2009-2010 Hyundai Sonata

billward · May 2010

I don't think higher octane, per se, will make a difference. Not having the Ethanol Blend may get you a few extra miles, but the mileage I quoted is blend.

I don't know why your car is getting bad mileage; since it's an I4, it should be identical with the other I4 Sonatas. Maybe you're just driving more aggressively?

I'm a bit surprised about the I4 SE, though... I thought most SEs were V6 by default.

grdawg · May 2010

Ya, it was a little harder finding the I4 SE, but I liked the additional features of the SE, but wanted the better gas mileage the I4 would supposedly provide.

greatlakesjr · May 2010

Second fill-up netted me 34mpg (vs. 33mpg w/first fill-up) with even less highway driving so I'm even more pleased with this great car.

kwilli024 · June 2010

I had a bad experience at the dealership that I bought my car. I was there last week for my first oil change and I stopped by the sales room to say hello to the salesperson that sold me my car. The salesman proceeded to berate me over the not so positive survey that I completed, stating that he has not been able to collect "Hyundai bonus money" because of receiving a low score. I was not expecting this treatment and felt very embarrassed being humiliated by the sales person. He was not professional and I probably will not go back there for service or my next purchase. I am also planning to contact the general manager of the dealership as well. I have yet to hear from the GM on this matter :mad:

Kirstie_H · June 2010

You can also express your dissatisfaction by reviewing this dealership in our dealership ratings and reviews section: http://www.edmunds.com/dealerships/drr/jump.html

That sounds like unprofessional behavior to me.

greatlakesjr · June 2010

Those surveys seem to be their holy grail. My salesman reminded me more than once that anything less than "10's" and it was a "failure". Kind of unfair of Hyundai to be so rigid but, it is what it is. I had a good experience so I had no problem marking 10's for him and the dealer.

pghtiger · June 2010

I am new to this forum. Purchased 2009 Sonata Limited 8 months ago. After 2 weeks took it back because of leak in transmission. Verdict was transmission cover was replaced. After 15K miles, car was leaping, and engine light came on. Took it back to dealer. They said Hyundai told them to replace transmission, but sent me on my way. The next day, filled car with gas. Drove 5 miles;car leaped forward, made a loud grinding noise and emitted a terrible smell. Car disabled and towed to dealer.

Went to owner and asked him to come up with options. Day three no options yet, driving a loaner.

Concerned about this issue being the beginning of more problems. Other owners have problems? Any recalls? Ideas?

crash49 · June 2010

I am having similar problems. My car would downshift hard and when I asked the dealer to test drive they told me there was no problem. Problem continued, I insisted, and they told me they reset the system. That seemed to fix the problem but then I had a humming noise coming from under the hood which would go away once I put the car in neutral or park. Same procedure as above - took a couple of visits before they acknowleged the problem. Was told solenoids in transmission were bad (less than 12,000 miles) and I was first one they had seen. Parts had to be ordered direct from Hyundai. Today the parts were replaced, dealer called to say noise is now worse and they have to replace the whole transmission. I am beyond upset!

LASHAWN · June 2010

I would only be upset if it were gonna cost me to fix. Now if you don't have something to drive while they fix your car, than that's another story, something you should be mad about.

lightfootfl · June 2010

??? You don't really mean that inconvenience should account for nothing, do you?
Certainly our time is worth something, even if they do try to accomodate us for their (?) inadequacies. I realize the local dealers have to put up with many problems that are not really theirs, but they aren't ours either, but we are the ones that suffer for the misuse or lack thereof of our time. Sometimes it seems that no-one is able to win, and we all lose. My personal opinion.

