Hyundai Sonata 2006-2007

nifty56

Researching a new Sonata, V6. I like to do my own oil changes. I have heard that the filter is a canister and not a spin on type. Anyone here do their own changes? Is this true.
I have a Mazda 3 with the 2.3 engine and it has the canister filter. I did a conversion to a spin on by changing the oil filter housing.
It appears some manufactures are using the canister filter to make it difficult for do it yourselfers.
With the Mazda 3 the housing that holds the filter is plastic with a o ring and to get the housing off you need a special wrench.
The canister type filter was first introduced in the 1950's. and many owners of those cars have done housing conversions so they can use a spin on, I know because I own a 1956 Oldsmobile. Are we going backwards? What benefits does the canister filter serve? None that I know of.

desertguy

Yeah, I wondered why he would dredge up such an old post.

"There is no question that the paint quality on the new Sonata leaves much to be desired."

Wrong, my 2006 Sonata LX has excellent dark cinnamon paint. My guess is that Hyundai instituted improved paint procedures at the Alabama plant. And since this subject is 2006+, previous Sonatas don't count. Sounds like an attempt to start a controversy.

cajuncycler

The paint on my car is flawless. I just wish I had a garage to keep it that way.

lawrence45

I don't need CR to tell me that city mpg on the Sonata I4 is low. We have more than 5000 miles on ours and still average about 15 mpg driving in Brooklyn/NYC while on the highway we do get about 32. Perhaps the car uses lots of gas every time it is started. Any other suggestions?

cajuncycler

I drive with a light foot. Mine is a V6 and so far am averaging 23 mpg. I had a Saturn SC2 that consistantly got 34mpg. but it was in no way a nicer car. Some trade offs I expected.

targettuning

I suppose it is because you drive in NYC proper with all the stop-go-stop associated with heavy city traffic. This is self evident to me. You cannot get decent mileage if you are stopped 75% or more of the time (you get 0..zero MPG)at those times.

snakeweasel

And even last years Hyundai with a Cassette said not to use C-120's because they jam, and they do.

Most cassette manufacturers warned against using C-120's simply because to fit that much tape into a cassette they had to make the tape thinner. That made them prone to breakage and jamming.

BTW who put a record player in a car?

eric39

Same here, flawless Dark Cinnamon. It's a beautiful thing!

billward

Um, very few things can play (or see) content on a CD-R or CD-RW that isn't finalized; it's the final step in the burning process. I would be frankly astonished if the stereo did play those.

Regardless, this has nothing to do with your complaint saying that you can't use them... although it seems strange they would put the "Avoid using..." statement in, unless they were specifically meaning to talk about discs burned in standard Wave format (ie., copied discs, or discs that were produced on a computer).

bobad

Joe,

Just wondering, why are you replying to a Mar 2005 post?

About the paint: My Sonata was built in Jan 2006. I have a weird color (Deepwater Blue), and have been studying it and comparing it to other new cars. While I consider my car's paint job as "very good but not great", I am not seeing anything better in competing brands. After several wax jobs and close inspection, I have yet to find a single flaw. The only fault is what I call "micro orange peel", but inspection of other cars show just as bad or worse... mostly worse! A few weeks back, I studied a new dark blue BMW that still had a temporary tag. I took me 5 seconds to see that the paint job was inferior to mine, in orange peel and general smoothness. I was shocked. I am guessing it costs 2-3 times more to make a great paint job than a very good paint job, and not many manufacturers appear willing to spend the money on paint.

joedirt

I didn't realize the post I was replying to was so old.

No matter. I own a new Sonata, and have checked out others extensively.

I am of the firm opinion that the Sonata paint quality is not up to Toyota or Honda levels of refinement.

I'm not trying to start any controversy, but am only giving my honest opinion regarding a matter of fit/finish on a car that I OWN.

The other problem I have is the annoying K-Thunk, which is really, really annoying. It's actually unacceptable in a modern production car.

silverfox1

I have a 06 Sonata LX with the V6 and do my own oil changes. Since this is a new engine I have to go to the dealer to get an oil filter. No after market filters in my area. I pay just over $11 for the filter and they also supply a metal washer for the drain plug. This is the second most recent car I have owned with a canister filter. My 2000 VW GTI with a VR6 also had a canister filter. The Sonata has the canister assembly located on the top of the engine which makes it easy to get at. The only problem you have to remover the plastic engine cover. Not sure why they went to this design except they have the anti backflow feature is located on the engine block and they don't rely on the filter for this feature. Also the canister is cheaper to manufacture and they charge a higher price than for a spin on filter, profit?

walt235

Seems that the rebates aren't showing on Hyundai's site at the moment. The dealer I'm working with is completely out of 06's and the rebates on the 07's aren't at the same level yet (though I can't see to tell at the moment).

ray_h1

"Does anyone know if the dealer can change out the armrest for the sliding one?"

