Hyundai Sonata 2006-2007

denp44

I received a Birthday Gift of Griot's Garage car cleaning products.
Has anyone used these products. I am going to use them on my 03 Elantra GLS and 06 Sonata LX. I was told they are excellent products. If anyone has used them, I would be curious to know the results. It came with car wash, show wax, clay and vinyl & rubber dressing and wheel cleaner

norne

nah I don't pay anything over msrp but I'm sure some people will gladly pay over msrp if they have to have it. I guess there were lot of suckers who purchased limited releae of the thunderbird and others.

Yeah manufacturers forbid dealers from charging msrp but such policy is routinely violated. I am sure the water is very hot if they get caught.

boltman

Ok here are the results for tank #4 (not pretty)....

But first a recap...

Black 2006 LX (V6) purchased on 7-1-06 w/ 56 miles on the ODO...

Full tank of gas from the dealer... didn't track mileage

All tanks regular unleaded gas...

Tank #1... 15.733 gallons (unknown exact milage, MPG or trip est.)
Tank #2... 15.758 gal (76) 323.6 miles or 20.5356 MPG (trip estimate 20.5)
Tank #3... 16.072 gal (76) 285.7miles or 17.776 MPG (trip est 17.6)
Tank #4... 15.339 gal (Chevron) 258.1 miles or 16.826 MPG (trip est 16.7)

So as you can see mileage has dropped with each tank hopefully I've hit the bottom.

I decided to switch gas brands this time to see if that will help and so far with 16 miles on this tank I'm happier to be averaging over 18mpg with mostly city driving so maybe this tank will improve mileage more into the normal range... I'll keep you all updated.

Note... bought an oil filter from Hyundai but they gave me a screw on 2005 filter even though I plainly said 2006! I'll called then up and after looking up the part they said that they would get their first ones in on Tuesday August 2nd. So I'll be exchanging for the right one then. After that I plan to switch to 10w-30 Mobil 1 as my car now has 1263 miles on it (past 1200 mile break-in period).

therealpotus

When I test drove a 4 cyl automatic, I noticed a slight delay between pushing the accelerator and actual acceleration.

Is this common in the 4 cyl? Is it also in the 6 cyl?

I've read on this that a number of different cars (different brands) seem to have a slight delay (a few seconds) between stomping on the accelerator and actually accelerating. Has this been anyone's experience?

And, if so, is this simply a 'programming' issue that could be tweaked or eliminated with the proper reprogramming? Is it a 'safety' feature? (It seems to be an unsafe feature, as the whole reason I'd consider a 6 cyl is to get me out of an emergency situation when I felt a need for speed. Picture your own scenario, such as two semis converging on your lane, and you need to bolt to avoid being crushed. In this scenario, you want immediate response. Even a slight delay means disaster.)

Also, when I tried the SHIFTRONIC mode, it seemed pretty pointless. When I test drove a Volvo S40 with similar SHIFTRONIC-like shifting on the automatic version, the results were immediate. Not so, it seemed, on the Hyundai.

Please post your input, experiences, and thoughts. Thanks.

therealpotus

Does anyone know if any of the car rental companies carry the 2006 Sonata?

I'll be traveling soon, and I'd like to rent the Sonata so I can test it in 'real world conditions'.

I've checked, but I've had no luck. Maybe one of you know which agency(s) carry the Sonata.

ausboy

I'm on the Gold Coast, Australia and got $2850 AUD or $2171 USD off the price of the 05 Sonata Elite ( ' 06 LX) last week. That was without haggling - the manager agreed immediately. The Sonata was released here three weeks ago.

I test drove the Honda Euro Accord ( Acura TSX ) and considered that to be a marginally better drive, but certainly not worth the $8K AUD difference.

