[Taz1126]

I'm looking for the Good, Bad and Ugly on this one.

My gfriend is looking to get a new car, and has her eye on a Hyundai Sonata. For ~$20,000 you can't seem to beat the feature set (and 5yr/60k warranty).

It seems a bit underpowered however:
138hp 4cyl / 145 ft lbs
170hp 6cyl / 181 ft lbs

Anyone know anyone with good/bad luck with this car?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[rollininstyle2004]

Lets see how can i put this nicely

HYUNDAI= uke:

 

[Macabre]

It's a Korean VW without the panache or attention to detail. High on features, low on engine output, poor reliability. They do feel pretty nice inside. Never driven one though. They've done some amazing things to the brand but it's a bit of a gamble. I'd consider an Accord LX 4-cyl over the Sonata V6..

 

[jwaters943]

It's a Korean VW without the panache or attention to detail. High on features, low on engine output, poor reliability. They do feel pretty nice inside. Never driven one though. They've done some amazing things to the brand but it's a bit of a gamble. I'd consider an Accord LX 4-cyl over the Sonata V6..

Couldn't have said it better myself. However, Hyundai seems to be improving rapidly whereas VW seems to be making reliability improvements at a snails pace.

 

[Taz1126]

Thanks for the insight.

We just got home from test driving a Sonata v6 and an Accord LX 4 cyl.

Surprisingly, the Sonata was a much nicer car than I had thought it would be, but when you look at the overall picture, we really liked the Accord better.

We are going to go back and test a v6 Accord (240 hp) - SWEET

We'll see.... I wish I knew someone who owns a Sonata to get a little more feedback on them.

Thanks again!

 

[Z28Driver]

My family has owned 3 hyundais.. the first one lasted 140k miles without any major issue...the 2nd is at 12k miles in 6 months with no problems and my wifes new car is much better equipped then anything else in its price class...while people may quote poor reliability I don't see too many other people offering the kind of warranties hyundai is...and considering they recently placed second in reliability in a survey I read I suppose they are improving..I really don't think you could find a similiar car for the same money at the moment with the market how it is. Thats my 2 cents good luck

 

[psm0110]

They may make a decent car for the money. Personally, I've never shopped for one. Mostly because I take issue with their handouts to North Korea ($400,000,000) and involvement in hiding an additional $100,000,000 from the South Korean govt has a bribe for the North to participate in "peace talks". Have to wonder how much dough it takes to get a nuclear program out of mothballs...


http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,986680,00.html

 

[TDIBUGMAN]

I don't mind some Hyundais - Santa Fe's, Tiburon V6's and Elantras are good cars.
For some reason though, I can't seem to think the Sonata is as good as the class leaders - Subie Legacy (yes, under 20K with AWD), Accord, Camry.
The Elantra and those mentioned above are much better than their competitors, though.

 

[Elias]

Unfortunately Hyundai got a bad rap when they first appeared here back in the mid 80’s. Yes some if not all left much to be desired. I have recommended Hyundai’s to all those who ask me about a reasonable car purchase. Several have purchased a Hyundai with no complaints. Im not going to get into details but they all use them as daily drivers. I see most of them often and are very happy with the purchase.

Hyundai does not use top shelf material, however their material isn’t that bad when compared with comparable Honda’s, Toyota’s and Nissans, especially when considering price! Hyundai utilizes left over technology from the 80’s that everyone else has abandoned. Not that the 80’s Japanese cars were bad… its just that everyone else has moved on to more advanced components.

Although Hyundai’s engines do not have as much output when compared to the others, the difference, once again compared to price is minimal IMHO.

From a Warranty perspective, Hyundai is a very large company, they would not take a gamble on the present warranty, as did VW if they were not confident in their product. Notwithstanding details, as far as the warranty repair data provided by the manufacturer… they are not bad at all.

Having driven plenty of rental cars on my business trips… Galant, Altima, Camry, Optima, Sonata, I fail to see, at least after driving them for approximately 500-800 miles, where the competition is “better” than Hyundai. Once again considering the price difference.

 

[Altair 4]

However, Hyundai seems to be improving rapidly whereas VW seems to be making reliability improvements at a snails pace.

My mother-in-law recently bought an Accent. I was expecting this to really be an unpleasant vehicle. But after washing and waxing it and taking a little test drive, I have to say that I was impressed. Now, don't get me wrong, this is not cutting edge technology or design by any means. But the car felt like it was put together well - no squeaks or creaks in the cabin. Seemed solid on the road - the DOHC definitely wanted to go, but was limited by the automatic tranny. Under the hood, servicing looked like it would be a snap - everything seemed to be readily accessible without shrouds, belly pans, etc to slow things down. Paint and finish seemed fine. For the money and the warranty, I'd give serious thought to Hyundai if the price range fits you.

I told my wife that I thought that Hyundai was going to be really something in another 5 years, based on the huge leaps in quality, construction and material I saw over the last 15 years. Once they get the styling under control, they may be giving the Japanese a run for the money.

 

[sentraSR20]

Unfortunately for Hyundai, it's still paying penance for the Excels it shipped here in the 80's. Since I'm shopping for cars in that price range for my g/f's parents now, I've been scraping up as much knowledge as I can about every car in my consideration. The Sonata GLS V6, Accord LX 4 cylinder, Mitsubishi Galant ES 4 cylinder and Camry LE 4 cylinder are the main cars I'm considering. For the money, you cannot beat the Hyundai's feature content, hands down. The interior quality is actually pretty good too. Driving one with the Manu-matic, it feels sprightly, but definitely not a very fast car. The V6 engine is adequate in it's power, but it is smooth and makes all the right noises. Unfortunately, in my case, her parents are looking to lease. In which case, Hyundai is definitely not the way to go, with such low residuals. Buying is another story. If you are considering the Accord LX 4 cylinder, you will be paying about a $1000 more for a car with less features, but with a proven reliability history. If the 10 year warranty isn't enough to make you confident in the Hyundai, then I suggest taking the Accord LX or Camry LE. Both can be had for under $18,000 (no options), while the Hyundai GLS V6 is priced nicely at around $16-16500 . The Mitsubishi is another car to consider as well. Galant ES V6's can be had for less than $17k, though the styling is a bit outdated. The Galant drove nicely and has fully independant suspension all around. (No twist beam in the rear). Feature wise, you'll be getting roughly what you get in the Accord LX and Camry LE.

Make sure you check www.carsdirect.com for a competitive price and any rebates or incentives that may be current on the vehicles you are considering, so you can be on a level playing field with the dealer.

Good luck!

 

[Altair 4]

Unfortunately for Hyundai, it's still paying penance for the Excels it shipped here in the 80's.

Yeah, but their previous North American entry (sold only in Canada), the Pony, made the Excel look like a product on the technological bleeding edge. Small car, slab body panels, rear wheel drive, dunno about the engine size, but I'd guess tiny.

The Mitsubishi is another car to consider as well. Galant ES V6's can be had for less than $17k, though the styling is a bit outdated. The Galant drove nicely and has fully independant suspension all around. (No twist beam in the rear). Feature wise, you'll be getting roughly what you get in the Accord LX and Camry LE.

I think Consumers Report dropped their rating on the Gallant. If you put credence in CR, you might want to check where the Mitsu stands with them.