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2011 Hyundai Sonata

17475777980104

Comments

  • keyman2keyman2 Member Posts: 78
    Hi
    Can you ask them about the horn replacement?and steering problems?
    Thanks
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    edited July 2010
    I can't believe nobody knows what the little flap was for. If I am referring to the same thing I think you are it was a restricter so that "leaded" fuel could not be pumped into the tank of a then new "unleaded only" car. You see back then leaded fuel was still sold along side the newfangled unleaded and the nozzle for the leaded pump was thicker than the thin nozzle for unleaded. The restricter was meant to keep leaded fuel from being accidentally pumped into an unleaded cars tank. This, of course would destroy the catylitic converter in short order. This was from about 1975 or 76 on until I guess automakers finally realized no leaded pumps still exist in the USA and discontinued installing them. I never noticed though. God, I must be getting old!!!
  • toysaxtoysax Member Posts: 28
    any person buying any car in any price range is driving the "newest hottest," etc.. for only a few months until another company comes out with something new.. or for that matter the same company updating its model..WE all get caught in a competitive ego driven mentality, that what we buy, Honda, Hyundai, Acura, Lexus.. etc.. will always be the most coveted desired car in automotive history..Give it up guys! Enjoy your car no matter what brand or model.. life is too short to get manic over a hunk of metal that rusts over time. Its as good as it is the momnent you buy it... and after that , youre AWLAYS competing with next years models! Honestly? We should all be spending l;ess time here obsessing over minutae... and out in our new Sonatas.. enjoying a nice long drive in the mountains! Enjoy your cars.. and your weekend!
  • denp3denp3 Member Posts: 99
    It does. It is under normal maintenance, page 7-13 at 105,000 miles.
  • mccallrmccallr Member Posts: 19
    I just purchased a 2011 Sonata 2 days ago and I believe the manual stated the plugs have an interval of 105K miles. It was definitely over 100K.
  • toysaxtoysax Member Posts: 28
    I have found this: at 65-75 mph.. if you are light on the gas pedal just to maintain speed withoiut many quick passses..you can get about 33-35 mpg..If you can drop your speed to 55-65 mph.. your milage will go up considerably... This is difficult of course becasuse at 55 everyone is either tailgating honking so you eithe rhave to speed up.. or pass lowering yopur mpg... use your "auto pilot" whenever possible!
  • mccallrmccallr Member Posts: 19
    I just purchased a 2011 Sonata 6-speed Automatic and was wondering if anyone uses the Shiftronic transmission (that +/- mode) to actually increase their MPG? I realize that most people would use it to increase acceleration (less MPG) but assume that you can also force it to shift higher whenever the tach gets to 2K, thereby increasing MPG? Just curious. I've only driven the car 100 miles and I've been accelerating a lot faster than I would normally to try and keep the tach in the 2-4K range (as suggested by the manual during the first 600 miles). When I noticed the +/- mode (didn't know the car even had that), I started keeping it in a lower gear to keep the tach between 2-3K. My car had 400 miles on it when I bought it (they got it from a dealer in SC and I live in GA) so I'm hoping they at least varied their speed on the highway. I'm not sure how important keeping the tach between 2-4K is during the break-in period.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    You know what? You are dead right. I had forgotten about that. You used to be able to buy a little plastic adapter to put on the end of a leaded nozzle to taper it down to move the door aside.

    Wow. Forgot all about that. Must be getting old, too. :cry:
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,142
    The first big nick or ding on a new car is always hard to take. After awhile, you usually just stop noticing them - otherwise, they'll drive you nuts or broke. Best bet is to try the touch-up paint so that you don't notice it until you're up close, or squint when you get too close. :)

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  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,142
    I wasn't old enough to drive then, but I sure remember my dad pulling up to filling stations (all full service) and saying, "fill 'er up with regular."
    I've tried to shove a diesel nozzle into my vehicle before... I'd almost certainly have been a victim of my own idiocy if they still had leaded gas and nothing to prevent me using it.