I'm a very happy Aussie indeed!

smith20

I live in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC and I still have not seen a new Sonata outside of a photograph or a showroom. I'm antsy to see how the car looks among various other makes/models. How about the rest of you, are you seeing them on the road . . . or still not yet. I see previous generation Sonatas all of the time, so I really thought I would have seen at least ONE new Sonata on the road by now!

janeenc

I have seen two on the road.That is prior to my purchase about 2 weeks ago.I live in the suburbs about 30 miles west of Atlanta. The first was a Deepwater Blue and then a Gold one. It was the first gold Sonata I had seen and it drove by so fast I didn't get time to really check it out. I bought the black. Only because my husband likes the chrome against the black. But since my purchase I have been looking around hoping to run into another fellow Sonata driver to offer a thumbs up!!! :shades:

janeenc

I drove a 4 cyl.around for a couple of days before I purchased the 6 cyl. There was no delay in the acceleration to my or my husbands knowledge. There is definitely none in our 6 cyl. Did you mention it to the dealership? Did you drive more than one? What do you currently drive? Well, best of luck. Hope all works out for you!

boltman

Believe me acceleration is just fine in the 6 cylinder LX! The car has pickup to spare. As for the triptronic so far i've used it to downshift occassionally when coming to a stop it works great. Alot better than burning up the disk brakes.

Haven't tried accelerating with it yet.

fezzy

Please keep us updated with the average gas mileage. I was looking at the Sonata to at least save some money on gas but if you are only logging an average of 17 mpg I might have to look at something else.

I know that it's a V6 but I'm running a 5.2 V8 with a geared down rear end and I'm getting 2.5 mpg less. I hate to say it but I might have to look at the competition.

janeenc

I have only had my 6 cyl Sonata for a couple of weeks but my car is adv. about 23 mpg in town. I have about 900 odom. miles. Just thought I would post that,don't know if it helps.

tenpin288

One common theme I have seen regarding most Hyundai forums/newsgroups and gas mileage is that right off the showroom the mileage is usually on the low side, but gradually improves as they get broken in. I own an 05 Tucson V6 and initially I was only getting 15-17 mpg with it, far under the 19 city I should have seen. Now, with 7500 miles on it, my local mileage is in the 18.5-19.5 range and highway is around 23-24 versus the EPA 25 mpg. I would expect the new Sonata V6 to exhibit similar behavior over the long term.

targettuning

While I don't have the actual list of "required" services at regular intervals for the Sonata I do own a Santa Fe. The services for it are reasonable with only a timing belt replacement at 60,000 miles driving up the cost for this service. Most modern cars/trucks/SUV's require only modest services..certain things require looking in on at regular intervals especially in states with no annual state inspections. How many people check their coolant/belts/hoses, unless the car overheats or stops charging? Or worry about brake pads and rotors until the car won't stop. Or even know that half the bulbs are burned out around the car until the cops give them a warning? I could go on but you get the picture. Hyundai has a generous warranty and they would like to have a periodic look at their cars to minimize their having to pay excessive warranty claims to the guy who thought that the oil was a lifetime fill. No change required...

backy

I thought I remember reading that the new Sonata's timing chain doesn't need replacement at 60k miles.

fezzy

Your correct, the timing chain doesn't need to be replace at 60k miles. If it's like the older cars it shouldn't need to be changed at any interval. The chain is just like the chain on a bicycle but should need adjustment because it doesn't change gears.

acurattle

Got my GLS on July 6th. It's an excellent car, and I have no complaints so far, just a question. The car has a red blinking LED (or other type of light) on the dash below the edge of the windshield on the left, in front of the driver. Thought it was indicating the security system was armed, but found it blinks whenever the key is not in the ignition. The security system is not on when doors are open, for instance, but if the key is not there, the light blinks. Did not find any info on this in the Owner's Manual. Anybody have a clue what goes on here? Could ask a dealer, I know; just wondered if some other '06 Sonata owner has the answer before I go to the bother of asking my local Hyundai dealership...

janeenc

I think it is the alarm system. Whenever the key is not engaged the light automatically blinks. I'm not sure why it blinks before you actually engage the alarm.Maybe just as a deterrent to a thief? If anyone knows for sure I would like to know also.

jojo6

Just thought I would list this site as a source of Sonata prices as well as for other makes. Most of this dealership appears to be in MD, so if you live close enough, their price could be used as a bargaining tool with the local dealer. Don't know anything about these guys - just the policies they list on the site. They appear to be listing 2006s at about $800 below invoice, with the freight cost included. A warning - I don't know if their invoice prices are correct, but no doubt that they are discounting.

http://www.fitzmall.com/difference/prices.asp#internet

truethat

Providence, RI.
None seen so far.

sandpaper

I was actually really surprised to see two Sonata's a few days back around the downtown area in the city of Bellevue, in Washington state. Usually Bellevue is not a good place for Hyundai sightings - upper middle class Microsoft/Boeing snobs dominate the area - so I consider Hyundai making a headway into this city an achievement. Usually, I see a lot more Hyundai's in other suburbs of Seattle.

