2013 and Earlier - Hyundai Sonata Prices Paid and Buying Experience

backy

Give it a try, you can do all the legwork through the Internet and email if you work with the Internet sales people at the dealerships. They usually are more straightforward to deal with also. Good luck!

bhmr59

The factory to dealer incentive was quietly announced a month ago.

http://theautochannel.com/news/2006/06/05/010045.html

Hope this helps.

hawk_sap

I plan to buy a 2006 Hyundai Sonata in CA (San Jose, to be exact). Want to have an idea about the fees that I shall pay. I know the following:

*. registration fee ($31)
*. tax (what's the rate?)
*. VLF, i.e., Vehicle License Fee (how much? I can't find any number from web)

Are there others? Thanks in advance for replying.

lightfootfl

Suggest you try calling your local tag registration office, and ask them what all of the fees, etc are.. they are the ones that would have the exact information.

vhreb123

yes, the rebate is given from Hyundai Motor Company to you, the buyer.

dcurran

I am having a problem in getting the CD player to play MP3 formatted CD's. All my files are already in MP3 format. The CD player says the disc is
"unreadable". The disc when finishing does say that it is finalizing as well, which I know is critical to get it to play. Could someone help out with troubleshooting this issue or has anyone else had this problem. I am using "Burn and Go" CD/DVD software. Thanks,

mrearl

As the choices get slimmer it seems the price is going up. Maybe they are feeling flush with so many sales from the good rebates? In the Omaha Council Bluffs area we have two dealers who claim they will do anything [one even said lose money] to make a deal.I wanted base LX and was only offered one in a color I didn't want for 18761 and this was with the 500 for being a Hyundai owner. With roof and cd changer, 19450 from one; and I believe 198XX from the other. I passed. The deal from your no haggle dealer is better than I was offered.

vhreb123

It's about time for me to choose a car. The problem is, I can't seem to make up my mind.

I have 3 cars that I am considering to buy.

1.06 Honda Civic LX with automatic transmission
2.06 Honda Accord VP with automatic transmission
3.06 Hyundai Sonata GLS with automatic transmission

The thing is that midsize cars like the Accord and Sonata is about $400 more a year in insurance cost than the Civic (Accord insurance is the most). However, I can get an Accord for just a little bit over the Civic. A out the door price I got on the Accord VP is $18,520.56 and on the Civic LX is $18,258.31. The Sonata out the door is under $18,000. But due to better fuel economy and $400 less a year in insurance on the Civic, I am struggling to pick out a car (The total cost to own will eventually make the Civic cost less). I do like the Accord and Sonata better because of more room and horsepower, but liking it won't save me any money, now will it?

Can somebody give me some input on this?

backy

If your main goal in buying a car is to save money, buy a used car. The current Accord has been around since the 2003 model year, so you should be able to find a good used one. The previous-generation Civic and Sonata were not as good as the current cars, but still decent. You could save big bucks on a 1-2 year old Sonata.

miamixt

In the Sonata 2006+ Forum there are 11 recent posts starting at #5869. Please read what I posted from the manual, # 5878. I got some mixed responses after posting what the factory says. Try another burning software on your computer (Real/Windows/Music Match...), & burn at the slowest Write speed possible, and change to a different type of Media. From the varied answers posted, I can tell who owns a 2006 Sonata with an MP3 Player, and who are the lookie loos

miamixt

San Jose, to be exact, has one of the highest State Tax rates at 8.25%. You can always purchase from another County where you can save up to 1%

http://www.boe.ca.gov/cgi-bin/rates.cgi?LETTER=S&LIST=CITY

shmoo777

hawk sap,

Here is the breakdown on the TTL fee's for my GLS V6 w/ Sunroof purchased in CA for $18,500 OTD. Sales tax was based on the before rebate price of $19,175.00

Doc Fee: $45.00
Sales Tax @ 8.25%: $1585.65
License: $186.00
CA Tire Fee: $8.75

The Sonata is a great car for the price. Good Luck with your purchase.

