2013 and Earlier - Hyundai Sonata Prices Paid and Buying Experience

jmcgann

What state? Unless the tax/fees for that state is really high I think you can do better. I just got a 2008 Limited V6 w/ sun roof in VA for only $440 more than your out the door price.

family44

In what state were you able to get the V6 for that? The best offer (on a SE V6 with nothing else--which should be about same price as a Limited 4cyl) I've been able to get thus far is 18.8k OTD, but that was e-mail and until I get into dealer and drive away for that, I'm skeptical.
I'm in Bay Area of CA

jmcgann

This was in VA (Virginia). Tax on new cars here is 3%. I'd imagine taxes and fees are a lot higher in CA so that may be a pretty good deal after all.

family44

3% is nice. Out here, tax, license, registration etc is right about 9.75%. Well, for me it's 9.75%, as we have different sales tax in different counties.

mazda6dude

I got the quote in Northern California. If anyone knows where I can get a better deal in Northern California, please let me know. The price before tax, license and fees was $18,299, after adding tax, license and fees final price was $20,000.

family44

There's a few places that MIGHT be able to beat that--however, any given dealer might beat that today at noon, and then might not feel like coming down four hours later.
Regardless, the dealers most willing to deal about 10 days ago, were Peninsula Dodge/Hyundai, San Leandro Marina Hyundai, and Senator Hyundai in Sacramento. I have not spoken to any of them in a bit over a week now, due to economy, I'm not so sure I'm willing to plunk down 19-20k right now.
Also, I think there may be a sliver of a chance, Hyundai dealers with enough inventory left come April, might even be able to come down a wee bit more.
Good luck

mazda6dude

Good point. I am debating whether to wait a few more months or buy now. The $3000 rebate is very tempting. My dilemma is whether to get a limited for around 19-20K or get a GLS with Popular Equipment Package for around $16K or a Camry LE for around $19.5K. I'll see if I get any lower quotes.

jaxs1

The clearest way to list your price so people can compare apples to apples is to state the price you paid including everything EXCEPT sales tax and state license and registration fees.

So, if you paid 18,000 +$500 destination charge plus $400 "dealer fees" (doc fee and any other fees going to the dealer PDI, dealer prep, advertising fee, etc.) plus 100 registration and license fee plus $1000 tax, you should say you paid $18900.

If you say you paid "$18,000 plus fees and tax," that's confusing and misleading. If you say you paid $20,000 OTD," people won't really know how much of the $20,000 is state government fees that are different where they live and needs clarification.

fadam

I'm thrilled to say that my experience picking up the promised floormats concluded with no excitment or drama whatsoever; the salesman was very accomodating and the mats were the correct color! I've read the "get it in writing" horror stories so I was very relieved when there was no trouble with this final piece of my purchase. Now I can fully enjoy my Sonata.

I didn't ask them to enable the auto-lock feature; I'm still getting used to the vehicle and will probably decide to have that done in the next few months. Thanks for the tip, though!

backy

Hopefully your dealer will continue to provide good service to you and won't try to charge you for enabling the auto locking a few months down the road. (That is why I suggested you do it right away.) Some Sonata buyers have reported their dealers charged them, or tried to charge them, for setting up the locks. For sure you'll want to do it before the 1 year/12,000 mile "adjustments" warranty expires.

bluedevil7321

Hey guys, looking for some quick help.

There is a new Hyundai dealership that just opened up and they are advertising the following. Please let me know if this is a good deal;

2008 Sonata
power windows, locks, seats, A/C, tilt, cruise, cd, xm

$179/month
Payment includes manufacturers rebate, & are based on a $5000 down payment plus tax, title, and registration fees. Financing is 72 months at 6.9% APR.

MSRP $19,630

I am also planning on trading in my 2000 Mercury Cougar. If this is not a good deal maybe I will take it to the other two Hyundai dealers here.

Thanks everyone.

snakeweasel

The payment is on a loan of approximately $10,500, Add your $5,000 down payment it comes to about $15,500 OTD, less the tax title and license you are most likely in the area of $14,000 to $14,500. So more than $5,000 under sticker. That would make it several thousand under invoice.

Good luck getting it.

cmw829

Well, we started with a price on an 08 Sonata GLS 4 cyl, AT for $14,908 plus $394 doc fees. One test drive led to another and another and we ended up with an 08 Sonata SE 6 cyl. AT. The only extras were floor mats and mud flaps. Total paid $17,775 plus $394 doc fees. Once we drove the 6 cyl there was no going back to the 4. The only decision was between a 6 cyl GLS with the Popular Equipment Package that was $200 less than the SE or the SE we finally bought with the mats and mud flaps. Hope we made the right choice. We pick it up on Saturday from Herb Connolly Hyundai in Natick, Ma.

