2013 and Earlier - Hyundai Sonata Prices Paid and Buying Experience

snarkyviii

This is very similar to what I paid at Keffer Hyundai in Charlotte, NC at the end of September. I love my Sonata. It is a fun car for me to drive and I love it both on the Interstate and around town. I hope you enjoy yours just as much.

gmctruck

"I bought mine at Johnson Hyundai in Cary NC"

I purchased my '08 Sonata Limited from them last year. They bend over backwards to provide good customer service and I have been very pleased so far. You can expect to get phone calls from them to make sure you are happy with your purchase, which was a refreshing change from other dealers I dealt with in the past.

The service shop at Johnson is so clean, you can almost eat off the floor. The lifts they use go down into the floor unlike the side post lifts that often result in door dings during service visits. Kind of got off topic, but congrats on the new car.

backy

Happened to see a couple of very nice 2008 Sonata GLS I4s with the power seat and moonroof package at a local dealer yesterday. Each had about 35k miles and 3.5 years left on the bumper-to-bumper warranty. One was red/beige ($11,249), the other was champagne/beige ($11,299). I looked them over pretty carefully and I couldn't tell them from new. Even the tires (Kumhos) looked new, or nearly new. They were former rentals but must have been well taken care of. I noticed another car dealer about 30 miles away was offering a similar Sonata in khaki for only $10,999.

This is roughly $1000-1500 below the best prices I was seeing for similar cars just two months ago. For someone who wants to save some bucks (roughly $6000 less than a comparable 2009 Sonata), it's a way to get a very nice car with all the latest safety gear and a lot of factory warranty left for not much cash. If I didn't have all my car needs filled at the moment, I probably would have gone for the champagne Sonata.

arkang

Anybody got a deal from world hyundai matteson IL? they ad 2009 brand new Sonata for 15374.

bigdusf

We are working on a deal for an '09 limited 4cyl w/Navigation in the Chicagoland area. Here's what we've gotten the deal down to so far.

Car Price: $23,467
TTL: $1,810.19
Rebate: $2,000
OTD: $23,277.19

Is this a decent deal or are we leaving too much on the table?

Thanks!

stdatwmu

Dayton, Ohio.

Without any negotiating so far, I've been quoted $21,730 on a stock (aside from floor mats) SE V6 model, ebony black.

That's before the $2K cash back or $ 1K + 2.9% financing for 60 months.

Reasonable deal?

Any ideas what I should be able to talk them down to?

Looking that the TMV it's already lower, so I'm not sure exactly how much room I have to bargain.

newowner10

http://www.fitzmall.com/

This is the place people normally say to use for comparison.

nstuff

Hey all. I've been reading this thread and wanted join for the first time to post my experience. I'm looking at a 2009 Sonata limited I4 with Navi and Bluetooth (along with carpeted floor mats, mud guards, and moon roof wind deflector)

Dealer: Freysinger Hyundai (central PA)
MSRP: $26,355.00
Dealer sale price (rebates and discount): $22,466.00
Consumer Reports Invoice price: $25,295
Dealer stated their invoice: $24,136
Final OTD (with rebate and taxes, etc): $23,964.46

I can't find any other dealers to beat the price and FitzMall doesn't have any with all the options, but if they did, it looks like their 'internet price' would be comparable.

Comments?

TomNY

I've been in the market for this car for a couple of weeks, just the base model, no BT or Nav in Rochester NY. The one I'm interested in Has mats and Moon roof deflector. Because of the line of work I'm in (Advertising) my client that does dealer ads called a Hyundai Dealer and told them to treat me right. Out of the box they said they would give me their best deal and it's as follows:

MSRP: $25,070
w/discount $23,200
w/rebate: $21,200 + tax and fees

After reading some post it occurred to me that this isn't as much a deal as I thought, getting me to think that $20,500 would be a better number. While I have yet to talk to the original dealer I went to the competition and was quoted $21,000, with the possibility of shaving off a hundred or two if I committed then. He said there was no way he could get down to $20,500. I plan on going back to the original dealer to press a little harder.

