2013 and Earlier - Hyundai Sonata Prices Paid and Buying Experience

gmctruck

It was Aqua Blue. I loved the car and the 17" wheels were sweet! My only concern is the light colored material used for the seats. Looks great new, but it will easily show dirt more so than a darker color. The dealer had nothing to offer on the '07 models yet which is really a shame, but I can wait it out for a better deal to come along in a few months once the '06 models are gone.

jden

Looks like Hyundai has cheapened the 07 GLS by not having the premium cloth as an option.

robertx

Newbie here - I've been lurking for a while and I want to thank everyone for all of the useful info. I'm a long time Toyota fan that was ready to buy another Camry when I kept hearing about the Sonata. I am now trying to decide if I should buy a 07 Limited or a 07 Camry LE or XLE, but if I go Hyundai, I'll need to purchase by Monday to take advantage of the $1000 rebate.

I've been offered a Limited with the Moonroof/Premium stereo option for $23,907 (includes ad fee of $500 + charge for premium white paint) plus TTL before rebate. Think I should push for more?

I've been reading a lot of good things (and some bad) about the Sonata and like the test drive and value, but I've also developed a comfort level with Toyota. I put on 50,000+ miles a year and have gotten well over 200K with my last 3 Toyota vehicles (Celica, Supra, Camry) with no repairs other than wear items. I had 3 domestic vehicles between the Supra and Camry and none made it past 80K. I know that Toyota's quality has slipped recently, but this is a tough call.

Things I like about Sonata - exterior styling, value
Things I like about Camry XLE - interior styling, sound system, confidence in getting over 200K miles in the next 4 years.

walt235

Don't worry about losing the $1000 rebate. After the 31st it'll still be there or possibly higher. The dealership will tell you that they can't guarantee that the rebates will continue. If there's rebates on the 07's now...there will continue to be rebates. I promise.

bobad

You should be able to get the base V6 for ~$17K+ tax, the Limited for ~$18K+ tax. Not to worry about rushing. Don't play that game! The rebates have been constant, and will remain so.

The Lambda V6 has been rock solid for the 15 months it's been in service. It was designed by Hyundai and DC for a 300K mile life. AND... if something should break, you have the best warranty in the industry, and roadside assistance!

bhmr59

Apparantly you missed the posts about the Sonata's trim levels being renamed. The '06 GL is the '07 GLS, the '07 SE is the '06 GLS and is availabe only as V6, the '07 Limited is the '06 LX.

miamixt

This talk about who's Cloth is more Premium. :shades:

Perhaps selected 06 Models with $3000 rebates were great Buys after all!. "robertx", terrible price, get the Toyota. :confuse:

jtjk

Hello,
I would like buy a 2007 Sonata Ltd (LX) with premier option. Would like to know what would the best price I can offer. I did receive a quote from one dealer 22550 + tax amd TTL.
Please advise.

jtjk

Coulbus, OHIO is where I am buying.
I would like buy a 2007 Sonata Ltd (LX) with premier option. Would like to know what would the best price I can offer. I did receive a quote from one dealer 22550 + tax amd TTL.
Please advise.

jack47

As I am in southern NJ and in the market for an '06 or '07 would you kindly mention dealer's name in central NJ...no salesperson's name...just dealer.

Thank you.

danf1

That price is about $200 below invoice. I know, everybody can lambaste me now because edmunds will show a lower invoice figure. MSRP should be 25,345 and invoice is 23,727. There is a $1,000 rebate this month. That being said, it is the end of the month and you may want to try to get another $500 or so which would be taking all of the holdback as well. If it is going to happen, these next few days will be the time.

robchris

2006 GSL with 6 cylinders: $17k before taxes just contracted. Wish I had 18-19 to get the Limited but had originally been shopping for the Elantra...

Amazing car for the money!!!

robchris

Where can I go to purchase a GLS V6 for $16,500? Commonly going for? MSRP is $21.5k. Please let me know what dealer in what country, state & city. "Commonly" going for? Not in the NY metro area. Please let me know where.

