2013 and Earlier - Hyundai Sonata Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • junoon123junoon123 Member Posts: 2
    Anyone purchased a sonata from a Chicago dealer if so which one and how much price did they pay?
    Please let me know
    Thanks
  • cstewart27cstewart27 Member Posts: 23
    Just saw a new Hyundai Sonata TV ad covering the CARS vouchers. Interesting that instead of it showing the $3000 rebate, it only showed a $2000 rebate.

    Glad I'm scheduled to get my Sonata this week!
  • toledocarbuyertoledocarbuyer Member Posts: 3
    I'm assuming you are getting the base model automatic, what I don't know from your post is are you eligible for the $4500 or $3500. If you're getting the $3500 that is a pretty good deal, if not you can go $1000 lower but it is a no cost sale for the dealer. I just bought a Sonata from Brown Hyundai in Toledo Ohio, They are in dire need of selling cars this month, if you want a no profit sale they will probably give you one, I know I got one. Now they won't throw it at you up front so you have to stand firm and tell them some other dealer will give it to you then they will. Figure out your price this way (valid until the end of this month anyway) Start with the invoice price of your desired vehilce (available here). Then you can subtract out your 3000 rebate (the 2000 someone mentioned is if you elect for the gas lock, it is $3000 rebate OR $2000 rebate and gas lock not both) next if you are in a current lease (which it sounds like you are not but I won't assume) you can subtract another $1500 if it ends before Nov 1 and you are turning your car in. If you are in the forces, subtract another $400. But assuming you aren't eligible for the extra rebates you are now at invoice - $3000. Now there is another not advertised $750, subtract that out, if you are really going for no profit dealer holdback on this car is 2% of MSRP (minimum of $400) so subtract that out. So now we are at Invoice - $3000 - $750 - $400. Finally subtract out the $4500/$3500 cash for clunkers based on your eligibility. That will give you the no profit sale cost. If you call brown hyundai here in toledo don't be afraid to site that you know these prices and say you saw in the paper (article last week) that they will close if they don't sell cars. You will get an out the door price equal to getting it right off the assembly line. And FYI, it will have to be a car on the lot for this, they won't go out of their way to get you your favorite color if they don't make any money, but if you want base price you'll get it.
  • cstewart27cstewart27 Member Posts: 23
    I've actually called them and left messages twice since your post and I also emailed them on 7/24 with no response. They're only 2 hrs away, so I'm fine with the location.

    I'm waiting for the dealer I'm working with to be approved by the govt for CARS. But I'm not waiting past 7/31. Our quote is for a 2009 Sonata GLS with Popular Equipment Package. We're getting 1990 off the MSRP, then $3000 rebate + $3500 CARS.

    I'd like to contact you directly. How can I contact you??? cstewart27@neo.rr.com
  • boduoboduo Member Posts: 3
    I plan to buy a 09 Sonata GLS i4 AT w. PEP this month because it's hard to tell the rebate $ for Aug and the tax rate of MA will increase from 5% to 6.25% next month. I went to several local dealers and also emailed/called dealers in Boston area. They either gave a high OTD price (like $17500) or did not offer OTD prices at all - just asked us to go there, sit down and talk...But I do not have a car now (basically I need to ask my friends to take me to the dealerships), so I hope they give me a price which I think I can buy with, then I will just go there with my checkbook.....

    Once I went to a local dealership with the OTD $17500 from another local dealership and asked them whether they can beat it. They just said like "no, it's already a very good deal, if it's not a low ball offer, then go for it. If it's a low ball offer, come to us, our price will not change and won't be a low ball offer" Their OTD price is $17900... They did not even ask my name and phone number.... Then I was totally confused!! According to the prices I've seen here and other forums, even $17000 is enough for the car I want. Am I wrong here? What's the price for other buyers in MA? Except for the tax rate, will prices in different states differ a lot?

