Hyundai Sonata 2006-2007

ctalk

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap/cars/3754.html

5Star Front
5Star Side

I hope IIHS comes out with the results soon.

Note: They also tested the Santa FE (side test) and gave it a 5 star rating, but IIHS gave it a Acceptable.

backy

Note that the Sonata joins the Five Hundred and Galant as the only cars in this class to get five stars across the board. I'm sure Hyundai's marketing will take full advantage of this.

ctalk

Note that the Sonata joins the Five Hundred and Galant as the only cars in this class to get five stars across the board. I'm sure Hyundai's marketing will take full advantage of this.
I'm sure Hyundai will take advantage of this.

All i was just saying is, sometimes IIHS and NHSTA have different results.

Anyways, Kudos to Hyundai for improving their safety.

jnt

John,

It is good to hear the AM problem is at least resolved. By the way, the amp they are talking about is the antenna module which amplifies FM signal before it got to the radio. For AM, typically no amplification, just pass thru signal.

So, it does not hurt if they replace the amp: you got the new one and they probably will look at the antenna connection as a result. In addition, your current antenna module may have intermitten problem.

jt

lawrence45

Glad to see that the NHSTA crash tests gave the Sonata the highest rating but last year the car got 4 stars all around. The problem was with the IIHS test which gave the car a frontal offset rating of ACCEPTABLE and side impact rating of POOR. I, too, await the IIHS results but since the car now has side curtain airbags I would hope that it gets the highest rating here too.

skyler01

I too think that the auto lights are just a bit late coming on at dusk - especially considering how easily they come on in underpasses. That said, I just leave the switch on Auto most of the time. I use manual when it is raining and not dark enough to turn them on automatically. Not only is this the law in NJ (Wipers on, headlights on) it is good for safety.

lawrence45

Any hint as to when the IIHS crash test results will be available?

backy

Those are tough to predict, since the IIHS releases results in bunches, in press releases on a certain topic. And the IIHS is tight-lipped about their plans. I even called them once to ask about when a certain car would be tested, and they said they don't release that info to the public. However... since the '06 Civic and Sonata are both pretty popular cars, both redesigns, and the IIHS held up side impact tests on the Civic until the '06 was released, I predict we'll see a report on both cars pretty soon.

northbridge

I used to drive a Nissan Stanza, which handles corners exceptionally well.

I have some concern about the corner handling from 06 Sonata.
When I tested the 06 Sonata, at a highway ramp, I felt body lean that made me uncomfortable in comparison with the Stanza.

I also tested Mitsubishi Galant. It handled corners well. But, engine noise made me lean to the Sonata.

Any comment will be greatly appreciated.

haefr

I haven't driven an '06 Sonata, but my '03 Sonata plows and has to be steered through corners. I've never felt unsafe, and emergency manuevers can be negotiated. My car has neither ABS nor TCS. The new ones have both as standard equipment. Sonatas are also considerably heavier than your previous Stanza. That added weight will make its presence known when making quick corrections. Sonatas come with antisway bars, front and rear, but they could stand to be larger diameter. Just a suggestion, but you might make a point of driving an Accord and Altima before you commit to a purchase decision. My previous car, a '96 Accord, always seemed to "know" where I wanted to go and was virtually immune to cut rain channels in concrete pavement. I will say one thing in defense of my Sonata. I have the 2.7L V-6 and hard acceleration is virtually free of torque steer. My '96 Accord, with its I-4, required steering input to avoid changing lanes under hard acceleration. Whether the new Sonatas with the torqueier 3.3L V-6 are still as well behaved is something for an owner to weigh in on.

johnjj

I have the 2006 Sonata LX with optional package 3. I thought that was everything you could get with this car. But on the dash, to the left of the steering wheel, there are 3 blank black plugs about 1"x2" each. Looks like these are knockouts for additional switches/controls. Am I missing something, anyone know what these plugs are for?
John
p.s. I love this car.

danf1

In other markets there are different options available. The package 3 has everything that you can get in the US from Hyundai.

equus

The 06' Sonata got All 5 stars in NCAP including frontal and side crash
and 06' Acoord got 5 stars in frontal crash and 4 stars in side crash
06' Nissan Altima got 5 stars in frontal crash and 3 stars in side crash
06' Maxima got 5 stars in frontal crash and 4 stars in side crash...
also,i never registered this site but i'm registered?

backy

Right. The question was regarding IIHS crash test results, which aren't out yet for the '06 Sonata.

njdevil1

when i bought my 2005 elantra for service, the sales manager informed me they had two sonatas with manual transmission. Does anyone own one and what do they think of it. we test drove a manual transmission one in 2004 but they only had a 4 cylinder engine so not enough pep.

grandeur

i now remember-_-
sorry...just ignore what i said in the bottom line
which says by equus

backy

The '06 Sonata stick has a 4-cylinder engine also, but more hp - 162. If you drive one please let us know what you think of the performance and also the smoothness of the shifter. I haven't seen any '06 Sonata with sticks in my area.

bsancat

I have a 2006 LX with every option they make. On the LX the only thing(s) extra are the sunroof and upgraded 6 disc CD and MP3 player which I have. The items you mentioned are not available.

