Hyundai Sonata 2006-2007

spectraman

Hey.... at least give the Treykster credit for spelling the city name correctly: S-e-o-u-l ! ;-)

-SM

smith20

The fact that this forum attracted a troll like treyk actually further indicates, for me personally, that the Sonata is gaining serious attention. Truly bad cars don't get any recognition whatsoever from established names (Toyota, Honda, etc) or their fervent supporters such as treyk. It's just not worth the effort. If I see more Toyota / Honda trolls, then I'll think the Sonata is doing even better.

suncityx

I've been reading messages on here for a while now and finally decided to chime in. Although I just recently bought a Tucson I'm really lookin forward to driving the new sonata. My first Hyundai was an 01 Elantra I bought back 00. Everyone I knew was giving me a hard time for buying a hyundai, but I had done a lot of research at the time and was confident with my purchase, even though no one else was. I had no problems with the car the entire time I owned it (73K miles). I've kept up with all of Hyundai's advances in recent years along with their high rankings with JD Power. Now some of my friends and family have actually purchased Hyundai and realize that its not the same company it was in the early 90's. I feel like givin them the ol' "I told you so." I just keep my mouth shut though, and go on knowing that I was out fighting for Hyundai's reputation when everyone thought I was a fool Not to downplay my Tucson which has been great so far with 5,000 miles and no problems, but I am gettin that feeling like maybe I should have waited to see the 06 Sonata before making my purchase.. Oh well, there's always next time.......
Brian

backy

Well, treyk can't be too much of a Honda supporter or he'd (she'd?) realize that the 2007 Accord will still be the current design, with some tweaks for '06. The '07 Camry, however, will be a redesign. The more competition, the better.

danf1

The LX does have a telescopic steering wheel standard.

madderhatter

We got an 06 Black LX and it most certainly has telescopic and tilt wheel. The same lever works both and the telescopic part is a little stiff at first.

manofsteel2k6

My apologies to all. My wife just got home from work a few minutes ago. I went out to see for myself, and sure enough, yes I have telescopic steering.

I asked the salesperson if the car had telescopic steering wheel adjustment specificly and was told no. So I always just assumed I did not have it.

But I do, and I should have made sure before I opened my mouth about it. My apologies again.

backy

Hey, don't feel so bad--how do you think HMA feels when their Sonata web site doesn't even mention the telescopic wheel?

norne

Is the telescopic standard on all trims?

jackson33

No big deal on the telescopic thing. As a salesperson, I apologize for him and his dealerships lack of knowledge on all aspects of the 06 Sonata. I am glad you found it and have fun with the car!

The 06 Sonata LX is the only trim level with the telescopic wheel.

maxamillion1

has been updated...

All new design...

sandpaper

thank god.

now it looks a lot more professional befitting a auto manufacturer. not as professional as a Honda website, but it is still much much better. and easier to use as well.

this is an exciting time!

now that the sonata is here, the other hyundai vehicles like the accent, elantra, xg350, santa fe, tiburon seem totally ancient!

can't wait till this 24/7 is over.

telescopic steering should be standard on even on the GL. all americans have different body structures after all.

also... tonight i was watching 'Lost' on ABC and witnessed a Sonata commercial.. it was a brand new one that doesn't talk about the manufact. plant.. basically, it was basically a lot of silver sonata's racing around a twisty road. they talked about the safety standards and showed a quick clip of the interior which i must say was more impressive than the actual thing. at the end of the commercial the hyundai logo was shown along with 'drive your way'. and a red light kind of flashed.

this ad made the sonata seem DOWNRIGHT SPORTY.

i am very impressed with their new marketing style and i hope this continues. i was sick of hyundai proclaiming things like, '2,000 less than a Camry!!', etc.

they seem more professional.

kudos. pride of the motherland!