    Any suggestion and help will be fully appreciated. This would be my first car and I hope I can get it soon. It's OK that I just wait for another month, but I just do not feel like spending another month on it.

    BTW i only qualify for the $3000 rebate and I do not have a car to trade in....
  • billwardbillward Member Posts: 154
    Looks like you're a victim of CARS... the dealerships are jacking up the prices because of the CARS rebates from the government; since you can't take advantage, you get hosed. It also doesn't help you're trying to buy in July (the first month of a quarter) when dealerships aren't as eager to sell as they were, for example, in June, or will be again in September, to meet their quarterly sales goals. Best advice: If you have to buy NOW, start talking with the $17500 dealer; it's NOT a particularly good deal, but at least it's a start. You're probably paying about $16100-16200 for the car, plus Taxes, Tags, and Title (bringing the price to the $17500). Realistically, you can do a bit better, but it depends on how long you want to wait. If you wait until late September, rebates should be larger, and dealers more motivated, and you might be able to get out for $16500 or even less OTD; I did in May, without a trade in, though it was with Virginia taxes, not MA.
  • jack47jack47 Member Posts: 312
    In NJ I paid $16,000 (excluding only state 7% tax) several months ago with the $2000 rebate. Also free oil changes for life.

    The same dealer (trustworthy and realiable) is presently advertising the GLS i4 at $9999 with a $4500 clunker trade in.

    Don't pay a dime over $15,200-15,500 (before state tax) with the present $3000 rebate. Also, you can, I believe, also get another $1000 off...or a $1.49 gas deal....

    Go for the $1000.
  • dmdcashdmdcash Member Posts: 15
    I was quoted 17,420 (including 3,000 rebate). How does that compare to what others are hearing? (Northern Kentucky Quote)

    Thanks,

    DJC
  • atlanta_owneratlanta_owner Member Posts: 1
    For a demo (3,100 miles) Sonata 2009 GLS 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A) + Bluetooth Hands-Free Phone System + CF Carpeted Floor Mats + Medium Silver Blue color adjustment - 30066 zip code (Marietta, GA) adjustment, I paid = $17,110 (TMV = $19,252).
    After Dealer service charge ($399.99), 6% tax ($1050.60), Title, license, tag fees
    ($39.00), GA warranty rights fee ($3.00), Manufacturer rebate (-$3000.00) and CARS rebate (-$3,500 in my case), the Out The Door price was: $12,102.59.
  • mikemartinmikemartin Member Posts: 205
    Looks like you're a victim of CARS... the dealerships are jacking up the prices because of the CARS rebates from the government; since you can't take advantage, you get hosed. It also doesn't help you're trying to buy in July (the first month of a quarter) when dealerships aren't as eager to sell as they were, for example, in June, or will be again in September, to meet their quarterly sales goals. Best advice: If you have to buy NOW, start talking with the $17500 dealer; it's NOT a particularly good deal, but at least it's a start. You're probably paying about $16100-16200 for the car, plus Taxes, Tags, and Title (bringing the price to the $17500). Realistically, you can do a bit better, but it depends on how long you want to wait. If you wait until late September, rebates should be larger, and dealers more motivated, and you might be able to get out for $16500 or even less OTD; I did in May, without a trade in, though it was with Virginia taxes, not MA.

    Exactly.

    CARS is really screwing people over badly.

    I will bet anyone here that you'll be able to get as good or a better deal 4-5 months after CARS expires, even without a clunker trade in, than you will now with one.

    This doesn't just relate to Hyundai, but all manufacturers and dealers.

    I love how the manufacturers are advertising the highest CARS rebate as if it's something everyone qualifies for, too, to get to a really low advertised price, when in reality, very few people will qualify for the $3,500 or $4,500 rebates.

    This whole sordid mess is only getting more people into the showrooms with false expectations, and for those buying, they're getting screwed for the most part, especially if they're trading in a qualifying clunker that has a used car value of more than a grand (and especially more than two grand).

