2013 and Earlier - Hyundai Sonata Prices Paid and Buying Experience

kewlguy1

Very unimpressed with Towne Hyundai in Denville, New Jersey. Felt as though we were dealing with scammers. First off their $500.00 Internet coupon is a fraud since the fine print states it can't be combined with any other promotion. Then they try to pull that Etching scam ($185). $275 to register the car. $189 for Docs. There best offer for a 2009 Sonata GLS (auto, 4 cyl.) was just under 18K. That includes NJ sales tax and the rest of their junk fees. They wouldn't take a dime off the car so we walked out. We'll purchase the car from a dealer with some morals and employees with a better attitude. They didn't even offer us coffee or a cup of water as 99% of car dealers will do.

ramtajogi

kewlguy,

Don't worry about if the Towne guy talks about etching Fee and all. When you would start negotiating OTD price, they would get rid of all the stupid fees and try to work on a deal with you. Trust me, I have been there. Only thing you need to figure out is what is the OTD price you are willing to pay. I am quite positive that Towne guys will try to make you a deal.

ramtajogi

Which car are you looking for? GLS Auto? with PEP without PEP? More details please. Also, read previous pages about the OTD prices people have paid in NJ. Quite a few NJ buyers have posted their OTD price (including me).

Good luck!
RJ

tkachuk07

Huh.. :confuse: I think you have me mixed up with someone else.

zcdy

ramtajogi, what is PEP? will the sunroof be included in PEP? I am thinking of SE, but since quite a few people talk about GLS only. How big difference between the two, do you know?

Thanks.

zcdy

I am ready to purchase a Limited this weekend most likely in New York, and want to know if anybody has recently purchased in the state, and would like to share his/her experience and dealership recommendations?

Many thanks.

tkachuk07

Popular Equipment Package... 03 PEP has the sunroof, 02 PEP lacks the sunroof.

Details here...
http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2009-hyundai-sonata-2.htm

m6user

No offense but if you found this website and took the time to register don't you think you could do a little research of your own and visit the Hyundai website. You would find all the answers to your questions without asking someone to type in all that info you are looking for.

kewlguy1

GLS auto without PEP. Latest price quote OTD including all taxes/fees is $17,780. This price is the lowest of the five dealers we have visited in the past two days. They wouldn't go any lower but I did get them to drop the etching fee.

kewlguy1

This is true. It was the smug attitude of Towne's employees which drove us to another dealer. Plus they lied to us about the rebate ending this weekend. It actually lasts until the end of the month.

bhmr59

Your story is atypical from my personal knowledge and others I know, as well as many participants in this forum.

Did you call ahead to confirm internet pricing? Did you go in there with the attitude that you were going to haggle them down even further?

Something in your experience goes across the grain from others' reported experiences.

ahkhan99

Any good recommendations for a Twin Cities dealerships? I am looking for a 2009 Sonata with PEP2. What is a good price that this one in this market? Any one recently bought one? Please let me know.

Thanks.

backy

My 2 cents is that over the years I've bought two Hyundais in the Twin Cities. In shopping around, I was able to get the best price in both cases at Denny Hecker Rosedale Hyundai. However, I can't say that my buying experience was all that pleasant there either time. I actually have had more pleasant discussions at Metro Hyundai. (That is where I have my Hyundai serviced now.) But Rosedale was lower. Be prepared to work for it, though.

P.S. Since then Metro has added a price guarantee.

P.P.S. If you can't find a good deal in the Twin Cities, consider going to Chicago. It's easy to fly in and drive back in one day, and there's some big dealerships there that I've heard offer good deals.

ahkhan99

Thanks for the tip. I did visit Denny Hecker Inver Grove Heights. The sales lady was nice. But I am not sure what to think of the rest of the folks. One of them came in and made an offer and said if I would buy today she could throw in some extras (gas card, free oil change for a year, tire warranty, car washes, etc etc). But I didn't want to make a decision right there. I told them I could think about the offer and get back to them within a day or so. As I was leaving the dealership, when I asked about those things that she was going to 'throw in to get my business', she started to say things about she wasn't sure if she would be able to do it or not because she had to get permission from her manager, etc etc. Why bring up something if you are not sure you can do? I was ready to buy within the same day. But I wasn't getting a good vibe from her. I made a final offer the afternoon with commitment to buy right away. But couldn't strike a deal for a mere $400 as they would 'lose money'. Oh, well too bad. They weren't the cheapest one either. Also they seemed to add hidden charges to their sales tax which was over the state rate of 6.75%. My offer of $16500 for a 2009 Sonata GLS with PEP1 (without the sunroof) was not accepted. People on the group are saying not to pay over $16500 OTD. I don't see how when the OTD prices here are closer to $18500+.