smith20

Yes they are starting to market their cars based on the merits of the car itself . . . no longer pushing them primarily as a value alternative. I first noticed this with their advertising campaign for the Tucson when it came out and now it's continued on (obviously I know ) with the Sonata. What I really like about it is that it shows the company *believes* itself that its cars are on par or better than the competitors. I think six years ago, Hyundai itself didn't really think their cars were equal or the better than the top compeition, but rather they truly believed they offered the best valued car. Now they are confident enough to put it on the line and in effect say, "Look. Stop by our dealerships. There's a good chance you are going to PREFER this car over the competition!"

dee12

For the record, I'll state that I have no knowledge of the inner workings of the automotive industry. Yes, I would agree with some of the recently posted sentiments that Hyundai has finally turned the corner and is delivering vehicles which will be sold on their quality, not on price or promotions. I can't help but be a bit skeptical though of other postings here which predict continued substantial markdowns on the '06 Sonata. To me, it's a two way street. Hyundai has done their part - create an exciting, quality vehicle. Now I can imagine that they will want to see more green for their effort. If they continue to give large rebates or offer other promotions, IMO they are only perpetuating their long-standing image problem. They've redesigned their website, their product line, now they should redesign their identity.

backy

I agree, this is where Hyundai wants to go--reduce the incentives on their vehicles. But they don't have total control over that. The market the Sonata is in is intensely competitive. As long as competitors offer huge discounts and rebates on their cars and those cars are close to the quality and features of the Sonata, Hyundai will need to follow along. Hyundai's advantage is that they already have a price advantage compared to many competitors. Their disadvantage is that the resale value of the new Sonata is not yet known, and that of the previous model wasn't good compared to the likes of Accord and Camry. That leads to an expectation of buyers for more of a discount up front to make up for the disparity in resale value. I think this issue will lessen over time as the long-term reliability of the Sonata and Hyundais in general improves, but it's still an issue today.

tenpin288

In addition to the new Sonata and the upcoming Accent and Azera this fall, Hyundai just announced that they will be bringing out a mini-van in the spring of 2006 as a 2007 model. I couldn't find a forum that mentioned it so I am posting this info here. They are on a roll!

From a Hyundai USA press release dated 6/1/05:

Hyundai's Expanding Model Line Up Strengthened By All-New Entourage Minivan

Name and Details of Hyundai's 2007 Minivan Disclosed at Automotive News Marketing Seminar

Fountain Valley, Calif. (June 1, 2005) - Hyundai Motor America President and CEO Robert F. Cosmai, speaking at the Automotive News Marketing Seminar in Los Angeles, announced that the next addition to Hyundai's growing model line up will be an all-new minivan named "Entourage." Entourage will be the fifth of seven all-new or redesigned vehicles offered by Hyundai in a new product blitz that started in October 2004 with the Tucson SUV. Entourage will reach dealers in the spring of 2006 as an '07 model year vehicle.

Entourage will extend Hyundai's product lineup into the minivan segment for the first time. Like the all-new '06 Sonata and Azera sedans, the Entourage will come standard with an impressive suite of safety equipment, including Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Traction Control, ABS with EBD, six standard airbags including side curtain airbags that provide protection for all three rows of passengers, and front active head restraints that protect against whiplash.

Entourage will be offered in a long-wheel base version only, and will be powered by the sophisticated new 3.8L V6 engine that is also found in the Hyundai Azera premium sedan.

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif. is a subsidiary
of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai cars and sport utility vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced by more than 650 Hyundai dealerships nationwide.

backy

The Hyundai minivan has been rumored for some time but now it's official. This is the Hyundai version of the new Kia Sedona. That minivan looks like a huge improvement over the current van, from what I've seen/read about it. I just wonder if these vans use the same basic platform as the Sonata--or maybe the Azera since they share engines? I read that they will have four-wheel independent suspension, like the Sonata and Azera. It would be expensive to develop a new platform just for the vans.

smith20

I also agree about Hyundai wanting to improve their margins, but they also have the goal of significantly raising their unit sales to become a larger car manufacturer, so that puts pressure on the price too. So in addition to the downward pressure on the price from consumer sentiment (true or not it doesn't matter, but many people still think "these cars aren't as good, I shouldn't pay as much") and tough high quality competition (Honda, Toyota, etc), they have also have internal motivation (sell higher quantity of cars) which leads to keeping the price in check.