Barry

backy

The message you replied to is almost a year old, when people were conjecturing about the features the new Sonata would have. Obviously the information available at that time was incomplete or inaccurate. However, keep in mind that Hyundai offers many features on its cars in other markets that it does not offer in the U.S. So that list of features from last September may be accurate... someplace in the world!

bsancat

I have a 2006 LX and in the instruction manual it shows one of the knockouts is for a switch operating a power gas and brake pedal adjustment. However, this option is not available in the U.S, The other blank spaces are for items available only overseas.

Barry

bsancat

I have a 2006 LX and on the climate control, when I press "Mode", the air comes out from the dash and floor vents, and the fan speed is automatically controlled. Once the set temp. is reached, the fan slows down, even in "Mode" setting.

I questioned the dealer, because in the instruction manual it shows a picture of the a/c in "Auto-Mode" and the Bi-Level symbols appear. The dealer admitted this is a mistake. Once you press "Mode" the "Automatic" disappears. However, the fan speed is still "Automatic."

Barry

bsancat

The first question is "yes." Hitting the button twice does sound the horn and confirm the setting. The doors still lock with only one push of the button.
I'll have to check the lights on my car (2006 LX) to see if it does what you describe.
The third question, I had a similiar situation yesterday. I put a small (less than 5 lbs.) package on the passenger seat and the seat belt sign blinked for about five minutes, then shut off.

Barry

bsancat

I have a 2006 LX and I just ordered a chrome surround for the grille and a piece for the bottom of the trunk lid. I ordered from Shark Racing [sharkracer@sharkracing.com]

They look great.

Barry

haefr

"...on the dash, to the left of the steering wheel, there are 3 blank black plugs about 1"x2" each. Looks like these are knockouts for additional switches/controls. Am I missing something, anyone know what these plugs are for?"

My '03 Sonata has three unused blank positions, too. They're indeed knockouts, but reserved for future accessories. (Beats redesigning the switch bank for the next "must-have" gadget that catches the public's attention - like maybe wiring a Claymore antipersonnel mine placed under the passenger seat to a button in the dash to "silence" a rambling traveling companion . . .)

bsancat

Regarding the automatic climate control, I have a 2006 LX and when I press "Mode" the auto. light goes off and the display shows upper and lower vents. The fan speed is still on "auto." because as the interior temp. changes, the fan speed is reduced. The instruction manual shows an example of upper and lower vents and the setting in the display still shows "Auto." I questioned the dealer and they said it was an error in the manual.
Barry

bhmr59

In the '05 Sonata, with auto climate control, the mode button lets the driver decide which vents to have the air come through (mode of flow). The mode button does not affect A/C or heat or the fan speed.

nostalgia

Results

tanky1981

i have a sonata elite (australia) equivilant to the american LX i think, i have a 6 stacker in dash however, mine doesnt seem to play mp3s, do other peoples 6 stackers play mp3's or normal cds only, i believe that the single cd player is enabled to play mp3s

dannns

In response to #2217, the manual is not wrong, the reason for that might be that when the purpose of the a/c is to cool down the air, it is better to have the upper vents, while when it is in heat mode it is better to have it both on the lower and the upper ones. So the manual might be demostrating the heating mode, and not the cooling mode. I can't believe that not even the dealer knows this, if they don't know that simple fact, how can they fix cars? And yes the auto mode seems to work most of the time, even if the "AUTO" text is not shown on the screen.

So far Hyundai engineers have been wonderful, unlike that dealership, and I love my Deepwater Blue Sonata LX.

gandame

I guess in this test Sonata came on top over accord, maxima, and altima, I wonder camry would have came out. Anyhow, hooray for sonata ~

lawrence45

Great that Sonata got 5 stars in both front and rear tests for driver and passenger with the NHTSA. As soon as it gets good results from the IIHS I will buy one. But when comparing results from one car to another you have to take certain factors in mind. Are you comparing apples to oranges? If car A has 5/5 and car B has 5/4, did both cars have the same safety features? Did one have curtain airbags and the other didn't? If curtain airbags are optional on car B would it also rate a 5/5? Second, let's take a look at a hypothetical graduating class of 1000 students. Let's say the top 10% graduate with honors and the next 10% with merit. Student # 1, with a 99.9 average did much better than student #100 with an 80.0 average but they both graduated with honors. Student # 101 with a 79.9 average is about the same as student # 100 with his average of 80.0 but he graduated with merit, not with honors. The same is true with cars and everything else. Of course I would prefer the safety rating of all 5's but a car with 5's and 4's may be about the same.

backy

The lack of side air bags/curtains can have an effect on crash test scores. This is clear from reviewing the NHTSA and IIHS scores for different models. For example, the Corolla and Cobalt scored pretty well on the IIHS side impact test with side bags/curtains, but did not fare well without them. That is why I am glad the Sonata has side bags and curtains standard--no worries about whether I could find a car with that feature.

The difference between a 4 and a 5 can be close, that is true. But all things being equal, I'd rather be in a car that got a 5 than one with a lower score. The simple fact is, the Sonata has outdone all of its competition except the Galant and Five Hundred on these NHTSA test scores. I think that is a noteworthy achievement.

nathanmc

I am coming up on my 1st oil change on my 06 Sonata. I have been trying to choose the best motor oil. My 1st question is does anybody know what oil brand Hyundai puts in there cars off the line? I have thought about going Synthetic, but if you go Synthetic then more than likely you will use an extended oil change schedule. Will this hurt your warranty? I mean you cant afford to change your oil every 3 months at $5.00 per quart. Most synthetics say you can go 6 months to a year.Should I stay with standard oil or go synthetic, anybody have a thought?
And if so what brand of motor oil do you recommend?

catch22kev

Great question! I will want to know this, too, after a few weeks.....

I just took delivery of my '06 LX, Golden Beige, with Opt 3, and couldn't be more pleased. Before settling on this, I drove them all, Altima, Accord, Impala, Camry, Legacy, G6, Five Hundred, and a couple others as I wanted the best value for my dollar. Our other vehicle is a 05 Pilot, and we love that, so I was leaning hard towards the Accord, but after a couple runs in the LX, I couldn't justify the extra $8k more, the similarly equipped Accord was going to run. This car is so smooth, quiet, and PRICED right!, and I couldn't be happier. The dealership was first class, and the whole experience has been just fun. In my wildest dreams I didn't see me driving a Hyundai, but I am, and loving it! I saw no less than 3 double takes from others, within the first 30 minutes of driving in town, and had another ask me, when I stopped "what kind of car is that? It's gorgeous"....
As for oil, we use Synthetic in our Pilot, and were told by the dealer it won't affect our warranty. Am hoping to do the same with this one.

denp44

I am in the US and have the LX with the 6 disk changer. Mine plays mp3's fine so far. I have a cd with over 100 mp3 songs on it.

haefr

Hyundai probably uses Korean SK oil as factory fill in Korea. It's anyone's guess what they use for engines assembled in the U.S. I doubt they ship Korean motor oil over to the U.S. Honda is reported to use an ExxonMobil oil for engines built in the U.S., so it would be no surpise to me that Hyundai might've chosen the same supplier - ExxonMobil certainly has the refining capacity to meet the demand.

Use of synthetic motor oil won't void your warranty. Oil change intervals extending beyond your owner manual's stated limits very well might, though. Hyundai makes no distinction regarding oil change intervals vis-a-vis conventional vs. synthetic motor oil. As to synthetics, Mobil 1 EP and Pennzoil Platinum are both highly regarded. It's doubtful any of the synthetics are bad, though.

Unasked question - what do I use in my '03 Sonata's V-6? The CHEAPEST conventional API "SL" or "SM" 10W-30 motor oil I can find on sale with 3,000 mile oil and filter changes.

kwonc71

I should buy V6 first place. Even though, 2006 GL, I had no complaint about anything. I traded in my GL and got V6 GLS last night. Feels like the new car has just little more power compare to I4, but the new one has not been broke in. I just had to have a Sonata with V6 engine on it because I wanted have 7.0 sec 0 to 60 MPH machine. Tomason Dealership gave me $13,500 (Paid $15,980 a month ago) for my old one, and I paid $17,200 for Brand new GLS V6, Deep Water Blue. GLS came with V6 engine, 16" wheel instead of plastic cover, Audio control on the Steering Wheel, Wood trim, Chrome double tips. Fog lights, Auto Light, Trip computer, and upgraded seat cloths. I will keep post comparison on GL and GLS.

backy

Almost $2500 depreciation in one month? Wow. That goes to prove the old saying, "It's a year old the moment you drive it off the lot." At least you got a nice deal on the V6.

lawrence45

Since you're probably one of the few people who have owned both the 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder models you would certainly be able to compare the acceleration of each. Is there such a big difference or would the 4-cylinder engine suffice for a conservative driver?

dketzer

Anyone know where to buy the Studie after market body parts ( ground effects ). If I could find some I would get them yesterday. These really make the Sonata look like a luxury sport car.

I am starting to see the Hyundai commercials on TV. They did a good job in ( not your average auto commercial ) making the Sonata appealing and worth a second look.

1800 miles and I still smile when I start it up, if I can hear it.
39 MPH
22.6 MPG

Auqua Marine GLS . Only one on the block so far.

w9cw

I've used Mobil 1 synthetic for over 20 years, and have never had an engine-related failure. But, I have not kept to an extended oil change schedule either. I stick to a 3,000 mile oil and filter change interval, as most of our cars' use would qualify as severe service, i.e. lots of stop and go city driving, short trips during winter, etc. When synthetics first became the rage among enthusiasts many years ago, Mobil 1, Amsoil, etc. would advertise extended oil change intervals, but I've never tested it. One of the best attributes of synthetic is wonderful cold weather cranking. I wouldn't use any other oil, and two of my vehicles have over 300,000 miles on the clock and no engine internals have been replaced. The original timing chains show very little wear, and oil consumption between changes is typically less than 1/2 a quart (both of these cars are mid-1980's vintage Classic SAAB 900's). Since I change the oil myself, and dispose of it at a local Advance Auto Parts free of charge, I can keep the cost down by buying the Mobil 1 at a Wal-Mart. Also, I use a Purolator PureOne oil filter, a highly regarded and tested filter by several independent testing agencies. The Sonata GLS V6 is on the short list to replace my wife's Dodge 1994 minvan with over 150,000 miles - it too has had no problems (not even the infamous AT problem) and Mobil 1 has been used since its purchase in 1994. The Sonata will also have Mobil 1 in the sump!

kwonc71

My GLS has not been broke in yet, so it might takes a while before I can say for sure. However, I could spin tires on new one that I could not do it on the GL. GL with I4 actually has great power for 4 cylinder engine. After 40 MPH My GL had almost same acceleration power as much as GLS. Last night, when I drove my new one back home, it felt like I still driving my old GL . 2.4L engine almost feels like Honda's I4 engine, and close to 2.5 V6 engine that 1999 to 2001 Sonata had. GL blew the door off of my wife's Acura MDX which needs a gallon of gas to travel less than 14 miles ( MDX supposed to do 0 to 60 in mid 8 sec). I can say it will beat I4 Camry no problem on 0 to 60, and hair behind I4 Accord. I would say GL will do lower 8 sec for 0 to 60. Saturn will use same engine for their new sportster SKY, and that explains a lot..............So far, after 120 miles of driving on GLS, it feels like I paid $4,500 more for a car has better eye toys like alloy wheels, wood trim dash, fog light, and little more power which will takes more gas. I will let you guys keep informed as I get more driving on my GLS.

nathanmc

I have been searching for a web sight that has tested different motor oil brands and has ranked motor oil and oil filters. A consumer reports list per say. I have found a listing on Amsoil web page, but it is pretty out dated. Is there any other listing out there? I am

frasierdog

Repeat: Google is my friend.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

frasierdog

Just kidding,

I have no idea where I got that link.

haefr

"Repeat: Google is my friend.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/"

Dunno whether that old link will redirect to the actual site, but here's the address that pops up when I make my daily pilgrimage to "BITOG" to pay homage at the Alter of Oil:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi

nick0924

Please post real gasoline milage on your new
2006 Sonatas; specify 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder and automatic or manual transmision and City and Highway milage.

Cylinders, transmision, city/highway.

This will enable us to see more accurately what
the real milage is.

Please post completely and restrict to 2006
Sonatas.

frasierdog

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/ is the main and correct link

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi is a direct link to the forums.

So, .... use the first link.

line3

there are these 2 black, rectangular plastic caps or whatever to call them the size, like a inch long, that came in the glove box. what are they for? sorry if someone already postedd about this but dont know what these are called.

btw, 1700 miles and doing great. although, anyone notice that even when someone is sitting on the front passenger seat, the airbag turns itself off? i notice this sometimes with light people.

johnson5

Seems to be there is another car 5% smaller than Sonata in size and weight, comes with a 200hp 6 cyl new engine with all the fuel saving features, Traction control and Stability control . Hopefully the estimated EPA miles may be around 32-33.
It is 2006 Kia Optima...expected in another 4 months.