vhreb123

Used car, thanks but no thanks. The main reason is because a 2 or 3 year old Accord is still in the $15,000 range. I could buy a new 06 Hyundai Accent and still have money left over! If I do plan on buying used, I might as well get something that came out around the year 2000 so the price is somewhere around $10,000. There is one exception. I saw a certified 03 Accord EX Sedan 4 cylinder with automatic transmission for only $12,000! It even came with a free carfax report which was clean! I was pretty excited about it until I got to the dealership where all they said was it was sold. Unbelievable. I wasted about 40 miles of gas. It was probably a trick to lure people there. Tough luck.

dan42

Wondering if dealers are negotiating on the 07's yet, or is it too early.

vhreb123

If they have it in stock and you want it then go for it!
It depends on what your price range is and what trim you want. They only have $1000 rebate for the SE trim. You proably can't talk the price down too much until all the 06 inventory is sold.

mojo_lo

or you can use the CA DMV new car registration calculator:

https://vrir.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculatorWeb/newVehicleForm.do

gawd we have some stupid fees in this state such as the tire fee, all the silly smog and air quality fees. also, that calculator doesn't include the $25 "electronic filing fee", which allows us to receive our license plate "right away". you'd think electronic filing would be cheaper since there's less paperwork. :confuse:

don't know about the suggestion of buying in another county. i'm from San Fran county and bought in San Jose. was charged SF county sales tax of 8.5%.

mojo_lo

print both of these out:

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/06/05/010045.html

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200606/kt2006060518044511900.htm

however, don't be surprised if they say:

"that article is not current/correct"

"i know nothing about those incentives, and I met with our Hyundai rep on Tuesday. He would have told me."

"there are different incentives on different trim levels"

"no, we don't receive any factory to dealer incentives"

"ours is only $500 from the factory"

"ours is only $1000"

"they usually offer different incentives to different regions in the US"

"i got your email, but i didn't read the articles - the page wouldn't open up because it's in Korean"

etc., etc., etc.

literally, not one dealer admitted that there was a $2000 incentive...and only one went as far as admitting there was a $1000 incentive.

in the end, i got a GLS in the Bay Area for $15,800, a price i am satisifed with...and that's all that counts!

mojo_lo

good advice.

i use Nero, and it works a charm. i burned at 4x I think, although i'm pretty certain that 24x and up would work as well. i never like to burn anything at 52x. i burn "disc at once" and finalize the CD.

i'm using two types of media: "RiData" branded (media is made by RiTek of Taiwan, and purchased at Radio Shack) and "Office Depot" branded (actually made by RiTek as well). As far as CD-R's go, RiTek is a great manufacturer. also, if you can find Taiyo Yuden CD-R's, they are the best. finally, anything that is labeled Made in Japan (MIJ) is usually top notch stuff. not much stuff is MIJ anymore, but possibly you could find some Fuji, Sony, Verbatim or TDK that is MIJ (most is now Made in Taiwan - MIT). most important thing is to avoid the cheap no-name stuff like the plague. (if you're now confused, feel free to ask follow-up questions as blank media hunting is a tricky business, and there are people who devote their life to it)

also, once you get things going, it'll help to burn each album into a seperate folder on the CD-R as it's fairly easy to navigate folders in the Hyundai mp3 player. i've got a folderless CD-R filled with around 80 songs, and it's a pain to skip forward 40 songs.

overall, i'm quite satisfied with the mp3 player so far - so much better than a plain jane CD player.

gene_v

http://hyundaiusa.com/financing/specialoffers/special_offers.aspx

$2500 for V6
$1500 for I4

cajuncycler

Have any of you read the latest comparison test by Edmund between the Accord, Camry, Sonata and Fusion? Suddenly they are gushing over the new Camry, a $30K car that has a navigation system in it. The Sonata ended up 3rd behind the Accord and the Fusion dead last. However the testers admitted at the end of the story that even with the Sonata's "old" design (we're talking 07 model now) that it is the preferred vehicle of most of the testers. ?? I just looked on the internet and I can put a Tom Tom in my car for $800 if I desired a navigation system, which I don't. So far in my 53 years I have seldom ever gotten lost. I think that is why they invented road signs and maps. But c'mon, $30K, nearly twice what I paid for some styling I am only luke warm over and a more complicated dashboard with more junk to fiddle with instead of maintaining concentration on the road? How does Toyota justify that? The trunk isn't any bigger. The interior isn't bigger. Yeah it's got more horsepower but not any better fuel economy. The stereo isn't going to make Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reily sound any better to me. So I guess I will just have to be happy with my "outdated" 06 Sonata and will do all I can to wipe the smirk off my face when I see someone in one 'o' those snappy 07 Camrys.