I'm thinking (and hoping as a self-interested consumer who likes to get good cars for low prices) that the lessening of rebates is going to be gradual on a decade type scale and not a this year or next year type scale. It will probably be so gradual we'll hardly notice.

backy

I don't know... I certainly noticed when in May Hyundai cut its rebates on the Elantra (a five-year-old design) and eliminated the loyalty rebate. I think the rebates on the old Sonata actually went down too, but I'm not sure about that--they didn't go up though, to help clear out the old models.

jojo6

The new website has a utility to view the pages of the Sonata brochure - including a features chart. This shows the telecoping feature as on the LX only.

smith20

Well, that adjustment could be seasonal. I know that Elantra rebates decreased (to either $1,500 or $1,250, I can't remember which) in the summer of 2004 after we purchased our Elantra in May of 2004 with a $2,000 rebate. But who knows, maybe they will approach pricing parity with the competition sooner rather than later. For my sake, I hope not!

backy

Motor Trend has a short take on the '06 Sonata in their July issue. Mostly just factual stuff, but their initial impressions seemed positive. They liked the handling of the LX in particular, but said the steering feel is not in BMW territory (and for something like $15k+ less, it should be??). They were reserved in their opinions, so I guess we need to wait for a full road test or comparo for their verdict.

Kirstie_H

this discussion will move to the Sedans board soon. If you have the discussion bookmarked or are subscribed to it, nothing will change. If not, now's a good time to do so. You can always locate it using the make/model search feature at the left.

mononeo

I wonder how much the minivan is going to look like the Sedona. I've read quite a few places online that Hyundai is making their less-expensive models more Scion competitive. Apparently, that is why there is no 3-door Accent at launch. From what I can tell they are coming out with a 3-door that isn't just going to be the crap model like last time. Also, a lot of things online say that the Tiburon is going to be dropped or significantly changed. I have read and know for sure that the next Tiburon is going to be rear-wheel drive....but the Hyundai forecast calls for a Sonata Coupe. Some have conjected that the next Tib would be the Sonata coupe, but I don't see how you could retrofit the Sonata platform to be a RWD. It looks like the Sonata coupe will be its own model a'la Camry Solara. I have seen a few things online that make it look as though there may be an Elantra coupe, but I see this as doubtful considering that this is essentially what the Tiburon is, and for the Scion-target crowd like myself, the Tiburon has name recognition all it's own. And then there's the RWD luxury sedan in 2007...

My question, though, is if Hyundai is coming out with all of these models that are higher-end/more advanced, when are they going to come out with navigation and DVD entertainment? This fall should be the start of the XM rollout. It's definitely coming after that. When though?

backy

Hyundai already offers nav systems on at least the Sonata, Elantra (Avante), Santa Fe, and XG--outside North America. So the question is, when will Hyundai offer that feature in North America? I expect it will be very soon on the Sonata, Azera, and new Santa Fe. Nav is rare in the compact class so it might be a long time before we see it on the Elantra. Probably depends on what Honda and Toyota do with their next-gen compacts. Since DVD entertainment is commonplace in minivans, I expect to see that feature in Hyundai's new van and maybe also the new, bigger Santa Fe.

sandpaper

santafe1, I really like those photos. Can you ever imagine a current generation Camry or Accord like that?