Van

trofie · June 2010

i have decided to purchase a 2010 sonata because i believe this time next year, everyone in new jersey will own the 2011 version of this great car.

that said, this evening i was quoted 23,000+title+tags from the local dealer based on 0 down, 0 financing for 72 months. i left the car there and will be getting back to him on monday. i used all the negotiating skills i learned here and on other sites to get him to commit to this number.

i was hoping you guys could provide some feedback regarding this offer. thanks in advance.

jlindh · June 2010

If you're talking about a 2010, that sounds high, even with nav. Others are getting that price for a 2011 limited without nav.

greatlakesjr · June 2010

Great choice. Not sure which model you're talking about (GLS? Limited?) but I'm guessing the Limited at that price. Picked up a 2010 GLS, no frills, 2 months ago for $16,000 and I know others got it for less than that so I wouldn't touch that price even if Limited. I could have had a '09 Limited w/15K miles for $16,700. Looks like no 2010's at Fitzmall so can't compare with that. Ricart of Columbus, Ohio (closer to my area) has two Limited's left at about $21,000. You can beat your quoted price I believe.

nuriddin · August 2010

Sorry in advance for asking questions on different topics in this thread. They are all related to finding the right car.

I am looking at buying a used 2010 Hyundai Sonata GLS auto.
1) I plan to email several dealers and ask for the OTD cost, but its not as straight forward with used cars. Is there a method dealers used to price cars based on mileage? In other words, how do I know its a good deal with X amount of mileage? I am looking at cars in the Western suburbs of Chicago. Most online prices are from $13000 to $15000 for a car in the low 20,000 mile range. I view this as the dealers price, but Im not sure what my starting price should be .

2) Im looking at a 100 mile radius. Most of the posters mentioned they took the car back to the dealer. Is it not advisable to buy from one dealer but get the car serviced at a different dealer? I wont drive 100 miles to get the car service, but Im wondering should I reduce my search area.

3) Is there a website that shows the exterior and interior color combination that are available in the market? I visited a couple websites. They list all the interior and exterior colors, but its not clear if all the colors are available in any combination. I havent found that to be the case with the cars I have seen online. Im looking for a gray interior. The preferred exterior is med silver blue.

4) Lastly, is it true the doors can be programmed to unlock once I grabbed the handle and not when the car is placed in park. I dont understand why car companies make that a default setting. Will changing the setting result in more problems since it is not standard? How much does this service normally cost?

greatlakesjr · August 2010

I know your pain. I was searching about 4 months ago for an '09 or '10 4cyl GLS and had one color in mind: dark blue w/gray interior. There were some possibilities w/about 20,000 miles but it always seemed the price was a little too high for my comfort level. They seemed to fall in the $13,000-14,000 range. I had one '09 GLS w/28K miles bottom line quote for $12,500 but decided I didn't want that many miles. All in all, the prices seemed to fall in line based on mileage and features (convenience package #1 or #2 or base model). Crazy low deals were hard to find. In the end, I decided to buy a new GLS for $16,000 (only upgrade was Bluetooth). That's probably about $3,000 more than I could have got a used one with 15-20K miles but I'm the original owner and have the full warranty available. Don't know how many new '10's are left on the lots but I'm VERY pleased with my decision. Great car! Just pulled off 38 mpg on my first road trip (all highway).

I went 200 miles to get my car knowing full well I'd have to take it to a local dealer for any problems. I didn't let that deter me from finding the best price and it shouldn't be a problem at all.

As far as I know, each exterior color comes with two interior combinations. Mine came with either gray or tan and we definitely preferred the gray.

Can't answer #4.

nuriddin · August 2010

Thanks for the response. The depreciation cost is the only thing deterring me from purchasing a new car. We'll see. I may have to bite the bullet.

greatlakesjr · August 2010

Yeah, I had to ask myself was getting new worth the at-least $3,000 hit it would take immediately? My answer was yes, not only because of the 15-20K less miles it had but also the fact that I was the original driver (no guessing as to how someone else drove/maintained it). And the depreciation factor is also not so relevant to me because I plan to keep it 10-12 years.

arto7 · August 2010

Been looking to get a 2011 SE w/NAV for around 24k. Now I found a dealer with a new 2010 V6 Limited w/NAV for 23k. Poorer gas mileage and does not have quite the coolness on the outside - but loaded on the inside with the Limited features that you don't get on the SE. My choice of 2011 SE over Limited came down to which was more useful to me for around the same price - adding NAV to the SE or the extra features of the Limited minus the NAV since that would be additional cost. Any thoughts? Been trying to find some info on people's experiences with the 2010 V6 but have not found much. While searching this forum however, I am starting to question whether 23k is as good of a price as I thought it was. I think the sticker is 28k. Thanks.

dm44 · September 2010

dm44 · September 2010

My 2010 Sonata GLS drove fine until the first time I had the tires rotated at 7k miles. Immediately after leaving the dealer the car pulled to the right. When I took it back the dealer switched the front tires side to side and that stopped the pull to the right and gave it a slight pull to the left now. He said it was tire push and gave me Michellin's number for warranty.