Thanks for you info.

backy

In order to get a Sonata for $16.5k OTD in the Twin Cities, you'd have to get it before TT&L for around $15k. That is very hard to do unless you qualify for special rebates. People who say things like "don't pay more than $16.5k OTD" are looking at deals from a few big dealerships, mostly on the East Coast, where that is possible. But they may not have a 6.75% sales tax or the kinds of license fees we have here in MN.

IMO (FWIW) a decent deal on a car like the Sonata is invoice, before rebates. A great deal is invoice less holdback less rebates. A really great deal is less than that. For $18.5k OTD for a base Sonata AT, you are already below invoice in the Twin Cities, including the $2000 rebate. There are situations where you can get the Sonata for less, e.g. the dealership is getting special incentives from the manufacturer. But that doesn't mean every dealership is willing to offer such a low price, especially on a popular model like the I4 Sonata. If you make an offer and they don't accept it, and they let you leave, that is lower than they will go on that day. You can try again later in the month, or wait for bigger incentives (a crap shoot), or try other dealers, maybe in other cities. But just because some people get a Sonata for $16.5k OTD doesn't mean everyone will.

P.S. Rosedale Hyundai (MN) is a much bigger store, more inventory than Inver Grove. Maybe better deals to be had at Rosedale?

zcdy

I visited two Hyundai dealers today and test drove GLS, 4clyd Limited, and 6clyd Limited in both stores. Very interestingly, in one of them I heard clear engine sound when I pressed the pedal in the 4clyd cars with over 100 miles on. One 6clyd were a little bit more quiet than the other 6clyd, and it has more millages on it. I remember I tried one 2007 6clyd Limited before, and it was fantastic and much more impressive than any Hyundai I test drove today. Someone in the forum mentioned the 2009 models have fixed quite a few problems with the previous year models. My question is: why the 2009's are not as good as the 2007, if not worse regarding the engine sound? Is it because the 2009 models have been overestimated or because I didn't get a chance to try the really good cars today.

Any inputs or ideas are appreciated since I have yet given up buying a Sonata.

ahkhan99

My offer was $18K OTD. The difference was about $500 or less. I was looking to pay around $16500 (including the $2000 rebate) plus TTL. As for the invoice price, I don't know much I really trust the invoice price that they show you. It is a figure, but I am sure they didn't pay that exact figure with the all the dealer holdback etc. IGH Hyundai mentioned they beat everyone's price and they have the largest selection in the TC. Also they couldn't explain why they were quoting me a higher sales tax either. That doesn't sound right.
There are other dealers in the area that are willing to work with you. What gets me is when dealership thinks that you quotes you get from other dealer are not the same type of vehicle/options. Of course I want ask for the same options. They shouldn't automatically assume I got a quote for something lower equipped car. I am not dumb. Dealership should respect today's buyers more as they have more information available to them then they did 10 years ago.
I understand it is all a business deal. Just looking to be respected in the process. If they can't sell it, then they can't. Not a big deal. I can't go elsewhere or wait for something better. I know that option always exist. I know the dealerships get some incentives if they meet their quotas. As for me, I can wait.

backy

The extra sales tax may be legit. I was talking with another dealer in IGH recently and they mentioned that there was a new tax for that county that made the effective sales tax rate 7% on new cars. Is that what Hecker's quoted you on tax?

As for whether they beat everyone else's price.. there's only one way to find out!

kewlguy1

I posted my experiences with this dealership and stand behind every word. I could care less if you or anyone else chooses not to believe me. I won't repeat myself. I've said everything I have to say about Towne. They are liars.

kenlight1

The price was for a 4 Cyl and no extra stuff by the dealer. The price includes the $2,000 rebate but I didn't qualify for the loyalty $500 (or the recent grad rebate). The dealer had to search for a 4 cyl with NAV as the two listed were being used as a demo and a service courtesy car. The price was approximately $500 less than the dealer at the end of my street wanted for the same equipped car with 7500 miles.

kenlight1

If you get prices from a few dealers and feel happy with the price paid then you got a good deal. Availability of cars with the particular options wanted can have an affect on the price. In my case I was going to get a 4 cyl (to do my part on conservation) and wanted NAV. I had just utilized a portable GPS and thought it worked out great. The only drawback with the portable is removing and hiding it it at every stop. The dealer I dealt with was in Elmhurst IL (suburb of Chicago). I dreaded going in to complete the deal but was pleasantly surprised. The dealer didn't try to change the price, add a bunch of crap, or try to renegotiate the price. Except he did say he had to ask if I wanted an extended warranty and if not no problem. He stated he was required by the dealership to ask. There was absolutely no pressure and everyone treated me like a VIP. It was the best car buying experience I had in 40 years. BTW your deal looks pretty good as a 6 Cyl is a bit more than a 4 Cyl.

ramtajogi

No one is saying that you are a liar. We are mentioning that your experience is different from ours. Also, as I mentioned, when I got initial quote, they did mention Etching fee. But when you get down to business of negotiating, they will take it off. Did you even try to negotiate hard with them?