miamixt

I just bought a TomTom too, and it was only $399. While I've just used it once, I am planning on leaving Florida in my Sonata, and I have no idea where I am going to go. I give Tom the Thumbs up!

bhmr59

Vacation or moving?

New England can be a nice place to visit in the summer, or Niagra Falls in NY/Canada.

miamixt

Thank you!. I just took an early retirement with the U.S. Government, and need to leave South Florida. I come from L.A., and I want to go somewhere I've never been before.

ctc1

I'm a Sonata owner and very happy with my car. That being said, if your able to buy a Accord for anywhere near the price of a Sonata then from a financial point of view your crazy not to buy it. In my case I couldn't get within $4000 of price so Sonata was a no brainer.

backy

It isn't possible in today's market to buy a comparably-equipped Accord for anywhere near the price of a Sonata, although if Hyundai keeps minimizing the rebates on the I4 models and you are willing to forgo some features such as ESC, you might get close with one of the low-end Accords. For example, I have seen the Value models under $17k, but that is for a very basic car.

motorhead5

I am looking to buy a 2006 Sonata GLS. I was hoping someone could help me with what is a fair price to pay for this car. I shopped around at several dealers and the best price I got without doing alot of negotiating is below. Both of the prices include the current rebates and some of the factory to dealer incentive. The prices listed are before TTL

2006 Sonata GLS I4 W/Sunroof $18,226
2006 Sonata GLS V6 W/Sunroof $18,561

I talked to the dealers about factory to dealer incentive and they both said it was around $500 dollars. I know these prices are high and there is room to negotiate. I read some of the posts and others were getting similar cars for around 16,000. I made an offer of $16,000 on the I4 and they said they would be losing money on the deal. Please let me know what you think would be a fair price to offer before TTL.

cajuncycler

Find another dealer. There are at least 4 listed within a hundred fifty miles of me. Bring them up on the internet and call them. For one thing don't look anxious to buy. Bring some brochures of comparable cars with you when you go to the next dealer and make him talk you out of buying the alternative car. I told the dealership when I was there the first 5 minutes that I was looking to spend no more than $17,000 on a car and to just show me what was on his lot for that. I told him what cars I had been looking at (other brands) and immediately the salesman showed me the car I bought (two weeks later)and quoted me a price of $16,995. When I went back they tried more than once to get me to pay $500 more than they quoted me but I just stared them down and told them it was $16,995 or I was outta there. I told them there are too many dealers around who want my business if they wouldn't negotiate. They did tell me originally they would agree to a $2000 trade in for my ten year old Saturn but when push came to shove they told me when they thought my signature was on the paperwork that they were giving me no more than $700 for it. I said no deal, took the Saturn home, paid them the $700 difference and sold the Saturn outright two weeks later for $1800. So it is possible to get what you want. Just let them know there are plenty of other dealers clamering for your money. BTW, $18,500 isn't a bad price for the V6 GLS with a sunroof. Offer them $18,000 and see what they say.

motorhead5

I tried the four dealers in my area. They are in about a 30 mile radius of one another. The prices I listed were the cheapest of the four. You said the 18,500 wasnt bad for the V6 what do you think is a fair price for the I4 then. I was thinking of offering them 17,200 for the I4.

