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Midsize Sedans Comparison Thread
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I didn't save the original post of course, but the gist of it was that there is at least one dealer in the Boca Raton area, Al Hendrickson Toyota, that offers $1000-1500 rebates on '06 Camrys on its web site (which I can't post here, but a quick search on the Web will find it). Since the rebates are a nationwide Toyota promotion, I think they would apply beyond a few units. So I am surprised that seniors can't find prices below MSRP in the Boca Raton on Camrys at least. Now, if they don't want to or try to get a price below MSRP, that's their business. But the lower prices are out there.
Not sure how much of that had to do with the slow pace of rolling out their new Jetta and Passat. Recent sales numbers are up though:
Volkswagen of America, Inc. reported February 2006 sales of 16,329, an increase of 21.3 percent as compared to the same period in 2005 when sales were 13,457, making it the best February result for the brand since 2003.
http://media.vw.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=9854
The article mentioned VW Group - which includes the following:
VW
Audi
Seat
Skoda
Bentley
Lamborghini
And the revenue figures constitute their worldwide total - not just the U.S.
And what's that gonna do to the resale value of the millions of other late model Camry's out there?
The Most Washable Car award.
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/03/09/000121.html
I need your help to decide which car should I go for.
I am looking at Acccord LX SE 06 or Camry CE or LE.
i am not much into v6.
I think both offer excelletn value for the money with almost all the features.
I can get Accord 06 SE/LX for nealry 19500 + TTL.
Not sure about Camry though as it just came out.
Please help me with your comments to decide one of the two
Thanks
DD
I meant the regular inline v4 available in accord /camry
That being said, drive each and see which you prefer. There are a lot of other good competitors out there as well such as Mazda6, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, etc, all have 4 cylinder versions, if you are willing to expand your horizons beyond the two you seem to have narrowed it down to.
$19500 sounds like a lot of money considering there are a lot of good competitors that will run you closer to $15-$17K for a basic four cylinder automatic sedan in this segment.
Final note, Camry/Accord are up for a restyling in 2007. Sonata was brand new for 2005 as a 2006 model. Do you want a new vehicle that looks old or would you like a new vehicle that also looks new?
Hyundai's quality has drastically improved so it wouldn't be a bad choice. I own a '05 Elantra and love driving this vehicle. Handling could be better, but it has been very reliable 30,000 miles, gets great gas mileage, and is still running like new.
I'm a new Hyundai homer, but that's because I used to own Hondas and discovered that Hyundai offers more for the money. If you can get past all of the class/status issues, the Sonata may be a good choice.
Peace
Do you mean crash safety?
If so, it seems IIHS rates the Camry (w/optional SAB) and Accord better.
link title
I wonder how the new Camry will do in the tests. Will it get the same scores as the new IS? The IS recieved a silver rating.
Camry/Accord are up for a restyling in 2007.
I believe he was looking at the 2007 Camry. The Accord is up for a refresh in 2008.
The Sonata can be had with an excellent, jet-smooth V6 for less money than the Camry/Accord 4 cyl.
You owe it to yourself to drive one.
Millions of people aren't convinced a Hyundai Sonata is as reliable as a CamCord. So they gotta be priced lower.
I test drove the Accord, Camry and the Sonata. Here are my rankings.
1) Accord
2) Sonata
3) Camry
While the Accord was the best, it was the best for the money. I thought the Sonata was almost as good as the Accord but for about 5K less. That was way too much of a difference to make up. And after 5,000 miles I have no regrets.
You do realize, that the Accord is quicker than the Altima, in both passing and 0-60, right? With the combination of the 5-speed auto and about 10 horsepower (before SAE standards were reset), the Accord zooms past Altima. Actually, the 2003 Accord was quicker than the 2003 Altima, back when the horsepower difference was as high as 15. (Motor Trend, 2003)
The Camry is slower than either of these cars.
I'd rather drive a proven reliable car than rely on a warranty promise to convince me to buy a car with an iffy track record.
Time will tell if the Sonata delivers like a CamCord.
Anyway thanks a lot for the replies
(I know you didn't mean to put the dollar sign there--just kidding)
~alpha
that's so 10 years ago.
wake up, young man!
azera has 260+ hp, looks great in and out, it's huge, and it's still 5k-6k cheaper than avalon. 28k for that car is an awesome deal. i test drove it, and it is a great car.
it's not like azera is 40k. it's freakin 28k. hell go to ebay now, a dealer is selling the brand new for 26k.
anyway, you are 5 years too late for saying 'it's still a hyundai'
hyundai will sell 170k-200k sonatas this year. and numbers will increase every year by 10-15%.
Just do yourself a favor and drive them all before choosing. That's what I did, and I've never looked back.
Sonata salesmen have the easiest job in the world. All they have to do is introduce themselves and jingle the keys.
The name game won't get you anything for your money. If you open your eyes, you can see that Hyundai's quality and customer satisfaction is growing exponentially. It's very clear what Hyundai is doing. They's invested billions to make a quality product that will beat Camry and Accord at their own game, and they are determined to do whatever it takes to win.
I think they've all but accomplished their goal in 1 bold stroke. The most astute buyers already know it. Everyone will know it in a year or so.