    Worst program ever, allowing dealers and manufacturers to essentially get more customers in the door, and for those who do have qualifying clunkers, the dealer and manufacturer pocket most of the 3,500 or 4,500 rebate because of the lowered manufacturer and dealer rebates and incentives.
  • steve613steve613 Member Posts: 5
    Hi,

    I just bought a 2009 GLS AT with bluetooth in VA (but paying DC taxes) for $13,300 OTD with a $3500 clunker rebate. So the OTD price before the clunker was $16,800. How does that compare to what others are getting?

    Thanks,

    Steve
  • haggardhaggard Member Posts: 93
    CARS does suck.

    My wife is ready to buy a 2009 Sonata I4 GLS with PEP2 and mats. I own a vehicle that would get us the whole $4500, but it is titled in my name only. The rules say the trade has to be titled for a year in the name of the purchaser. The new car needs to be titled in her name only because I was laid off several months ago and including me will hurt her otherwise perfect credit rating.

    So, now we have to do a cash deal, and they aren't discounting as much right now.
    I offered 19K before the rebate TTL and the dealer wouldn't even consider it. So still working it.
  • billwardbillward Member Posts: 154
    Does that include PEP or PEP2? If it's PEP2, outstanding! If it's PEP, not too bad at all, though I paid less back in May for PEP, BT, and Floormats (plus IPod cable, which we've never used since my wife's a SANSA fan and I listen to talk radio or Sirius 151 90%+ of the time) and the trunk lining (but not the tray or net). Rebate was slightly better, then, though because of the Owner Loyalty, which I haven't seen advertised in July, and I qualify for it (now have two Sonatas, and love both).

    If it DOES NOT include PEP, then it's not that great a deal, but not awful, either, especially in the CARS mania going on.... it's a feeding frenzy for the dealers, who are making much higher profits by raising prices and using CARS as a way to get customers to buy by having a lower price to the customer... more profit for dealers, while keeping prices fairly close for somewhat lower (but not hugely).
  • steve613steve613 Member Posts: 5
    No PEP, but it came with blue tooth, car mats and cargo net. I didn't qualify for any of the other rebates.
  • mikemartinmikemartin Member Posts: 205
    Before the CARS program (about a month or two before) you could get a 2009 Sonata GLS automatic for $14,300 including destination, plus TTL from Fitz.

    There's no doubt most every dealer and manufacturer has raised prices by pulling back rebates and other incentives.
  • haggardhaggard Member Posts: 93
    That was without options, right?

    According to a friend who sells another brand, CARS won't be around too long. There is only 1 billion available, and it is going very quickly. Some larger dealerships have done 100 deals already, and the money broken out across all dealerships is supposed to be an average of 5 deals per at the max amount.

    Anyway, when the money runs out and IF their is any 09 inventory left, we will give it another shot. I dont' want to overspend for a car that is closer to one model year old.
  • steve613steve613 Member Posts: 5
    See, if I had bought that car it would have cost me about $15,800 right (DC taxes? But I would have received only $1000 on my old car, so $14,800 when all was said and done. Under CARS, I got it for $13,300. Seems like a good deal to me, even if the dealer got a bit more. Maybe I could've done better, but I think I did better than I could have without CARS.

    I gotta say too, just objectively speaking, $13,300 for a brand new mid-size sedan is outstanding.
  • billwardbillward Member Posts: 154
    Nope, I think you would have gotten the car at the same price or just slighty cheaper pre-CARS, depending on the actual trade in on your old car. Price has gone up by ~$1.5K-$1.8K, plus rebates have gone down about $1K; you would have paid the same pre-CARS (since you would have gotten $1000 from the trade in, so CARS effectively gave you $2500). Thus it would either be a wash or about $300 less a month or two ago. If you had REALLY pushed it, you could have shaved even more then (dealers less likely to drive hard in July...)
  • steve613steve613 Member Posts: 5
    How much were the rebates a few months ago? When did prices go up due to CARS? When I bought my car the other day they were the same as about a month ago when I got a quote that included $3000 off the Sonata.
  • haggardhaggard Member Posts: 93
    I would agree, Steve. You did well and I, for one, would have jumped at that price for that car. There is always someone who can get one more dollar, but at some point it becomes like alternative energy - costs more than a dollar to save a dollar.