A local tire shop replaced both front tires. I'm guessing they switched the wheels back because it was pulling right again after they were mounted. The next oil change the dealer switched them back for me with the same result, no right pull but now a slight left pull.

Now the problem is the dealer still says it's a bad tire. I can't buy that having two brand new tires on the front doing exactly the same thing as the old ones.

It's obviously something to do with the wheels and not the suspension or alignment since it changes with the side to side rotation. I asked the dealer if it could be a bad rim and he said no. I find that hard to buy also. What else is there excpet the tire and rim? If it ain't one, it has to be the other, right?

I'd appreciate some opinions and suggestions. Am I thinking wrong here? Am I missing something? I'd like to go back to the dealer with some reliable information about how to get this fixed.

Thanks,
Dave

crkyolfrt · September 2010

Just to cover these bases first:

- rule out the road - and include crown and groving and driving direction; make notes, be deatiled so you can tell both dlr and Michelin your findings. Prove to them you have been conscientious.
- cross, side and headwinds
- tire psi
- confirm knife edge on the original suspect tire by drawing your hand across the tread at right angles to tire rotation. Feel any edge at all in either direction? You should not.
- confirm if anyone else drives the car whether they hit anything; a curb, road debris , pothole etc
- insist that your dealer MECHANIC NOT SERVICE MGR - be in direct contact with Michelin. this rules out he said/she said and miscommunication.
- is your test with same number of passengers? Is there a 300+lb person at times throwing off test consistency? Best to do test alone with zero passengers and empty trunk.

dovid2 · September 2010

I don't know if this is still germaine; however, on item 4, the dealer can easily reprogram the door locks, and it should be free. I spoke to the service manager who misunderstood me & the mechanic reprogrammed it wrong. When I spoke to the mechanic, he did it right the next time. I had them set to lock at 10 mph and not unlock at all.

johnlk · October 2010

2009 Sonata SE has excessive wind noise with all windows closed tight, air conditioner off and this car has been to 3 different Hyundai dealers for this problem. The last hyundai dealer stated that they did not hear any wind noise but it is caused by the outside mirrows, which to prove his point he had the mirrows removed, holes sealed test drove with noise still there. (Why would they say that the noise is caused by the mirrows if they did not hear it?) They brought in a specialist that deals with wind noises and he test drove the car, worked on it for 3 hours and then told me that he could only reduce the wind noise by 40% Later that day the big shot at the hyundai dealership stated that they did not hear any wind noise, then proceeded to tell me that they reduced it by 40%. If as they claimed could not hear it HOW can a noise be reduced by 40% if as they claimed they did not hear. The wind noise gets so loud at high speeds that it makes it almost impossible to carry on a normal conersation with riders in the back seat. Also they claim that my tires are worn out at 23000 miles even though they have been rotated every 5000 miles. Has anyone that owns a hyundai sonata have a wind noise problem?

johnlk · October 2010

LASHAWN · October 2010

Well I own an 06 Sonata LX V6. I've gotten it up to well over 100mph and didn't notice any different wind noise from when I was going over 60mph. It all sounded the same to me.

backy · October 2010

No significant wind noise on my 2007 Sonata. Mine does not have a moonroof, nor an antenna (mine is in the rear glass). Does yours?

thegraduate · October 2010

I have both (2009 GLS V6 w/Moonroof) and don't have a wind-noise issue; the car is significantly quieter than the 2006 Accord EX it replaced.