They were both silver, but one had license plates and one did not. Coincidentally, one was driven by an Asian woman who I presume is of Korean descent.

targettuning

Regarding this dealer (Fitzgerald auto group), which is in Gaithersburg Md. I visited their dealership two week ends ago with the idea of pricing a 2006 LX Sonata loaded with sunroof/upgraded audio system. I already had a price out the door including a trade..2003 Santa Fe LX AWD.... from the dealership I had already bought 2 cars from and they undercut that deal by $96.00. I told them for the difference I would just stick with the closer dealer (Fryesinger) from whom I had already dealt. About 3 days later they emailed me with a price reduction across the board on all their 06 Sonata's. This new deal resulted in nearly a $1000.00 difference between them and Fryesinger. The new price was $22,570.00. This deal of course is structured with my Santa Fe in the mix. By the way, Fitzmall's do not "trade" cars in they buy your old vehicle outright so as not to add excess or inflated trade values into the final deal. They say they will buy my Santa Fe (at wholesale or a bit more I'm sure) whether or not I buy there. I am now awaiting "paperwork" with this new final price so I can negotiate another, lower price at Fryesinger because I would really rather buy there if possible.

dontshopthewal

Here in Shreveport, Louisiana I have spotted three or four 2006 Sonatas on the road. They are very nice, in my opinion.

jojo6

Thanks for the first-hand information. Since you are dealing with Fryesinger, I assume you are in the same situation as I am, PA looking in MD. Please update if you actually purchase, I am particularily interested in your final price, and if you encounter any hassles or extra fees by going out of state.
On-the-road Sonata sightings (central PA) - None!

targettuning

Yes, I live in Chambersburg and, as noted, bought two Santa Fe's from Fryesingers. In addition my daughter purchased an '03 Elantra there also. The people at the Fizmall dealership were quite surprised that the Fryesinger deal was so close to their first offer ($96.00). They kept saying there could be some undisclosed add-on fees and charges that wouldn't come up until I was ready to sign the dotted line but having dealt with Fryesinger's before I said I didn't think so. This newer offer now separates the differences between the two by quite a bit. I spoke with Shawn who was my previous salesperson on all 3 purchases who said they now needed to see the Fitzmall deal "on paper" in order to evaluate if they could match it. I kind of hope so as I have received 1st rate service at Fryesinger.

billward

I called my local Hyundai dealer to inquire about this very thing two weeks ago... they said Hyundai isn't putting it out as a fleet vehichle yet, so it's not going out to rental comapanies until at least late winter (January). The dealer said it's because the current model isn't being produced fast enough to supply the dealers and the rentals.

Of course, that was what one dealer said two weeks ago in my area....

jojoe

In Ontario,Canada between Toronto and Windsor I have spotted several new 2006 Sonatas,almost all 4 cylinders.I am still waiting for my wifes and they are going to track it hopefully this Friday,we have been waiting almost 5 weeks now. I was also told that in this area alone there are between 200 and 300 on order already.Ours was one of the first we were told. From the looks of it,the new Sonata will be a big seller,cause they are having trouble keeping up with orders already.

dudleyr

I just noticed that Sonata beat out Accord and Camry in the Edmunds comparo test. Not bad.

They did make a mistake though. When comparing interior room they compared the Sonatas total space (including trunk) to the passenger space (minus trunk) of the other 2.

They should probably change that.

backy

New rebates on the '06 Sonata: $1000 HMFC rebate plus either a $1000 loyalty rebate or $1000 competitive rebate. Didn't take long for the rebates to come, did it? Hopefully the dealers who are trying to sell at list or above now see that it's an ultra-competitive market out there.

jojo6

What's HMFC?

jojoe

Hyundai Motor Finance Company

codata99

I don't know any timing chain system that requires "adjustment"...If you meant by adjusting the tension, all modern engines do it themselves.