I think I'll give it a rest for a couple of weeks and go in between Christmas and the new year and see what kind of a end of the year deal i can strike. My question is how realistic is that $20,500 number?

Thanks,
Tom

nstuff

Hi Tom,

First of all, I got my I4 limited with nav last week and I love it. Wonderful car.

A lot of people here are suggesting that you should be able to get $1,500 below invoice *without* rebates included. I wasn't able to do anything like that, but I still feel like I got a decent deal (vs anyone not reading these forums).

Assuming you are talking about a 2009 I4 limited, i'm seeing a base invoice price (with destination and rebates) of $21,339.00.

Only suggestion i can give is to shop around and keep calling back to see which ones will go lower than another. Sounds like time is on your side and it is key to not back down.

nysniper28

Hi Tom, I recently just bought my limited 4cyl WITH nav from Syracuse, NY area and got an OTD price WITH taxes and fees of $23,350 (for more details look at my post on oct 28th). I really wanted to get at $23000 even but thought I got a good deal. My tax was at 8.75% so it worked out to be $2069 in taxes, so if I deduct just the tax from my total it equals $21,281. So that is close to your figure (not inculding fees just tax deduction). So I think you can get MUCH better since mine included the NAV system. I suggest you send out an email to a couple different dealerships maybe in the syracuse area (fuccillo and burdick hyundai) telling them exactly what your looking for and the price you were quoted and that you are familiar with the invoice and the average price under it that they have been going for in the area, and see what they can do and then go back and tell your original dealership and tell them that you really dont want to travel to get the vehicle somewhere else BUT you will if the savings are much better and see what they can do. Good Luck!

ps. They said they were giving you "out of the box" their "best deal" as their first offer, I kinda don't buy that. Of course their gonna say that but I bet they can do better, ESPECIALLY since the end of the year is coming.

investingdad

Hi, this is my first post here. I just closed on a 2009 Sonata GLS 5 Speed Manual Transmission on 10 Dec 08, picking up this Saturday. I bought from Fred Beans in Doylestown, Pa and negotiated everything via email...I didn't go to the dealer until I had a deal in place. Here's the breakdown:

MSRP = 19500
Internet price = 17998
2000 Incentive = 15998
+ 960 Tax = 16958
+ 194 Tag & Fees = 17152
- 915 (Fred Beans Rewards) = 16237 out the door

I am getting 4.49% for 60 months via my credit union, though I'm only financing 10K.

I would have haggled a lot harder but there were only 5 stick shift Sonatas available in the Northeast, mine came up from Virginia. I didn't have the luxury of knowing there were a lot of them out there.

[edit]
Based on that Fitzmall price, I overpaid by $300...BUT...by going to Fred Beans I was able to cash out on my rewards points (given when you use them for service work), which they doubled for December. So taking the $900 off for that, I did better than Fitzmall price by $600. I'm pretty happy with it.

TomNY

Thanks for your input about your experiences. With the encouragement of this site and other stories like yours I did start emailing different dealers in Buffalo and Syracuse. I got a bid from one dealer for $20700 (plus $200 internet coupon) and one for $19965......now that's more what I was hoping for. I plan on putting of my actual buying off until between Christmas and New Years, but plan on letting my local dealers that if their numbers don't fall more in line, I'm hitting the thruway. They look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them these numbers.

Although I would like to buy locally to establish a relationship with a local dealer, I don't have a problem traveling, my wife is a little more reluctant. Is there any downside to this?

travispete1

Anyone have any good deals they negotiated on a LTD 2009 V6 w/o nav in the NY area? THanks.

zornundo

I just purchased a 2009 Sonata GLS I4 auto. Total price before TTL was $16,388 plus $399.75 dealer fees. This is in Lebanon, Tennessee. Couldn't get close to the Fitzmall price, but I'm content. I asked for a quote for the same car from a different dealership and was quoted $17,800 + TTL!! I was floored!