Sandman6472 · October 2010

Have you ever done a 4 wheel alignment on this car? Do you check the air pressure at least once a month to make sure they are properly inflated and adjust them accordingly? Just because one rotates them at certain intervals doesn't mean anything really. This needs to be in conjunction with the other 2 items mentioned above. I do all three things on our cars and the tires seem to last a good long time. One must maintain their car to get everything to last...pure & simple.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

newtohyundai1 · November 2010

I just bought a 2009 Sonata and it also has wind noise. It sounds like it's coming from the passenger side--either the windshield or the window. It comes and goes, usually when I'm headed west on the beltway (huh?). I probably won't have it checked out for the very reason you describe in your experience.

crkyolfrt · November 2010

wha t was your previous car...for comparison?

tell us what else you like or dislike or are indifferent to?

mikezak3473 · November 2010

There is a dealer (Poquet Auto) in Minneapolis that only sells cars from various manufacturer finance companies. This past weekend, we purchased a 2010 Sonata GLS w/13,500 miles for $14,500. No negotiating necessary (or needed) for that matter, but I did get a 'fresh' oil change and full tank of gas!

As a result this enabled me to buy an extended (3rd party) bumper-to-bumper warrenty to 4 years / 100K miles for an additonal $1000.

backy · November 2010

Does that mean you now have about 8 years of bumper-to-bumper warranty?

Another sign that Sonata prices are on the upswing. The last time I looked at buying a new Sonata, a 2009 (same car as the 2010), I got a quote of $14,500 for a new GLS. I decided to pass on it though. But I was sorely tempted...

thegraduate · November 2010

I paid $13,5XX ($14,400 OTD in B'ham, AL) for my '09 GLS V6. Certified with 48,010 miles. I love the quieter ride, and in twisties I miss my Honda, but the rattles of my Accord were driving me batty. The softer-riding Sonata is much more attuned to 90% of my driving; suburban/interstate. Averaging 25-26MPG around town, 31 MPG on trips @ 70MPH.

Question; do all GLS V6 models (2009) come with PEP/moonroof? All I looked at had the moonroof.

backy · November 2010

According to Consumer Guide, the PEP is extra, and the moonroof extra on top of that on the 2009 GLS V6. Whether or not you could actually find a car w/o those options at a dealer is another story.

Talking of prices... I looked for 2007 GLSes (like mine) within 50 miles of me, and there's only 8, and the price of one with about the same miles as what I got a year ago is about the same price as it was then! Used cars have definitely shot up. I'm glad I'm set for a couple of years with cars.

thegraduate · November 2010

Ah; well the only GLS V6 (2009) models I could find had PEP and the moonroof. That's good for me; I wanted the moonroof (my previous Accord had one and I didn't want to move down in equipment).

crkyolfrt · November 2010

what does PEP stand for? 10 min of google searching just wasted my time

stephen987 · November 2010

Popular Equipment Package

crkyolfrt · November 2010

thanks

i guess they don't use that acronym in Cda

Sandman6472 · November 2010

Graduate, how do you like your car after some time now? Great pic/color combo & I still like the 2009/2010 model years as my favorites besides the current generation. Love the revamped front/tail & the improved dash layout...much better in my opinion. Love the alloys from the 4 cylinder Limited better than the steelies/bolt-ons that your car has. I enjoyed my test drive of the '10 model I test drove a year ago with the power seat while I was also looking to swap out into a Volvo S40. The car drove nicely & the power seat had me about to sign on the dotted line. But fiscal responsibility, my wife, took over & nixed any new car thoughts!

Have been tossing around the idea lately of getting a used Lexus RX for the power seat/higher seating position, but after much thought & deliberation, and talking with my oldest girl, have decided to just stay put. Once retirement kicks in January 3rd, not sure if I want something new. Just hit 30k on the '06 Civic LX yesterday and it's still a very tight car & drives like the day I drove off the lot. My annual driving will be going down to maybe 3k/year, so why buy anything. I can easily go another 6 or 7 years & be in the lower 50k mileage area with only minimal $ spent on it so why not just stay on course & keep my current ride. Besides the wife is gonna but either a 2011 or 2012 anyways.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

thegraduate · November 2010

Graduate, how do you like your car after some time now?