The Theta and Lambda engines have a BorgWarner 2-stage Silent timing chain, quite different from the type of chains used on bicycles and most other chain-driven valvetrains including the new Honda 1.8L i-VTEC(I told you Honda has a lot of catching up to do and still has a long way to go; the picture they released shows one skinny roller or should I say "bicycle" chain ) and the Volvo V8.
These new Hyundai engines are a lot more sophisticated than you think.

gponick

I just got my 2006 GLS v6 base model a week ago. First off I must say... WOW. What a car. Anyway... I've gotta put my $.02 in on the gas mileage topic.

I've got about 240 miles on my car... and since I filled up(about 80 miles ago) I've got ~ 24.5 mpg. That's mixed highway/local... about 65% highway, 35% "local"... but local to me means about 35, with stoplights and signs. This is on 87 octane fuel, as per the book. I also do NOT use sports shift(I haven't quite mastered it yet:-p)

Onto the next topic... rebates. I bought this car last week, on Weds. It was still July. Now there are $1500 in additional rebates for my car... Am I entitled to them? I asked teh dealer when I bought the car if August would bring rebates, and ofcourse he said no inorder to get the sale. This is my first new car... and I'm not sure if I'm entitled to these rebates. I could wind up in an LX w/sunroof instead of a base GLS with this rebate:-p So any help you can give would be greatly appreciated:)

Thanks,
George

codata99

Don't be so sure about the 0.28 Cd.
This Tiburon review says Hyundai's own measurement of the Celica's Cd is quite different than the official Toyota figure.

http://autoweb.drive.com.au/cms/newsarticle.html?&start=&showall=&id=HYU&doc=hyu0203201

Scroll down to "Major Change Summary"; under "Aerodynamics,"

"Cd improved 7% to 0.342
(memo: Celica tested at 0.403 in same Namyang wind tunnel [Toyota website: 0.32 !])."

About the wind tunnel:

http://worldwide.hyundai-motor.com/common/html/about/news_event/press_read_1999_07.html

billward

gponick, you MIGHT indeed be able to get the rebates... but you probably aren't "entitled" to them.

Here's the scoop... in many states, you have either 3 days, 7 days, or 30 days to reverse an automobile purchase (not all states, though). In my state, I believe it's 7 days. Today is day 7 of your car. You can go to the dealer IF YOUR STATE IS 7 or 30 DAYS and tell them that you are either returning the car, then "buying it again" (or a different one! That might scare them, as they'd now have a slightly used car they have to sell as new!) and qualify for the rebates. Or they can just let you have the rebates, their choice. I bet you'd get the rebate.

Some dealers may also have a "good will" clause that'll get you the rebate.. or if there is ANYTHING about the car that's not AS SPECIFIED in the contract (ie., you ordered the car to have the autolocking doors enabled, and they told you to accept it today but bring it back next week to have that done) then you may also qualify.

Of course, IANAL. IANAL in your state, either, and some of this may very based on the dealership... but it's worth driving over tonight and telling them that you don't feel they dealt with you fairly over this, at the least.

codata99

Yes, the doors close like shutting a bank vault...compare that to Camry's. If you watch closely, you'll notice the door vibrates momentarily when it latches, like when you slam a storm door.

codata99

All V6 Sonatas and the engines are manufactured in Alabama.

gponick

Thanks billward. I just got off the phone with the Attorney General for my state, and unless its specified in the contract, that's not included. I'm gonna go down to the dealer today and basically push him for the $1500. Thats ALOT of money considering, and its not like I'm asking him to lower the price. All he has to do is do a little paperwork, and Hyundai will send him(or I) the money. FWIW, though, my Glove Box is discolored (it came that way), which might fall in the "Good will" clause... but then again, I haven't talked to the dealer... maybe he'll have no problem with it.

One other thing, the HMFC rebate... is that only for financing through HMFC, or is that a rebate in general?

