Hyundai Sonata 2006-2007

krika

"3. One (or both) of your back speakers might be blown. Do you have your stereo set up with a lot of fade to the rear? If so, your factory speakers probably couldn't handle all the bass, and buzz now as a result of prior strain."

Ok, a break on this problem. Nothing is wrong with the speakers. The sound is heard even when the audio is not operating, when the car thuds over potholes. Its something like vibration of a metal sheet. And I opened up the trunk to look under the rear dash (is this the right term for the platform behind rear seats where the subwoofer is attached?) and narrowed it to something internal in the rear dash. Couldn't pinpoint the source. But again this is intermittent only, doesn't occur everytime I go over potholes or everytime my audio is loud. So I am reluctant to take it to the dealer lest it might disappear then.

kwonc71

My wife's MDX stalled twice on her last night. It only has 50,000 miles on it. MDX has no tune up schedule till 100,000 mile. I also had about five times engine stall problems on my Integra too, but it has 156,000 miles on it. She got scared and does not want to drive the MDX. On the other hand, My old 2000 Sonata, I never had to turn ignition switch more than once for 5 years 60,000 miles. Never had engine stall problem either. Even if Sonata had same problem, it would be still under the warranty at 50,000 miles. Could be the gas? I have been using same gas station for over 4 years. Hyundai or Kia had no such of problem. She should listen to me. I told her to buy brand new Santa-fe instead of MDX. Now, she wants Santa-fe or 2006 Kia Sedona. Too late. I hope it won't cost fortune to fix MDX's engine stall problem. Name brand don't mean anything to me. I love my Hyundai more.

lightfootfl

Right on that, touche' mister puddy tat. yep yep yep

stockmanjoe

That is a great story! I have a Honda Pilot 2 years old 36K on it hope it doesn't happen to me. I keep telling these people Honda is not the be all end all. My Honda Pilot doesn't have a trip computer, doesn't automatically lock when you get going, you have to be on top of the car for the keyless remote to work and has a blasted metal stick to prop up the hood - pretty bad for 30K. Oh its had several recalls including one for the trannie. My Sonata beats it in all those things.

I had a 94 Jeep Cherokee that stalled like that. It was a $75 part called the crank shaft sensor. I replaced and had no more problems. Good Luck and keep telling yourself "it's a Honda so it must be good" LOL!

haefr

"...I opened up the trunk to look under the rear dash (is this the right term for the platform behind rear seats where the subwoofer is attached?) and narrowed it to something internal in the rear dash..."

Used to be called the "package shelf". Make certain your fold-down rear seatbacks are both properly locked in place - that could be the source of the rattling. Give 'em each a firm tug forward without pressing the release. If either or both fold down, it/they were delivered unlocked by the dealer. To lock, just give it/them a good slam back to the upright position. (and re-test to verify proper locking) Another possibility is that a speaker fastener wasn't properly installed during assembly. Crawl into the open trunk and shine a light to verfiy the presence of all four fasteners that hold each speaker in place. If any are loose or missing, let the dealer take care of it as a warranty claim.

jimmy81

Hyundai or Kia had no such of problem.

Maybe your Hyundai didn't have a problem, but mine sure did. Can't believe you'd rather have a Hyundai or Kia over an Acura. My 2002 Sonata was a rattle trap, needed brake rotors every 12000 miles, the transmission slipped when it was cold, the horn got stuck after about 35000 miles, the trunk would take 2 slams to latch at times, and the steering wheel vibrated at high speeds.