    Good job.
  • mikemartinmikemartin Member Posts: 205
    Steve, I think you got a good deal regardless, but the rebate about two months prior to CARS on the Sonata was $5,000 if you had Hyundai Loyalty.

    You didn't get hosed at all, but I'm sure a lot of people will get hosed, because they'll go into the minefield that is CARS not knowing if their clunker qualifies, and get ambushed.

    Like I said earlier, I see a bunch of print ads and tv ads now that literally insert the maximum rebate of $4,500 under the CARS program and insinuate that it's just available to anyone, even those without a car to trade in.

    That's how they're printing those ridiculously low prices in their ads like $12,700 for an Altima and such.
  • jack47jack47 Member Posts: 312
    ...You may include the dealership name, city and state in your post. Please do not post names of salespeople, telephone numbers, email addresses, or other contact information.....

    What the hell...if you're from Texas I guess you don't have to follow the rules.
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,602
    Mike, I think you're mistaken. The general rebate was $3,000 (may have even been $2,000) and the loyalty rebate was either $500 or $1,000.

    I think to rebate was either $3K & $500 loyalty or $2K plus $1,000 loyalty.

    I don't recall seeing the Hyundai rebate as high as $5k. Maybe dealers in your area were offering $2,000 off MSRP?
  • mikemartinmikemartin Member Posts: 205
    bhm, you may be right in that the advertised manufacturer cash was never as high as $5,000, but I am positive that there were holdbacks and such supported by Hyundai so that dealers were advertising $5,000 and even more off MSRP.

    I remember when Randall Noe Hyundai was selling a 2009 Sonata GLS automatic with an MSRP just south of 21k for $13,990, plus TTL, and they had 18 in stock at that price.

    I think it was back in March.
  • boduoboduo Member Posts: 3
    Thanks a lot for the advice, billward. For $1000+, probably I will wait until Sep then....At that time 10 Sonata should be in stock, right? Do they usually give great incentives for the new model? Will they still have leftover 09 ones?

    When I ask a dealer to beat a price I got from another forum, he asked me to provide the quote in writing with msrp and a break down of the tax and fees.... otherwise he cannot beat it.

    Can anyone give me the information he wants? I want a 09 Sonata GLS i4 AT w. pep (without sunroof). Many many thanks!
  • boduoboduo Member Posts: 3
    Thanks a lot, Jack!

    When I ask a dealer to beat a price I got from another forum (OTD $16800 in NJ, got in late June. The guy who posted this price said it's the best price he got, but finally he did not buy a Sonata -- he bought an Accord.), he asked me to provide the quote in writing with msrp and a break down of the tax and fees.... otherwise he cannot beat it. His tone does not sound friendly to me at all, and makes me a little mad....

    Can you give me the information he wants? Then probably I can ask him to beat your price. That's also a good deal for me. I want a 09 Sonata GLS i4 AT w. pep (without sunroof). You can reach me at doudou.peng@gmail.com. It will be great if you can include the name of the dealership. Many many thanks!

    I will try to make a deal recently, but if I fail, as billward suggested, I will probably wait until late Sep....
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,602
    The hyundaiusa web site is now showing a $500 rebte on 2010 Sonatas. The 2010s have got to be out...maybe not in all areas yet.
  • texasjacktexasjack Member Posts: 4
    What are mud flaps on a car for? I see them on big trucks.

