By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
It will take a long time to reverse the public's impression that Korean cars are cheap and low quality.
The Sonata will go along way to reverse this trend unless there is a very big recall or other incident.
Also the big discounting is reflecting resale on all makes of cars - even Toyotas. They are really advertising heavily and taking the high volume approach in many markets. Camrys and Corollas are really taking a big hit.
I think the interior is just fine. My LX is black with gray and doesn't include the fake wood trim. It has just enough gadgets, not filled with semi useless toys found on high end cars. The Sonata is a practical, well built, great looking family sedan, and I'm really glad I bought one. The '97 Accord I traded in was very tired and the Sonata keeps a smile on my face. I'll reserve judgement on the 2006 Camrys and Accords until they come out, but I'm willing to bet that for good value, the Sonata will be the best deal around.
Bye the way, Toyota just today announced that there will be price increases for the 2006 cars despite the fact that Detroit is giving their cars away. That new Camry might be a little on the relatively expensive side.
That may be, but there is another side to the coin. People who drive rental cars may end up driving a car they might not have even considered buying before and then decide they like it enough to purchase one. That happened to me when we drove a rented Pontiac Bonneville years ago. Before that, the Bonneville was never on my radar screen. But now that GM has killed it, the Bonneville is no longer on any ones radar.
For example, I bought an F150 in 2001 for $29,000. The sticker price was $37,000. I got $25,000 for it when I traded a year later. What was my depreciation? Not bad if you calculate based on what I paid. Terrible if you base on sticker price. The market knows what value cars are really sold for on average and that drives the NADA book value.
Rental cars may not be the cause of steeper depreciation, but more of a symptom of it - rental fleets are a dumping ground for models the manufacturer has too many of. Yes, I can rent a Camry if I wanted to, but there aren't as easy as a Taurus or a Pontiac Grand Prix.
But Hyundai has the correct formula amenities of a 30k car in a value package that will be around til time gets better...
Four sets of golf clubs easily fit in the trunk of my '06 Sonata.
It's amazing how many people don't know how to compute MPG. Edmund's has a good primer on it's site. I know a bank branch manager who was complaing about the poor gas milage in his 2002 Santa Fe. He uses "about" 1/4 tank in his daily commute, state roads and highways and the round trip is 50 miles. The idiot was basing his MPG on his fuel tank guage and approximate mileage to work.
Scary that people like him can influence your application for credit! Anyway, I question some of the MPG reports on this site, as my experience is completely different. I get18+ MPG locally on my car, just turned 3000 miles, with most trips under 3 miles. When the temperature drops below 50 I know the MPG will drop down.
Good luck with your Camry.
Hopefully the Sonata can do the same - the EPA numbers are similar
Hopefully numbers in the high twenties are due to break in. Cars like the Avalon and full sized Buicks can beat that on the highway. Was the car a V-6? Either way mileage should improve after break in.
You may be saving some money should you "mosey on up thar way"
Just wanted to clue you in to a stellar paint protection system... it all begins and ends with Klasse! Believe me I've researched and researched!
First I tried Nu Finish... great beeding and look but too many fine scratches for me! So I looked and researched for the best care system for a dark car....
Do a search for Black car 101 and you'll see...
Klasse...
This stuff is amazing!!! Just to let you know I ordered Zaino and Klasse. I first tried the Klasse system on our 1999 (Metallic Blue) Windstar... that van looks better than new! I used Meguires Nxt car wash then Mothers clay bar then Klasse AOI(all-in-one) then Klasse Glaze... one word WOW! I can see every metallic detail... in fact there was an unwelcome crease in the hood I didn't know was there! The results were astounding! In fact my father in law said it looks like a new van! He wants to do his whole fifth-wheel trailer with the stuff.
I then had a day off to work on my new Black 2006 Sonata LX... same routine (Nxt,clay, AIO, Glaze).... again the results are amazing! I can see my reflection in the paint in total 3D!! It didn't get rid of every hairline scratch but it took care of a vast majority, I plan to apply another coat of the Klasse glaze after the next car wash for even more depth and hairline scratch cover.
I'm returning all my Zaino products(ZFX, Z5, detailer) except for their car wash... the reasons I went with Klasse were recommendations for Black cars, dust control, ease of use and cost.
It took me about three hours (of pretty decent work) to wash, clay, and Klasse my new Sonata but the results speak for themselves... should be good to go for at least six months!!!
So if you want an affordable great car care system this gets my vote... be sure to get Klasse AIO (about $16 for 10 oz) and Klasse Glaze (About $17 for 16.9 oz) it is a two-step system. Be sure to get a decent applicator and microfiber or cotton towels. I searched FROOGLE (Googles price service) for the best price and got mine at sheepskin outlet. The clay can be bought at any good auto store.
Some tips...
Break the clay into three parts so you will always have fresh when needed. If you drop it then throw it away!
When you clay keep thing lubricated. (yes its fine to use on a new car)
When you apply AIO you can wipe off in under a minute.
When you apply the Klasse glaze let it sit at least an hour or more before wiping.
The Klasse can then be topped with your favorite Carnuba wax (Pinnacle or such) if you want ultra showcar class looks... for me I'll probably stop at Klasse Glaze but who knows.
Use Klasse on every part of your car especially the wheels!
Klasse can be used on almost anything flat! I used it on windows and plastic has tons of in home uses as well. The good thing is that that 10 oz bottle will last several years as you use VERY little product on each application.
I'm pretty certain the end all be all for Black cars is the Klasse system with a few coats of Pinnacle Souvrane (spelling?) paste as a carnuba topper... but watch that price! The Souvrane costs nearly $70 a can!