Of course it can be done if you're willing to pay dealership price for the replacement sliding armrest cover and shop labor for installation. I have no idea what the final price will be, but be prepared to gulp. Still, if it's what you really want to enhance your driving experience, it may be worth it to you. (Seems to me that the added costs of sourcing two individual console lids, stocking, computer cataloging them, and assuring that the "right" one meets up with the appropriately trimmed vehicle on the assembly line outweighs whatever extra cost would be incurred in just making the sliding cover model standard across the line. But, what the heck do I know at age 60 1/2? After all, Hyundai's been a mover and a shaker in the automaking business since 1986... )

ray_h1

Patience, Grasshopper. The Lords of Hyundai may yet see the error of their ways in assuming a few minor appearance alterations and series name changes do not a more desirable car make.

ray_h1

"BTW who put a record player in a car?"

Chrysler in the late fifties. RCA made the player that mounted on the transmission hump. Dedicated records (only available through Chrysler Corp dealerships) had deeper groves and spun at 16 2/3 rpm to minimize skipping. (That unique format decision "minimized" the use of owners' existing record collections, too... ) On a good day these players were trouble-prone. The record player option, apparently met with a deafening yawn by the public, was quietly dropped a year or two later. American car buyers weren't quite as stupid as Chrysler's product planners planned on.

miamixt

Um, I know that. I am a professional Broadcast Engineer by trade. If you read the posts correctly, you will see this was not my complaint, I have no problems with my player!. However the Clarion $550 system in the Sonata is not top of the line by any stretch of the imagination. I just posted what Korea writes in the manual, which I thought was strange, like the caution, and not finalizing a disc. If you use cheap Media while burning CD's, whether in Wave, MP3, AAC, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, or any other format, you might get bad results.

gy563

Check this out!!!!
http://nboard.naver.com/nboard/read.php?board_id=car_korea&nid=6584

It says it's going to be a optional on one of the Sonata trim.
not a dealer or third party product.
and Check out that blue gage and Orange interior light and red stictches on steering wheel

billward

The post that I replied to only gave the Hyundai instructions and disclaimer; there is nothing in there to give your opinion of the post; however, it was in reply to someone saying (in essence) earlier "Why would Hyundai say you can't use CD-R or CD-RW in the CD, while saying that the CD can handle MP3s, when the only way to get those MP3s in is on CD-R or CD-RW?"

I'm saying, "That's not what that means".

Very much agree with your statement about Cheap Media, though it's starting to get to the point that Cheap Media is as good as Good Media was a few years back.

As for the Clarion, I thought it did a nice job on the cars I've test driven... although $550US for it seems very high, with the unit not having an aux input jack nor a remote.

billward

Link doesn't work for me... has it been /.ed?

desertguy

Link works fine for me but since I can't read Korean or whatever the hash marks are, I have no idea what I'm looking at. Nowhere do I see the word Sonata.

backy

You don't have to read "Sonata"--the pictures clearly show the dash of a Sonata with some tweaks.

cajuncycler

Boy, you got that right. Show me ANY manufacturer who can built the perfect vehicle and then price it so everyone can afford it and there would be no reason to shop!

gy563

I'll just post pictures this time

http://nboard.naver.com/nboard/upload/photo2/auto/car_korea/7000/200607051152096- 73674377800.jpg

I think it also has navigation function.

miamixt

Has changed the whole format of my screen. Thanks!

vhreb123

Getting 15 MPG isn't too good. I know that traffic is bad in NYC but I haven't been up there in years. The only kind of city driving I do is in the suburbs with all the stopsigns. Tell me, is the traffic constant bumper to bumper or inch to inch moving until you get to your destination? If it is, I can see why your MPG is so low.

Try these tips on this website on Autobytel.

http://www.autobytel.com/content/research/channels/index.cfm/channel/Auto_Show/M- egablurb/115

backy

How much did that "perfect" car cost? A mite more than the less than $20k that a fully loaded Sonata V6 costs I'll bet.

Also note that this "perfect" car was beaten out in CR's evaluation by a four-year-old design that cost nearly $4500 less.

Really nice (real?) wood trim though!

cajuncycler

What are you smoking?? That car is $30k. Nearly twice what mine cost. Why didn't you just post a picture of a Cadillac Escalade while you're at it. Surely it meets all your expectations as well. I was looking for value for my dollar spent. If I wanted to spend 30 grand on do-dads and knicknacks to get safety I could have shopped at any high dollar dealership. I hope your father is as happy with his purchase as I am with mine. BTW I can live without the hidden umbrella holder too.

pat

An off-topic and way-too-wide picture has been removed. Let's just stick to the Sonata here ...

joedirt

Sorry Pat.

miamixt

"How much did that "perfect" car cost? A mite more than the less than $20k that a fully loaded Sonata V6 costs I'll bet. Also note that this "perfect" car was beaten out in CR's evaluation by a four-year-old design that cost nearly $4500 less. Really nice (real?) wood trim though!"