The salesman was great and was zero pressure. Overall, I'm as happy as can be about the deal and experience. I just can't figure out how fitzmall can offer at such low rates?

ellisda1

Yesterday we purchased the 4cyl Sonata Limited from Johnson Hyundai in Cary NC. MSRP $25,335 (includes "sport visors", wind guard for sunroof, and mudguards, but no Navi or BT). Final cost was $20,784 (OTD is $21,980). Both the salesguy (Tony Curl) and sales manager were great... It looks like the "internet price" for this car in Greensboro (Bob Dunn) would have been quite a bit lower (maybe $1500??) but there were some concerns that there are hidden rebates built into this price. Johnson basically said they were as low as they could go (and that they were $1000 below thier cost). Any experience with Bob Dunn in Greensboro? Anybody with a better deal on a Limited?

nstuff

A few dealerships I talked to tried to pull the "we're already below invoice, we can't go any lower" until you tell them that you don't consider rebates as part of the negotiations at all. At that point, they admit they can knock off a few more hundred to get to the real invoice or lower. Don't forget dealer hold-back which, for Hyundai, is 2% of the dealer invoice price. So, depending on how desperate they are, you can dip into their holdback before even talking rebates or any other incentives.

samvij

Congratulations on your new Sonata. We bought two Sonatas in the past few months from Bob Dunn in Greensboro (one Limited with Nav, and another GLS auto).
In both cases BD's prices were handily better than any of the local dealers in the triangle area. We found the Internet manager at BD, Lee to be very straight forward no-nonsense sales person to deal with. If you know what you are looking for, and if they have it, BD will be probably your best bet for competitive pricing.

BTW, we take our cars for service to Johnson Hyn for convenience.
Enjoy the ride.

jpm1908

At Hudson Hyundai in Jersey City. Ebony Black. The Hyundai Dealership had the cloth seats upgraded to Leather. $18,200 out the door. Hudson Hundai was very hassle free. This car was for my mother and the salesperson was extremely respectful to her. The owner of the dealership came out to chat. Overall a very positive experience. I only wish the car had a power drivers seat.

Jamie

rbnsan

I recently purcased a 2009 Sonata Limited from Bobb Dunn.
I live in Rocky Mount and currently own 4- Hyundai cars. I wasn't sure about the pricing from my local dealer. The same old, check with sales manager, uncertain pricing, ect. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for all the games. Just give me the pricing without all the sales games. I don't have time for all that.
I decided to try Cars Direct on web for the heck of it. I recieved a call from Lee at Bob Dunn, immediatly had a price that was much better. He got right back with finance options, which were also better. It was the most pleasant car buying experience I've ever had. Everything was as they told me. No gimmics period.
Based on my experience, I would highly recommend Lee @ Bob Dunn .
Thanks

newowner10

I have people say they had the seats changed how do they do that? Do they send your seats out to be covered or do they just order new seats. I would assume new seats from a dealer would be $500 to $1000 each. Then there is the rear seat it seems like you are talking some big bucks. Do they just order the leather cover and have someone install them?

awriter

When my 1990 Dodge Dynasty hit a speed bump 2 weeks ago and the axle springs broke, I knew it was time to say goodbye to an old friend and get another car. The first week I narrowed the search down to a Sonata, and looked at several 2006/2007 low mileage Limiteds. Then I drove the redesigned 2009 - and it was love at first sight. Especially after I drove a 4 cyl PZEV with navigation and voice command. I am 60 years old and have never had a completely NEW car. Even the Dynasty was a demo I got with 14,000 miles on it. So I figured if not now - when?

I used Edmunds to get internet quotes, and one was so good (in MASS - I live in RI) I had to go there. Here's the deal I got (in writing). I put down a deposit and will pick the car up this weekend:

2009 4cyl PZEV Limited with Navigation.
Mud Guards, Carpet Pads, Cargo Mat & Cargo Net, Moon/Sunroof Wind Deflector, Ipod Cable. Dark Cherry Red w/Tan Leather Interior - looks so gorgeous!

Cost OTD after $2k rebate but before state taxes: $19,989 plus $248 doc prep. Total: $20, 237.