We are all here to share our experience and get the best deal possible, so don't take anything personally and keep working on getting the best deal. Good luck!

RJ

bhmr59

I simply said your experience was atypical compared to my experience, several friends and many others who have posted here. I and people I know have found Towne to be honest and straight forward.

If you got a better deal and were treated better elsewhere, good for you.

ahkhan99

There was a 0.25% sale tax increase recently in the metro area. The MN tax is 6.5%. So with the extra 0.25% increase, it should be currently 6.75%. And that is what the other dealers have been quoting me too (6.75%). They have not give me the reason for the discrepenacy.

backy

You haven't told us what the discrepancy is yet. Maybe this explains it:

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6130155&version- =2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1

ahkhan99

This explains what I told you earlier...about the quarter percent increase in the sales tax..bringing it to 6.75% instead of 6.50%. They were doing somewhere in the 7%. There was a difference of about $150. This article explains perhaps $20 of it. Where is the rest $130?

backy

Maybe you could ask the finance manager at the dealership on Monday?

Some counties (e.g. Hennepin) and cities (e.g. Minneapolis, St. Paul) charge their own sales taxes in addition to the 6.75%. So any dealer in those areas would have a higher tax. But Inver Grove Hyundai shouldn't--unless it is really in St. Paul and not in Inver Grove Heights?

munro585

Hi there
I was also thinking of buying an 09 sonata from either the IGH or rosedale people. They both have a slight difference in price, considering they are both from the same parent company. Also, I am looking for a 4 cyl limited model. rosedale quoted me $20700 before taxes and license fees. Is this a good price for the limited (without nav package) model? Kindly let me know if anyone has purchased from rosedale hyundai and if I must know anything about their 'sales tricks' or things like that. I am a first time car buyer and any help is much appreciated.

thanks

nhphd

20500 excluding tax but including all the fees (other than license and registration) is a good price.

ahkhan99

Haha! You and me should go to the dealership together! Let them know that we will buy two cars so they can give us both a good deal! That would be sweet!
Depending on how bad you need the car, you have room to bargain. My advice is don't fall for the 'price is good only for today' gimick. Personally I would try for a even $18K + TTL. Give it a shot and see. You will be surprise at what they will throw in to get you to sign on. Try Metro Hyundai. They seem to work with you more. I am in the process of locking in a firm OTD price within a day or so.
Good luck.

audiogal

I am interested in purchasing a 2009 Sonata Limited 4 cyl in the Long Island New York area. I'm interested in prices paid locally as well as comments about the nearby dealers.

zcdy

Audiogal, I am in the same boat with you. What price are you targeting? We can go together and ask for a big bargain. What do you think?

dbell1

I went to Colonial Cadillac/Hyundai/Mitsubishi dealership in Central NJ tonight to look at Mitsubishi's they supposedly had. Walked in to find out that the 10 listed on their website were down to 2, both out of my range. Salesman swore up and down that there are no 2008 new Sonatas in the area. He pushed hard to sell me a used 08 with 30K miles. I told him I was uncomfortable with the miles - was told 'look how clean the key fob is' :P and that he could sell me an extra warranty on it. Test drove it, nice vehicle, but came home and found out the carfax on the used car shows it's a former rental unit. So, they're off my list. He also told me that the $3K back on the 08's is 'over forever'.

Is there another dealer in Central NJ with 08's and semi-honest salespeople? This place lost my business. TIA!

kewlguy1

You'll be hard pressed to find any "new" 2008 Sonata's. The 2009's have been out for months already. I found one 2008 at a Paramus NJ Hyundai dealership which had 6K miles and was traded in after one year of ownership. Previous owner had purchased it in July of 2007. We felt the price was too high as they were asking more than what I could buy a 2009 for.

dbell1

Thanks - I found it hysterical that there were actually some new 2007 Sonatas on the lot. :confuse: Of course, with no rebate and 2 newer model years to choose from, they weren't on the list.

m6user

was told 'look how clean the key fob is'

That's a good one. A lot of rental car companies don't hand out the remote key fob on cheaper cars so of course they are like brand new.

