. Sonata [cincyhoya] by priggly

Oct 12, 2010 (12:23 am)

Replying to: cincyhoya (Oct 11, 2010 7:53 pm)
32, eh??! Makes me feel old! I have been buying new cars since 1977 and have owned one or more cars from most mainstream manufacturers from Audi to VW.
 
During the 70s to the end of the last century I only owned only two cars from a domestic maker and that was GM (1979 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and 1985 Chevrolet Cavalier). The reason was that virtually all the offerings of the domestic makers during the period stated were literally junk. If you wanted quality you had to go import. [That is also how I know that the dealer network is important. I needed urgent repairs on a 1984 BMW 533i in 1985 and really had to hunt for a dealer. Fortunately, I was not too far from a major city in the mid-South and so it was not too much of a bother but had I been in northern WY I would have been out of luck!]
 
That has all changed now. Since the beginning of this century the Big Three, all three of them, have been offering increasingly better cars and SUVs and the offerings of the imports have been deteriorating. In my opinion and based upon three and one-half decades of buying and enthusiastically following cars, the domestics now offer the best combination of quality, features, value and practicality.
 
As far as dealership experiences are concerned, I have had good and bad experiences at both import and domestic dealerships in different parts of both the U.S. and Canada. It is not possible, at least based on my experiences, to make generalizations with the possible exception that if the car is a so-called exclusive or high-dollar brand, such as BMW, the service experience may be a bit more upscale (and so is the cost) but that is not a given.
 
Of the two vehicles I currently own, a 1997 Subaru Outback and a 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS, the Chevy has proven to be the more reliable car and the dealer experiences have been superior overall although that statement must be qualified by the fact that I have had far more exposure to Subaru dealerships than Chevy dealerships as I have owned the Subaru for nine more years. I would also point out that I have had fewer, far fewer problems with the Chevy during its first four years than with the Subaru during its first four years.
 
Although I have not yet owned a Buick, I have been following their quality development for the last decade quite closely and their product offerings have unquestionably been getting better and better. The new LaCrosse and Regal are both forces to be reckoned with and I would have absolutely no reservations owning either. Their reliability ratings now equal or exceed those of Lexus.
 
http://www.jdpower.com/autos/ratings/dependability-ratings-by-brand/
 
The Buick price is a bit higher than some but is generally less than others considered premium brands.
 
GM, Ford and Chrysler are definitely all on the right track now and that is good for the domestic producers and buyers alike.

#4424 of 5326 Re: Buick Regal vs. Sonata [cincyhoya] by nj2pa2nc

Oct 12, 2010 (5:11 am)

Replying to: cincyhoya (Oct 11, 2010 7:53 pm)
We used to have the same feeling about getting car service at dealerships-ripoff. That all changed when we bought a 03 sonata in Nov. 02. The car had less than 100 miles on it when the transmission locked up. We drove it back to the dealer very slowly. The service advisor (he only started there a few weeks before) was great and went out of his way to be helpful. Long story-made short-the transmission was changed. It is now almost 8 years later-that advisor is now the service manager. We have moved to NC but did buy our '11 sonata from this dealer and still try to have our car serviced there. The dealer is in PA.

#4425 of 5326 Manual transmission 2011 Sonata by scottl

Oct 13, 2010 (10:20 am)

I'm looking for a manual transmission Sonata GLS anywhere from California to Illinois. There is only one in the state of CO, and it is not my favorite color.
 
Apparently either there is huge demand for the 6-speed manual versions, or the dumb azz dealers just want to extract another $1K out of every sale.
 
If anyone knows of a 6-speed for under $19K anywhere in the Midwest/West, post it here.

#4426 of 5326 Re: Manual transmission 2011 Sonata [scottl] by nj2pa2nc

Oct 13, 2010 (11:01 am)

Replying to: scottl (Oct 13, 2010 10:20 am)
while having our 05 elantra serviced at our hyundai dealer we decided to look at the new sonata. This was on 7/27. We were very surprised to find they had numerous sonatas with manual transmission. We ended up trading our 05 elantra for a venetian red 6MT sonata. Before trade the price with the repeat owner rebate of $500.00 was $17,500. Keep searching=great car but do wish it had more options-sunroof, power seats, etc)Oh the dealer was in PA.

#4428 of 5326 Re: Manual transmission 2011 Sonata [sellinhyundais] by scottl

Oct 13, 2010 (11:35 am)

I wish I could find more than one in CO.
 
Manuals are still popular here and it is always a pain because they don't deal on them much. OH and PA are a little too far. KS UT NE AZ OK NM???

#4429 of 5326 Rear seat folding? by scottl

Oct 13, 2010 (12:49 pm)

I can't find anywhere on the sorely lacking Hyundai website whether the rear seat folds flat.
 
It would be a deal-killer for me if it doesn't.

Messages Page 443 of 533

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement