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Hyundai Sonata 2006-2007

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Comments

  • johnjjjohnjj Member Posts: 81
    backy, My negotiation strategy with a dealer is to have all my information in place, and know what I want, before I go and talk with the dealer that I hope to do business with.

    johnap2 and backy, thanks for your info. Thats helpful. Someone had told me I needed to make 3 months payments before I could pay the loan up in full. I'm in MA. Perhaps the terms vary from state to state.

    I'd still like to get a copy of the Hyundai Financing contract, with personal info blanked out, if anyone is willing to email me one.
    John
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Why not also post that comment on the blog?
  • krikakrika Member Posts: 49
    I received the same letter yesterday. I am going to take an appointment with the dealer next week.
  • starriverstarriver Member Posts: 26
    I am looking for a sonata GLS 4 cylinder made in korea, but they are very difficult to find these days. Most of GLSs are V6. Do you know what is going on?
    Thanks
  • johnjjjohnjj Member Posts: 81
    danf1, thanks for the info.
    John
  • starriver: My local dealer mostly has V6 models, too, but their entire allotment for the next month consists of 4 cylinder models. Hopefully your local dealer will have 4 cylinders coming soon....

    I believe all 4 cylinder models are still being built in Korea. Assembly is supposed to eventually shift to Alabama, but I don't think that has happened yet.

    -Ty
  • Well, my father-in-law took my 06 LX for a drive and decided he wanted one, too. He's now the proud owner of a new 06 golden beige LX. The difficulty was finding one without a sunroof. We were starting to lose hope until the golden beige one accidentally arrived in Utah (it was supposed to go to San Diego).

    Like me he was a long-time Toyota and Honda owner, never having considered a Hyundai until this new Sonata arrived. He's continuously owned Honda/Toyota since the early 80s....until now.

    -Ty
  • haefrhaefr Member Posts: 600
    Your father-in-law's 2006 Sonata ownership should be an interesting experience.
  • johnap2johnap2 Member Posts: 105
    John,

    I will see what I can do about the contract, but I wanted to let you know the 3-months of payments before payoff is false. Dealers will tell you this because THEY get a chunk of change directly from Hyundai Finance if the customer holds the account for a minimum of 3-months. I am not paying interest for 3 months to give the dealer a rebate! This urban legend was debunked in the earlier postings of this forum.
  • I talked with the F&I manager about this when we were purchasing the second LX last night. We paid our loan off 10 days after purchasing the car, and he said he received full commission from Hyundai before that. He had no problem with us paying off the loan so quickly.
  • krikakrika Member Posts: 49
    "one accidentally arrived in Utah (it was supposed to go to San Diego)"

    I DON'T believe this statement of the dealers that some car accidentally arrived there instead of here. I wanted a Golden Beige LX with pack 3, and one fine morning I get a call from the manager that 'my' car accidentally got delivered at a place 250 miles away from my city and that the car has to be driven from there to my place. That itself is putting 250 miles on it right away. I immediately called all the dealers at 'that' place and asked if they had a Golden Beige LX with Pack 3. None except one had it and they said they 'sold' it to the dealer at my place. That was the story, and I get no compensation for the additional 250 miles on my car. Its a universal truth that its tough to find a truthful person at a dealership. Dear Pat, I think I have the right to put forward this opinion of mine because it is a particular situation and I am not using any insulting terms.
  • I do believe it. I had 3 local dealers searching for a LX within the region without Pack 3 for nine days, and this car never appeared in the system. It was never in the dealer inventory nor in the allotment list. The car just showed up, and it still wasn't in the system.
  • lemonade2lemonade2 Member Posts: 31
    The salesman I spoke to said they get the financecommision right away but if the loan is paid off in less then 3 months Hyundai asks for it back.

    If you think you got a good deal, and if you think the dealer was up front with you why not pay it down to almost nothing so the finance charges are minimal and hold it for a few months. I think everyone wins that way.
  • nissan240sxnissan240sx Member Posts: 37
    image
  • nissan240sxnissan240sx Member Posts: 37
    ">Kia catalog mentioning 5-speed auto is available with 2.4 liter 4 cylinder model. Gas mileage and acceleration has increased "slighty."

    <img src="http://autospy.dreamwiz.com/board/bbs/table/spyshot2/upload/national1130995501_2.jpg"
  • johnap2johnap2 Member Posts: 105
    Just trying to figure out the purpose of this post. After all, what is a Kia Optima picture doing in a Sonata forum? I am sure there are some relevant forums available for this car...
  • nissan240sxnissan240sx Member Posts: 37
    I know this car does not belong here. Basically, this is a reskinned Sonata, which is advertised with a 5-speed automatic. If you order a Hyundai Sonata nowadays, the car comes equipped with a 5-speed auto as well. However Hyundai has not made an official announcement because it will probably upset recent owners who made the purchases.
    I know, because I am upset. Definitely not a way to build long-term customer relationship.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    What is there to be upset about? All car companies make running improvements to their cars. There will likely be many other improvements to the Sonata in the near future, e.g. addition of XM radio as standard, availability of a nav option, and probably some little things like tuning controls on the steering wheel. That's what car companies do to stay competitive, get products out faster, and respond to customer input.
  • njeraldnjerald Member Posts: 689
    Where did you see a 5 speed automatic with the 4 cyl GLS?

    Even on the Korean and Asian website it says 4 spd auto.
  • nissan240sxnissan240sx Member Posts: 37
    Well, when I asked the Hyundai salesperson about the availability of a 5-speed auto for Sonata back in March during my purchase, he said 5-speed auto is reserved only for the V6 model and it will never happen. Had I known back then 5-speed auto will be replacing 4-speed auto, I would not have made the purchase.

    And yes, it is understandable that the car manufacturers tweak the options and interior bits, but not something major like a transmission. Even as I write this, people walking into Hyundai dealership in Korea are surprised that their purchases now come in 5 speed automatic.
    However, none of this is shown in the brochure or Hyundai website. What can you make out of this? I have already seen a few, who cancelled their orders in order to get a 5-speed auto.
  • nissan240sxnissan240sx Member Posts: 37
    Please see the post No.2738.
    Next to the picture of automatic shift,
    the catalog mentions "The first in 5-speed auto in its class" and mentions 2.4, which is the engine displacement
    shown in liter.

    Btw, this is the catalog for Kia Optima replacement, Sonata sibling. Enough though you can place an order for a 5-speed auto for the 4 cylinder model right now in Korea, Hyundai has not made any official announcement whatsoever.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    A hard lesson learned: never take a sales rep seriously when he/she says, "Car X will never have that feature." First, they have no way of predicting the future. Second, sales reps sometimes know less about the cars they sell than the buyers who come into the showroom.

    Case in point: A few months ago, Hyundai announced they would NOT sell the Entourage minivan here, as they had previously announced. So if you asked a sales rep then, "Will Hyundai be selling the Entourage here?", the answer could have honestly been "No." Then a few months later, Hyundai reversed themselves and decided they would sell the Entourage here after all.
  • kguykmhkguykmh Member Posts: 15
    The new optima will come with 5sp auto in Korea
    The fact that you guys should know is that 2.4 engine in Korea is not basic as much as here. I mean that having 2.4 engine is for the most highest model as optima line-up in Korea.so there won't not happen 2.4 sonata comes with 5sp auto at least here because a few 2.4 model is being purchased comparing to v6 :)
    for example : optima engine line-up; 1.8, 2.0, 2.4 in Korea
    and sonata l4 with 5sp automatic will be sold after Nov. 23 in Korea not here
  • mtice1979mtice1979 Member Posts: 22
    Unless you have a new salesperson or you spend entirely too much time on Edmunds.com you will know more than the salesperson. And I know there are a lot that are just fibbers, but in respect to the few that actually take the time to research the product, that is an unfair statement.
    I know that Hyundai sales reps get product information a few months before the product hits the market. What they do with it is entirely up to then.

    And as fars as the Entourage, it was the consumer response for a van that triggered the reversal.They have special websites available to them that reviews future product and corporate decisions and movements.

    So in retrospect, there are a few salespeople at every dealership that actually take their job seriously. So please, never say never. :)
  • lawrence45lawrence45 Member Posts: 44
    I will be picking up my new Sonata next week. I will be financing it in order to get the $1000 rebate but plan on paying it off soon after. I plan on giving the dealer a check for everything except the minimum $10,000 that has to be financed, according to what I have read. I will choose the maximum length of contract (72 months?) in order to pay minimum interest. Then I will make one payment- (do you make a payment at this time or do you wait a month?) and then come back a few days later and pay off the balance due. Or do I come back a few days later and pay off everything except a few dollars and stretch the payments over 3 months as some have suggested. It is a little confusing as I never financed anything before- believe me or not. I think I will go to the dealer's finance dept. a few days earlier and work everything out. Advice please!!
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    If Hyundai sales reps receive product information a few months before the product hits the market, how come the sales rep I talked to the other day at my Hyundai dealer had no information on the '06 Accent, that is due in a few weeks?

    If you want to take a sales rep seriously who says, "Car X will never have that feature," that's up to you. If you believe them, you should also ask him/her for stock market tips since they can forsee the future (but wait, they are working as a car salesperson... hmmm...). But I did say, "... sales reps sometimes know less about the cars they sell than the buyers who come into the showroom." I know there are some knowledgeable sales reps out there. But expecting them to predict the future for an indefinite period of time is a little much to ask I think.
  • smith20smith20 Member Posts: 256
    I had not financed anything before we financed our Hyundai and the loan finance person got really upset when I proposed a large downpayment on the car at the time we bought it. I suspect, in retrospect, that perhaps the finance person gets a commission proportional to the size of the loan that is originated. That is just a guess though. It wasn't worth it to me to fight with the person and develop bad blood over a few more dollars of interest, so we financed the car 100%. We got a coupon book in the mail a few weeks later and we paid the whole balance except for about two months of the regular payment and then we paid about the regular monthly payment for the 2nd and 3rd months. So, we never set foot in the dealership for finance related stuff after initially purchasing the car and we paid it off via mail. From what I've read the past few months, however, it sounds like you can pay off the whole loan though and don't have to wait 90 days.
  • When we were signing the papers for our Sonata, we were totally upfront that we would be paying off the loan quickly, and asked for the Hyundai Finance customer service number. Ten days later, after our local dealer received their commission, we called the phone number and asked for the payoff balance a couple of weeks into the future, which would provide time to send a check.

    Hyundai Finance informed us that if we sent a personal check, the title would be sent in three weeks, but would be sent in only two days if we sent a cashiers check. Since we receive free cashiers checks through our bank, we opted that route and paid off the loan last week.

    The check will arrive earlier than the actual payoff date quoted, so Hyundai will send us a refund for any interest not accrued that we overpaid on.

    It was mentioned in this thread earlier that Hyundai would take away our dealer's commission since we paid off the loan so soon. Not so according to the F&I manager we dealt with. Every day our loan is outstanding is more interest paid, so our philosophy was to pay it off as quickly as possible.

    Just for clarification, aside from any down payment you make, no payments will be made directly to the dealer. Once the papers are signed, you work through Hyundai Finance.
  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    Don't finance for longer than 60 months if you want to pay the least interest. HMFC's rates are the same for 12-60 months, but increase at 66 and 72.
  • lawrence45lawrence45 Member Posts: 44
    What is the interest rate for up to 60 months?
  • rammetrammet Member Posts: 2
    I just bought the 06 Sonata two weeks ago after reading the great reviews and driving several. I have 600 miles on it and so far it's been great. But, the digital clock has already broken. It displays garbage. If you hit the reset button, it resets back to the most recent hour, then goes to garbage again. Has anyone else had this problem? I'm hoping it's just a cheap clock and is not indicative of future problems with the car. The car is always garaged and it has not been below freezing in our area yet so that can be ruled out. Thanks for your help!
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    Nah..just a modern digital circuit gone wild that can be corrected easily enough..change out the clock. I had a Santa Fe that the display went blank on at random then returned...still on time. Dealer changed the clock = no problem.
  • appingaappinga Member Posts: 30
    Hey. I purchased a Silver Sonata GLS V6 at the end of October. I absolutely love the car! I am wondering how easy it would be to replace the rearview mirror with the upgraded mirror in the LX. Does anyone know if it is possible to do this by simply replacing the existing mirror (assuming the wire for the LX mirror is also in the GLS V6)?

    The car has been great, but it is a shame that you can't change the stations on the radio with the steering wheel controls. Hopefully they will change this in later models.
  • rammetrammet Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the feedback! I was looking at the dash today and it appears they may have to remove much of the dash just to replace the clock which is dead center above the climate controls and below the stereo. I'm not looking forward to them doing that already since the car is only 2 weeks old. Hopefully, they know what they are doing and will be careful. Thanks again.
  • nissan240sxnissan240sx Member Posts: 37
    I think Sonata 2.4 will be available with 5 speed auto in the US soon. I believe the delay was caused simply because Hyundai was not ready. You should have seen the complains generated by Sorento owners when the 5-speed auto replacement for 4-speed auto failed miserably in terms of performance and quality when they introduced it last year in Korea. As usual, Hyundai will test reliability of 5-speed auto in Korea before they will bring it to the US as they have done with the car itself.
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    I know exactly what you mean...if I had my choice nobody...dealer included... would touch my new car becaues there is a 50/50 chance you will receive it back either:
    A)not fixed
    B)fixed but something else dirty/scratched/chipped/stripped/installed incorrectly/loose/rattling or otherwise screwed up.
    C)any combination of the above
    So, if you are lucky they will be able to replace the clock without other damage.
    Oh, by the way in my case not only did I get a new clock but also a new creak in the console...free of course.
  • mtice1979mtice1979 Member Posts: 22
    Just in case you were wondering, the 2006 4 cylinder Sonata as of 10/10/05 will no longer be made in Korea. They started manufacturing it in Montgomery.

    There is good and bad to that....Good, No longer waits for 4 cyl. inventory. Bad, the pearl white will not be available. Reasoning is that Korea has a three step painting system as where Montgomery is only set up with a two paint system. :):(
  • haefrhaefr Member Posts: 600
    Pull the fuse for the clock out of the instrument panel junction box at the lower left of the dash. It will probably be a 10A fuse labled "D/CLOCK". After 30 seconds, plug it back in and see if that "unconfuses" your car's clock. If not, congratulations! You have a claim under "America's Best Warranty". Also begs the question of whether the same supplier for Hyundai's clock circuitry also supplies the electronics for the new Sonata's standard equipment dynamic stability control system...
  • acurattleacurattle Member Posts: 35
    Hey, haefr, that last comment made me feel like :surprise:. Maybe you meant to add the little 'Just Kidding' Sonata emoticon ;) ? If not, it may be we'll end up with :lemon: , and we would all be :sick: and :mad: about it.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Darn! I prefer the 4-cylinder and I really like that pearl white color. :cry:
  • dan42dan42 Member Posts: 32
    It looks like your right about the pearl white fading out. The website says limited availability on the pearl white color. They changed it to Arctic White.
  • zen2zen2 Member Posts: 226
    Concerning the mirror, have you checked it to see if
    it was loose. I have had my Sonata for 2 weeks, just
    noticed that the passenger side mirror was loose,
    causing a gap. I am taking it in Monday to have it tightened. Should be an easy fix, would do it myself if I
    could figure out how to get the "quadrant cover" off.
    Only problem I have noticed so far.
  • docjoshdocjosh Member Posts: 21
    To all Sonata fans,

    I read these posts all the time. I'm actually looking at buying a 2006 Sonata LX later this spring before I begin my 3rd year rotations for medical school. This will be my first new car . Anyway, I was curious what kind of APR you are all getting when you finance. I understand price haggling... Can you haggle the APR as well?? I know things will be different come spring, but I was just researching current statistics to see what I am up against. Thanks for your time. :D

    docjosh
  • johnap2johnap2 Member Posts: 105
    Generally the APR is set by the company and is dependent upon your credit rating (score) and is not subject to haggling. Hyundai Finance Company has a higher rate than most online lenders, so it is well worth it to shop around. Examples of online lenders include: www.eloan.com, www.capitaloneautofinance.com, and www.lendingtree.com. Rates can change often so it is a good idea to compare all your sources just prior to buying.