I sold the car recently and bought an Accord. You can have your Hyundais.

bimmer4me

I frequent the MDX board often, I'm surprised I've never read a post regarding your MDX...yet you complain bout it in this thread? hmmm...

timnielsen

I have this exact same sound. About 15 feet after staring out (only after reversing), but mine is a sort of a grinding short little thing. It's scary sounding. Anyone figure out what it is?

nivek911

haefr:

Thanks for the excellent reply explaining the oil pressure. I thought 100lbs was a high "normal" pressure.

kwonc71

It will be at least under the warranty. Her MDX is not.

kwonc71

If that was my car, yes! I will post it on MDX forum. I don't go around forums and bashing other cars like some people do. It will only make Acura owners angry. I have enough people who disagree with me in this forum already.

bobemb

I've put about 5000 miles on my 2006 Sonata and love it! The service provided by the dealer was first rate (yeah Fitzmall!), the car is bigger than my 96 camry it replaced, the engine is more powerful, the torque is extraordinary. In the DC area we sit in traffic alot and a manual transmission can make your left leg go numb. The torque is so good that I do not have to shift as often as I did in my Camry. The level of standard equipment is higher than I could have asked for, the interior is very classy.

Some minor criticisms: Taking off in 1st gear is easy to stall it. I'm hoping that the transmission will learn me and I will learn it, but I've been driving manuals for 20 years. Gas mileage is disappointing, I thought I would get upwards of 30 MPG and have not even gotten to that point yet. I'm expecting that to improve as it wears in. The handling is that of a big car, not very nimble. On the other hand, cruising down the hwy at 70 is a breeze. Just a trade off I guess.

For those of you considering a practical car for your family, you cannot find a better value. I paid 16k out the door and have a top quality car. It's not that sexy, but either am I! :shades:

tb88

"In the DC area we sit in traffic alot... Gas mileage is disappointing, I thought I would get upwards of 30 MPG and have not even gotten to that point yet"

If you drive in 1st-2nd gear a lot or in stop and go traffic, you are not going to see 30 mpg+... Maybe 20-24 mpg.

30+ mpg is for freeway driving at steady speed (60-70mph) in highest gear and no stops!

backy

The car is EPA rated 20 mpg in the city. So if you are getting 19.5 mpg average with 95% city driving, that is actually pretty good.

inajoong

Point of illumination for the reading comprehension challenged: inajoong did not reference the "GLS" model in the post you're insultingly objecting to. He referenced the plural of the "GL"
model - "GLs". Get it now? The letter "s" was intentionally left uncapitalized.

THANK YOU!

inajoong

ps. currently at Rosen Hyundai, they are offering GLs for $15449.


That is a GL NOT a GLS

that is exactly what i said!!!
"GLs" meaning many many, as in plural,not "GLS"
GET IT?!?!?

pat

I believe we all GET IT - let's move on.

stockmanjoe

I looked at an Azera today - they are very nice!!

ontop

Did you drive it? I did. Don't see what the big deal is with the car. I actually thought the Sonata was the better buy. Seemed to have as much room and was as tight on the road. And for $6K less it seems the way to go.

blnewto

I checked it out but didn't drive one. Seems like it may be a tough sell for Hyundai, it's a nice looking ride, but the swooped back end makes it look a bit too small compared w/ the cars it's up against. With an MSRP of 30K (the model we saw), I think the Sonata's got a much better "bang 4 the buck".

johnson5

I hope Hyundai is reading all the reviews and the opinions of its customers and will improve the car little more in the next model year
such as some thing with suspension, seats, plastc interior upgrades and any mechanical issues.My neighbour got one and his city milage is 19 and Hwy is 26 at best.It dropped down a little in this cold weather.
Now he is waiting for another car that is for his daughter, Kia optima 2007, with a smaller engine 197 HP and about 10% less weight may get a little better mileage.
I am alsdo waiting for one.

bhmr59

Don't know what part of the country you're in, or what you mean by "this cold weather." Cold is relative when most peopel speak of it. (To me anything below 65 is cold, but my car doesn't react to the cold until the temp drops to 50 or so). Below 50 I've noticed a drop in MPG of 10% or more in my '05 Sonata & previous car ('91 Chrysler). Drop the temp into the 20's and lose another 10% MPG. This is based on my short haul driving. Maybe if I drove 20 miles to work the MPG drop wouldn't be as bad, but it would still drop significantly.

Most people will get their best milage, after the car is fully broken in at temperatures above 70...until it gets hot enough that they have the A/C cranking all the time.