A recent Tiburon sketch:


source: motortrend

Rumors: Apparently, Hyundai is going to move the Tiburon upmarket (the RWD sports car). A Sonata coupe will debut. Meanwhile, another coupe is in developement based off the Accent platform.

jackson33

That Tib looks pretty sick! I haven't heard anything yet but I hope it gets the new 3.3. Should be a pretty killer care if they make it.

bklynguy

I've read that Honda will offer an optional navi system on the 2006 Civic (and if that happens, Toyota will follow with the Corolla).

venus537

"Well, treyk can't be too much of a Honda supporter or he'd (she'd?) realize that the 2007 Accord will still be the current design, with some tweaks for '06. The '07 Camry, however, will be a redesign. The more competition, the better."

true, it's only a mid-cycle update for the accord but those tweaks are going to be fairly substantial. the rear end looks to be completely redone. i interpret this as an omission from honda that they goofed with how they designed the current car's rear end. i'm speculating that there's going to many changes to the accord for MY 06. perhaps even an additional engine to the line up - the european accord's diesel.

regardless, it looks like the new sonata will be a formidable competitor.

sandpaper

Hasn't the Accord already been updated?

The back of the Accord looks different from when it first debuted.

Oh yeah, the RWD drive Tiburon has already been confirmed. So if there is going to be Sonata coupe, and another Accent sized coupe.. does that mean Hyundai will have 3 coupes?!

I wish Hyundai was more risk-taking.. they should introduce some new innovative products.. like a Sonata wagon or sports edition for example. I know those aren't exactly 'innovative', but they'll add diversity to the line up.

And I still can't get over the Sonata's interior. I sat in one and it just doesn't work for me.

bklynguy

"Hasn't the Accord already been updated?"

The Accord MMC is 2-3 months away. The rear is getting a complete makeover with the first LED taillamps ever on an Accord (looks like they put their hands into the TL bin). Several other new features are also rumored, maybe to better compete with the upcoming 07 Camry which is only 8-10 months away.

maxamillion1

Similar to the 03 Civic, it got new taillights, but it didn't get a new front end and front and rear bumper changes until MY 2004.

The 06 Accord's update (as Venus stated) is supposed to be a great deal more MAJOR than ever before.

carzzz

Even though the new Sonata has leaped forward, it is only comparable to 3+ years old accord/ 4 years old Camry.... It is still a few years behind.

It lacks HID, 4WD, standard telescoping steering wheel, Navigation system, 5 speeds on 4 cyc, full-sized spare.... also the 6 cyc powertrain is not the leader. It pratically has nothing new/unique other than is being another blanded mid-size (large) car...

backy

What other car in its class offers: standard VSC, standard active headrests, standard ABS with traction control, standard smog-sensing A/C, large-car interior, standard MP3 stereo, minimum of 162 horsepower, 8-way adjustable driver's seat, SHIFTRONIC automatics on all automatic-equipped cars, and 5-year, 60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and 10-year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty--and all of this on even the lowest-priced base model?

How many other cars in its class offer standard HID? (Not Accord or Camry) How many offer AWD? (Not Accord or Camry) How many offer telescopic steering wheels? (Not Camry) Accord and Camry do offer 5-speed automatics with their 4-cylinder engines, but the fuel economy is almost exactly the same as the Sonata and the Sonata has the SHIFTRONIC. Not sure if Accord and Camry have a full-sized spare--that's not high on my list.

sandpaper

i must say that i agree with certain aspects of carzzz's reasoning.

i think the sonata's timing prevents it from becoming something 'brand new'. a couple months from now and it'll have to compete with a brand new camry, and who knows how well the camry will be designed?

currently, the sonata is very similar to the camry and accord. how will it fare when updated versions of these vehicles appear in the scene?

anyway..

where does this accord rumor come from? i cannot believe that the accord will update its design twice in one generation. i know the design of the accord isn't really a success (with so many complaining about the rear), but come on? another update? the civic didn't even go through this many updates. and updates are quite expensive.

mevande

Wait! This forum is for 2006 Sonatas right???? :confuse:

backy

In order for Camry, Acoord, or any other car to "catch up" to the Sonata, they'll have to at minimum add all the equipment I listed previously to even their lowest-priced base models. They'll also have to completely redesign their cars (something the '06 Accord will not be) to have large-car interiors. They'll have to greatly improve their warranty coverage. Oh yes, they'll also have to drop their prices while maintaining or (in the case of everyone but Toyota) improving their initial quality to match Hyundai's. So I think Toyota, Honda et. al. have some work to do.