I still really really like the car. It's tighter rattle-wise than my Accord was at the same miles, which is a big victory to my OCD ears. The V6 power will really surprise you when you aren't prepared for it; I'm still used to laying on the throttle from the 4-cyl on the highway; in the V6, just a part-throttle push will usually do the trick. I did a lot of in-town driving this weekend and averaged 24 (as many city miles as interstate, but of course much more time spent in city driving and Costco-style parking lots). On the interstate, at 70, the car will do 32 MPG in moderately hilly Alabama.

The quiet of the car at speed is most welcome with four people trying to converse on the interstate; hard to do in a Honda. The Honda was more fun to drive, without doubt, but the Sonata is definitely the better highway car. It also has a softer-throttle tip-in and more gentle brake modulation, making it the better car in heavy traffic, to me.

hyundaisonata · December 2010

hyundaisonata · December 2010

I have a 2009 Sonata GLS Auto 4 cyl. The car lurches forward with only minimal accelerator pressure. I don't really mind, but I think this may adversely impact my gas mileage as I am getting only 23 MPG with mostly highway driving. Does anyone notice this issue? I am wondering if dealer maintenance can correct this problem under warranty?

stephen987 · December 2010

My guess is that it's not a mechanical problem--the car is functioning as designed. Frequently cars are set up to appear more powerful/responsive than they really are, through the design of the throttle system.

backy · December 2010

But 23 mpg on the highway is not acting as designed, under "normal" highway driving. Hyundaisonata, can you tell us about your highway driving? What speed? How long is the typical trip? What kind of weather? How many stops? How's traffic? Are tires inflated to spec? Does your gas have ethanol?

One way to check if the car is getting the fuel economy it should is to find a flat stretch of open highway with little traffic, so you can maintain a steady speed. This drive should be several miles. Then warm up the engine and as you start cruising at a fixed speed, reset the mpg meter. Keep the speed at the limit, and try to use a light foot on the pedal (or use cruise control). Be sure you are in 5th gear. If the speed limit is 55-60, you should easily hit the EPA highway rating for the car--actually you should exceed it. At 65-70, you should still be able to hit the EPA rating. Above 70, you should still get WELL over the 23 mpg you are getting now.

If you don't get results like that on this test, and the tire pressures are correct and weather is not real cold, I'd say there's something that needs to be checked by the dealer.

carbuyer109 · January 2011

I bought a used 2009 Sonata GLS with 21k on it. Nice car but I notice wind noice, almost a whistle-like sound on the highway. Had a S-series Saturn 10 years ago that did the same thing. I was told it was air passing around the side view mirrors, don't know what the cause on the Sonata is.

thegraduate · January 2011

Change your air flow from fresh to recirculate and let me know if it improves.

carbuyer109 · January 2011

I will thanks

carbuyer109 · January 2011

No change when the air is recirculating vs. open, it does seem to be coming from the side view mirrors though. Wish there was some way to get rid of it. What I find strange is that I did not come across this issue anywhere. I researched this car on Edmunds, Car and Driver, Motortrend, Consumer Reports etc. Never came across this issue, googled it after I noticed it on my car and came across it on this forum. Thanks for the suggestion though!

thegraduate · January 2011

Well, I was hopeful. I have a whistle at higher speed (60+) that improves if you set the ventilation to recirculate. I think it has something to do with a leaking sunroof and airflow pulled through it. My weatherstripping doesn't appear to meet in the middle.

backy · January 2011

I have a 2007 Sonata, same mirrors as yours, no whistle that I have noticed. However, different people can be sensitive to different sounds. Very little wind noise at all in fact unless I drive into a strong headwind, as I did on a long trip a couple of weeks ago, then there was some general wind noise at 70 mph cruise. Do you drive in strong winds, or do you hear the whistle even on a calm day? At what speed do you start hearing the whistle? (I do not have a moonroof, fwiw.)

The interesting thing about the whistle is I remember distinctly that one of the justifications HMA made for the 2006-10 USA-spec Sonata not having folding mirrors was to reduce wind noise. I always suspected that was balderdash, and real reason was that fixed mirrors are less expensive.

2009-2010 Hyundai Sonata

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