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Comments
Dealers try to add on little 'extras' into the price that are down right rip-offs. Don't stand for it!
'Vin etching'. Give me a break...
I think I paid $80 in documentation fees, plus tax and title and everything. It was just under $23k I think all in.
I'll do the window etching myself, costs about $30 online for a kit to do it.
I'm an insurance agent in CT and don't know of an insurance company that offers discounts for window etching, although many salesmen will lie about the supposed insurance discount. They also imply that the discount applies to your entire premium, rather the just the "other than collision (comprehensive)" portion of the premium. Window etching is one of the biggest rip-offs available on any product sold in the USA. VIN's have been displayed on the dash of every car since about 1968. The VIN is visable from outside the car near the lower left portion of the windshield. If a cop or anyone is looking for a particular VIN, they look there. They don't need window etching. It doesn't cost the dealership $25 to etch the windows...but they charge $200?
The doc. fee, at least in CT has to be filed with some state agency. It's a make believe number designed to pick the buyer's pocket. I paid an exorbinante $479 doc fee in April when I flew to FL to buy my car. Local dealer had a charge of $398.50. However, FL dealer was about $1800 less out the door than the CT dealer, with the same 6% sales tax.
Tell them you won't pay for worthless window etching and then focus on out the door price including tax, etc., plus whatever the doc.fee may be. If you don't focus on all inclusive out the door price they'll have your head spinning and will try to convince you $X is a great deal, even though it cost you $X +++.
You have no idea what you're talking about. It's not about identification, it's about deterring thieves.
If it was worthless, why are countless police stations around the country holding free VIN etching events? Why does the insurance give discounts? (yes, Geico most certainly gives a discount. It ain't much, but it IS a discount)?
The fact is, VIN etchind does at least two things:
1) Since the VIN is etched in all the windows, those windows can't be sold. The windows are a fairly expensive part of what they want. So I do believe it will discourage some thiefs.
2) It's a liability for a chop shop to have lying around all this glass with a stolen VIN etched on it. They'll have to destroy the glass, or dispose of it, another step. So they won't want cars with the VIN etched into all the glass.
And yeah, it's a ripoff to have your dealer do it. It's pretty easy to do, and many kits are available online (www.vinshield.com, www.vinguard.com, www.vinetcher.com, www.autoetch.net/etchkits.htm) etc. About $20-$30, seems well worth it to me.
You are correct about 8 mph being the speed at which the ABS hydraulic pump performs its self-test (it's actually 0-8, but I've never stopped moving after I've started to confirm this). It does this during the first acceleration of every ignition switch cycle and it will do it in reverse too. The "tap" is felt in the brake pedal, however, not the gas pedal.
Over the weekend I burned a single MP3 that was over 1 hour long and I listened to the first 15.5 minutes straight. There was never any problem like what you described a couple of weeks ago.
Believe what you want. My assessment is not based on limited experience of a few people, but of hundreds (thousands?) of clients ever since window etching became available.
What is the deterrance based upon, if not identification? The bad guys are already breaking the law. The etching doesn't scare them away. The glass isn't that expensive to replace. Just had a new windshield installed by a national reputable firm for $220 (tax included) in a 2000 Saab 9-5. Told them no insurance involved and they discounted the price.
Cops do the etching for the publicity/good will generated.
Many insurance companies offer various discounts for marketing purposes, not based on loss experience. In CT, we're seeing the gradual elimination of "drivers ed" and "good student" discounts. Not all companies are doing this, but it is the trend for the newer rating methods. In CT, all people under 18 must take drivers ed to get their license. Over 95% of new drivers are under 18, so the factor of drivers ed is already recognised in the loss experience. Good student was a marketing gimmick from day one, there was no statistical evidence.
If spending 15 minutes or so plus about $25 to etch your windows makes you feel better, by all means do it. I think it has no value, you think it does. We agree on not paying the rip-off prices that dealers charge for it.
As for the mp3 issue, try listening to the same CD after driving around for a while (like an hour or so). You then might experience the skipping on longer mp3s. I think it's something in the unit overheating. It may just be a sample defect, though. Remember that we're talking about an mp3 CD, not a really long mp3 that you burned as a regular audio CD.
One new issue. Now that I have a Sonata with a sunroof, I've noticed some rattling from somewhere in the sunroof area when driving over bumps in warmer weather. I'm a little disappointed, especially after reading how "obsessed" Hyundai's chariman was about quality in the new Sonata (for example, there's a rubber strip on the bottom of the doors to prevent a rattle that showed up in testing -- it took 2 months to fix). Has anyone else had any sunroof rattles in their new Sonata? This might be possible TSB material
I haven't had any other issues, so I have yet to visit the dealer about it. Probably TSB material
How will Katrina affect the production schedule?
And, will quality suffer due to weather/other conditions?
That slow? I know my 2.7L V-6 is no ball of fire, but Consumer's Union or Consumer's Report (forget which) reported 8.7 sec. when they pulled a 0-60 run on the previous generation Sonata they reviewed. Assuming their testers aren't rabid car guys I could almost expect a seasoned driver might pull just under 8.5 sec in a properly broken-in 2.7L Sonata - but that's purely speculation. I never have found a full test in the mainstream auto rags* on the prior generation Sonata 2.7L V-6.