    By financing through Hyundai Finance Company, at the higher than average rate, they will usually give you a $1,000.00 rebate off the price of your new car. However, depending on how long you carry this loan the higher APR may outweigh the rebate in the long run. If you are going to be able to pay your loan off early than this option would probably be your best bet. If you are going to carry a 5-year loan the entire term you would probably be better off going with an outside, lower APR auto loan.

    Before you haggle the price of your new LX be sure to research it completely on sites such as: www.edmunds.com, www.carbuyingtips.com, www.consumerreports.org, and www.carsdirect.com. There is so much information available to help you save money it will be worth your time investment. The goal is to find TRUE dealer cost (NOT invoice as many people think) and haggle upwards from this figure. Many people think that invoice price is a great deal, but often times it is not because of manufacturer-to-dealer holdbacks and other manufacturer-to-dealer incentives. The only way to be truly informed is to research right before your purchase since many of these things change on a regular basis. The goal is to get your LX at a FAIR and REASONABLE price. You should know exactly what the dealer is making off you!

    Hope this information helps you!
  • nostalgianostalgia Member Posts: 10
    Looks cool!!
    Click here!! :surprise:
  • johnjjjohnjj Member Posts: 81
    I just financed with Hyundai yesterday. My interest rate was 8.9% (OUCH), and they said I had the highest credit rating. I financed to get the $1000 rebate, but I'll be paying this loan off quickly and refinance with someone else.
    John
  • lawrence45lawrence45 Member Posts: 44
    It seems that many Sonata buyers finance the car in order to get the $1000 rebate and then pay the car off immediately. If that is the case, then the interest rate doesn't matter much. At 8.9% the interest paid in the first payment on a loan (term from 12 to 60 months) would be approx. $74. Even as high as 12% it would be $100. So if you intend to pay it off after one payment, you would still be ahead $900 or more. Sounds good to me.
  • lemonade2lemonade2 Member Posts: 31
    Amount of interest for first payment depends on loan amount. If you finance $10,000 the interest is aprox $75. If you finance more the interest goes up proportionately
  • zen2zen2 Member Posts: 226
    Yes, the interest rates are pretty ridiculous.
    I checked my fico score before I went to finance,
    and it was almost 800, and I got the rate of 7.49.
    I just got my first payment coupon, so I am going
    to take it to my credit union Monday, and refinance
    at 4.99. SInce I put very little down, this should be
    a significant decrease in the payment amount.
  • brjbrj Member Posts: 7
    Hi; first post here but been following this and other (mostly Sonata) threads for weeks, esp this thread, which I have been enjoying. FYI my posts are longer but less-frequent than most members. So if your time is short, please read just the first part (my question is in bold), or skip the message completely, rather than reading it all and then flaming me for the time you spent, thank you. :)

    I won't waste any time and will get to my question. Background will follow.

    Considering Hyundai has developed a brand new V6 engine, why did Hyundai not include Cyllinder Deactivation Technology (CDS), or what DaimlerChrysler calls Multiple Deplacement System (MDS) in the V6? I know the DM and (Chevy or GM) engines which feature it are pushrod engines, but the hybrid Accord V6 has it.

    Being able to take the engine down to 4 or even 3 cyllinders while highway cruising would be a boon to this model (and Sonata sales I think). It is not often that a brand new engine comes around. It is much more rare even than brand new models or total redesigns. At Chrysler they are still using pushrod engines based upon models decades old. So a modern newly-designed engine should feature obvious technology, in my opinion. And I just can't figure out why Hyundai didn't add here!

    CDS/MDS does not add much to the cost of the engine (maybe about $50 in the case of the big GM/Hemi engines, IIRC?); any cost is quickly made up in fuel savings. And with $3/gal gas (which I expect to go to $5 within awhile), this is a very important issue... especially since many Sonata V6 owners have been disappointed by their real-world fuel economy.