Did you buy the V6 or 4 cylinder? How do you like the car so far?

cajuncycler

Mine is the GLS V6. The last car I owned was a 95 Saturn SC2 coupe that got a great 34 mpg constantly. However it was not much bigger than a go-cart. I chose the V6 even if it only does 23 to 25 mpg, because it better suits my needs. I did not even drive the I4. However I am not about to put it down. most of the vehicles I have owned were inline fours including 3 motorcycles in my garage. I just wanted to experience the power and smoothness of the V6. Of course you live in the great north and I live in the south nearer to where the cars are built so I would expect that they are probably a little cheaper here, especially when it comes to destination charges. A lot of dealers want a fortune for prep, special paint protectants and what knot, but mine didn't. That is one of the reasons I got it so cheap. Every area is different. I see Sonata's on Ebay being sold in Florida at dealers for nearly as cheap as I paid for mine. Have you considered buying out of state and driving it back? You will pay the taxes on the car for the area you live and the warranty is a factory warranty so any dealership basically has to honor it.

motorhead5

I have been checking other states around me Illinois and Michigan but not as far south as Florida. The Illinois dealers havent been much cheaper at all and it seems like the 2006 inventory isnt that great in Michigan.I guess if the deal is right it would be worth the trip. The dealer told me that the sunroof adds about 800 to the price. The dealer I have been working with doesnt have any in his inventory without sunroofs otherwise I might skip it. I am thinking of offering him 17,200 on the I4. I drove both of them and I was surprised at how good the I4 accelerated. Gas is now $3.25 here and the better gas mileage would be nice

jden

I am trying to confirm a dealer invoice on a 2007 Sonata, 4cyl., automatic, with premium sport package in powder pearl white color. I am coming up with $18,209. Can't find it on edmunds.

jden

New to the buying seen. Does this look right?

2006 Sonata GLS 4 Cyl. with 4 premium package.

Invoice: $19,832
Factory to Dealer Incentive: $1,982 (10%)
Holdback: $396 (2%)

True Dealer Cost: $17,454

5% Dealer Profit: $873

Total $18,327

Less Factory to Customer Rebate: -$1500

Total Price adjusted $16,827 (plus TTL)

2007 Sonata GLS with Premium Sport Package

(Estimated invoice)$18,209

Factory to Dealer Incentive: $1,821 (10%)
Holdback: $364 (2%)

True Dealer Cost $16,024

5% Dealer Profit $801

Total Adjusted Sale Price: $16,825 (before TTL)

backy

Edmunds.com shows the invoice on the 2007 GLS automatic with Premium Sport Package to be $19,238. With a stick shift the invoice is $18,209. (Note that the 2006 GLS has an automatic standard.)

There may not be a 10% factory-to-dealer incentive on the 2007s. Have you confirmed that incentive someplace?

miamixt

Can it be safely said and assumed that the Customer does not get this 10% Dealer to Factory incentive, if in fact there is one, and that the Customer does not get to keep the holdback. Therefore anyone who takes time to include these figures is just dreaming. Edmunds has some great tools on how to price your new or used Car, and some excellent articles to read!

And by the way, what happened to the Smileys?. This is my LX in DeepWater Blue :surprise: , and this was my Buick Century! :confuse:

jden

Could not find any confirmation for which year, however the article I found "Hyundai Offers US Dealers Incentives", is marked June 5, 2006. I would assume that this would include the 2007 Sonatas since the 2006 Sonata's are no longer in production.

backy

I wouldn't assume that if I were you. Usually the big incentives are on the outgoing models, not the brand-new model year.

Anyway, as stated you can't assume the dealer will turn over this money to you. You might be able to find a dealer who will give up some of it to make a sale, especially on the 2006 models, but be prepared to work for it.

sammazda

Got a quote for 2006 GLS V4 with 04/AD Premium Package for 16,270 + TTL. Is this a good price for V4?
After reading the forum I was thinking of quoting the dealer around $15800+ TTL.

motorhead5

That sounds like a good price to me. I got a quote for the same model with a sunroof here in Milwaukee for 18,226. Where are you located? Others on this forum seem to be getting some really good prices.

cajuncycler

I think you mean the "I" inline 4 or are you saying "V"6? :confuse:

bhmr59

The factory to dealer incentive is just that, an incentive to the dealer. It allows the dealer to further discount the car or the informed buyer to use this knowledge of the incentive in negotiating the purchase of a car. It is not a factory to buyer discount (that's the rebates).