My experience says A/C doesn't affect MPG as much as below freezing temps.

zen2

Anything below 65 is cold? High temperature here
in northwest Pa. has been around 29 in the last week
or more. I have noticed a significant drop in mpg,
at least 2 mpg, even though I've been driving mostly
highway miles.

jimmy81

A Sonata in NW PA? Yea baby. Living large!

A drop in mpg would be the least of my concerns.

bhmr59

I'm in CT, 60 miles from NYC. We've had similar weather to PA. The last couple weeks have been bad for MPG. But even at 50, you don't get as good MPG as you will at 70. (Below 65 is cold for ME, not the car).

cxc

Here's Kiplinger's list of Best in Class 2006 models:
Under $18,000: Volkswagen New Beetle
$18,000 to $23,000: Hyundai Sonata GL
$23,000 to $30,000: MINI Cooper S Convertible
$30,000 to $45,000: Acura TL
Over $45,000: Lexus LS 430
Sports Car: Chevrolet Corvette
Station Wagon: Volvo V70 R
Minivan: Honda Odyssey
Truck-Based SUV: Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland
Crossover SUV: Honda CR-V
Source: Kiplinger's Personal Finance

haefr

I would expect short tripping a cold engine during a work commute would result in p-poor fuel economy since the oil pan is exposed to c-o-l-d air - which tends to retard proper warm up of an already viscous fluid. But, I'm curious - how's your fuel economy in the cold (using your own definition of "cold") at highway speeds - driving conditions permitting - with about 15 miles since startup? (what I'm presuming would result in all components and fluids coming up to operating temperature) My reason for asking is that cold air entering the intake track is more dense - generally a benefit to combustion efficiency.

averigejoe

Very interesting! I like lists. And there are lots of them to look at.
In that Kiplinger's list, is it only price which determines class? I wonder what criteria were considered?
I wish more lists could be posted here. Anyone find any other published lists to share?

(or should this be another topic altogether?)

Oh, if you wondered too, check it out here: http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?contentid=4018597&src=msn

bhmr59

My '05 doesn't have a trip computer and I haven't done enough "warmed up" highway miles to give you a reliable answer...maybe 30 miles at a clip. But take two of those trips in one tank of gas and you don't get reliable information about the highway milage.

The Chrysler had a trip computer. It lost about 10 to 15% in highway MPG depending on how cold it was-outside temperature wise.

averigejoe

I have not driven the Azera either, but did drive both 4 and 6 cylinder Sonatas. I have to believe the ride and NVH (noise/vibration/harshness) levels of the Azera will make it seem much more luxurious than the Sonata. If Hyundai expects to sell Azeras for a lot more $$ than Sonata, the luxury better be obvious in those and other areas.
The Sonatas I drove felt like nice economy cars but not luxurious like certain Lexus, Lincoln and Jaguar models I've experienced.

zen2

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

desertguy

"The Sonatas I drove felt like nice economy cars but not luxurious like certain Lexus, Lincoln and Jaguar models I've experienced."

Why are you even mentioning those cars in the same breath as a Sonata? I owned a Lincoln LS, $40,000, a Jaguar XType, $41,000, and the Lexus ES330 is in the same class as far as price goes.(certainly not in handling). The Sonata is not promoted as any kind of luxury car at half the price. The Azera won't be in that class either. IMO, the Sonata (at least my LX model) compares very favorably with Camrys and Accords and that is the target market.

stockmanjoe

No I didn't drive the Azera. It reminds me alot of the Avalon. I was looking for a vehicle with better MPG so I am happy withthe Sonata.

averigejoe

I was responding to post #3350. If you go back and read it my post might be easier to understand.