P.S. Honda does mid-gen updates in year 4 almost like clockwork. There has not been a significant update to the Accord since it was introduced for '03, with the exception of adding a new model (HAH) and adding side bags/curtains as standard. It's due for its refresh. Consider that Honda did make several improvements to the current Civic, which debuted in the '01 MY, as early as '02 and again in '03 to deal with customer complaints. The updates to the Accord to date don't count as a refresh. Maybe they'll deal with the FE styling too which IMO is nearly as ugly as its rear end. :P

frasierdog

I found this from Blueovalnews.com

Ford considers safety an option to be deleted when necessary.

Ford Motor Company told dealers to delete two option packages from stock and special order Ford Five Hundred All Wheel Drive (AWD) models in order to keep production going.

The two packages are:
• Safety and security package (option 53G).
• Safety package (option 53F).

gogophers1

Exactly what does this have to do with the 2006 Sonata?

backy

Probably this: "Safety is not an option" with the '06 Sonata.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/columnists/chambers_williams/11620459.htm

maxamillion1

As far as features for the dollars, yes, they will have to do that (and they will)

But as far as the average buyer is concerned, Hyundai hasn't caught up to the Accord/Camry levels quite yet. Even if Hyundai actually HAS...it will still take a while for most folks.

They are getting there..and rather quickly though, and that's quite remarkable.

And we'll have to wait and see if this new Sonata has actually even caught up overall with the Accord/Camry itself.

We are talking, safety features (winning that already) handling, performance, gas mileage, refinement, reliablity (especially for those Alabama models) quality, and resale value. Most of those area's the Sonata has covered, but it does them no better than the Accord/Camry overall...its even in many with them..but doesn't beat them..and these cars are aging (Camry especially)

Sure, the Sonata is cheaper than the competition, but the competition is also giving out rebates and financing deals...so theorietically, if you know how to deal, the Sonata isn't much cheaper than the competition..and though it does have some safety features over the Accord and Camry standard, it still lacks some of the features the Accord has..dual-zone climate control, doesn't have power passenger's seats. But oh, yea it has VSC.

And with the discounts the Accord can be had with today..you can EASILY get an Accord at invoice these days...or below if you live in the city.

And the idea of the shifttronic feature is nice, but really, who uses it?

We won't really know that until there are some comparisons, and overall relablity of this new car is established.

Until then, the Sonata does represent to be a good competitor to the Accord/Camry, but it is yet to be known if the Sonata is as good (much less better) than the Benchmark Accord/Camry.

Styling is bland...but that's what is selling for now (though the best seller in this class is getting much more sporty in about 6-8 months.), and though I find the interior quality better than before, it still doesn't beat the Accord/Camry for materials used nor does it look asthetically pleasing. But that also is subjective...

But like I've said all along, I really like Hyundai, and I know they are going to be successful with this model, but I do not think it beats the Accord/Camry quite yet. Its has more features for a cheaper price..and a "large" car interior (WHOA!!!), but it still lacks the refinement of the Accord/Camry (especailly the Accord) interior wise.

carzzz

Rumor is that the upcoming Camry (model year 2007 on early 2006) is going to have AWD option, HID, etc, how about the maxima gonna to have 4WD (within 2 years)....
But fact is that Sonata is completely redesigned, unlike both Camry (4th year) & Accord (3rd year), it has nothing really innovative or taking the lead (not fuel economy, not hp on both models, not the reliability, not the RESALE value), expect for the price. On the price department, both tops sellers like Camry/Accord are offering rebate, and I would believe within a short period of time (maybe a month or so), Sonata is going to have huge discount.... IMO, Hyundai made a huge leap but still falls short on the competition!