I hope you all will say this was a good deal - I called 5 other dealers and none of them would even match the price, let alone beat it. I can't wait to drive the new baby home. )))

bhmr59

That looks like a great price. According to Edmunds the invoice price is a little over $25K.

Good luck with your new car.

tkachuk07

That's for a base manual transmission model (MSRP 18,885). I don't think World hyundai has any manual's in stock.

daisymaearthur

OK, I'm looking at the 09 Limited V6 with navi pkg. MSPR is 28685, and invoice after rebate is about 24700. Fairfax Hyundai in VA, and I confirmed, is showing internet pricing at 21663. I am going to drive 4 hours for this price as they have what i want, but 1 other dealer in my area, Tysinger, is showing similar discounts. But others in this area aren't pricing like this. How could the dealers possibly be selling this around 3000 under invoice and rebates???!!!! I don't get it. i know they may needt to generate revenue, and i guess have some quotas, etc. but still can't believe they can take this hit. Is Hyundai discounting a bunch more to them beyond the 2% holdback to keep these things from piling up?

dafy

Just bought a 2009 sonata GLS 4dr sedan 2.4L 4 cyl 5A with popular option group 02 ( power drivers seat, lumbar support, trip computer, wood grain accents etc etc etc) $17289 OTD includes taxes, transfer fees and dealers document prep fees. Did have a trade but got what I wanted for it. Took it for a spin before I bought it. Drove well on normal roads, steering was fine- even parked it in a very tight spot between two cars and the steering was very responsive. MSRP was 21,245 I figure I got close to $4,000. off the original MSRP- $2,000. REBATE + ALMOST $2000. in dealers discount. Dont expect it to be perfect but a camry would of cost me another 3 or 4 thousand dollars. The only bad thing I see is the mirrors dont fold-odd since they have fold away mirrors on the ACCENT. I could of chewed them down for a few more dollars but I didnt think on the relationship side it was worth it. So for the GLS model you should shoot for at least 4 grand off the MSRP and more for the SE and Limited

backy

Congrats on your new car! FWIW, the mirrors don't fold as on the Accent (and Elantra and other Hyundais) because the Sonata sold in the U.S. is made here, so no need to fold the mirrors to stuff more cars on ships. I wish the mirrors folded too--that is a very handy feature in tight parking garages (including my own!).

Yitian

Just test drove SE today and I like it. The only con is SE doesn't have that woodgrain accents, which looks really nice.

With $1k cash back and 0% APR, what OTD price excluding TTL will be a good deal for SE with or without the premium package.

Thanks a lot!

Yitian

I'm looking for a SE I4 in South Carolina. I think that quote is already good. It will be a perfect deal if you can lower it a bit more. Good luck.

Yitian

This is a good deal. Where is the dealer? Thanks.

vballny23

Just purchased a 2009 Hyundai GLS 4 cyl Auto this past weekend in New York. MSRP was $20,690. Invoice based on Edmunds is $19,287. Negotiated down to $16,105 + $395 dealer fee + TTL. Only option was the carpeted floor mats.

Yitian

Good deal! Did you get any other rebates besides the $2000 from manufacturer?

vballny23

he mentioned to me when we first started negotiating that there was a $750 hidden dealer rebate from Hyundai that he passed along to me. Not sure how accurate that is. We dealt with the manager for most of the negotiation. His first price of $16,900 + $395 = $17,295 was pretty good and after 10 minutes of going back and forth he came down to $16,600 + $395 fee = $16,995. We were going to walk out (which they never will let you do) and he finally relented to my offer of $16,500 including everything but TTL. The only qualification was we had to take car that day which was fine. The price was about $500 less then the next best quote. I don't know if they made any profit on the car, but they wanted it off the lot that day since the clearly were paying Hyundai interest on the car the longer the car stayed on the lot.

investingdad

Would you sell a car and not make money on it?

Of course they made a profit.

I would encourage people looking for a Sonata (or any new car) to negotiate the whole thing via email and never even bother to go to the dealer other than for a test drive to figure out what you want.