Thanks,
Rob

isellhondas

You forgot a feature of the Camry...Great resale value.

If you buy a Hyundai you will lose what you "save" and much more a few years from now because of dismal resale values.

backy

About how "much more" will someone lose within a few years compared to up front savings when buying a comparably-equipped Sonata vs. a Camry? How many years are we talking about here? Are you including the time value of money in your calculations?

In other words, is this just your opinion or do you have some facts on resale values of '06+ Sonatas vs. '07 Camrys to back your assertion up?

cajuncycler

You forgot a feature of the Camry...Great resale value.

If you buy a Hyundai you will lose what you "save" and much more a few years from now because of dismal resale values.

What resale value?? I kept my 83 Toyota Tercel until 1998 where it was "traded in" on a 94 Plymouth minivan. I got $500 for it. I just sold a 95 Saturn SC2 Coupe with 115,000 miles on it for $1800. Maybe if I "traded rides before the last payment this might be an issue but if I keep the Sonata for the life of it's 10 year warranty and the fact that it cost me so little to initially buy I can't see that there is a loss here. Honestly you sound like a Harley Davidson owner, buying an over priced, under powered over weight motorcycle on the premise that it will be worth so much more when you finally get rid of it. Instead of opting for a better built, better performing lighter, faster, more sophisticated motorcycle from Japan. Makes no sense to me but maybe you are some kinda bean counter? :P

cxc

You forgot a feature of the Camry...Great resale value.

Look at the top of the midsize sedans comparison thread. You will find that 2007 Camry is the worst car according to consumers. What resale value can be for the worst car. Wake up!

bhmr59

Just like it is taking years for Hyundai to overcome a bad reputation from its cars of long ago, it will take more than a few months of troublesome cars before Toyota will start to loose its luster.

Most of the public "know" what they know from a while back and are not up to date. Doesn't matter if it's cars, lawnmowers, toasters, etc., most people don't research present situations before making a buying decision.

w9cw

robertx wrote: "I had 3 domestic vehicles between the Supra and Camry and none made it past 80K. I know that Toyota's quality has slipped recently, but this is a tough call."

I have a Hyundai, but also own a 1994 Dodge Grand Caravan ES with over 160K miles. Other than routine wear and tear items, nothing has been replaced on the Dodge. It was my first new domestic vehicle after buying Asian and European vehicles for 30 years. In summary, I think I've spent less money on repairs on the Dodge than any car I've ever owned.

w9cw

I've been quoted $15,750 for a 2006 GLS V6 w/o sunroof from a dealer in Downers Grove, IL. Remaining 2006 stock is a problem however, as they are in very short supply.

bobad

If you buy a Hyundai you will lose what you "save" and much more a few years from now because of dismal resale values.

Only if you trade your car in and let the dealership rob you. If you take good care of a car and sell it to a private party, you can always get top dollar. Besides, how do you know what 2 year old Sonatas will sell for in 2 years? You may be surprised!

isellhondas

I suppose I could be surprised. I just know how hard it is to sell a used Korean car at the present time.

I only brought this up because of the reality of the current market on these. If a person keeps their cars ten years and runs them into the ground, it wouldn't matter much.

Most people, however don't do this.

jlemoine

I just bought a 2006 Sonata GL 4cyl auto for 15,257 from Gary Rome Hyundai in Holyoke, Massachusetts. They even threw in floor mats and a full tank of gas. I originally went in to buy a second Elantra but my wife liked the bigger size of the Sonata so we test drove it and decided to go with it. My sales rep even let me use his computer to look at Edmunds before I made the offer. I don't know if this is the best deal out there but it's what I offered and we made a deal and it's what I was willing to pay. As far as resale value for me thats a lame excuse Honda and Toyota owners use for paying up to twice as much for a comparable model. I've owned Hyundais for 6 years now and they've been bulletproof and my local dealer not only is easy to buy from but they have one of the best service departments I've ever dealt with. Let a close friend (Camry fanatic)take the Sonata for a test drive and he was quite surprised at the overall quality of the car. He was floored when I told him what it costs, about 2,500 dollars less than the Corolla he just bought his wife!!!! Love my Hyundais!!!

isellhondas

Twice as much? Hardly.