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  • hmma007hmma007 Member Posts: 19
    Lashawn, do you know which tour group/time you'll be here?
    James Bond
  • noway6noway6 Member Posts: 6
    I agree with you. However, there is nothing wrong with buying the 'newest, hottest". :) I think new Sonata is still the cheapest one out there. You can buy a 2011 Sonata any trim under invoice today (I'm in the NE market). Also, the demand for regular engine models could be weaken (price could drop) once the new turbo and hybrid models are out. I'm only concerned about first year model bugs.
  • ewg54ewg54 Member Posts: 25
    edited July 2010
    I have been playing with this (experimenting) and notice that when it is in shiftronic it trully is manual. will not down shift or up shift unless you push it. So I think that you would be able to keep the tach whereever you want it. I use this feature now for passing, as you dont have to mash the pedal down to floor to hit passing gear. As soon as you put it in shiftronic it shows one gear down usally 5. then step on gas pass the Ford F150 and then put it back over to "D". Break in was a bigger deal in the old days as they used certain oil and such. But with closer engine tolerances in today's engines makes it a lot easier.
  • bobadbobad Member Posts: 1,587
    I'm guessing right around 2000 RPM in top gear should give you the best mileage.
  • LASHAWNLASHAWN Member Posts: 303
    Tour time is at 9:30am.
  • mikemartinmikemartin Member Posts: 205
    edited July 2010
    I was really hoping Hyundai was truly at the same level as Honda, Toyota, Subaru and some others in term so quality, but after seeing the credible reports from owners with new, low mile 2011 Sonatas post problem with the steering, fuel system, rough idle (and noisy motor probably due to DI), air conditioning failures, assorted rattles and other maladies, I'm seriously doubting that there close to achieving their goal of parity with the Japanese and even some domestic manufacturers.

    Again, although I do not currently own a Hyundai (though I did consider buying a Sonata at one time), I am only restating the claims I've heard here (including a video of the steering issue posted by mommyt) and a few other Hyundai oriented forums elsewhere.

    Maybe these issues are first year teething problems, and let's hope that Hyundai gets them resolved quickly.

    One last thing - Consumer Reports complained about the levels of noise in the 2011 Sonata, including road noise.

    I am rooting for Hyundai, because anything that increases competition helps consumers, although I personally believe they've raised their prices too much now, giving an edge back to Honda and Toyota, since Honda and Toyota (even withe pedal issue) are rock solid reliability wise.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    I was really hoping Hyundai was truly at the same level as Honda, Toyota, Subaru and some others in term so quality, but after seeing the credible reports from owners with new, low mile 2011 Sonatas post problem ...

    Hate to tell you this but owners of "Honda, Toyota, Subaru and some others" also post credible reports of problems. So I guess Hyundai is truly on the same quality level.

    I owned a 2000 Elantra wagon and put about 180K miles on it and it was the most trouble free car that I ever owned. I currently own a 2002 Accent with about 135K miles that has been trouble free. Both cars have been far more reliable than my sisters Toyota or some of my friends that own Hondas.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • schdyschdy Member Posts: 233
    I am rooting for Hyundai, because anything that increases competition helps consumers, although I personally believe they've raised their prices too much now, giving an edge back to Honda and Toyota, since Honda and Toyota (even withe pedal issue) are rock solid reliability wise.

    I don't believe you are rooting for Hyundai!