I had two opening offers on the 09 Sonata GLS 5MT of:
- 15998
- 15889

That's with NO negotiating. Here's a listing of ALL internet prices from the one dealer that I started with:

Year Sonata Trim Full MSRP Internet Price
2009 GLS 5 SPEED MT $19,145 $15,889
2009 GLS 5 SPEED AT $20,345 $17,023
2009 GLS - V6 5 SPEED AT $22,895 $19,433
2009 SE 5 SPEED MT $22,495 $18,838
2009 SE - V6 5 SPEED AT $24,495 $20,708
2009 Limited 5 SPEED AT $24,995 $20,934
2009 Limited-V6 5 SPEED AT $26,995 $22,784

The internet prices is everything except Tax & Tags. No other fees are applied. Keep in mind these are the prices they started with w/o any prompting from me other than a request for costs.

Personally, I think going into the dealership to negotiate in the year 2008 is a waste of time.

vballny23

actually, investingdad, I respectfully disagree with you. As I am sure you are aware, the longer a car stays on the lot, the more the dealership has to pay back to Hyundai. So, in essence, they are losing money each day the car stays on the lot. If they have 10 cars that are all configured the same, I guarantee they will take a loss on the car (selling below cost to them) to save them money in the long term. Plus, they all have quotas and if the dealership sells a certain # of cars each month, the owner of the dealership gets something like a 100K bonus...so my point is, and I am not the first to day this, there are times a dealership will sell a car and not make any money.

As far as negotiating over email. I agree 100% with you that it saves time and allows a buyer to gather more offers as opposed to driving around to 10 dealerships. The one caveat is when negotiating over email, you never know what kind of fees they are going to tag on just when you are ready to buy the car at the dealership. Their goal is to get you into their dealership.

Lastly, I feel this is the best time to go buy a car. It is the end of the month, the end of the year and cars are just sitting on the lot and rebates are all over the place.

vballny23

Here is an email I received from a Long Island Hyundai dealership when I quoted a rate of $16,660 + TTL for a 2009 Hyundai GLS 4 CYL Auto. (I actually bought the car for $16,500).

I've spoken with my managers and the offer from the Queens dealer is not possible
unless they are taking over $1000 in actual loss on the car. The only other way they are doing it is to hit you with some undisclosed fees once you get there. They may figure that you went all the way there why not just take the car. We don't deal that way but I know of many that do. If I were you I'd have a buyers order written and faxed to you as binding proof that it's a real price. They will in all likelyhood ask for a deposit. If you want to get that price you should give them one stating that it's totally refundable at your request. (State law says they must refund at your request). I am not able to meet, muchless beat that price. Let me know how it works out. It is, qute simply, not a price that any responsible dealer with integrity would make.

investingdad

And how long would you say the 2009 models have been sitting on the lots?

As for the extra fees...that's the beauty of email. Everything is in writing. So when they offer you X and state no additional fees, they've already put it in writing.

vballny23

The car we purchased had been on the lot since August 27, 2008. I could be wrong, but I believe the 2009 Hyundai Sonata hit the dealerships late spring/early summer. From what I understand they pay interest back to Hyundai not by day, but in blocks of time. For example, if its on the lot for 1 month, they pay X. if its 8 weeks, they pay Y. I do not know the specifics of that but my assumption (since they made us take the car that day (12/21) was they wanted to car off the lot for sure by December 27, 2008.

I agree that you should get everything in writing and bring it with you once you agree upon a price. That being said, I have read countless messages on these forums here where even with a quote in writing, they still try to screw you. In the end, we have the power to walk away, which is the last thing they want to see, especially in this market.

bhmr59

You got a good price but could have done better via the internet.

Towne Hyundai in NJ for the month of December--not just the end of the month--has been offering Sonatas at $1850 below invoice. Then you take off the rebate. They do add a doc fee of $249, which they include in their price quote. A GLS 4cyl, A/T has an invoice of $19751 according to edmunds. Towne's price would be $16,150 plus tax & registration.