*Motor Trend
Car & Driver
Road & Track
Thanks
It could very well be something overheating because when I eject a CD that I've been playing, it seems to be very warm.
yes, many have brought points about options and several amenity issues, but jojoe you have touched upon the most important thing about owning a car, enjoying the drive~~~ happy driving~~ ^^
I recall the front headrests 'ratchet' forward three clicks. You can 'ratchet' (i.e. pull and hear a little 'click' sound) it forward, but if you go to far, it springs back to the 'back' position, meaning you have to ratchet it forward again, being careful not to go too far again!
I question whether this will cause any problems in the event of a rear-end collision, when one's head will go backwards (relative to the seat) while the headrest allegedly goes up and forward. i.e., will the travel of the headrest going foward cause it to travel beyond the 'foremost ratchet point' and spring backwards???
Don't know. I hope the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: www.iihs.org) or NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: www.nhtsa.gov) test this issue. (Hopefully, this issue will NOT-present during testing, which is different for each agency.)
The front seat active headrests are the number one reason I'm even considering the Sonata, since non-life threatening rear-end collisions occur much more frequently than life-threatening accidents. (i.e. the odds are much greater of having a rear-end accident than other types, and few manufactures seem to care much at all at preventing or minimizing whiplash injuries.)
(Am I remembering this right??)
My buddy's Toyota Tacoma has a simple layout whereby one can adjust volume, tuning (i.e. up or down station, or up and down CD track), and mode (CD/radio).
Is the Sonata like this, or, as I recall, is tuning NOT available on the steering wheel, but only volume?
And IF only volume, does anyone know if this may change soon? (i.e. with advent of satellite radio?) Or, might it be a 'service fix' sometime later?
If I knew that they'd change this configuration in the future, I'd probably just wait for it to come out. Or at least see if the 2007 Elantra has a better steering wheel volume/tuning configuration. Along with the breakaway mirrors, foglights, black leather, and satellite navigation!
It should be noted that C&D testers are not noted to get the best fuel economy from ANY vehicle they test. I think, in addition to them being heavy footed the results include all performance testing.
2006 Sonata LX 3.3 liter V-6 5 speed auto. C&D Aug 2005 says:
0-60..7.0 sec. 0-100..19.3 sec 0-110..24.8 sec, 1/4 mile...15.5 @ 92 MPH, top speed (drag limited) @ 137 MPH. Braking...70-0...191 Ft. observed fuel economy..19 MPG. This car weighs over 250 lbs more than the 2002 car plus as you all know it is larger in all dimensions.
Many of you "baby boomers" who have lived through the muscle car era of the 60's and early 70's (I had a 1970 Chevelle SS-454) know drag racing is won or lost by the tenths of a second or fractions of a MPH at the end of the 1/4 mile so this disparity is monumental. Although I guessed wrong as to the actual speediness of the previous generation Sonata the end result is the same ...a crop duster being straifed by a F-14.
was really the best car buying experience that I think I could have
had, so I would say it's just the dealer (I had been in before and asked
them to keep me up to date on deals). Anyway I'd give them a
recommendation anyday.
Ended up driving out with a 2006 Black LX with premium package 3 for
$21,700 drive out (car, tax, tag and title).
And I really love the car. Somebody said amenities like a Lexus, I
agree.
Friendly!? kydave, think of your new car as a rolling "Borg": "Comply. Resistance is futile."
Shawn
Was the price you received before or after rebates?
It looks like you may have received a good price. I am considering this as well as the Azera (when it comes out).
I wonder if owning a Kia will qualify for the $1000 owner rebate???
The car is a real pleasure to drive and VASTLY superior (in every respect) to my 2001 V6 Sonata. I shopped around and considered the Accord, Camry and Mazda 6.....I am happy with the choice, excited about the car and I hope that it stands the test of time.
2. Not sure, except what I see as not really in automatic climate control anymore.
The automatic climate control is meant to give you air or heat as needed. When you set it to lo, the heat will probably not come on and it will stay on a/c.
3. Not sure
I find it noticibly more quiet and holds the road much better.
I believe it has variable speed power assisted steering, I don't find I have to turn the steering more than the 02.
Could this be due the '06's turning diameter being 1.4 ft more than the '05 turning diameter?
I always laugh when I read things like this. You do realize that power output and efficiency are competing attributes . . . right? What do you realitstically expect . . . a 270hp V6 that gets 37 mpg highway and 28 mpg city? or a 185hp I4 that gets 42 mpg highway and 31 mpg city?
You're asking for the best of both worlds.
MPG = 23.6
MPH = 34 (a little more stop and go traffic with the labor day weekend)
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/FEG2005.pdf
I'm am really close to getting the Sonata GLX V6. I live in Ontario as well and was wondering what the final price you paid for the car. From the forum it seems that the US are getting the car for around $21,500 US complete with taxes etc. I now there is a big difference between the US and Canadian prices. Are there any rebates or incentives for Canadians as well? I have looked everywhere in Ontario for information and haven't found a thing. The dealers I have talked to say that there are no new Sonata's and therefore are not willing to negotiate.
thanks :confuse:
http://automobiles.honda.com/models/specifications_full_specs.asp?ModelName=Accord+Sedan&C- ategory=2
I think you have the dimensions for the LX and DX Accord.
You'd be hard pressed to find any car with a sunroof that's only three feet wide.