    And if you look at the number of recalls in the past 2 yrs Toyota and Honda way outnumber Hyundai.
    Mommyt's steering problem has been proven to be a non issue!
    None of us have said the 2011 Sonata is the perfect car. However if you look at the owners ratings you will find that 9.5 out of 10 are very happy with their purchase.
    Stop knocking Hyundai and go purchase what pleases you. None of us here are advocating that you should only buy a Hyundai. If you do then I will entertain listening to your complaints but untill then stop quoting other complaints that you have no experience with nor can you prove they are owners of the 2011 Sonata.
  • schdyschdy Member Posts: 233
    Why don't you look at some real facts. Go here and look at 2008 Sonata (only goes that high) and 2010 Accord and 2010 Camry. Here are real owner complaints not anyone who doesn't own a car but likes to post a negative comment!

    http://www.carcomplaints.com/
  • ral2167ral2167 Member Posts: 791
    bells and wistles are nice , but....road noise was very obvious ....no longer considering.
  • jsmit86jsmit86 Member Posts: 116
    Re: One last thing - Consumer Reports complained about the levels of noise in the 2011 Sonata, including road noise....

    The road noise on this car is largely from the low rolling resistance tires. It is very much tied to the road surface.

    I traded an Infiniti G35 on this car. Compared to the G, amazingly, it is usually quieter. On certain road surfaces however, the noise is much greater.

    Again, a lot depends on the road surface.
  • schdyschdy Member Posts: 233
    Re: One last thing - Consumer Reports complained about the levels of noise in the 2011 Sonata, including road noise....

    The road noise on this car is largely from the low rolling resistance tires. It is very much tied to the road surface.

    I traded an Infiniti G35 on this car. Compared to the G, amazingly, it is usually quieter. On certain road surfaces however, the noise is much greater.

    Again, a lot depends on the road surface


    Very good point. Only a true owner or someone with auto tire design would be aware of this. Test driving one vehicle with one set of wheels is not a true indicator of the vehicle's road noise!
  • tbone_raretbone_rare Member Posts: 96
    Stop quoting other complaints that you have no experience with.....Under that logic, people who have not bought a GM vehicle since 1990 should have no right to question the quality of GM today. If that holds true, the forums would have nothing to discuss. It seems that, regardless of the forum topic, non GM owners have something bad to say. Just an observation.
  • schdyschdy Member Posts: 233
    I think you misread my post. I was saying that repeating other complaints of people who may not even own the car and the poster (mmartin) not owning one himrself doesn't help visitors to this Forum who are seriously interested in buying a Sonata. I never said he shouldn't question the quality. I said stop reporting quality defects that are not proven to be major or factual and scaring someone who is not aware that some of the posters here are anti Hyundai regardless of the car's performance/value. I think that's a fair comment.
    If you were interested in buying a car I'm sure you would want to hear the good and the bad undistorted and unbiased!
    I hope this clears up my issue.
  • toysaxtoysax Member Posts: 28
    My guess is that what you see here insofar as complaints, is a very small % of total owners and shouldnt be taken as a typoical sampling... I'd guess that most new owners have trouble free experience, and therefore are out driving, enjoying.. and not fretting about problems. This microscopic view of the 2011sonata experience is NOT the wole story... couldn t possibly be..
  • pattyny811pattyny811 Member Posts: 4
    My Sonata Limited is absolutely perfect. I have not had one noise or issue with this car. It drives and rides like a dream...I am just thrilled with my purchase. I was a 25 year Honda/Acura driver - no regrets.
  • schdyschdy Member Posts: 233
    You're absolutely correct. If you go here:
    http://www.edmunds.com/hyundai/sonata/2011/consumerreview.html

    You will read the highest percentage of owners are more than satisfied with their purchase. No car is perfect but to achieve a 9.5 out of 10 review is exceptional.
    Enjoy your new car as most others are and happy motoring.
  • johnwhojohnwho Member Posts: 19
    "The road noise on this car is largely from the low rolling resistance tires. It is very much tied to the road surface."

    Exactly!

    I've noticed this many times when the road surface changes. On some smooth surfaces the "level of noise" on my 2011 Sonata would be considered very quiet and barely noticeable.

    I would highly recommend a test drive on various surfaces before one makes any conclusion other than that Consumer Reports should have stated their observation in a more professional manner.

    In this case, I'm really not defending Hyundai so much - I just believe that reviewing organizations, such as CU, should be careful with anything they write in the "con" section about any vehicle they review.

