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Comments
I've rented the current gen Sonatas on several other occasions over the past couple of years on business trips, all of which had more miles than this one of course. Most have been GLS trims with the I-4, but a few were GLS with the 3.3L V6.
If I drove the Sonata over a severely undulating surface, including freeways with either a poor surface or a lot of dips, the rear suspension would tend to bottom and you would get a wallowing "jounce (shock compression) and rebound" effect from the rear suspension. More importantly, the rear suspension simply appears to be under damped or dampened (insufficient shock control, especially on the rebound). In my previous Sonata rentals, I've attributed this to perhaps the "rental car syndrome," as those had over 15K on the clock, some with slightly over 20K. But this Sonata acted exactly the same, and it was brand new.
I also drive a 2006 Hyundai as one of my personal cars, so I try to be as objective as possible. On smooth or moderately smooth surfaces, the Sonata's suspension is fine, but on really rough surfaces, especially undulating surfaces such as asphalt which has seen a lot of semi truck traffic, the Sonata's rear suspension seems to have a control problem. BTW . . . in neither situation was the car overloaded with people or luggage - only the driver and one passenger.
Again, Hyundai is addressing this in the 2009.
Another option for a little euro-flavor in handling and ride, without the high purchase and service prices, has been Ford with the Contour and now the Fusion. With the Fusion they may have also attained good reliability.
The soft, pliant suspension of the Sonata provides good isolation from the road, but suspension noise intrudes...
Frequent body motions are noticeable as speed rises. On the highway, the ride is buoyant.
The Sonata has noticeable body lean, and the steering is a bit numb. Bumps in corners cause the car to bob and pitch, making it feel ungainly.
This is not advertised on the official website anywhere.
Saw the 2009 Sonata and took a couple of pics of the GLS dash. I had only seen the Limited dash so far in picutres with the Nav screen. If someone could tell me how to insert photos into a post, I will add them.
Wrong! Absolutely utterly wrong!
If you are financially blessed enough to call $2,700 dollars cash "worthless," then more power to you. I myself, might call a pair of old underwear worthless, but I certainly consider $2,700 to be a lot of money.
A few years ago we sold our '92 Civic DX Hatchback for $2,700 cash and it had just over 200,000 miles. It was still in great shape (and I will admit we put $1,000 in recent repairs and maintenance into it). So I'd say maybe $500 in unscheduled maintenance/repair. That is pretty darn good considering we bought it at 166K miles, and that was the total unscheduled bill.
So if you buy Toyota's and Honda's, I'd say they are NEVER worthless if kept in good shape. People know they are bulletproof to about 300K if maintained properly.
Honda and Toyota are two of the best proven vehicles on the road, no question. Having owned both Honda and Toyota that have had numerous repairs, my 91 Honda Accord 2 starter coils fail and a part in the auto tranny that makes the tranny shift, I forgot what it was called, failed all before 100K. MY 1991 Toyota Celica started blowing blue smoke at 120K, and I replaced the drive axle at around 100K. The Accord was owned by my father new, and I got it with 60K and the Celica I bought when I sold the Accord, had 64K on it. All were maintained by the book.
My fathers 2004 Accord EX-L V6 has had a new tranny placed in it, and had "vapor lock" issues or something like that, a few months after he purchased it.
Are these two brands garenteed to make it to 300K with proper maintenance, No. No car is. The longest lasting vehicle in my family was my mothers 1992 Ford Taurus, with over 165K before problems started. Go figure.
The fact is, 90% of people never keep their cars to 150K, let alone 300K. Plus, unless you are in dire straights, who would buy a car with over 150K and assume you have another 150K in it, and be perfectly reliable. Lets be real here, please.
Maintain most other cars the same way, replace some things that break and call them maintenance instead of failure, and your other cars go the same distance with minor variations in performance in re longevity.
I can go to other discussions right here on Edmunds and list problems that are getting posted about these same wunderkars. They all have problems.
Can this discussion get past the idea that only a certain few cars have been blessed with longevity and discuss the cars, their features, their deficiencies, and so on?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Just do what every other long-standing member has done and ignore the worthless, off-subject drivel and move on.
ON-TOPIC: A family friend just traded in his second Camry for, get this, a Chevy Malibu. You read it right, a Malibu! Why? He tried out the new Camry a few different times, by test-drives and a couple rentals, and couldn't get comfortable with the new style, and the "dashboard and controls that look like an afterthought". The handling wasn't as confidence-inspiring as his last-gen Camry, and maintenance and repairs weren't outrageous, but weren't very inexpensive either in his opinion.
On my suggestion, he tried out the Accord, but it was "too big" for him, and he didn't go for the "scattered dash controls" either. The Altima was nice, but he wasn't thrilled with the CVT, more of a personal preference than anything. Despite my best efforts, he didn't want to try the Fusion, since he didn't care for the styling. So I also threw out the Malibu as another choice. He replied that he hadn't had much luck with Olds when they were around, but he decided to try out GM again and get back to me.
He just left a message on my voicemail last night, saying that he bought the Malibu yesterday, the same day he first test-drove one! I plan on seeing him tomorrow, so I'll get more details them.
