2013 and Earlier - Hyundai Sonata Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Do let me know when you guys drive off the 08 Sonata GLS automatic no packages after getting the $16300 OTD price. :P

    There are a few here in NYC but I don't want to waste my time with the dealer who will offer initially but markup with bs stuff during financing. :sick:
  • family44family44 Member Posts: 19
    Congrats Davis on the new car. I've been shopping for a Sonata in Northern California as well. What dealer did you buy the car from?
    Thanks
  • family44family44 Member Posts: 19
    Where did you find the data regarding largest Hyundai dealers? So far, it's apparent that the mojority of the best deals are found at the largest dealerships and it may make sense to start hunting there.
  • davis22davis22 Member Posts: 17
    I decided to buy from Mazzei Hyundai in Pittsburg for $200 more so I paid $16,500 out the door. They threw in oil changes and carpet mats. I am very happy with my purchase. They are selling 08's like crazy so you should act fast!
  • jack47jack47 Member Posts: 312
    Two dealers in NJ claim with their radio ads that they are the fourth and fifth largest Hyundai dealers in the country. And, frankly, there is no reason to doubt them.

    But I still wonder why Hyundai decided to come out as early as February 2008 with the 2009 sonatas. and, in so doing, is just about "giving" the 2008 sonatas away.

    Maybe they figure they are going to sell a lot of 2009's (by coming out with them extra early and having them on the market longer than the competetion) and then in 2010 claim they sold more "09s then anyone else.

    Who knows?
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Toyota is doing the same thing, so Hyundai has no chance of making that claim. The 2009 Camry has been out since February and it wasn't even updated in any way like the Sonata is.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I think it's simply that Hyundai realized they needed to improve the Sonata to stay competitive in the market, with a new Accord, Altima, Aura, Camry, Fusion/Milan, Malibu, Optima, and Sebring/Avenger having been released since the 2006 Sonata debuted. So they wanted to get the 2009 model out as soon as possible. Also, remember the 2006 Sonata came out in early 2005, so it has been almost 3 years since the last redux of the Sonata. Three years is a typical refresh cycle for Hyundai.
  • sujansujan Member Posts: 5
    Oh Welllll !!! I finally picked it up. Black Sonata GLS 08 AT no extra added

    Obvious Question?? How much I paid?

    I paid 14850 including Doc Fee, it is $289 in this dealership and it is pretty much same in all Oklahoma dealerships. I have to pay tax and tag extra. I wanted to pay in cash, but they insisted that I have to Finance through them at least 10,000 (5.4%) so that they can give me in that price. They promised there is no early payment penalty. I am going to pay it off in 1-3 months whenever I feel like. They in turn threw in Mio GPS C230 and floor mats.

    I am pretty happy with the deal. Only think I didn't like is, it has 121 (One Hundred twenty One) miles. I bought a Honda Civic before which had <5 miles. I don't know whether this is an issue or not.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    All it probably means is that the car was used for some demo drives.
  • sujansujan Member Posts: 5
    I do think the same. I also test-driven it for about 4-5 miles.
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Congrats! I sent an email to an NJ dealer to see if they can do $16300 OTD for the 08 Sonata GLS auto/no packages. They have a few, hopefully a silver one has under 30 miles the most.
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,602
    Actually the '06 Sonata came out in late May or June of '05, so they are jumping the gun a bit on the normal 12 month (approx) model year change.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    But not jumping the gun on the normal 3 year refresh cycle, which is what I was referring to. In the U.S. I remember seeing them at dealers in April 2005, and they were in the ROK in the fall of 2004. So split the difference and it's pretty darn close to 3 years from the redesign to the refresh.
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    I tried 3 dealers in the NYC area and no one can give me the $16300 OTD price. :cry: I thought they were high volume dealers and at least had 5 08 Sonatas with auto/no packages in stock. You'd think they'd want to get rid of it asap.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    That is surprising. Maybe those dealers are not having problems selling the '08s at those prices. Here in the Twin Cities, dealers seem to be ready to deal on the '08s. This past weekend I saw an ad from one of our largest (may be the largest, I don't know) Hyundai dealers advertising '08 GLS I4 ATs (I assume with no packages) for under $15k, including a $500 auto show rebate and the $3000 rebate from Hyundai. But I looked at their inventory and it seemed they had quite a few (~20?) '08 GLS I4s with no or few options in stock. I wonder if the NYC dealers will offer a rebate in conjunction with the New York auto show?
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Maybe because I kept stressing the OTD price so its not giving them room for BS charges. Also, the demand for Hyundai models in the NYC area is actually very good. You will always see a Hyundai model on the street. I probably see the last gen Elantras more than the new gen Civics. The only thing going for me when making a deal is to buy a stick shift model. I haven't seen a Sonata yet with a manual but for the size of that car, I want to go automatic. ;)
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Actually I was surprised to see several stick GLSes in inventory at that particular dealer (Denny Hecker Rosedale Hyundai). That's the first time I've seen so many in stock at a local dealer.
  • davis22davis22 Member Posts: 17
    I ended up getting mine for 16,500 OTD, not 16300. What OTD price are they quoting you?
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    We didn't get that far because they outright refused that price or didn't want to haggle a little bit up. The other time I did go down to the dealership, they tried to sell me a Sonata with equipment that I didn't want at a price I didn't want.