    Texasjack
  • billwardbillward Member Posts: 154
    When we bought (in May) the rebate was 2000/1500/400/500 for the four major rebates. I don't see how anyone who wasn't a brand spanking new College Graduate who had, through ROTC, just gotten a commision into the military could get that. In MOST cases, it's 2000/1500 or (in my area, with a huge military) 2000/1500/500 for a total of 4000 at most, if you were in the military and had a Hyundai. Within a few days, Hyundai changed the rebates to 3000/500; same price for those loyal customer, but an extra $1000 off for new buyers.

    Rebates have gone down slightly for valued customers... there is NO benefit to own a Hyundai now, it's a flat 3000. I believe the military rebate is still in place, but haven't seen the recent grad bonus. There is the alternative 2000/1.49 rebate, as well, which is NOT a good deal (at all!) unless you really think gas is going up to $5/gallon in the next few months OR you intend to REALLY put some mileage on the car; with an average fuel economy of, say, 27mpg (a bit low, I think, ESPECIALLY given the next part!) and gas stays at roughly $2.50/gallon, you would need to put 27K miles on the car in the first 12 months to break even. How many people put 500 miles on a car every week for a year?

    The real place that the prices have gone up is that dealers are no longer discounting cars realistically. Don't get me wrong, the price you paid isn't bad; it's just that it's not substantially better than what you would have paid pre-CARS.

    Of course, that said, CARS is now out of money, a week after it started... that was $1B of National Debt that basically went into the pockets of the dealers... but it also did serve to get folks to buy new cars (increased economic activity) and may raise the CAFE of the US by a small tick upwards, both potentially good things.

    EDIT: Looks like the military rebate has gone UP, it's now $1000, and I did find the recent grad, so it's still there... the only one to totally disappear is owner loyalty for the Sonata.

    For my message about my break down, it's 6156 in this forum. 6156 is the actual buying experience, but I had an aborted experience with a bait-and-switch that I wrote up at 6151; there was some discussion between the two, and 6156 answers a question at the beginning. Summary of the (three) dealerships I was close to buying from: Hall Hyundai in Chesapeake, Virginia: SCUM OF THE EARTH, bait and switchers; avoid at all cost! Fitzmall, Northern Virginia: Pleasant folk, I'll definitely look at them next time I'm looking at buying. West Broad Hyundai, Richmond Virginia: Two HUGE thumbs up, great job on their part!
  • james1982james1982 Member Posts: 73
    What are mud flaps on a car for? I see them on big trucks.

    To prevent mud, debis, and rocks from causing nicks and scratches in your paint. Just because you don't go 'off-roading' doesn't mean that the finish around your wheels won't take a beating from everyday driving.
  • tranquilitytranquility Member Posts: 1
    Yep, the 2010 Sonatas are on the lot in Orlando (winter park). I saw one the other day and they look just like the 2009. I wanted to buy one, but the dealers won't budge now that CARS is in effect. They even want premium price for the Accents. BTW, mudflaps are a dirty source of dealer profit as they don't cost more than $15 to make and install. ;)
  • nstuffnstuff Member Posts: 25
    Can anyone chip in on combining the gas deal with the standard $3,000 rebates going on right now?

    In the fine print for the Hyundai Gas deal... "For each model where a Rebate and Gasoline Offer applies, in lieu of the Gasoline Offer, customer can increase the rebate offered by adding $1000 to the rebate amount for the vehicle."

    So, if I'm reading that right, if you take the cash option for the gas deal, a new 2009 Sonata can get the standard $3,000 + $1,000 rebates = $4,000 off?

    Just want to see if they are playing any tricks in cutting down the total rebate amount.
  • tenpin288tenpin288 Member Posts: 804
    If you read it a little closer, the rebate with the gas offer is only $2000, not $3000. The max rebate you will get from Hyundai on the Sonata is the $3000 which is likely the better offer in most cases anyway.

    http://www.hyundaiusa.com/financing/specialoffers/gaslock/offers.aspx

    ;)
  • geetmalageetmala Member Posts: 17
    Tenpin is correct. The offer is $3000 cash rebate or $2000+$1.49 for 480 gal. BTW, this only applies to the 2009 models NOT the 2010s. I just got a 09 LTD and took the $3000 rebate instead of the gas card. Gas usually goes down after summer anyways.