audiogal

I got an e-mail price quite from Millenium Hyundai in July for a 2009 Limited 4 cyl for $17,811 cash back included. I think this is a good price, though I worry that when it comes down to it they'll find a way to up that price like charging$1200 for mats or tires!!! Valley Stream Hyundai won't give a price via e-mail though they do claim that they don't play games and have no gimmicks. I'd like to believe that. I'm not sure when I'll be going to the dealer for a test drive.

tkachuk07

$17,811 seems pretty insane unless every rebate is applicable, military, owner loyalty & the standard $2000 back. Even if that's all true, I personally don't believe it.

m6user

They are playing games with you. It will be a used car or a well used demo if they even have one for that price at all. That price is about $2000 less than the best deals reported on this forum. Even with loyalty rebate and military rebate it's still low. It's going to be the bait and switch deal.....plan on it.

nhphd

That price might include like $5000 trade in value. Be ready to sell your 2007 3 series BMW for $5000.

vin6181

I was quoted a price of 16,398$ for 2009 Sonata GLS Automatic Transmission with no option package for an MSRP of 20,385 by Gregory Hyundai in Chicago area. The OTD cost was 17,953 inclusive of taxes++. Can someone confirm if this is a good deal and if any other dealer in Chicago area is offering a better deal. This did not include any tradein.

Thanks.

m6user

I would cross shop that price with Patrick Hyundai in Schaumburg as they seem to be pretty competitive from what I here. A good price on that car would be closer to $15500 to $15800 +ttl.

kewlguy1

I would like you to name some of the dealers who are offering that price OTD. I've been shopping around and have spoken to numerous dealers in New Jersey and the North East regional area and the lowest price I've found for a 2009 Sonata GLS 4 cyl. auto. with no options is $16,400 before sales tax. The famous Fairfax Hyundai and Alexandria Hyundai wouldn't go lower than $16,400. I don't know of anyone who is selling a similar type of car for $15,500 OTD. If you do then name some names.

bhmr59

M6user did not say $15,500 OTD.

He said, "A good price on that car would be closer to $15500 to $15800 +ttl."

Towne Hyundai is currently offering Sonata GLS at $2,000 under invoice Plus there is the general $2K rebate, bring the price of the car to $4K under invoice. Edmunds shows the invoice on the GLS 4 cyl A/T at $19,373. Add in their $189 doc fee (you don't have to take window etching) and you have a purchase price of $15,562 before TTL.

So, here is one example of a dealership offering the car in the price range of $15,500 to 15,800, as m6user said.

tkachuk07

Ettleson Hyundai was advertising $15995 +TTL, docs for an auto GLS. They're a pretty good haul from Gregory Auto, but maybe use their price to help negotiate down. I believe you can print the ad from their website, but the site appears to be having problems right now.

m6user

Thanks bhmr59--couldn't have answered it any better. I actually think of the dealer fee as part of ttl in Illinois as it is limited by the state($150) and it was a Chicago area question. I realize that in a lot of other states that is another item of negotiation however.

munro585

akhan99
you might be right, we should go together. hehe. i am trying to get my finance in order and that is prolonging my actual buy. but i guess by next saturday (aug 30) i will take possession of the car. i talked to rosedale and the OTD price inclusive everything is $22100. i am not sure if this is a really good deal although it is below invoice. people talk here of getting limited models for 20k OTD all inclusive, so this is confusing me. would you be kind enough as to post the final otd price they are telling you? and with whom are u buying the car? metro or rosedale? it would really help if you can let me know the prices, as i am a new buyer and cant afford to fall for dealer gimmicks.

all help appreciated
munro

i360

I'm being offered a 2009 Limited I4 for $21,700 OTD.

So im figuring (rounding)

$19800 Base Cost ($2,000 Rebate + $500 Loyalty)
$1200 Tax @ 6%
$600 Dealer Fees
$100 Title & Registration

So it looks like you have a little wiggle room on your offer if pushed.
I'm going to shoot for $21.5-6 since I feel this is a very decent price.

vin6181

Finally I got the lowest quote of 16,112 + TTL for a base 09 Sonata GLS I4 AT. Final OTD is coming to $17,782. Other dealers like Patrick, Gregory and Ohare were able to match this quote. Had a bad experience with OHare, so will be going to Gregory or Patrick. Gregory is offering a 10year free oil change.

munro585

Dear i360

Can you tell me where is this price you mentioned? I am getting this price in Minneapolis, but am paying Wisconsin tax @5.5% because I live there.

Do you think I can counter offer them something like $21k round figure, or is it pushing over the limit any dealer will entertain?

Thanks
Munro