No claims of end of the month special...you've gotta buy today for this price...or any of that other phoney stuff.

vballny23

Keep in mind that my car also had the floor mats which i think are about $75. So, in essence the deal you mentioned would be about $275 less then what I paid. Did you buy the car for $16,150? My deal here on Long Island was $500 less then any of the multiple dealers I contacted here would touch, so I am happy. It wouldn't be worth it to drive to Jersey to save $4.50 a month (we financed $10,000) for 60 months, but that is a great deal they are offering.

investingdad

It's worth noting that the 2009 GLS, 5MT that I got was $16230 including tax and tags. That makes the quoted price roughly $15050 plus tax and tags. The additional savings came from a dealer only promotion that amounted to another $950 off of the internet price of $15998 that they had given me. So...

15998
-950
-------
15050
+950tax
+200tags
-----------
16200

...and that included their overpriced, profit padding floor and trunk mats.

jack47

Among other things the doc fee of $395 is just about all profit. A number of states (eg, NY, cap the doc fee at $50).

The dealer does not pay interest to Hyundai for the cars on its lot...it pays the loan interest to a bank...for which, Hyundai, like all car companies, returns this interest to the dealer in the form of a "holdback".

I paid $16,036 plus a $169 doc fee.and $45 tire fee and tags. 2009 GLS I4 A with flloor mats and lifetime oil changes. Black with grey interior. Great car for the money...though the rear suspension is a little tight...but, no problem.

rbcooper

2009 Sonata I4 SE standard equipment msrp 22050.00 - anyone have any quotes or experience with pricing for cash purchase no financing?
Thanks.

Yitian

Would you mind posting a link of those internet prices and telling me the dealer's name? I'll definitely refer to those prices when I negotiate with the local dealers here in SC. Many thanks.

longxi

Dealer told me that I either get $1000 rebate + 0% financing from Hyundai or $2000 rebate if pay with cash or my own financing. That means I will have to pay $1000 more up front if I use Hyundai's finance. Is this true?

The OTD prices you guys reported on the board are the price using Hyundai's finance or pay with cash?

Thanks for your reply in advance.

investingdad

The internet pricing came to me via an email from Sussman Hyundai in PA. Thus, there's no link for me to provide you. I did not buy from them. But you'll notice that the internet price I got from them and from the dealer I did buy from, Fred Beans in PA, were VERY close. What can we learn from this? That the discount structure we don't see is common amongst dealers.

The advertised sales event right now is either $2000 off (bring your own cash or financing) OR $1000 off and you get Hyundai's promo financing. Clearly, however, there is more money on the table that can be removed based on the high correllation between my two dealers, Sussman & Fred Beans, and Fitzmall on the GLS with 5MT. This is not a coincidence.

Which you choose depends on a number of factors. If you're paying cash, it's pretty obvious. I chose to put $6000 down and finance $10000. I secured financing through my company's credit unit - 4.49% for 60 months. I will NOT be keeping the loan for the full 60 months. How early I pay it off depends on a number of factors that are too complicated to get into.

Yitian

Thanks a lot. Would you mind forwarding that email from Sussman Hyundai to me at b_shan16@yahoo.com?

dafy

The first thing you got to do is check the prices on line at Fairfax Hyundai-He list all his stock and what he wants- the prices are nothing like your local dealer wants. You should then call them and find out what the fee-doc, registration etc are. Then- you go to the local dealer and work from there. You may not get the same price from the local dealer but at least you have a idea of where you want to be. Right now the local dealer have a $2000. rebate + $1000. cash back and at least another $1000. you can negotiate on the GLS 4 AT-msrp 21445 WITH 02 pop. option group bringing it down to 17445. Fairfax Hyundai wants approx. 15200. for the same car not including tax and fees. Ergo- there still room to bargain. Fairfax Hyundai is located in Va.

dafy

the fairfax price does not include destination charge and a processing fee so add 695.00 and 389.00-so add 1084.00 to the 15,ish-so you are dealing with a price of about 16,300 or 16,4ish not including the tax.

reechz

On Long Island, in New York, I have been offered the Sonata GLS with the pop 2 option for $16,200 not including tax and tags.