    In reply to the person asking about rebates/discounts for the 2010 Sonata, just get the 2009 as there are virtually no differences/updates. Hyundai wants to off loads the 09 models first so there won't be any incentive on the 2010 till at least Nov or till the dealer stock runs out. My advice get your 2009 now before your color option dwindle down and also take advantage of the rebate and negotiate $500-800 below invoice.

    The Alabama plant is supposedly getting ready to build the restyled 2011 Sonata/i40 by this time next year. There are spy pictures circulating on the net.
  • geetmalageetmala Member Posts: 17
    I paid $18600 OTD (incl $3,500 C4C) for my 09 LTD w/Nav & bluetooth, mud flaps, cargo net, cargo tray. The price included PA tax, title docs everything.

    Dealers are still charging the same price w/ rebates as before the CARS program, the rule of thumb is $600-800 below Edmunds invoice price. The dealer I got mine from has only 18 LTDs left as opposed to the 68 he had when I bought mine 11 days ago. The only dealer I know (in my area) who advertises real prices online is www.manassashyundai.com. Before you get too excited, add the following to the web price $349 proc fees, $720 freight.

    Most ads out there claiming to sell you an Altima or Accord LX for under $13000 w/ CARS rebate are just that - FAKE, designed lure you in.

    I used Edmunds "request a quote" service and forced local dealers to give me an OTD price via e-mail before I went in. 3 out 5 complied the other two I blocked using my e-mail's spam filter.

    I got really fedup with utterly arrogant Honda and Toyota dealers in my area (North East). One Honda dealer that has the worst prices and even worse customer service told me, "these are Hondas, you don't need to test drive them, you're lucky that we've a sale this week, so you can buy one at sticker price. Let me know which one you want and I will get the paperwork for you to sign." He would not even walk me to a car to show, let alone test drive it.

    I wrote to Honda about my experience and never got a reply back. I thought if that's how the company treats prospective buyers, what will they do to me if I bought one. So, I started looking around for alternate family Sedans and discovered the Sonata which was rated higher than the Camry, Accord, and Altima in overall value and reliability by MotorTrend and Consumer Reports. BTW, this is only true starting with the 2007 model that the Sonata started to get the higher accolades.

    I priced out comparable Camry, Accord, Altima, and Mazda 6. All of them were $4000-6500 higher then the Sonata LTD.
  • sunny27sunny27 Member Posts: 2
    I was quoted $18526.55 for a Sonata GLS V6. This included a $3000 rebate, a $3500 cash for clunkers rebate, approx. $334 "govt fees" (licensing), 9.75% tax, and $55 doc fee. This dealer is in Richmond, California.

    Is this a reasonable price? It seemed highish to me, given the rebates in place.

    Thanks for any assistance, Sunny
  • geetmalageetmala Member Posts: 17
    Sunny,

    What other options does your quote include such as PEP?. Expect to pay around $17,5000 w/o PEP and $18,500 with PEP. These are OTD prices with your tax and charges factored in.

    BTW, I got a LTD i4 as my research suggested that the v6 is not good value for the extra $2,200. So, I put that extra money towards the Nav and bluetooth which was a great decision. Also checkout many other GLS quotes on page 319 (July 16) of this string.

    Here's my OTD price breakdown. Others have gotten better price than mine.

    09 Sonata Limited, 4cyl
    Options - Navigation, Bluetooth, Floor Mats, Cargo Net, Cargo Tray, Mud Guards

    Negotiated price - $22,395
    Freight - $720
    Proc fees - $349
    Tags, title - $202
    Sales Tax - 1,429
    Hyundai Rebate - $3,000
    Clunkers Rebate - $3,500
    OTD Price - $18593

    Hope this is helpful in making your decision.
  • dmdcashdmdcash Member Posts: 15
    With PEP, Sunroof, Floor mat, trunk mat, Ipod cable, sunroof cover and rear spoiler.