For the record, he uses his car on business (25-35K miles per year), so It'll be interesting to see 1) why he picked the Malibu, and 2) if it can hold up for the next 4-5 years...
Plus there's lots of good discounts out there too!
My fathers 2004 Accord EX-L V6 has had a new tranny placed in it, and had "vapor lock" issues or something like that, a few months after he purchased it.
Are these two brands garenteed to make it to 300K with proper maintenance, No. No car is. The longest lasting vehicle in my family was my mothers 1992 Ford Taurus, with over 165K before problems started. Go figure.
The fact is, 90% of people never keep their cars to 150K, let alone 300K. Plus, unless you are in dire straights, who would buy a car with over 150K and assume you have another 150K in it, and be perfectly reliable. Lets be real here, please.
I'm 100% with you. I had/have Avalon 97, Corolla 99, Camry 2002, Altima 2003, 2005, and 2007, G35 coupe '05 and G35 sedan '08. Even though I owned those cars for about 4 years at most, I usually have some problems w/ all of those cars. All cars were bought brand new. I had most problems with Avalon, Camry, and Altima 2003.
I cannot comment on Honda because I've never owned one.
Dealer maintained with transmission flushes at 50,000 and 100,000 miles and oil changes every 3,000 miles.
New (rebuilt) transmission required at 122K miles.
123K miles there is a hole in block from a failed rod/bearing.
Bulletproof? The notion of infallible reliability of Toyota or Honda is quite an expensive myth. With just over $2K "invested" in the transmission the cost of a used or rebuilt engine was seriously considered, however wise or unwise the decision was made to dispose of the car.
I did not think they made cars like this anymore. The Camry can now be added to my short list of vehicles with catastrophic engine failure 1972 Dodge Pickup with 318, 1977 Ford Granada with 302, and 1982 Ford Escort EXP with 1.6L.
In 2008 there is not a midsize car I would be afraid to buy due to reliability concerns, including Toyota.
Then you can link from there into the discussions and have them show up in your post or have people go to your My Carspace page.
Or you can upload pictrues to a hosting website, such as photobucket.com (free), and use the links from there to put them into your posts here by copying the link, selecting the whole link, and clicking the IMG or the URL button under the posting window here.
I don't think you want to link to your pictures on your hard drive. You'd have to leave it on all the time for the pictures to load each time someone viewed the post with the picture in it and it may leave your computer susceptible to compromise from other folk.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
http://www.carspace.com/m6user/Albums/09sonata/
http://www.internetautoguide.com/car-photos/09-int/2008/lexus/rx350/interior/rad- - io.html
Or not.
But I like the dash in the 2009 Sonata better.
How it FEELS is where I found fault, especially the feel of the steering wheel itself. A rough grain of plastic that isn't as good as the top of the dash in the Accord. The Aura Hybrid basic model I sat in had a similar steering wheel feel as that of the plastic wheel on my Snapper Rear-Engine Rider. Since that's something you touch 100% of the time when driving, I was put off in a major way by that.
Thanks for posting the pic, by the way.
TheGrad
Not sure though why you are comparing the plastic on the Malibu's wheel to that of the top of the Accord's dash. Maybe the Accord's wheel to the Malibu's wheel?
Not sure though why you are comparing the plastic on the Malibu's wheel to that of the top of the Accord's dash. Maybe the Accord's wheel to the Malibu's wheel?
Because you'd think the plastic used in large swaths on a $20k car's dashboard would be of lower quality than that of a steering wheel in a car costing the same. In this case, it isn't. The Aura had a sandpaper-y feel that isn't comfortable to touch, much less hold on to for hours.
The Accord's wheel has (well, I think the '08 had the same, I know my '06 has this:) a grippy dimpled pattern with a thick-ish rim. The Aura wheel feels much lower-class than that of the base Honda Fit and not nearly as nice as that in the Optima or Sonata.
I went to the Chicago Int'l Auto show yesterday and I spent some time checkin out the new Malibu, 09 Sonata, Accord Camry and Aura. I even spent time in the new Altima. I was impressed with the exterior styling of the Malibu. I've driven several basic models (LS and LT) but had yet to really get a chance to sit inside and play around with the LTZ models. I hope GM hurrry ups and offers the LTZ I4 model because I'm a big fan of the Cocoa/Cashmere interior color scheme. I didnt think I'd like the Ebony/Brick interior found on one of Dark Gray LTZ at the show but I was fairly impressed by it and that particular combination used on the Malibu looks better than the Fusion's Sports Apperance pkg red/black leather interior. Back seat room was a bit more cramped than my Altima (05) or the new Accord but it would do for someone of my height of 5' 9". I still find some fault in some of the interior materials, specifically the door panels and lower dashboard plastics but they are notably better than the plastics used in my Altima. What I found funnhy was the fact that the Aura and Malibu have similar dimensions yet the Malibu somehow felt roomier. I also found that while the Malibu's color schemes were nice the materials used inside of the car were no better quality wise than those found in the Aura, they just LOOK better. Perception is something else.