Thanks,
gponick

backy

Generally you are not entitled to the rebates. However, you had an agent of Hyundai (the sales rep) tell you that there would be no rebates in August. You made a decision based on that information and suffered financial loss. If you can prove he said that, you could sue for misrepresentation. If it's just his word against yours, though... you might as well forget it and enjoy your new Sonata.

backy

Did you mean, all V6 Sonatas sold in the U.S. are made in Alabama? I know Hyundai makes them in Korea too.

billward

The HMFC is DEFINITELY going to be only if you fiananced through Hyundai; there is no way you'll get that otherwise.

In my area, there have been a few smaller rebates on the '06 since they came out...

$500 Owner Loyalty.
$500 Active Duty Military
$500 New College Grad.

Those are pretty much standard, though, and NEVER go away. My wife and I are waiting until March to buy our new Sonata... because she's going back to school (been going for a year) and will be graduating a year from now. Since that's within the 6 months Hyundai gives, we'll get an extra $500. Of course, we'll time it to get the best break in other rebates, too. We've pretty much agreed on the LX with the Sunroof.. and I believe that includes the 6 Disk changer, too. I'm trying to convince her to go either Silver or Bronze for the color, she wants the Cinnamon. :shades:

codata99

"Cruise control actually burns more gas because it uses more resources. Lightly place your foot on the pedal while using cruise control and you will feel the pedal moving up and down. This is due to vacuums and other mechanical and electrical components at work. Just keep that foot steady and the speedometer consistent."

Not all cruise controls are vacuum-modulated...it's really old technology. I'll be shocked if there's a new car that still comes with such a dinosaur under the hood. The new Sonatas have a electronically-controlled throttle(just read the '06 Accord's L4 will get it, see Honda taking baby steps to catch up? ), so they don't even need a separate cruise control module.

rrc

I think George is up the creek unless Hyundai has told the dealers to honor it if someone asks. Suing for $1500 is not terribly cost effective, and where do you draw the line as far as when rebates begin and end? Glad to see the rebates, though. Our 2 dealers here are still pushing 05's with little or no mention of 06 outside of "06's are here! at the bottom of their 05 ads. I've seen no 06's on the road in Tenn or NC, but we are getting new tv ads.

billward

Everything I've seen says that all V6 Sonatas sold in North America are being built in Alabama. All I4s are being built in Korea. That means all GLs are from Korea, all LXs are from Alabama, and some of the GLXs are from Korea and some from Alabama. If that's wrong, please let me know... I want an Alabama car, so we're looking exclusively at the V6 to begin with, but aren't drilling down.

backy

I am curious as to when the I4s will start rolling out of Alabama. That's what I would go for (GLS trim) because the V6 is way too powerful for my needs.

codata99

Yes all V6 Sonatas sold in the U.S.
I guess 6-cylinder models are made in Korea also as they are available in Europe. All cars produced in the Alabama factory are currently being shipped to the U.S. dealers only, but I was told some will be exported to Canada. don't know when that will happen.

codata99

I read that they would make the L4s when they add a second shift this week, if not started already.

billward

If I were Hyundai, I wouldn't role I4s out of Alabama until MY07, or even later. Aren't they gearing up to begin production of an SUV there simultaneous with the Sonata, that'll be out in January or so? For a brand new plant, the two different models with three or more trim levels each, with two (or three!) different engines, it would be too much to keep quality up, and right now, that's how they're going to turn the new Sonata into a Honda/Toyota killer, quality.... it would be different if the plant had been building cars for a couple years, though.

Just my thoughts.

fezzy

codata,
Just wanted to give an example by using a bicycle. The only real difference from a bicycle chain and a car is that one is adjusted by someone and the other isn't. Both go around sprockets and turn the crank, valves and so forth.

Chains have been around for the longest in engines.. The old infinity Q45, Lincoln, Ford, Chevy and Dodge and a few others have used chains for the longest. The chain actually makes the car cheaper to maintain. No, 60k or 120k changing...

codata99

The chains in the new Hyundai engines are not roller chains, the type used in most chain-driven engines. The Silent Chain is called inverted-tooth type, here's a photo from the Hyundai site.