MW

rukidding

ARE YOU JOKING ? it's the finance guy that really sticks it to you. step 1) research. step 2) visit dealer and tease them. step 3) go see them again. step 4) go at the end of the month and make final offer. step 5) didnt your momma teach you to read what your signing ? step 5) drive home happy. step 6) who cares, in 100 years we'll all be dead anyway.

family44

Leather, fog lights, what are the other big difference between the Limited and GLS with the Popular Equipment Package.
Thanks

southhavenjen

Heated seats, 17" alloy wheels, chrome trim, upgraded stereo, automatic climate control come to mind.

I'm so glad I got the Limited instead of the GLS!! The little niceties make it seem like a much higher-end car.

family44

Thanks
Tougher call for me, the extra 3k is real money, but I have to admit, those additional things are all pretty nice. For my wife, I know she wants the limited for the reason you said you liked it--the extra's make the car seem much higher end.

southhavenjen

Believe me, I agonized between the GLS w/ popular equipment pkg. and the Limited as well! 3k is a lot extra but in the end I am extremely happy with the purchase of my Limited. It's just a much sharper looking car with the extras, and the amenities will make it a car I want to keep for a long, long time (rather than trading it in after a few years). The heated seats were especially important to me as we live in Michigan.

sumitcar

i got a quote from dealer in houston tx.
its a basic model gls with pkg 1, auto, I4
MSRP : 19,480 not sure about invoice price
price was 13998 + TTL. (includes all rebates). is this a good price?

fannibal

heh I am in a similar situation. anyone wanna comment on whether 17,948$ before TTL for a 2008 sonata limited I4 auto is a good deal?

twl

Much better than the one I was quoted (Houston market). Which dealer? Thanks.

sumitcar

north freeway hyundai. but i have till mar31st only to get that deal.

twl

I am looking for GLS AT 4 CYL with Popular Package (Package 2). May be I should give them a call too. If you are not after this configuration, would you mind disclose the salesperson name, e-mail and the detsiled offer information? I may be reached at johnwutx@yahoo.com Thanks.

jfritsch

With pkg 1... that is the base model with crank windows and such isn't it? $14000 is about it. Or possibly lower.

--jjf

i got a quote from dealer in houston tx.
its a basic model gls with pkg 1, auto, I4
MSRP : 19,480 not sure about invoice price
price was 13998 + TTL. (includes all rebates). is this a good price?

backy

All Sonatas sold in the U.S. have power windows/locks/mirrors... and a lot more of course.

marauder73

I just bought my 2008 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 4Cyl, Auto for $17500 out the door, TTL is $550 additionally. So if you can get it for anything close to that you would be CRAZY not to buy it! Don't walk, RUN down to the dealer before the end of this promotion! The $3000 rebate ends at the end of March. I also got a $500 military rebate. The extra options I got was Mud Flaps and Carpeted Trunk Mat and Spoiler like the SE has.

I can't say enough about this car. It's a dream! There is a massive difference between the limited and the GLS in regards to creature comforts. There are many who wouldn't really appreciate those comforts and could easily live without them, but I'm not one of them. Oh, by the way, DON'T get the V6, save your money and get the 4Cyl. It has amazing power for a 4Cyl, the best I've ever experienced in a stock sedan, feeling a lot like my previously owned 6Cyl Nissan Maxima.

The 4Cyl also gets MUCH better fuel economy. It has been reviewed time and time again to get better than 26mpg on average, compared to the abysmal 19 on the 6Cyl. Don't believe the numbers on the window sticker, those are the real numbers. Also, the 6Cyl costs $2K more and you will spend an average of $400 more per year on gas. Having said that, if money is no object, the 6Cyl is incredibly powerful and fast!

sonata4life

Who said that V6 gives only 19? I have been driving V6, city and highways, and constantly get about 25.5 mpg.

Btw, V6 Limited is the way to go... So much power and takes off really fast and passing cars is a breeze! The ride is amazingly smooth as well all the bells and whistles (360 Watts Infiniti 6 CD changer + Auto Temp Control + Sunroof + Leather interior + myriad of other extras) makes it a great car to drive around! I am glad I picked the V6 as it was just 1900 more with sunroof!