    -3000 rebate, -4500 clunker, = 15,200 out the door.
  • sunny27sunny27 Member Posts: 2
    Geetmala --

    Thanks very much for your detailed and very helpful info. I am sorry to say that I do not know the status of the PEP on the car. This topic was not raised, but I now see, from reading your post, that I need to know more about the car. There is a frenzied atmosphere out there this weekend.

    Where are the different PEP packages listed, do you know?

    Thanks again, Sunny
  • tenpin288tenpin288 Member Posts: 804
    Where are the different PEP packages listed, do you know?

    Check here and build your own. It will show you the PEP for each variation

    http://www.hyundaiusa.com/shoppingtools/byo/model.aspx?vehicle=Sonata

    ;)
  • jason50jason50 Member Posts: 55
    Anyone want to share the best price they found for any line of 2009 Sonatas in Houston Texas? I'm trying to get a feel for what are good OTD prices here in Houston. Thanks.
  • mikemartinmikemartin Member Posts: 205
    All I know is that the very same car I saw on Fitzmall's website for $14,200 (Hyundai Sonata, 2009, GLS, automatic) about 8 weeks ago is now $15,800.

    This is because people can't resist a "sale," even if they are ignorant to the fact that they're paying more now than before, for the same exact vehicle, because of dealer rebate and incentive pullbacks, and less willingness to negotiate price.

    Cash for Clunkers seems to be welfare for dealerships. They get a boom in sales, and they get to raise prices the most in the shortest period of time in many, many years.

    But when the money runs out, they'll be even more desperate for customers.

    Just you wait and see.
  • billwardbillward Member Posts: 154
    Jason, I know this won't be helpful today, but....

    Best price in Houston was about 6-7 weeks back. Buy a Sonata, get a new Accent free (or pay the difference and get a new Elantra for $2K). Net cost of the car, if you sold the Accent immediately, was about 11K for a loaded GLS. Only problem was that you had to buy at MSRP-Hyundai rebates.

    Considering my son's need for a new car (his 1993 Mercury Tracer with 270K miles on it doesn't even have a functioning gas gauge, but it does get 38mpg), I'd have been willing to get on a plane with him, fly to Houston (I live in Virginia) and drive the two back at that price, but we'd bought our '09 Sonata three weeks earlier.
  • 8sparkplugs8sparkplugs Member Posts: 111
    It's not gouging, demand for fuel efficient cars have increased. Price always follows demand. The reason prices were so low, was because there was less demand at that time.
  • autohound1autohound1 Member Posts: 45
    I just helped an elderly friend purchase this car and thought I'd share the pricing we got to help others out there looking at this model. First, though I prefer to get internet quotes, she didn't feel comfortable using that method, as she wasn't exactly sure what she wanted yet. So we did it the old-fashioned way by going into the dealer and negotiating. Our salesperson was actually pretty decent -- not the low-life slimy kind, and he seemed to know a good bit about the car, rather than just spewing out anything he thought we wanted to hear.

    We went in looking for a 4cyl GLS no options except automatic, in a specific color, but no dice. We could only get her color by considering a demo that had deep scratches in a couple of places (which they offered to repaint), and was frankly dirty inside/outside. But they couldn't go low enough for us to consider that. They did offer other alternatives (colors) and to bring in a car from a surrounding dealer to meet our needs, but they couldn't find the model she wanted in the color she wanted anywhere. However, they did have her color in the 6 cyl -- a demo (new, but almost a year of warranty expired) and a new car (which had the group 2# option on it -- power seats, etc). We test drove the new car and she liked it very much, particularly the power seats/lumbar support. I was impressed by the car overall as well. It was my first time in a Hyundai, but I have to admit, there is nothing inferior about this model compared to the competition. Even the base GLS has pretty much every option you could want (unless you're into the technology stuff or leather seating).