    Wow, I did check that MN dealership. Their ePrices are pretty low and their inventory is pretty large. The dealers I checked here had maybe 3 average of the Sonata I wanted.
  • sujansujan Member Posts: 5
    Could you please give a break up of the price (16500) you paid. Like how much for the car itself, and how much for documentation, tag and tax all separately? I am asking this because as far I know tax is different in different states.
  • b612marktb612markt Member Posts: 2
    I'm a FIRST TIME car buyer - and I did a heck of a lot of research and it all really paid off today. Here's my experience.

    I spent about 4 weeks using email only to contact about 33 Hyundai dealers in IL, IN, MN and WI (I live in Chicago.) To keep the comparison shopping apples-to-apples I asked each dealer to provide their best price for a 2008 Sonata GLS Auto 4cylinder with Package 1 (no sunroof) and no demos. After I had 5 dealers with great prices (all under 16k) I started calling them one by one to get them to beat their competitors prices. After a week of this, I got a price of $14,998 for this exact car from O'Connor Hyundai in IL and Denny Hecker's Hyundai in MN.
    Sticker price was $20,195. $14,998 is $5197 less than that! The guy at O'Connor told me that this was the actual cost that the dealer pays for the car. Whether or not this is true - it was a heck of a deal!

    The closest dealers to me were Rogers Hyundai and O'Hare Hyundai, so I wanted to see if they could match that price. I went to Rogers Hyundai and drove a Sonata and the Salesman was extremely friendly, but the best they could do was $15,900. Sorry guys, I don't want to pay $902 extra! I called O'Hare and they agreed to the $14,998 price. I emailed the internet salesman to make sure I had everything in writing, and he responded in the affirmative. I drove out to the dealer this afternoon and another incredibly knowledgeable salesman showed my partner and I the three Sonatas they had in my configuration (08, 4cyl, GLS, pack1, auto, not a demo). Two were in colors we didn't like and they had one in black - our favorite!

    After the test drive, we went inside, I showed him the email from the internet salesman and he drew up the paperwork with the $14,998 price. Then we waited for an hour while the loan guy ran our credit and prepared the financing paperwork and we enjoyed their free coffee free wifi.

    The financing was blessedly painless. We were approved for the price of the car and we chose to put $2K down. We accepted Gap insurance (additional $595) but declined additional warranties (Wrap coverage is what they call it) and insurance that pays off the car if you die (morbid!). There was no pressure to accept the extra things ever. Doc fees were $150. The greatest thing was that they had real plates there at the dealership and they put them on then and there (no paper plates and coming back to the dealer in 3 weeks for the metal ones!)

    While we were signing all the paperwork, I opened up my MacBook, went to Progressive.com and resumed a saved insurance quote I had already configured the day before. All I had to do was add the VIN and the lenders name, and I clicked "Buy Now" and was insured instantly ($403 for 6 months). I clicked a few more buttons and 30 seconds later the Loan Officer's fax machine beeped as our proof of insurance came in. He was pretty stunned!

    After we finished all the financial paperwork we met back with the salesman who gave us our keys, operation manual, etc... He took us out to the car which had just been washed, had all the protective plastic removed and had a half tank of gas. He really took his time explaining all the features of the car. I thought it would be a waste of time, but there were a few I wasn't aware of like the multi featured trip computer, trunk lock/unlock interior switch and 60/40 seatback locks.

    We drove off happy with our new purchase and filled with feelings of good-will towards everyone at O'Hare Hyundai and Hyundai in general for making such an awesome car! :)
  • davis22davis22 Member Posts: 17
    Sorry, the actual price of the car was $14,799.
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    The GAP insurance was very pricey considering that you financed about $7000 below MSRP plus tax after discounting, the rebate and then your down payment. The $600 GAP insurance cost looks like it actually increased your need for it since it increased your total investment in the car by a significant amount.