The Accord was mah, I see them everyday and everywhere here in Chicago. I still think it has the best interior materials in this class but those buttons on the dashboard can be overwhelming. I can see why some would rate the Malibu's interior higher than the Accord's simple because the Malibu has a simplistic elegance to it's interior design and those LED lit blue gauges look very classy in the Malibu, but from a quality standpoint, the Accord's still got it over all other cars in this class, including the Sonata.
Which brings me to my next point. I sat inside the Sonata. A couple of weeks back a Hyundai exec claimed the new Sonata, even in base form, would have a better interior than the new Malibu, I respecfully disagree. In the pictures the Sonata's interior looks very impressive, especially in beige but the Limited V6 model I sat in yesterday didnt impress me much.
From a design stand point it's much much better than before and it's integrated audio and climate controls looks simplier to use than say the Accord's. But some of the interior materials were not high quality. For example the lower dashboard panels were rock hard, hollow sounding plastics. The "metal" looking trim is just glossy looking plastic trim and so is the so called "wood trim". But all automakers are guilty of that one. I also noticed that wood trim is used throughout the front of the Sonata's interior where its found on the dash board, and on parts of the door panels yet the rear doors have no wood at all. I found that kind of strange.
Two other Sonata's where there as well, an SE I4 and the GLS. The cloth used in the GLS has a "buick century" feel to it. It's very soft and fur-like in feel and appearance. Really reminded me of my great uncles old Buicks from back in the day. And the cloth/leather trim on the SE didnt do it for me either. For a "sporty" sedan I didn't find the Cloth/Leather in the SE evolked what I'd called "passion" looks kinda cheap to me.
SE models keep the same ole 17 inch wheels from the 06-08 Sonata's, Limited models get the better looking newer wheels. The from the front looks similar tot he Azera, which to me looks similar to the previous generation Acura RL. The chrome bits up front on the Limited model are basically plastic strips on the GLS and SE models and they look tacky. The all-red taillights at the back should have been left alone...they looked better than before and really make the Sonata look like an Accord from the rear..but this time like the 05 Accord, which had the "All Red" horizontal taillights instead of the red/white o
Just shows how much personal taste comes into play on the looks of a car. I don't like the new Limited wheels at all, but love the 5-spoke alloys that are still available on the SE. And the little chrome strips on the Limited's bumpers don't do anything for may at all.
Have you noticed though that just about every car below $30k these days (and some over $30k) uses hard plastic on the lower dash--and some on the uppoer dash? (Did you knock on the uppoer dash of the Accord, for example, and notice that it's all hard plastic?)
The main thing I find cheap looking on the Malibu's (LS at least) interior is the controls on the center stack--they look cheap to me, black plasticy looking. Maybe they look better in person?
That's exactly what I noticed about the "feel" inside the Malibu. Believe me, I drove a lot of GM products, from a 1960 Biscayne to a 1993 LaSabre Limited and a lot of others inbetween. I always liked the materials used in the interiors. Mechanics and dependability in the 80s and 90s are something else again, however. Anyway, I was looking forward to liking the Malibu and possibly considering for a purchase later this year but have now pretty much ruled it out. Haven't drove it but from the overall looks and interior quality, I don't think I will.
Sitting in the Accord only reinforced my opinions that I formed from observing my co-workers '08 a few months ago, disappointing. I personally can't stand the switchgear in the center stack, no sense of order or flow at all. It looks to me like they mixed all the radio/HVAC controls in a hat, then threw them on the center stack. The dashboard itself felt cheap as well, almost as bad as a Chrysler product. The seats were nice, and the other materials looked and felt good, but IMO the current Accord is worse than the previous-gen in the interior and looks department.
The Sebring/Avenger? Didn't bother to sit in them, since the plastic screamed CHEAP from 20 feet away! No amount of heated or cooled cupholders can change how bad Chrysler has gotten with interiors.
The Fulans were the same to me as before, a great effort from Ford, although strangely, they're now just as nice in terms of materials and fit-and-finish as the current-gen Accord...
BTW, m6user, can you wait for the second-gen 6 to be released for '09? That'll really make your wife jealous...
As far as design and colors I think the Malibu is best...can't beat the Cocoa/Cashmere but some of the materials, especially those door panels look plain. I feel the same way about the Sonata's rear door panels. Some wood trim or even metal trim would go a long way toward giving it a better look back there.
I really like the current size/shape/looks and price of the current M6. So much so that I would consider having two in the garage which is something I've never done before. It kind of seems like "steady sweaters" or something and not sure if I would like it or not. However, I really like the Mazda6 as it presently stands. The pics I've seen of the Euro 6 are pretty sharp though. Decisions, decisions!
Regardless, this new Sonata design certainly looks a lot better and is a major improvement over its predecessor(or I should say unrefreshened predecessor)!
Whenever there is anything on the Sonata remotely like the Camcord, there are those who are quick to point it out. So in this case Hyundai went in a different direction, and that doesn't work either apparently. I don't see any advantage to the boring, same-old, rectangular vents used by the Camcord et. al. compared to the vertical, tapered vents of the new Sonata.