    Just my 2 cents.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    Wow, and to think I thought I was defending Hyundai.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    Your offense: Logic!
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    Oh I should have known. I di that offense all the time with toofers.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • drivmywifecrzydrivmywifecrzy Member Posts: 61
    That Link is full of Hyundai employee posts. You can tell based on the timing of the posts and how similar they are.
  • toysaxtoysax Member Posts: 28
    By the way... if you happen to own a smart phone like a droid... download an app called "Pandora".. Its free... you can create your own jukebox of music based on your own musical tastes. Its all digital.. it works on the MP3 setting. it alloaws the bluetooth phone to work ... add that to XM radio.. and youve got enough music to drive coast to coast!
  • johnwhojohnwho Member Posts: 19
    Well, except that the free portion of Pandora only allows one 40 hours of music per month.

    http://blog.pandora.com/faq/contents/15.html
  • toysaxtoysax Member Posts: 28
    Didnt know that... Well I guess between xm, FM ,Cd's Ipod ,yada yada.. that shouldnt be much of a problem!
    I dont know why people get their feathers all ruffled about whether the car is worth it. Ask a Camry owner that same question, these days or Lexus or GM or Chrysler. We all expect perfection from a consumer product thats slapped together on an assembly line! Maybe people should save another 50 yrs and buy a Bentley.. or a Rolls or a Tesla.. Hand made individually, few problems.. and you have bragging rights that no one else in the neighborhood has one. I wonder of all the people examining the Sonata a fine tooth comb, experience a problem free enviroment at THEIR jobs.? Anyone ever experience screw ups in their department at work? Lets look at the banking industry... screw ups? yes... healthcare? yes!..Oh but buy a car and perfection is to be found in the drivers seat of a car that is below the price of an entry level luxury car!
    These are $26,000 cars.. not $226,000 cars!!!!
  • mbzxmbzx Member Posts: 9
    My son has 2011 SE and this car is much quieter than my ML320 which IMHO has a decent level of road noise. When I drive 2011 SE, I can really enjoy the music while the music is drowned in road noise in ML320. When I test drove Honda Civic, Accord, CR-V a couple of years ago for one of my daughters, I was horrified with the road noise at less than 50 miles an hour even though I drove them on the newly paved mini-test track the dealer had. They were all tin cans. Compared to those tin can cars, 2011 SE is an outstanding car in terms of noise suppression.
  • schdyschdy Member Posts: 233
    That Link is full of Hyundai employee posts. You can tell based on the timing of the posts and how similar they are.

    Where do you come up with that story?
    Can you support it with facts?
    Maybe you're a Honda employee!
    Who knows.
  • schdyschdy Member Posts: 233
    According to drivmywifecrzy you must be a Hyundai employee. I know you are not but he/she needs proof because you posted a positive comment.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    According to drivmywifecrzy you must be a Hyundai employee. I know you are not but he/she needs proof because you posted a positive comment

    And how do you know the poster is not a Hyundai employee? Do you know him/her personally? We don't know that you aren't a Hyundai employee. I don't think you are but who really knows. But guess what? People with common sense don't care because they can see the fanatics for what they are. There the ones that never have anything good to say or the ones that have to chime in everytime there's a post positive to the Sonata with a "me too, me too, me too!.