Depending upon how anxious a dealership wants to move cars, the informed buyer should be able to negotiate much, if not all, of this incentive into the purchase price in additon to other dealer discounts from MSRP and the automatic rebates. Just shows that there is a big markup from "true dealer's costs" and that "invoice" pricing (which can include bogus advertising fees) still gives the dealership a nice profit. Then add in doc. fee which can be several hundred dollars.

dan42

That sounds like a good deal. Funny, I am looking at purchasing the same vehicle. I have called 5 states and yet I am unable to find one in powder pearl white. Which color are you buying and what state are you buying from? Curious, are you getting your quote from the internet or from a sales person at the dealership?

miamixt

Advertising Fees are not bogus!. You are a Business man. If you didn't advertise, no one would know about your Insurance products offered, am I right?. And speaking about Insurance, there are costs to the Dealership for that as well. What is bogus are inflated fees, any fees, whether Advertising, or, as on my Invoice, a $595 pre printed Dealer prep fee, for what amounted to be a really poor Car Wash. The key is to negotiate around all these fees!.

And my post above showing my DeepWater Blue LX Smiley is now in light blue. Next they will change the :lemon: into a lime. Here in Miami many times you will ask for a piece of Lemon, and they will hand you a Lime. And then argue with you that it is the same thing, from the same Tree!

bhmr59

Here in Miami many times you will ask for a piece of Lemon, and they will hand you a Lime. And then argue with you that it is the same thing, from the same Tree! That's really funny

I don't get to charge my customers an advertising fee, nor do retail stores; advertising is a part of the cost of doing business, just like utilities, payroll, etc. And, I've heard that a majority of the adv fee is rebated to the dealer in addition to other incentives and sales bonuses.

What I objected to was being shown an invoice with the adv fee being shown in bold while everything else was in normal print. Here in CT, the local dealer had a pre-printed doc fee of $398.50. The dealer from whom I bought, O'Brien in Naples, FL, had a preprinted doc fee of $479. Yet, my purchase price was about $1800 less in Naples. I don't know about FL, but in CT, the dealers supposedly have to file their doc fees with the State and must charge it on every vehicle. But, there's a way around that, as you said, the dealer can just discount the price to offset the doc fee.

Since you're moving, how about coming to CT? Then you could buy your insurance from me. How's that for advertising (no fee to be charged)?

Good luck in your relocation.

miamixt

CT, now there's a possibility?. Send me your card!. I know my Dealer charged a pre printed $99 Doc fee, in addition to the $599 Prep fee. I would almost say the Sonata was in better condition before they got their grubby hands on it.

I have heard Advertising & Insurance show up on the Invoice, however everything is hand written in pencil in Florida, makes it easier to adjust!. As you know my deal was a combination of mistakes which yielded me a beautiful top LX with only two payment instruments. A $9250 Check, and a used 05 Elantra as trade. My financing kicked,(no Job) but I did retain the rebate, or the $1000 value of the rebate. As an honest Broker you try to save your clients Money. Car Dealers try to save you from your Savings!

Are these in Different Colors, or do I need a Doctor? :surprise: :confuse:

sammazda

I got the price over the internet for a Silver colored I4. This was from a NJ dealership.

moonlily

Thought I got a deal on my 2006 Sonata GL ($38 over Edmunds TMV), but I see others are fairing better. The window sticker stated that the car was Powder White Pearl, but the Hyundai website shows a second white in addition to the Powder called Arctic White. How can I tell which white I really got. Dealer only had two GLs left, the white and a black. Thanks guys.

bobad

How can I tell which white I really got.

The white pearl color has a slight greenish-yellow tint to it.

cajuncycler

I think the difference is the depth of the color in the paint. I know the Artic White looks like a brillant solid white. The Pearl White seems to have more depth to it if you take my drift.

backy

As in, it has a pearlescent appearence? As in, Pearl White?

cajuncycler

Hey...THATS IT!!!!