    Looks like you swapped maybe risking $1K-$2K if the car got totaled in the first year or two in return for guaranteeing to lose $595.

    Very high cost in relation the amount of benefit it's providing.
    That doesn't seem like it makes any sense except for the dealer to increase their profit in the sale.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    I guess I agree with you. I always thought Gap insurance was only needed on leased vehicles although I can see it on a new car with a small down and guaranteed to depreciate fairly quickly. I would have probably put down more money rather than pay the gap ins.

    Anyway, sounds like they did a good job of negotiating. I'm suprized that Patrick Hyundai in Schaumburg wasn't a player as they tend to advertise some very good prices usually.
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Yes, it sounds like he paid about $18000 + tax and license (maybe $1000-$1500)
    $19500 at most minus $3000 rebate is $16500 minus $2000 down payment is $14500 financed.

    Is an insurance company really going to pay that much less than the remaining $14K-$14500 loan balance if the car got totaled in the first year to justify paying another $595 for gap insurance? He could have also put the $600 spent on the gap insurance down and reduced the loan payoff and therefore also the need to have gap insurance.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,789
    Yes.. that is a little pricy.. and, I wouldn't have bought it..

    But, given the historical depreciation rate of Hyundais, I'm sure he'd be more than just $1K-$2K upside down, if something happened to his car in the next couple of years...

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  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    If he tried to trade it in to a dealer within a year he would probably be more than $1-2K upside down, but insurance payouts on totaled vehicles are more generous than the minimal amount a dealer would give you for a trade-in since an insurance settlement pays you "replacement value" to buy a similar vehicle as yours was at the time it was totaled as opposed to a dealer paying you below wholesale for your trade so they have room to resell at a nice profit.
    You can look up private party value of a 2007 GLS automatic and see it wouldn't be that far under the loan payoff especially if he had put that $595 towards lowering the loan balance even more. The 2008 would be valued at least slightly more than the numbers shown for 2007s.
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,602
    Progressive offers GAP insurance.

    In CT, the cost is $27 per six month policy.

    b612markt should check to see what Progressive would charge on his policy & if more attractive see if he can rescind it from his purchase.
  • b612marktb612markt Member Posts: 2
    The reason I got the Gap insurance is because Hyundais depreciate so quickly. You all make an excellent point and I didn't realize that Progressive offered Gap insurance. I'll check it out and see if I can rescind it from the purchase. Thanks for the heads up!

    I'm absolutely loving the new Sonata.
  • slamtazslamtaz Member Posts: 55
    The reason I got the Gap insurance is because Hyundais depreciate so quickly. You all make an excellent point and I didn't realize that Progressive offered Gap insurance. I'll check it out and see if I can rescind it from the purchase. Thanks for the heads up!

    I think there's a lot of insurance companies who offer GAP coverage, because we have it with AAA and my co-worker have it with American Family. And yes, the coverage is a lot lower as compared to what dealers offer. :surprise:
  • anycallanycall Member Posts: 10
    i got a quote for 16.5k OTD on 08 Sonata GLS AT and 17k OTD on 08 Sentra S with CVT and convenience pkg. I'm debating which is better deal. by the way i'm in San Jose CA. any thoughts???
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,602
    GAP insurance is a good thing, on just about any make of car...the old drive off the lot and lose big bucks thing.

    As an insurance agent, I was just suggesting that people check with their insurance company about the availability and cost of GAP insurance before purchasing it from the car dealer. (Honda leases "include" GAP automatically, but it is fractored into the cost. Honda doesn't give a choice.)

    My experience has shown that adding GAP insurance to one's insurance policy is almost always less expensive than purchasing it from the dealer. Plus, as the balance on one's loan decreases in relationship to actual cash value/replacement value, one may terminate GAP insurance if no longer needed.

    I didn't need it on the '05 Sonata as we had a large downpayment and paid $17,826 OTD (including 6% sales tax, etc). We have GAP insurance on our '07 Sonata (2/07 purchase date) which listed @ $22,080 and which we got OTD for $18,189 since we only put down $2500. With a finance rate of 5.9% we may decide to drop the GAP insurance next year. If so, total GAP cost = $108 for two years.