If you are happy, that's all that matters.

Products sell for what they are worth.

lightfootfl

He said.. up to twice as much.. isn't that about the same thing as saying I can sell you my, Honda or whatever, for "as low as..."? I think there is the possibility of some comparisons that might fall into that area. Unfortunately facts sometimes get distorted in the narratives.

bobad

Products sell for what they are worth.

Products often sell for what people are suckered into paying.

You're correct that the Accord does not sell for 2X more than the Sonata. The Accord V6 sold for "only" $7K more than my V6 Sonata when I bought it. I am happy, and I have a 10 year warranty.

rdillier

Bob, et.al.:

Personally I think it's just REMARKABLE to what extremes Honda's customer service folks will go to "educate" us rustic saps from our totally uninformed opinions about automobiles. What a true spirit of United Americanism they share...blah, blah, blah. :shades:

robertx

Bobad,
How do you get to $18K for a Limited? Are there that many fees and that much holdback built into the dealer invoice? Even at Fitzmall the internet price is $22,100 for a Ltd with Ultimate option.

kyfdx

All we have to go on is history.. And..what the finance companies expect the car to be worth three or four years down the line..

Checking an independent bank's residuals..

Hyundai Sonata GLS
3yr/36K residual 47%
4yr/48K residual 37%

Toyota Camry LE
3yr/36K residual 57%
4yr/48K residual 46%

Now, actual depreciation costs between the two cars are probably closer than this, as the Sonata sells for a bigger percentage discount from MSRP.

But, regardless of the intrinsic worth of each vehicle, it is pretty hard to argue that the Hyundai holds it's value as well as the Toyota..

As mentioned above, if you keep your car ten years, then it doesn't matter much.. But, if you are like most people and trade every 3-5 years, resale value is important.

regards,
kyfdx

mokiavelli

As much as I have been impressed with the quality improvement of the Sonata, I am thinking it might still be worth paying the extra 3k for an Accord or Camry because of the resale. For instance, a Sonata 4-cylinder may go for about $15,500, while an Accord or 2007 Camry will go about $18,500. After about 3 years, I might still be able to get the $3,000 back when I sell it, due to demand and strong resale.

prosource1

Consider residual values relative to the cost and relative to how much money is actually lost over the period of ownership. If you lose and additional 10% on a Sonata that costs $18k vs. a Camry that is $22k(or more), well, you are really losing about the same amount of actual dollars. Also keep in mind how much more you are paying in interest for (the additional amount) paid for a Camry. I think you'll find the the differences are quite minimal and may even be in favor of the Korean car. I owned 3 Hyundai Sonata's, never had serious problems and found they were inexpensive to own and operate in every way.

backy

I don't think anyone disputes that historically, Camrys have held their value better than Sonatas. But resale value is meaningless by itself. It is only one factor that determines the cost of a car after X years of ownership. It's really great that Camry has strong resale value, but if that Camry costs me a few thousand more up front than another car, where is the advantage? And I have to sell the Camry, after several years, to benefit from the strong resale value. By buying a lower-priced car, you get the financial benefit up front. Buying the Camry is like putting money into a savings account that earns 0 interest over several years, and I don't have access to my money until the account is closed. I don't need to be a financial expert to know there are better places to put my money.

cajuncycler

Maybe my math is just poverty poor but how do you justify spending $3000 more up front for a car, paying interest on that additional money, providing you are financing, and expecting (hoping??) to get it back some 3 years down the road? Isn't the interest rate on the additional money borrowed going to negate that resale value? To me the value comes in the operating cost, maintenance cost and savings on the front end of the deal. What am I missing here? :confuse:

bobad

My point is that you can meekly take what an independent bank's tables give you, or you can sell the car privately. I sell privately and ALWAYS beat the "book value", because my cars are always well cared for and clean.