boltguy

Even if the new Sonata does nothing "groundbreaking", the overall standard feature package is very nice. This is the first time the Sonata is truly competitive with it's peers, as far as HP, MPG, suspension, and definitely safety features. No matter what part of the life cycle the Camry and Accord are in. By the time the refreshed Hondas and Toyotas come out, there will be substantial discounts on the Sonata, making it that much more of a value. When the Camccord soldiers start getting defensive, you know you're doing something right.

backy

You mean the '06 Sonata falls short of future competition. Of course it does! Dreams and rumors will beat reality any day. If we must look into the future, within 3 years the Sonata will get its mid-gen update. Who knows what that will bring? (Hint: the AWD Santa Fe rides on the Sonata platform). We know for sure the Sonata will have XM radio standard by next year, as will all Hyundais. We know the fuel economy matches that of the competition today, and we don't know what they will have in the future. HID is easy for Hyundai to pop into the Sonata anytime they want to. We also know horsepower is within 1-2% either side of the main competition, and Hyundai has the 3.8L V6 from the Azera ready to drop into the Sonata if needed. As for reliability, recall that Honda recalled 1 million Accords for auto tranny problems. Also it was the Accord's interior that rattled when I drove it vs. the Sonata--the Sonata was silent. Honda has also fallen behind Hyundai in initial quality. Honda, Camry, and Nissan can discount all they want, but when Hyundai starts with a $2000-$4000 price advantage for the Sonata off the bat, they can't win the price game vs. Hyundai.

backy

...but it still lacks the refinement of the Accord/Camry (especailly the Accord) interior wise.

Here's a test: go down to your local Honda dealer and look at the Accord EX's interior, esp. the black one. Note the speckled black mouse fur, the crude seat adjustment controls, the confusing controls on the center stack, the room in the rear seat. Note also that this is for a car that lists for almost as much as the top-line Sonata LX V6. Now dash over to the closest Hyundai dealer and look at the Sonata GLS--or even the low-buck GL. Note the airy interior, the classier fabric (esp. on the GL), the 8-way driver's seat controls, the logical control layout for the HVAC and radio, the immense room in the rear seat. Now hurry over to the local Toyota dealer and compare the dreadfully boring interior of the base Camry or even Camry LE to the Sonata's. Take a real good look at all three cars. Maybe then you will come to the same conclusion I have: Accord and Camry are not worth the price premium over the Sonata, all things being equal. And they aren't equal. (e.g., price out the Camry with side bags/curtains and VSC and compare it to the Sonata GL).

As for price... when you negotiate with the Hyundai dealer, be sure to use the points about unproven reliability and resale value to get a great price--thousands less than the competition.

frasierdog

"Exactly what does this have to do with the 2006 Sonata?"

Safety features on the Sonata are standard. Safety is not an option to be deleted at will.

To make side air bags an option is poor practice, to not even offer them is pitiful.

Score game set match for Hyundai in this area.

karock

Anyone know which manufacturer makes the audio systems?
Has anyone heard the system which comes with the sub?

funnycat

Just so you know, it appears Hyundai Canada has different ideas. ABS not available on base model and ESC only available on very top model as an option,
or so it seems from the 'build' option on the site. VERY SAD ABOUT THIS !!!!
I was waiting to get one for the kids with all the safety features. I guess there is always VW Jetta with top notch crash ratings.

funnycat

Can someone tell me if there are different cloth interiors ?
Also, previous posters seem to think suspension tuned
differently on some V6 models. Is that so ? And are there
any crash ratings anywhere - Japan, Europe, USA, etc ?

backy

Don't know about Canada, but the cloth interiors on the US-spec GL and GLS are different. The GL's cloth is similar in appearance to the current Elantra GLS 4-door's cloth--a smooth cloth with a slightly darker pattern woven into it. The GLS has a knubby cloth that has been compared by some (I think a little unfairly) to terrycloth. I prefer the looks of the GL's cloth myself. Re suspension, the LX has a stiffer suspension tuning and larger wheels (17") vs. the GL/GLS's 16-inchers, and reviewers have commented on the sportier handling (and firmer ride) on the LX. Again, this is all for the U.S.