    Good luck on maybe being able to re-do this, if the numbers work out.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Well, let's see... the mid-sized car with large-car interior room and ESC costs $500 less than the compact car with mid-sized interior room and no ESC.

    A more apples-to-apples comparison would be the Sentra to an Elantra GLS. Or the Sonata to the Altima 2.5S.

    What is the price of the Sonata before adding taxes, license, and any other fees (but including the destination charge)? And are their any package options on the Sonata?
  • asylum575asylum575 Member Posts: 72
    Sentra to Sonata is definitely apples to oranges. Not even sure if the altima to Sonata is a good comparison. I had a 2000 Elantra that I traded in for my 2007 Sonata. What a difference. Really big car. Resale values stink on the Hyundais, but they are great transportation. If you hold them , you definitely get a bargain.
  • mazda6dudemazda6dude Member Posts: 283
    Do you sonata for $16,500 out the door have any extra options or packages?
  • sonata08ltdsonata08ltd Member Posts: 5
    hi all,

    I am in San Francisco bay area and am about to buy a 4 cylinder 2008 sonata limited and the best quote I have is

    18700 +tax+fees = 20700 OTD { this is with the optional sunroof}

    I dont have what the break-up for tax and fees are. I am going in tomorrow to find out.

    Not sure if I can do better....
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Sounds like it's probably $21K plus tax and registration fees then subtract $3000 rebate. That comes out to roughly $20,700.
  • jfritschjfritsch Member Posts: 958
    If you are financing this for a larger incentive off I would suggest that you immediately pay $9600 applied to principal, 80 80 80 or such payments over 4 months. Some contracts require at least 3 payments (despite what dealer says).read fine print. Any delay may make your first 3 scheduled payments all interest and little principal, which is bad to waste $700 in finance charges or so, especially with poor interest rate. It depends on how interest is calculated. In any event don't fool around and pay 98% off in first payment.

    The 07 hyundai sonata gls barely wholesales used for $12000. A $15000 sale price on an 08 is hardly a super great deal or "giving it away". It is much like the pontiac g6, vibe or the Toyota matrix. $5000 or so off an inflated $20000 msrp is not a great deal. Same for the other makes. Get as much off as possible.

    --jjf

    Oh Welllll !!! I finally picked it up. Black Sonata GLS 08 AT no extra added

    Obvious Question?? How much I paid?

    I paid 14850 including Doc Fee, it is $289 in this dealership and it is pretty much same in all Oklahoma dealerships. I have to pay tax and tag extra. I wanted to pay in cash, but they insisted that I have to Finance through them at least 10,000 (5.4%) so that they can give me in that price. They promised there is no early payment penalty. I am going to pay it off in 1-3 months whenever I feel like. They in turn threw in Mio GPS C230 and floor mats.

    I am pretty happy with the deal. Only think I didn't like is, it has 121 (One Hundred twenty One) miles. I bought a Honda Civic before which had
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,602
    Sujan,

    If your financing is with HMFC, you can pay it off when you get the first statement. The statement will tell you the balance and the payoff figure (which includes interest until a certain date). If you payoff before that date, they will refund you some money. But remember, on most car loans, interest is calculated daily. So the earlier you pay it off, the less it will cost you in interest.

    My business's '07 Sonata SE with 15,000 miles wholesales, according to Edmunds for almost $14,000.

    I don't know where "jfritsch" is getting his numbers from nor where he gets his financial advice.

    P.S. We paid $16,651 + $189 doc fee + tax & reg. I don't think that is bad depreciation at all after 13 months.
  • cmw829cmw829 Member Posts: 19
    Hi

    We had been planning on spending 10-12K on a used car but dropped in on a Huyundai dealer and drove a Sonata and were very impressed. The dealer, Clay in Norwood, Ma did not have time too negotiate with us as they were to busy with buyers who would buy today so I contacted via Edmunds several other dealers. Herb Connolly in Natick, Ma gave us a price of $14,908 including delivery on a new 08 Sonata GLS with an AT. Of course 5% sales tax, doc fees and registration fees adds another $1800 but for a brand new car with a good warranty we would be willing to spend the extra cash. But is $14,908 a fair price for this car? Need some fast opinions as dealer cannot hold car long as $3,000 incentive is bringing in the customers.