It's a moot point anyway, because I intend to keep my Sonata until the warranty is up... 10 years.

bobad

3000? Honda wanted 7K more in my town. You'll be lucky to wheel and deal to get a comparably equipped V6 Accord for $5K more.

mokiavelli

I did not take into account the extra interest. But I also did not look at the operating cost either. I'm not saying that the Sonata is not a reliable car, but maybe I am old school in my thought, but I feel that a Toyota or Honda will have lower maintenance cost through the life of the car. I have heard excelelnt reviews about the Sonata, but I would like to see the long term reliabilty.

I also did not take into account the ability to sell a car. It's really what dictates the resale value. Demand. At least in California, any Toyota or Honda will command a higher demand. The interest for a used Hyundai is not nearly as high. It applies to dealer trades too.

jack47

Just wondering....how will the latest Powers survey effect future resales (Hyundai vs. Camry/Honda) that rated the Hyundai brand third in reliability right behind Porsch and Lexus and ahead of Toyota and Honda.

Time will tell.

miamixt

"I'm not saying that the Sonata is not a reliable car, but maybe I am old school in my thought, but I feel that a Toyota or Honda will have lower maintenance cost through the life of the car"

Old School, yes. The Sonata comes with a 5 YR/60 Month Limited Warranty, and a 10 YR/100K Powertrain Warranty. What are these "Maintenance Costs" you speak of? :surprise:

And you can save BIG BUCKS$$ with a Hyundai

jlemoine

The report can't possibly be legit!!! After all how can Toyota and Honda have lower quality than Hyundai when their so much more exspensive!! Why I've even heard from Toyota and Honda dealers that their quality is WAY better that's why they offer far less of a warranty because their sOOooo good who'll need it right!!! Why get a Sonata when you can buy a stripped down Civic or Corolla for the same money!

isellhondas

Except you are forgetting something.

Now, it's possible that in your neck of the woods, there is a strong market for used Hyundai products? It's possible, I suppose. Where I am, they are near impossible to sell no matter how attractive the price. They die at the auctions and bring a lot less than book.

They were forced into going to that 10 year POWERTRAIN warranty because their initial offereings were pretty bad. I always wonder how many people buy solely because of that?

The best warranty is the one you rarely have to use.

That said, I'm not bashing Hyundai. Jsut bringing up a point.

mokiavelli

I completely agree.

Dodge has a 7 year Powertrain warranty, but it really doesn't provide me any assurance of the quality of a Dodge.

mokiavelli

I consider maintenance cost anything from changing your oil to things breaking after warranty. I wonder what happens to the Sonata after 5 year and 1 day or 60,001 miles. What cost will be involved? Once again, I am not trying to bash Hyundai. I just haven't seen anyone speak of Hyundai's long term reliability (more than 5 years).

Keep in mind that 5 year warranty. Straight from the Hyundai website:

Following components covered for time and mileage limits indicated:
- Radio And Sound Systems (i.e. radio, cassette tape drive mechanism, and compact disc player): 3 years / 36,000 miles
- Paint: 3 years/ 36,000 miles
- Battery: 3 years / unlimited miles (100% covered 2 years / unlimited miles; after 2 years and within 3 years, 25% cost of battery and 100% labor cost covered)
- Air Conditioner Refrigerant Charge: 1 year / unlimited miles
- Adjustments: 1 year / 12,000 miles
- Wear Items: 1 year / 12,000 miles (e.g. belts, brake pads & linings, clutch linings, filters, wiper blades, bulbs, fuses)

cajuncycler

From what I am reading on the 2007 Camry forums is the transmission is trash. Some have completely failed at less than 5000 miles. Many that do work do not work well. This will affect how future buyers of used cars will see it and value it less. GM, Ford and Chrysler have lost market shares throughout the years because of poorly designed components that made the resale of the cars worth less. So it is highly conceivable that a car rushed to market and not well thought out or executed will result in lower quality ratings.