    I don't know if it's paranoia or what but there seems to be a lot of name calling on this thread everytime somebody comments on the Sonata....good or bad. It's kind of funny the way mikemartin shoves a stick in the hornets nest and stands back and gets a good laugh at all the ornery bees defending the nest. Just ignore him.
  • schdyschdy Member Posts: 233
    edited July 2010
    I can tell you that I joined this Forum because I own a 2011 Sonata and I am interested in new ideas and possible flaws that I should be aware of. It was this Forum that enabled me to purchase mud guards for a reasonable price as a result of another poster. I didn't think this Forum was intended to defend my purchase. Somewhere along the line the good intentions of this Forum have been distorted from helping co owners and providing potential buyers with pros and cons as reported by real owners to assist others in making their decision. Maybe we should start over with those intentions and post info to help Sonata owners in better enjoying their purchase or helping them to resolve their experienced problems.
    I don't believe this Forum is a place for Sonata bashers. Negative info about the car from non owners is not helpfull to any of us trying to share new experiences and make improvements to our cars.
    Just my opinion!
    P.S. When I came home with my new Sonata my son-in-law commented "with all your money you bought a Hyundai"
    I received a similar comment when I bought my 1977 Honda Accord and look how far they have come since 1977. I think it's time Hyundai receives the recognition it rightfuly deserves!
  • pattyny811pattyny811 Member Posts: 4
    Well said...I totally agree with you.
    Do yourself a favor and join the http://www.hyundai-forums.com - there is a group for the 2011 5G Sonata. Much more beneficial - actual owners on that site. Very helpful..
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    edited July 2010
    I think it's time Hyundai receives the recognition it rightfuly deserves!

    I totally agree with you on the above. My daughter owned an Elantra once and loved it and may have still been driving a Hyundai if she hadn't gotten a company car.

    However, I just don't think it's your job to determine what should and what shouldn't be posted here. Nor do I think this forum has a big sign that says "For Sonata Owners Only" on it. People visit these forums for many different reasons. Some of them might not jive with your particular reasons for being here. Many people, maybe even most, visit these forums to make a buying decision so cons are just as important as pros. That's why I visit here. I am considering a Sonata or Optima turbo in the future among other cars and I like to hear of likes and dislikes that I should look out for when I extensively start to test drives these cars. Even if they are anomolies they are important to know about and track for future reference.

    People that read auto writer reviews and stuff like that and post info from them on here are just as helpful as an owner might be in distributing information about the car. If they post nothing but negative stuff that is their perogative but people get to know them pretty fast and dismiss them.

    Like the previous poster said, there are forums out that are pretty much for current owners. This is just not one of them. I'm not sure Edmunds even has forums of that nature because there are many other forums that are strictly for owners or for people that want to read info only from owners. I have nothing against them at as I read some of them too but that's just not what these forums are about unless I'm totally confused about them.

    Honestly, go into some of the other cars and brand forums here on Edmunds. You just don't see people posting that only owners should be allowed to post in them. That's why it seems so strange that many people on this particular forum seem to want to stifle certain posters. I just don't understand it.
  • schdyschdy Member Posts: 233
    edited July 2010
    Somewhere along the line the good intentions of this Forum have been distorted from helping co owners and providing potential buyers with pros and cons as reported by real owners to assist others in making their decision.
    Above is a sentence from my post. I never said only Sonata owners should post nor did I intend it to be my job to establish the rules. We have a Host who is the umpire.
    I just disagree with posters who do not own or really know very little about the car bashing it.I am also interested in the posted cons provided they are real. I spent a lot of time investigating the reported power steering problem only to find I was chasing a wild goose. Even my service mgr thought I was crazy. But because I'm an owner and it sounded like a serious design flaw I was concerned.
    And finaly do you really believe the 9.5 out of 10 raters are mostly Hyundai employees? That was one of the sites I used as a referral which you stated is good for the Forum.
  • schdyschdy Member Posts: 233
    Thank You for both your comment and your referral. As I said earlier I did get some real good info from this Forum. I purchased mud guards, may purchase the strut bar and I too would like a horn replacement.
    Thanks again!
  • bow45bow45 Member Posts: 21
    On the 2011 Sonata, Does the audio system have RDS (Radio Data System)?

    Thanks in advance.
  • johnwhojohnwho Member Posts: 19
    I can verify that it is on the "NAV" system radio.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,142
    The allegation is incorrect. Believe it or not, we actually have ways of screening out certain reviews.

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  • jimbresjimbres Member Posts: 2,025
    +1. Well said.
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