    Thanks
    MJW

    Thanks
  • asylum575asylum575 Member Posts: 72
    In the NYC area, the 08 Sonatas are going for $14495 including $500 auto show rebate. This is the same price they were pushing it for last year. I got an 07 GLS with XM, mats, trunk pad and netting for $14999. Very happy with the car. Comfortable and roomy. I had an 00 Elantra with no real problems and traded it in for the Sonata with 80K. The Hyundais are great transportation, but still get crap at the wholesale market. Best way to buy these cars are as disposable transportation. Buy them cheap, rack up the miles and dump them. An elantra can be had for $12k and a Sonata for $15k. At .10 cents a mile you only need to drive them 120-150k miles to make it a wash. Reliable, economical transportation.
  • rhduke00rhduke00 Member Posts: 129
    $14,908 is a very good price for an 08 GLS with AT. In fact it's lower than the Fitzmall internet price of 15,208 for the same car.
  • jfritschjfritsch Member Posts: 958
    15000 for the $20300 msrp gls auto with package 2 ($600) and mats would be a OK price. The car would wholesale for about $12000 in a year so you would be doing as good or better depreciation wise as most vibe, toyota matrix and pontiac G6 sedan buyers. Even the average accord civic or camry buyer may eat more than $3000 year one from their purchase price.

    Good luck
    --jjf
  • landaloulandalou Member Posts: 2
    Hi, To person buying in SF Area, am looking to buy here also, what dealership(s) would you recommend for good prices? TYmuch
  • fadamfadam Member Posts: 3
    On Saturday I purchased a 2008 GLS V6 from Henderson Hyundai here in Las Vegas. It was my second time buying a new car, and the information from this forum and the carbuyingtips website has been extremely helpful. I did not have a trade, and decided to negotiate based on the OTD price to avoid getting blindsided with unexpected fees during the haggling phase.

    I was shooting for $19,100 OTD, they offered $20,150 and after some back and forth (and me almost getting into my car to leave) we agreed on $19,300 including floormats. I uploaded the final price breakdown to my carspace album in the hopes that it will help people new to the process know what to expect and what to look for:
    Sales Order

    (Sales tax here is 7.75%)

    Also, here is the sticker showing the MSRP and standard equipment:
    Dealer Sticker

    Of course, the parts dept. was closed by the time we finished the deal so I'll be going back on Monday to pick those up. If that goes smoothly, I will be fairly satisfied with the experience. Thanks again to this forum and Edmunds for all your help!
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Copngrats on the new Sonata. One thing to do on Monday if not already done on delivery: ask them to set the auto-locking for you. Should take only a few minutes. That's assuming you want the car to automatically lock at a certain speed.
  • jcee1jcee1 Member Posts: 5
    Tell me more about it.

    I am thinking about getting a 2008 4 cly Auto Sonata next week,,

    with the pouplar package extra 19,7000 then 3k rebate.. Am I getting good deal>

    John

    jnc@caroina.rr.com
  • jcee1jcee1 Member Posts: 5
    Yes no Should I but it? Tell me what good about it and whats bad about about it..

    Looking to buy in this coming week,,, with the Popular package..

    Dealer selling it to me 250,00 under invoice and then a 3k rebate...

    price after rebate 16,759 plus title tags and tax and doc fee.. AM I getting a good price...

    E-mail mail me at jnc@carolina.rr.com...anytime need some input buying the the next day or two..

    John in Charlotte NC
  • sonata08ltdsonata08ltd Member Posts: 5
    All of the dealers are equally worse each one of them has their own set of tricks, Here are my experiences and impressions

    1. capitol hyundai san jose === Dealership just changed hands and they dont have many sonatas yet, not sure if they are gonna be getting any 08s, i didnt go to them and dont know how they are
    2. Cammisa Burlingame == great email quotes after about 4/5 emails back&forth, but when you get there you realize the quote is with rebates that u dont qualify for
    3. Peninsula hyundai and dodge == these guys also tried their usual stuff such as Sir ,,this engine does not come in this Trim level etc etc {translation-- we dont have stock}. They got me in the door with a nice quote for a vehicle they didnt have and could not locate...
    4. Sunnyvale hyundai === very tough to bargain with, email quotes stay high, even when in the dealership,,, they do this -----let me go talk to sales manager, No profit on this deal, I am pushing stock coz 09 are coming and ALL that crap-----

    In the end, I bought from suunyvale but i wouldnt really recommend any of these ...

    Hope this helps...
  • mazda6dudemazda6dude Member Posts: 283
    I got a quote for a new 2008 Hyundai Sonata Limited 4 cylinder automatic with floor mats and no extra options for $20,000 out the door. $20,000 includes tax, license, fees, rebates etc. Is this a good price?
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