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Comments
It's a shame that they couldn't get it right for you the first time but at least they are trying to compensate. No, I wouldn't say you have a damaged vehicle. But I would say you might want to consider an alternate dealership for service.
Wait and see how they do with the oil changes.
If I were you, I would not settle for less than what you paid for: a brand new car (period)!
>>I just purchased a new 2002 sonata......last week, and as I was finishing the paper work, they were cleaning it, and as they were backing it out of the stall, they scratched the bumper, and now needs replacing. On Friday it was to be ready, but the paint did not match. They told me it would now be ready Monday. They told me they would give me six oil changes. Is this enough compensation? Hoping I have a new car smell and not a body shop smell. Is this car considered a damaged vehicle?
thanks
Jerry <<
If this is so, why would you be surprised to have the alarm sound off? Most alarm systems come with a variety of sensors and depending on the level of vibration, the alarm may trigger. And if a contact sensor is involved, then naturally the alarm will sound as well.
If I have not read your post correctly, then the
problem may lie in the sensitivity setting of the alarm. There should be an adjuster somewhere near or on the alarm control unit.
I bought my wife a Sonata in 1990 with the V-6 and leather, which was only offered for a short time here in Canada, and it was a great car until the accident in1997 and it was written off.
The lease on her present car is just about finished and we wish to purchase rather then lease as she does not get write-offs on taxes like I do. She loved her Sonata and I do like the looks and the equipment that I saw on this one to-day. We have some time on our hands so we will not be making a move for a little while yet, and I would like to have as much ammunition as I can. Thanks in advance.
Ian..
$27500 and change for a full load. Gst extra and we do not have provincial sales tax. The salesman kept saying that this was a great deal for all the options available. I do agree that this car has lots of great options for the price, but I still do not wish to pay his mortgage fo the next several months. Is your 23000 quote for the top model? I have a feeling that they are keeping the prices high similar to what they did with the PT Cruiser when it first hit the market. I am in the drivers seat and if they don't want to deal, then I will take my check book somewhere else.
Just a note: Why on gods green earth does the V6 hold 4.5L of oil? My accent only held 3.5L of oil. Can Hyundai not just use standard oil capacity like the rest of the manufacturers?
ian..
Although the article seems a bit unfinished. You don't really know what Miss Kim's thinks of the new Sonata.
Hyundai probably covered up the big "H" symbol, which should be guessed to a person with some sense.
What is with you bashing Miss Kim? Your opinions are always welcomed, but we do not welcome bashing of a person for no apperent reason.
Mikeyjohn: I think the financing rate here for the Sonata is 1.8%, and 2.8% for the XG and Santa Fe. Not Certain, but the Elantra and Accent are at 0.8%. Hmm, good time to buy a car me thinks!
Ian..
When I went to Vancouver about two years ago, I was astonished to see a Hyundai Pony in the highway (!!)
The first two paragraphs (her introduction) are irrelevant to the car and set up a negative tone for the entire piece. The third and fourth paragraphs (her Sonata history lesson) are slightly more relevant but not really useful to telling us about the car, and they also set a negative tone, sometimes through the use of backhanded compliments. Paragraph thirteen (her take on midsize evolution) is slightly relevant in that it ties into the next paragraph, but it seems unrelated to the Sonata review as a whole.
So I'm saying that maybe one third of the article detracts from or at least doesn't contribute to our over all understanding of this 2002 model. Some of the other material could benefit from a more consistent writing style and presentation, but it is relevant.
Obviously, Liz Kim knows quite a bit about the car, and she has the ability to write. If she took the time to rewrite it a couple more times and worked on sharpening the focus, I'm certain she could improve it a lot.
This article left me feeling that the 2002 Sonata is the car for people who can't step up to the real class leaders and need to settle for second best. It seems to say if you can't or won't spend the money for a good car, here's an okay car for you. As Shakespeare might say, "She damned him with faint praise." The car is not presented as a choice as much as it is a consolation prize, and much of this has to do with the way the material is written.
When I read a "First Drive" article, I want to know about the car. I get some of that here, but there's also a lot that doesn't contribute to my understanding at all.
I'm not attacking Ms. Kim. I don't know her at all, and I wouldn't criticize her even if I did. However, I am critiquing the article, and my real question here is "Where was the Edmunds editor in this process?".
Your last question rates a loud 'BINGO'.
Of course the Edmunds folks would likely say that they allow a good deal of 'editorial license'. Yeah, right...read none.
The negative spin of Ms. Kim is apparent early on and her devolution into personal piano practices leaves one looking for an early exit.
Question to Ms. Kim---exactly how do you define 'a little more' when it comes to auto pricing?
Suggestion---cut the first three paragraphs. They set an admittedly negative tone and have no relation to the task at hand. If anything, they betray what follows as a relatively objective piece of automotive journalism. (Note to Ms. Kim---read this post for an illustration of your pattern.) To my mind, she strikes a fair balance of pro and con in virtually all of her remaining commentary. Her perspective on the more current Sonatas seems to be the same as that routinely defined and reiterated by Hyundai itself, that is, one of value. And in this vein she has struck a particularly solid note with her take on the Sonata V-6 vs. the competition's I-4.
Hyundai vehicles are properly understood and appreciated when viewed from the perspective of value. I do not take offense when writers say that some materials are of a lower grade of quality than the competition. We owners know this when we choose to purchase for many thousands of dollars less than the competition. The steadily improving quality in the more important areas of performance, ride, comfort, longevity, etc. are sufficient to keep us coming back for more.
If future writers wish to have another Hyundai perspective for use as background or foundation, I suggest they try one of these: the significant progress the company has made in auto manufacturing in such a brief period of time (roughly twenty-five to thirty years total); the solid growth of market share for such a young operation, worldwide or domestic; the sound financial operation of the Hyundai auto division in times of global economic slowdown or recession...to name a few.
Really, it's not that difficult.
Has anyone had to pay out of pocket to replace a radiator because "something" put a hole in it (obviously not a manufacturer defect). Our v6 GLS overheated this morning and had an obvious antifreeze smell. After waiting over an hour for Hyundai roadside assistance and having it looked at by the dealer, they said it's not covered under warranty because it appears something has penetrated the radiator to create the hole. This hole burned an oxygen sensor and the thermostat now needs to be replaced. Service said it's obvious something put a hole in it because the edges of the hole point inward (as if someone kicked in a door it would be obvious which side the person who kicked it was on.) Anyway this total bill will be in the neighborhood of $850. I have (nor my husband) have ever heard of a twig or rock or whatever flying up under the car and putting a hole in the radiator in over 20 years of driving (for each of us). Are Hyundai's radiators not as strong as other cars? Or for some reason more prone to this? The reason I ask that is because we called two other dealers, and not telling them we had the car in for service elsewhere, just told the service departments that "There's a pool of coolant under the car and there appears to be a hole in the radiator, that's covered under warranty, right?" Both service departments had the exact same answer, "That depends....if something flew up under the car and created the hole, it's not covered. If it's because of a manufacturing defect, it is." This car is 19 months old with just under 30k miles. I should mention the transmission died & was replaced at 6k miles.
Has anyone else had this sort of thing happen on their Sonata? If so was it that expensive to fix it?
As far as the hole, if the edges are definitely turned inwards, then you have been the unlucky recipient of a freak puncture. The culprit could have been anything in terms of small road debris.
To show you the force that can be generated by a moving vehicle, my '95 Sonata was recently hit in the grill fascia and front hood by a small piece of drywall. It had been shot at my car as if from a cannon by the tire of the car in front of me. I had cars on both sides and nothing to do but goose the gas and try to beat it to the punch before it rose to windshield level at impact.
The roads are filled with untold small debris just waiting for the off-chance to do some damage.
$850 sounds awful high for a radiator replacement, even though it can be labor intensive. You may want to shop this repair around. Many smaller shops charge very competitively.
I came away from the article without really understanding her opinions of it. There was always this negative undertone that was omnipresent throughout, yet it never showed its head throughout the article. And just when you thought she was really liking the car, she reverts back to the pseudo-negativity, as if to sugarcoat it all.
She is obviously an intelligent journalist, but I think she might have slacked off a bit while writing that article. Frankly, it looks like a first draft to me.
Hey Mariners, you would then be stunned to learn that there are still many a Pony plotting it's course through the Toronto streets! Some seem to have received kid-glove like treatment with fresh paint and the whole bit. Others though look like a 15 year old Pony should look like...pretty rough that is. I wonder if the Pony will ever be a collectors item? Listed somewhere under oddities of transportation perhaps!