I'm confused Backy. I was asking about that giant posted picture which messed up my screen. Interesting thing though, I am the only LX with Beige Interior & Leather, that has MetalGrain, not Wood trim?. The Brochure says this combination is not available. I think that wood looks weird anyway

backy

I was actually replying to joedirt. Sorry, I thought that would be clear.

Maybe someone at the factory messed up? But to your benefit.

pat

I sent you an email with an alternative suggestion ... for the other discussion!

ray_h1

"Example: Honda motors are usually after 5,000 miles"

That's probably a good general rule of thumb. Track fuel mileage from day one if you want to, but don't expect numbers to start stabilizing until around 5,000 miles. That said, I've continued to see incremental improvements now out to 21,000+ miles on my '03 Sonata. Honda ain't the only automaker building initially "tight" engines...

eagle2a

I just visited the Hyundai web site. It looks like the same rebates that had been previously offered are once again available starting from yesterday through the end of the month.

walt235

Yeah, I called them to find out what's up. I told them that they were holding up my purchase of an 07 SE because I wasn't willing to pay nearly $5000 more for the car/package I wanted.
I asked them to send me a coupon for $3000 off of the price of a new 07 Sonata. I don't think that she got the zip code right, now that I think about it though. :surprise:
Please keep in mind that my dealer is completely out of 06's.
At this point I can wait until the end of the month to get into something. There's that whole Mercury Retrograde thing going on through the end of July anyway, so...

lightfootfl

Does anyone know if there is the possiblity of a hatchback model of the Sonata somewhere in the future?

ray_h1

There's always the possibility. As to liklihood, I betcha Hyundai's product planners know.

cajuncycler

Hatchbacks go through cycles like wagons. If it looks like the market is swinging toward that direction it doesn't take long before all the makers get on board. I remember we bought an 88 Corsica new (remember those?)Terrible car. It cost me more than it's selling price to keep it on the road. Well about 2 years later they came out with a hatchback version of it. Those that sold, there weren't many, leaked, rattled and were so poorly designed that I think after that Chevrolet just gave up on the car and it remained pretty much ignored thoughout the rest of it's model run. As long as some forethought goes into the design and the current car is not just adapted to a hatchback design, then it has a chance to make it.

walt235

Don't they already have a hatchback that they call the Elantra?

lightfootfl

True enough... just that I really like the larger Sonata, but I think I would like even more if they had hatcback... dunno.

lightfootfl

Oh yeah, I remember that one... a real loser.. don't think I remember it in the hatchback model though.. must have missed it then. That is about the time I was content with my Camry. Now that I have gone through that one and a few others I am up to the 2006 Sonata LX and really love it, even if I can't fully afford to do the traveling I would like. Oh well, I can dream anyway. I do think I would like the idea of a hatchback though.

joe97

Hatchback is possible but coupe and convertible versions are more likely down the road.

cajuncycler

The hatchback model Corsica was manufactured from 89 through 91 and as I understand it were rare, only 2300 were actually produced and sold. Some are on Ebay right now if you care to look at them. Chevrolet has not had a hatchback model in the midsize carline since then. The new Malibu is the first and they aren't calling it one.

backy

It doesn't really matter what Chevy calls the Malibu Maxx--it's a hatchback. Very versatile also. Same for the Mazda6 hatch. Too bad more automakers don't have mid-sized hatches. But I think the Sonata would look better as a wagon than a hatchback.

bobad

I used to like wagons until Camry made one that looked like a mini hurst. Never did like hatchbacks. I guess I could get used to a Sonata wagon if it was done right, but would rather just get an SUV and be done with it.

desertguy

Why do you guys think that more mfgrs aren't making hatchbacks available? The answer is that there is little demand and they were a flop when they did make them. The Europeans love hatchbacks. US consumers, not so much. If there was a demand you can bet it would be met.

Personally, I love hatchbacks.

backy

Not making hatches available? How about the new Rio5, Fit, Yaris hatch, Accent hatch, and Versa hatch? It's just in the mid-sized class that hatches are rare. Too many people want SUVs I guess.

desertguy

There are a lot more hatches than you mentioned too but I thought we were talking cars in the Sonata class, not sub- compacts.

backy

The comment I replied to talked about hatches in general being unpopular.

One of the biggest reasons I thinkn it's unlikely that Hyundai will offer the Sonata as a hatch is that they already have a mid-sized hatch--the Elantra--which is even bigger inside for 2007.