2008 Sonata Limited is my first Hyundai and with the way things are going, I think I am sold to be a life long Hyundai fan!

marauder73

If you look at the long term tests of the Sonata V6, you will see that they get less than 19 mpg on average. The only way you could be getting better than that is if you drive 90% highway and only 10% city. No reason to make that up, that's just the facts jack. Get the 4Cyl, save yourself the money. If you don't believe me, here are the links. I also drove a loaner for 2 weeks with the V6 and that's about what I got too. There are many articles about it, but here are two.

http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/longterm/sonata06.shtml

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/LongTerm/articleId=108652

jaxs1

It's pretty difficult to compare anyone's claimed mileage because conditions are so different and peoples definition of "city driving" or their mix of city and highway mileage varies wildly.

snakeweasel

The EPA rates it at 19 city 28 highway with a combined rating of 22, the 4 banger is only 2 MPG better.

jaxs1

It's very common for city mileage to differ more between 4 and V6 in real life driving than the EPA estimates indicate.

sonata4life

If you look at the edmunds review, they have so many *minor* mistakes: it's not 235 hp but 234 hp, EPA estimates are not 20/30 but rather 19/28, and so on... One would *think* that when someone tests for a year will have accurate specs but not in this case - so take their results with a pinch of salt. Moreover, these tests really beat the crap out of the vehicle and don't really care as much an owner would!

My wife drives a 250 HP V6 AWD Pacifica, which is ~ 1100 lbs heavier than a V6 Sonata and we get about 17 mpg, which is mostly city driving. I cannot believe that a car, which is so much more lighter to Pacifica, will give only 19.7 mpg - simply impossible!! I agree that the mileage will be poor if the driver revs up the engine a lot and drives rashly and abuses the vehicle like one would drive rental cars...

I have nothing to argue but I quoted what I am getting! I drive about 60% highways and 40% city now and rarely rev up more than 3500 rpm as it shifts really fast while it picks up steam. Overall, very, very satisfied with a V6!

jaxs1

City driving makes a huge difference. Some people drive more city than highway and some drive almost all city driving. Highway driving will raise your average mpg by alot.

backy

I think that Sonata review in Edmunds.com was when the V6 was rated at 235 hp and 20/30 mpg (i.e. before the EPA ratings changed).

southhavenjen

I have the 4 cyl. Limited as well and couldn't agree more. I saw no need for the 6 cyl. in today's world with the gas prices the way they are. I have less than 700 miles on the car and have been averaging 21.5 mpg in freezing temps. I don't do any freeway driving in my normal commute, but it's not typical stop and go city driving (like New York or Chicago) either. I think when the weather gets warmer and the car breaks in I will be getting better mileage. I'm hoping for 24 -ish.

marauder73

Ouch! Only 21.5 mpg average?? On a 4Cyl? I sure hope I get a better average than that. I can only imagine how dismal the V6 is "real world"

If some of you actually believe those "sticker" numbers, then the marketing ploy actually works! Well done! I challenge you to do some actual real-world tests. City driving is what most of us would consider stop-and-go driving, including frequent traffic lights, stop signs and the inevitable log-jam traffic. Actual "highway" driving is maintaining a steady speed, usually between 55-70 mph on average. If you actually do get over 25 mpg on a V6, then congratulations, you need to start a driving school and teach the rest of us how to do that, because most of us struggle to get that on our 4 bangers. :P

family44

If you don't mind, where did you buy the car? What state anyway--and if in California, what dealer? The $17,500 included tax, licence etc? Or are you saying your total to drive away was $17,500 plus the tax/lic of $550, so grand total of $18,550. Please let me know. Thanks

fannibal

I paid 17,750 before TTL for a 2008 hyundai sonata limited I4 from a hyundai dealership in northeast philadelphia. I bought the car yesterday 3/27/2008. The dealership had one last 2008 limited I4 left.

On the way home, car got about 27mpg on a traffic free section of route 1 in northeast philadelphia. It has ~50 miles on it now, so hopefully the mileage will go up a few mpg.

so far the car has been nice. I did notice a engine vibration @ 40mph @ 4th gear. I think I've seen references to it in forums. I hope it will go away after the engine breaks in.

marauder73

The $17,500 included all Dealer Fees, mud-flaps, carpeted floormats and trunk mat for the 2008 Sonata Limited 4Cyl Auto, but not TTL, which in Oklahoma comes to $550 based on our Excise Tax rate of 3.5% on new cars. So the grand total was $18050. A heck of a steal in my opinion. You won't find many deals under that, but if you do, or even get close to it, you are criminally insane for passing it up!