tenpin288

Keep in mind that 5 year warranty. Straight from the Hyundai website:

Following components covered for time and mileage limits indicated:
- Radio And Sound Systems (i.e. radio, cassette tape drive mechanism, and compact disc player): 3 years / 36,000 miles
- Paint: 3 years/ 36,000 miles
- Battery: 3 years / unlimited miles (100% covered 2 years / unlimited miles; after 2 years and within 3 years, 25% cost of battery and 100% labor cost covered)
- Air Conditioner Refrigerant Charge: 1 year / unlimited miles
- Adjustments: 1 year / 12,000 miles
- Wear Items: 1 year / 12,000 miles (e.g. belts, brake pads & linings, clutch linings, filters, wiper blades, bulbs, fuses)


Also check the Honda site:
Honda Warranty (certified used site--shows some new car info

Also from Edmunds:
2006 Accord warranty

And the Toyota site:
Toyota Warranty

You will find that in virtually every category, Hyundai meets or exceeds the HonYota coverages. Matter of fact, compare the above list to the same categories on the Honda and Toyota sites. It may surprise you.

On another note, in a news release a few months ago from Hyundai, they stated that due to the increased quality and reliability of their vehicles since the 10/100 warranty was put in place, they spent only about 50% of the projected cost to support that warranty! Not too shabby.

danf1

Watch out Craig, its a tough crowd around here. I try to speak to them rationally and they don't believe me, so you are in a tough battle.

isellhondas

Again, the best warranty is the one you seldom have to use.

I'm the guy who has to tell my customers who want to trade in their Korean cars that I can't get anyone to give me a decent bid on them.

Few people want them as used cars.

cajuncycler

Yeah you're right, nobody wants to have to use a warranty. However one thing the warranty does speak volumes about is how much the company believes in it's product. Honda motorcycles carry only a 6 month warranty. After that you're on your own when the meltdown occurs. (ask me how I know that!) Honda cars have the same lame 36,000 mile 3 year warranty Detroit has been getting away with and it tells me that they want YOU to have more faith in their product than they do. :sick:

cajuncycler

Sorry Dan but what has been posted here that you would call irrational? This is a Honda salesman trying to justify the worth of his overpriced vehicles. I refuse to be intimidated by him because he is prejudicial over Korean cars. BTW I never gave Hyundai or KIA a second look before June of this year when I began car shopping. Hondas I looked at, Toyotas I looked at, Nissan I looked at. Chrysler I looked at. Didn't even consider GM or Ford. I owned a Toyota. It was a good car. Unfortunately the steering gear gave out at 37,000 miles and if I had NOT purchased the extended warranty, something I think is not always a wise idea due to the huge cost, I would have been stuck paying for a $1000 part out of my pocket on it for repairs. I have worked 3 decades in EMS and I have had to cut my share of Honda owners out of their thin skinned beer can cars thank you. So don't tell me how much better made they are. I see them littering the interstates quite a lot these days.

kyfdx

..but, my point was... and is..

..that resale on a Hyundai is not equal to a Toyota or Honda.. The banks whose profits depend on being correct about that are a pretty good barometer.

I'm not making judgements on the car itself, or the total cost of ownership... The Sonata may be the greatest car ever manufactured, but it doesn't hold it's value very well.

It is improving, though... A few years ago, banks wouldn't even offer a lease on a Hyundai.

Depreciation is the biggest expense of car ownership. It has everything to do with the actual cost of owning a car.

regards,
kyfdx

bobad

They die at the auctions and bring a lot less than book.

All cars take a hit at wholesale auction. I'm saying to sell it retail, meaning to a private indivudual, not trade it or send it to an auction. I usually get well over the "book value".

That doesn't matter anyway. The car is rock solid, and goes for $5-6K less than Accord and Camry. You can't lose. Resale value will most likely rise accordingly. Rethink everything.