    I have seen Hyundai's commitment to real-time product improvement (apparently not waiting to "get around to it" for next year's model to make an improvement or add features like some mfr's [suggestion: 6-spd auto...]), so this is a feature Hyundai could conceivably add to the engine, like DaimlerChrysler added MDS to the Hemi intended for the Magnum after it had already been released for pickups with no MDS. But it seems that it'd be easier to do it on an engine natively designed for MDS. So anyone want to take guesses on the chances Hyundai and/or other mfr's will upgrade?

    Hyundai, if you're lurking (and you should be), if you put this feature in (and you should), something GM missed when they implemented their design was a lack of user control. Their MDS is conservative and kicks off easily and at faster cruising speeds is also off. I think CDS/MDS engines should come with an "Economy/Normal [or Sport]" switch which "Economy" switch would keep cyllinders deactivated under higher load, i.e. faster cruising speeds, even up to 80, if it saves gas. The car might come from the factory defaulting to "Economy" if it gives better EPA & emissions ratings. Owners would be able to permanently set the feature to default to "Sport"/"Normal" setting. DaimlerChrysler tried very hard to make their MDS transparent, but some users wanted a more obvious setting where MDS stayed active to noticeable levels, esp on long trips, so they could cruise at more normal (higher) speeds and still get good fuel economy. I think the fuel savings on their MDS Hemi have been disappointing not because of any ineffectiveness of MDS itself, but because it switches off so/too easily.

    Thanks

    ---------------------------------------------
    My background for those interested... (those uninterested please skip):
    Considering Sonata mutually for a friend and perhaps later for myself. We are also going to look at Altima, Accord, and possibly Camry for her (not for me but I'm still curious). We already test-drove a 3.5L Magnum SXT and decided against it (believe it or not, its back seats were more comfortable than the front seats!).

    First experience was a friend's (1992?) Excel Hatchback. Even as an almost-new car, I thought it sucked. We won't go over that. No point now. You know.

    So... I was very anti-Hyundai all through the nineties and kept my bias into the 2000's... until I drove on a 4,000 mile round trip (of which I drove the majority) in a friend's used '00 or '01 Accent... until which time, I bashed her car regularly ("You paid 8 thousand for that?!"). Yes, I was a Hyundai hater. I wanted to hate the car, but during the trip the car earned my respect. It was the best manual climate control system I'd ever seen or used--so simple and worked so well; I couldn't get over it--nearly no need for auto climate. Seats (still shaking my head on this one) still didn't kill me even by the end of the trip; was fine at the end, despite the seats being small and fairly low. Cruised well and uneventfully. She had never had any problems with the car. That was when I started to open my mind to Hyundais.

    The next experience a few years later was in an '03 or '04 Sonata LX... a friend's gradma bought one, and I had the chance to spend some time in it during a 2-car road trip. I was far more impressed with this one than the Accent. My friend is a car enthusiast and independently wealthy and both of us were impressed at the comfort and quietness and smoothness of ride... cruising at 80 it felt like it could go to 100 with no drama at all... almost felt boring being in the car at 80. Perception of speed was very low, which to me is an indication of high quality. She said she got it for $21,000, and we were very impressed... both "for the money" and "in its own right". I felt, unbelievably at the time, that if Hyundai made it safer, and raised the seats, and made it a bit bigger that I could... (???!!!) maybe someday possibly buy one of these???!!! Add to this that they're now being made in the USA, and seem to be even more of an "American car" than a Dodge Magnum, and I'm really interested. (Too bad about the new U.S. plant not being able to do Pearl White because they only have 2 paint stages vs Korea's 3? --so much for "Ultra-Modern" plant? Or is this a "ramping up" deal?)

    I then realized the great strides Hyundai was taking and started to watch the brand carefully. And then they released the '06 Sonata... and now I'm here. ;)

    For the record... my friend I'm shopping with currently owns a '92 Honda Civic DX ("D"on't got e"X"tras). That car is a disaster. Talk about bad 1st-year redesigns. The Sonata re-design is smooth as silk compared to that Honda POC. I could post the full list somewhere if someone's interested, but some brief highlights were a blown head gasket and tranny work needed before 100k miles, things literally falling off the car and breaking left and right, and simply insufferable seats... not to mention the car pulls to the right--until it gets to highway speeds--whereupon it tracks perfectly straight (can't figure out that one).
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