Good luck!
There is no way a Camry, a much heavier car with a bigger 4 cylinder is going to get the same mileage as a Corrolla. I drive like an old man to get the mileage figures stated above!
Toyota is notorious for overstating MPG. Ask Prius owners.
Belive me the 303 is on my shopping list... they have it at ACE. As for the carnuba topper there are lots of detail nuts who say Klasse with the topper is the way to go if you are searching for the best possible shine (like an infinate liquid pool). I doubt I'll go that far as the car looks great as is.
I purchased the car from a dealer I dealt with once before (about 2 years ago). They were very straightforward with me back then so I felt no reason not to reward them with repeat business. I purchased the car for $23,339, which, according to them is invoice. Edmunds, however, lists the car at $22,839. When I pushed the dealer on what the difference was, they said that Edmunds does not include advertising in their invoices. Sure enough, when the dealer showed me the invoice, it had a $500 adder for advertising. After questioning the salesman for about 10 minutes on this topic, I finally caved and bought the car.
Prior to going into the dealer, I requested an internet quote from another nearby dealership. I had heard nothing back from them, so I assumed the weren't going to reply. Well, about 1 hour after I signed the deal at the other dealership, I received back the internet quote. The internet quote was for $22,739, which they claim to be $100 under invoice! Someone was not telling me the whole story here.
I immediately went back to the dealer I bought the car from, with the email in hand, and questioned them on the invoice price again. It was rather humorous - at one point, there were about 6 guys in a cramped little office talking about how they were going to deal with me. At the end of the day, however, they didn't do anything, and they could never explain the invoice discrepancy. I thought I'd at least get a few oil changes or something, but I got nothing. Granted, I still feel I got a good price on the car, but the thought of being lied to (if, in fact, I was) burns me up.
Anyway, I haven't filled out the customer sat survey yet, which they value greatly, so I'll be sure to say something about it there.
My advice to anyone now is to buy via the internet. With invoice price so widely known now, it longer is a reliable baseline to negotiate with.
So, to answer your question, yes, negotiate more!!
I'm actually going to buy the car in Minnesota in a few weeks I expect, wondering what people have actually paid for a loaded LX?
Would like to know so I can expect what to pay.
Maybe its time to visit Chicagoland and buy one. I'm amazed at the great pricing I was offered right now, especially with car being new.
Obviously these additional fees can be negotiated down but it's still a major turn-off for me with any dealer.
Dealers are still the weak link with Hyundai, a big reason why I bought a Malibu Maxx rather than a Sonata in 05.
Thanks
I wouldn't expect any rebates until Nov or December at the earliest.
Even additional rebates on the '05 are questionable since the '05 with rebate is a few thousand less than a comparable '06 out the door.
http://detailgear.com/browseproducts/3M-Pinstripe-Removal-Wheel.HTML
Haven't used any leather products yet on my LX... I bought some Meguires one-step leather care and will be trying it soon. Zaino makes good products across the board from what I read and unlike Klasse they have a wide variety of specialty products such as leather care.
You might also look at the Sonus line... this is a line of products specifically designed to work in conjunction with the Klasse two step system since Klasse themselves doesn't want to get involved with the extra products (which is good... let them concentrate on the AIO and Gloss).
Zaino and Sonus only on the internet BTW.
I originally was going to a different dealership, but their offer was $100 higher. I also called another to see if they could meet or beat the price and they wanted $800 higher. I was amazed that two dealerships only 30 miles apart could have such a drastic price difference.
MSRP stands for Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price and NOT Manufacturer Required Retail Price.
This might make a difference of 4 cyl v 6 cyl, since a 6 cyl usually is a more expensive tune up...
Must one go to the dealer for oil changes? For tuneups? For other 15K,30K,45K,60K etc 'checks and routine maintenance'? i.e. How much will this car REALLY cost me in hidden, future costs?
I know there are dealers who will try to mark up prices above msrp and if people are willing to pay for it, so what? If you know what msrp stands for, than you should understand what "suggested" means. Dealers are under no obligation to sell at msrp or below. The monroney sticker is not the final selling price like you would see at a local grocery store.
Dealers will move their inventory according to what the market will bear. It is simple demand and supply. Remember the new thunderbird, pt cruiser, honday odyssey, vw beetle just to name a few. Some people were more than willing to pay above msrp when supply was tight and demand was high. Why blame the dealer.
Look, if you're stupid enough to pay over sticker, be my guest, there's a sucker born every minute.
For instance, the new 2006 Pontiac Solstice is a very hot automotive item. Pontiac will not be able to keep up with demand. Everything built is already on the order books, usually with a deposit down from the customer to the dealer. Say one dealer in Iowa gets a Solstice that nobody has dibs on yet. Couldn't that dealer ask $1,000 over MSRP for that Solstice? They could and they do. What the market will bend and bear to is what will go for price.
If you really want an item you may want to pay dearly for it, that's all. Right?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
As for what maintenance you need to do, that is spelled out in the owner's manual. There is one schedule for "normal" service and another for "severe" service (which actually covers a lot of real-world situations).
If you do take the car to a dealer for service, make sure they do only the Hyundai-recommended services. Some dealers like to tack on additional and unnecessary services. One service that I do that is not in the Hyundai schedule (at least not for my Elantra) is tire rotation. I do it every 6000-7500 miles.
This is the type of thing that people sometimes don't consider, and then later, wish they'd known before getting into a car. (For instance, buying a used car would be a lot easier in that the cheaper the car, the more you can 'abuse' it. If it doesn't go as long as you like, oh well... Just think of all the money you saved compared to the price of a new car and its required maintenance.)