"A Hyundai like you've never seen before"
They are building excellent and quality cars these days...can't go wrong with the values you'd get!!
All-in-all, it's better than I thought, but in silver, LE guise, it was a real yawn.
I agree. Hyundai is forcing their hand with their pricing. I doubt Honda and Toyota are gonna do nothing about it. They have their strong reputations going for them, so lowering prices will be a win for them.
Hyundai can't command the same prices for their cars that Honda and Toyota can - yet. Maybe someday. They're still being handicapped.
Reminds me of BMW a few years back. Acura and Infiniti took a run at them and BMW lowered their prices. Now BMW sells more car today than they did then. Lower margins but bigger revenues.
Example- in Dec 01 my parents bought an 02 Camry LE with the following items (then optional): ABS, remote keyless entry, and 8 way power drivers seat. MSRP $21,379.
Today, the Camry LE has those features standard, and adds side and side curtain airbags, 16 inch wheels, 4 wheel disc brakes, telescoping steering wheel, electroluminescent instrumentation, steering wheel audio controls, 5 speed automatic transmission (vs. 4).....
MSRP on the 2007 Camry LE plus mats is $21,249, or $130 LESS than the 2002, which had less equipment.
~alpha
Less $$$$$$ and more options.
You proved the case that you thought wasn't true!!!!!!!!
IIRC, the Accord wsa ~25 (Camry 24 or so), and the Hyundai was ~20.
IMO, now that I own one, the Accord 4 cyl. is an amazing engine. Quiet, smooth, peppy, excellent MPG for a car this size, refined, etc. Frankly, unless I was loading it to the gills and driving through the mountains all the time, I really don't see a need for the V6 in this car.
No idea about the Sonata, not having driven one. And I would have, except for the dumb decision to only make the 5 speed stick available in a stripper model (no moonroof or leather), which took it off my list from the start.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
~alpha
Absolutely the best I4 in a car today. Great pep, very smooth performance through all the gears, quiet, fuel efficient, and bulletproof. I put 59K on mine in 3.5 years. Never burned any oil. Never made any 'funky' noises. Etc etc etc.
But - the new V6s out are a blast. Even the Sonata's. Great power and decent fuel economy. Very handy when toting around the family, or a group of guys on a golf outing to the mountains.
The I4 is truly an amazing engine. It is remarkably quiet, and is IMO the best in its class.
But after I test drove the V6, I fell in love. I found it great for overtaking, hauling, merging and sometimes for pure fun :P
Today I was following a very slow Caravan. It was quite busy on the opposite lane. Overtaking was quite dangerous and challenging. I saw a very small opening and decided to floor it. If I had the I4, I am almost 100% sure I could not have made it.
The thing I liked about the Optima is that Kia included some little touches that Hyundai forgot about on the Sonata: 5-speed automatic on the 4-cylinder models, folding mirrors, rear center headrest, telescopic wheel even on the 4-cylinder model, station selector on the steering wheel, black interior option, chrome trim around the windows even on the base model, and a nice-looking dash layout even on the base model. More importantly for me, the Optima's manual seat height adjuster did not tip me forward as much as the Sonata's, and thus I could find a comfortable seating position without the need to move up to a power seat. As a result, an Optima that has the features I need will be just under $19k list--about $2500 less than the lowest-priced Sonata with a power seat. (However, a Hyundai rep at the show told me that the power seat can be had as a separate option on the Sonata GLS, for $300--although I have never seen a Sonata with just the power seat as an option.)
A few other things about the Optima: it has the same 4-cylinder engine as the Sonata, but only a 2.7L V6 is offered. However, the V6 model starts at under $20k (they had one on the turntable). And there are some features/options on the Optima that are not available on the Sonata: power adjustable pedals, rear sunshade, 4-way power passenger seat, "Supervision" gauge cluster (disappears when off), aluminum interior trim, and tire pressure monitoring system.
I liked the control layout and dash even on the base LX model. The tilt/telescopic wheel was comfy even though it was not covered in leather (available as an option). The fabric was light gray and had a more attractive pattern than those on the Sonata IMO. The center armrest was not high enough to be usable, and it did not slide forward as on the Sonata, but it had a power point inside with a pass-thru so you could plug something in and run the power cord out. Rear seat room seemed about the same as in the Sonata--meaning it was plenty roomy--and the seat was comfortable for two adults, but I would not want to ride in the center. Both the trunk and hood are propped up by gas struts (a feature the Accord and Camry, among others, lack). The wheel covers do a pretty good job mimicking alloys, and overall the styling is clean and tasteful if not very exciting. The regional rep said that the suspension tuning is sportier than the Sonata's, which would be consistent with what Kia has done on other offerings like the Sportage and Spectra. And unlike the Sonata, it comes in red!
The Optima is supposed to be arriving in dealerships now. I will look forward to driving one, and seeing how it does on the IIHS crash tests. Hopefully the IIHS will not wait too long to test it.
You sounded so excited for the Optima :P
I never got to sit in the new Optima. At the auto show, I only saw it on the spinner. Seemed attractive, but I preferred the Sonata's more classy design. From the pictures, I prefer the Optima's interior. I'll reserve my judgment until I've sat in the car.