family44

Both you and Fannibal got pretty awesome deals on the car. Well, I'm trying out here, to get about the same, though dealers keep giving me line that the cars out here are a bit more. I suspect that may be true, but I think I'm going to hold firm and see what happens.
I can't help but wonder though if Hyundai might not up incentive once more come April. That's probably getting a bit greedy and unlikely to happen though.
Thanks

marauder73

You gotta do your homework on these deals. Remember that as the dealer starts to get the new model year in, they want to get rid of the previous year. Hyundai corporate helps with great incentives such as this month's $3000 rebate. So you can use that knowledge to play one dealer against another. You can do all of this without leaving your house. Use the internet and the telephone to work the deal down as low as possible and then get them to email you the deal so you have written proof. BUT make sure you get a senior sales manager or better-yet the General Manager to verify and endorse this deal; Do NOT trust the salesman. Also, be willing to travel a distance to get it if it's in high demand in your area, which makes the dealers less "hungry." That may mean getting a one-way ticket to a dealer 500+ miles away. But if it means you can save $2000, then a $200 plane ticket and $300 in expenses still nets you $1500. Don't let distance intimidate you, and let the local dealers know you are willing to do that! Use it as a road-trip and take the wife along. When you're driving back in your beautiful new car with all that money saved in your pockets, it will all be worth it.

I did it twice already and don't regret it.

family44

Thanks Maruader. Thus far, my first offer to the two best dealerships (the dealerships that seemed most willing to deal anyway) in the area (90 miles north and 60 miles south) was turned down without an counter.
I offered them 16.9, just to see if either was "really hungry". I know that's awfully low, but just in case...
At this point, I'm willing to see what we see in April. Both dealers replied they just couldn't get that low--but neither made a counter except to say they could come close in the SE V6. At this point, I don't was the V6 due to gasoline prices.
Since I'm in no hurry, I'll wait and see what April brings.

marauder73

If I were you I would try and find out if the offer is going to get extended. The General Managers usually know about it a few days in advance. If it doesn't look like it's going to be extended, I would really jump at this chance before it ends. The inventory of 2008's are getting lower and lower with this deal, so you may end up paying more for colors and options you really didn't want as your first choice.

drenclo

I just wanted to add my 2 cents this board,I am very thankful for the information I read on this forum,it helped me during the car purchasing process.I just bought a 2008 Hyundai Sonata limited without sunroof (odo 8miles) for 19,254$+TTL.I purchased it from Family Hyundai @ Tinley Park,IL.I went in for a GLS V6,they bait and switched me to the limited,I took my chances,and I thought it was a good deal,and jumped on it.So far,I'm enjoying my new car,getting up close and personal with it,can't wait to break it in,and let it fly on I-55 .

southhavenjen

Yes, 21.5 mpg is what I've been getting w/ my 4 cyl. I am a conservative driver, too. I have been doing mostly short trips in freezing temps so I have been chalking it up to that. Also, the dealer told me not to expect optimum mileage on a new car until it has 5,000 or more miles on it. The engine is built tight and needs to loosen up so that there's not so much friction. I am looking forward to seeing what my mileage is once things warm up and the engine breaks in.

southhavenjen

I'm glad you like your Limited!! What color did you get?

I tried to deal w/ Family Hyundai over email and they were just a pain. Wouldn't quote me a price via email on the model & color combo that I wanted, even though I knew they had it in stock. They wanted me to come in. Nope, sorry.

I ended up dealing w/ Ettleson Hyundai in Countryside. I got my 4 cyl. Limited on Feb. 23 from them (this was when there were only $2,500 in rebates). It has the sunroof and was $19,288 before tax, title, and license. They were utterly professional - no BS.

drenclo

It is golden beige,No kidding!your assessment is on the money,they bait and switched me,I went in for a GLS V6,They upgraded me to the Limited,I liked it,made an offer.After an Oscar winning performance from my salesman,they accepted,then we were subjected to a diatribe on the merrits of anti-corrosion treatment,although we repeatedly told them that we weren't interested in their products.Ettleson was my second choice(a saleswoman),I used them as a bargainig tool,but I exchanged a couple of E-mails with a saleswoman,she appeared to be professional.At the end,they didn't have the car I originally wanted(GLS V6 pop.option group 2).

feldy6

Bought my Sonata last weekend in South Florida. Got $3,500 rebate. Advertised price was $12,995 plus TTL and $598 dealer fee. About $14,800 OTD. Best deal I had seen and I've been looking since February when the rebate was $2,000.

joywhit

Most of us here are Sonata fans and love the 'deal' we got.

However, one of the well known facts we have to face is that the cars have terrible depreciation rate compared to Nissan or Honda etc..

Therefore, your deal of 11,700 was not a very good deal IMO.

sonataowner2

Three weeks ago my husband and I bought an '08 sonata limited with 4 cyl, sunroof package, mudguards and carpeted floor mats for 19300 plus TTL. I think we did pretty good and we are really enjoying the car. We drove accords and camrys to name a few, and the sonata has such a smoother more comfortable ride.