    So this v6 automatic also had the option 2# group on it (power seats, etc) plus floor mats & trunk mat. It stickered at a little over 24k plus their "junk" protection/prep package for $1,000 extra, for a final fake sticker of 25k (inlcuding destination). We had no trade-in to consider or the "cash for clunkers" program, and no financing. This was strictly a cash deal to buy a new car using only the $3,000 Hyundai rebate and whatever else we could get off the price through negotiating.

    We struck a final purchase price of $18,800 (including the destination charge of $720) PLUS the Documentation fees of about $500, so the real total was $19,300 plus sales tax (I won't include the tax here since it varies everywhere and can be written off on tax filing this year anyway). Edmunds TMV on this model/options was $19,604 (but I'm unclear if TMV includes average documentation/transaction fees or not). Either way I thought we did pretty good, since we were $800 below TMV before doc fees, and still $300 below it after the doc fees added on.

    She wasn't insterested in trying to get pricing on competing models, because she simply liked the Hyundai better. So I don't know how this deal would compare to a similarly equipped Accord/Camry/Altima/Mazda6/Fusion/Legacy. I have a feeling the the v6 competition would be higher though. And I know Honda and Toyota don't like to discount much off their MSRP's typically. She will be holding onto this car for approx 10 years (driving it 5k/year), after which time she will give it to one of her children, so depreciation is of no concern to her. I'm happy she was able to get a great car with a warranty second to none. Good luck to you other Sonata buyers out there!
  • texasjacktexasjack Member Posts: 4
    The doc fee of $500 is a pure ripoff!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Texas law set a max of $50 for doing the title fee.

    That dealer just made an additional $500.

    Texasjack
  • raider75raider75 Member Posts: 2
    Just purchased 7/28/09 in Columbus, OH. Includes all optional equipment except Bluetooth, Nav, and PEP (all are too pricey for what you get). This is an awesome car and the Limited has tons of standard equipment. The cocoa metallic paint looks great in the sun and the cocoa leather is beautiful and very comfortable. Easy to program the homelink feature for my garage door and home security system. The 2.4L engine is very strong, would not recommend the V6 as it is harder on gas and harder on your insurance.

    MSRP 24,550
    Destination 695
    Options 220
    Doc Fee 250
    Dealer Discount -2,000
    Sales Tax 1,600
    Title Fee 25
    Hyundai Rebate -3,000
    CARS Rebate -3,500
    Total 18,840

    I also purchased the extended bumper to bumper warranty for 10yrs/100k miles on a separate contract with $0 deductible for $1400 and no fee. Dealer let me finance it for 18 months at 0%.
  • newowner10newowner10 Member Posts: 227
    $1400 seems like a lot to me. What do expect to break that is not in the power train warrenty. What does the warrenty actualy cover? Are wear items like brake rotors covered, struts, bearings?
  • raider75raider75 Member Posts: 2
    Some wear and tear items are covered, even tires and wheels from pothole damage. Hyundai is also notorious for electrical device problems, like dashboard modules such as cruise control, radio, etc. I figured it's cheaper to buy it now and have the peace of mind than pay it out some years down the road when labor jumps to $150/hour and parts prices are higher. Service is where dealers make more than 50% of their profit, so I've always been a believer in service contracts. They've always more than paid for themselves, usually with one or two big repairs. I also tend to keep my cars a long time so I don't have to worry about a huge repair bill down the road.
  • armani2armani2 Member Posts: 1
    So Lester Glenn in New Jersey is quoting me $14,999 for the basic model and an extra $500 for PEP #1. Is this an average, good, or bad deal?

    On top of that, will be taxes, license, registration and a doc fee of about 180$.

    Thanks for your help in davance
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