Now on to you Mikeyjohn. You put a crapsler in the garage and leave the Hyundia out in the weather? Well now that I think about it, it does make sense. After all the crapsler might fall apart (or need a new gasket or two) if exposed to the elements! HAH! Sorry I couldn't resist. I am not much of a Chrysler fan really. I am sure your wife will have the better car either way.
Ian..
I still like the Sonata, as matter of fact I used to sell them in the early 90's when I retired from the Calgary Police, but did not feel comfortable with people calling me a used car salesman, if you know what I mean. I did sell a lot of Sonatas and was comfortable that they were built in Canada, but lost track of them after they closed the Cdn plant. The product has sure improved from the old Pony and Excell days. Good luck with your car.
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I am very disapointed about the review of the 2002 Sonata. I think the article is not fair, it lacks perspective and for me, it seems it was written on a hurry, without even looking at the real car.
My english is not good enough since i have been using it just for the past 8 months, and, definetely, I am not the right person to critize her writting. I am talking here about the lack of interest the author shows in the car and in the brand, and the lack of profound analysis that such a task deserves.
I recomend Edmunds do youself a favour. Put a more serious or professional person to the very discerning task of making the first review of one of the most important vehicles that are making its ways into the North American market.
The initial boring attitude of Liz Kim, shows that probably she was biased against it since the same beginning of the task.
Her attitude does not help in getting a good writing, like the final result shows up. And what a different history could have been writing by someone who could have just a small part of the big experience that a lot of people, WE, REAL OWNERS, are having with the magnificent line of products from Hyundai Motors.
Talking about how Hyundai has changed and how its products have improved is becoming already a common place. I want to know a real assessment of the new Hyundai Sonata. Maybe you should change the title of Liz Kim article to something like "The day i was bored with my task" or something similar. Meanwhile, put a serious person to this serious job.
Mauricio Vasquez
Canada
Anyhow I have reread Miss Kims article and think everyone here is being unfair. Sure there is some stuff not needed in there...ie: piano recitals. However I think she was trying to point out the distaste for the Sonata nameplate that she and others feel. Let's be fair how many people in this chat room and say 'I OWN A HYUNDIA' with abject pride? If you can than you are a better person than I. Hey I loved my little Accent, I even miss it now that I have the Sonata. However whenever someone asked me what kind of car I had I would usually respond with 'Um, and accent, but boy it sure is a great car'. Then I would go on about how good the car actually was and how little I paid for for it etc. Even now with the 2002 Sonata I have I usually spend time explaining how wonderful the car is....oof I went way off target here.
Anyhow I think if you get to the meat of her article I think she is complimenting the car. Perhaps not clearly but that was by mistake. For $20g you can by a questionable used car or get a really nice car (the Sonata). I believe that was what she says at the end of the article, and she is correct as I say the very same thing almost every day. I could have bought a 4 year old Prelude(which I really wanted) or the new Sonata fully loaded. Well we all know which one I chose and I am sure many others will do the same.
Boy do I ramble!
Ian..
We're being unfair? Isn't it obvious she really didn't spend the time to write a fully developed article?
"These numbers are lacking compared to the output of the six-cylinder models of its Japanese competitors and actually exceeds those of most of its American rivals, such as the Ford Taurus or Chevy Malibu..."
Hello- the Taurus's V-6 produces 200hp compared to Sonata's 181. And while the Malibu has only 170hp, it has a greater torque output than the Sonata.
The final drive ratio has been improved from 3.36 to 3.77 in the automatic V-6 so there is improvement in acceleration. But as you know, the power profile on these engines is geared to the mid range so the initial getaway is still less than ideal for stoplight action. The RPM drop-off from 1st to 2nd is not as severe in effect under hard acceleration. The engine just pulls better when it gets going.
Do go and drive one soon. You will be able to appreciate the difference. IMO the car just feels more capable and sure-footed. Not surprising with the upgrade in tires/wheels and the rear suspension tweaks. It's still too early for me to trade our '00 GLS but it is sooooo tempting.
I just read his latest review on the '02 Toyota Camry in the Sunday Washington Post. While he likes the car and gives it a decent review, he mentions the new Hyundai Sonata and Nissan Altima at least twice as sound high-quality alternatives. He, for one, has always been able to give Hyundai a fair shake and describes the Sonata as "well designed and more sensibly priced..."