Anyway, I am not expecting Sonatas to ride anything like the luxury cars I mentioned. And I said they don't. They ride like nice economy cars. I mentioned the Sonata in the same breath as the luxury cars to show the contrast, not the similarity; and because the previous poster had driven a Sonata and was wondering how the Azera could be worth so much more than the Sonata.
What I do think is that the Azera had better darn well ride a lot more like the luxury cars than the Sonata, or else Hyundai will have a hard time getting a lot more $$ for an Azera over what it gets for a Sonata.

johnson5

I guess the maxiumum consumption of Gasin cold weather occurs till the engine reaches the operating temparature. depending upon the temparature it may be 3-5 miles-of driving--- varies.
Even after the engine reaches the operating temp in cold weather there will be some drop in gas milage.
The air pressure in the tires also drops in the cold weather.
Gor my Honda CRV in near zero tempratures the gas conuption drops from 24 MPG to 18 in HWY driving.
As per epa the diff in gas mileage between HWY mileage for sonata vr is 30 for Azera is 29.
A mile difference in city MPG also.

averigejoe

EPA is 18/27 is what I've been seeing for Azera. 20/30 for Sonata v6. The 2005 XG350 was 18/26.

silverfox1

I live in Wisconsin and weather here has been on the cold side as of late. I drove to UW Platteville from Waukesha, WI. last Saturday with temperatures ranging from 7 degrees to a high of only in the teens. Drove 70-80 mph and could only squeak out 23 mpg with my 06 Sonata LX. Had a warmer trip to MO. last month with temperatures ranging from a low of 28 to a high of 40 degrees and got 28 mpg with less than 1800 miles on the car. I drove the same speeds, 70-80 mph. Hope this helps.

averigejoe

Wow!
22% better gas mileage with a temperature increase of about 22 degrees?
That is a huge difference given both trips were with a warmed up motor. I would not have guessed such a big change in MPG.

acurattle

Interesting. In that range of temps, looks like mileage varies by about 2 MPG for each 10 degrees (Fahrenheit) change. I wonder if anyone has any info of air temperature vs. mileage research studies done? What is the optimum outside air temp for highest mileage? That probably varies with engine design, barometric pressure, humidity, and so on, but based on previous posts about this, you'd think there must be some general "rule" that MPG tops out at, say, 50 to 70 degrees, for example. Or not. Anyone know??

johnap2

I was back at the dealer negotiating for a leftover 2005 Tucson for my wife when I saw the Azera and decided to give it a whirl. Unfortunately, I am unimpressed. I like the Sonata a LOT more. It seems the Azera is unrefined inside and did not drive any better than the cheaper Sonata. In my humble opinion, the interior of the Sonata is nicer. I am sure glad I bought the Sonata instead of waiting for the Azera!

On another note, weather here in Chicago has been around 0-7 degrees the last few weeks and I have noticed a significant reduction in my fuel efficiency. Without doing any simple math I am used to getting about 330 miles per tank of gas (all city driving). With the weather being cold I am now refueling at around 250-260 miles. I have a 4-cylinder GLS auto tranny with 5,000 miles.

zen2

I went in to get my first oil change on my GLS V6,
and had a coupon for 9.99 for my first change. The
service manager checked me out, and said I saved
30.00. I said that's strange since a sign on the wall
said oil changes were 25.95. He said because the oil filters cost more, and the V6 took more oil, and
it needed 5W-20, it was more expensive. So, the price
of an oil change is 39.99.

Anyone else get this crap from their dealer?

Also, I noticed what a big difference there was in the
dealer service area from the Honda dealer.
The Honda dealer has a separate waiting area, free coffee,
cookies, two large screen TV's, and Internet access.
The Hyundai dealer had 4 chairs in the showroom, and a TV
that didn't work, period.

silverfox1

Just a thought on my Sonata LX mpg in cold weather. My trip to UW Platteville was made with a full tank of local reformulated regular from Mobil. My trip to MO. took several tank fulls of out of state regular that was not reformulated. Passed experience on my 1997 Maxima and my ex 2000 VW GTI VR6 indicated a couple miles per gallon between good and reformulated gas. Hope this clears up some of the concern.

tb88

Yes, there is a price increase... like other outrageous service prices they charge for about any thing they do!

Hyundai will never catch-up with HONDA/Toyota... because of the CRAPPY DEALERS they have, no matter how cheap they will sell the cars!
Hyundai WOULD BE WISE to have company owned dealerships, and set standardized reasonable pricing in service and repair.
Most of the jump in sales last month is due to FLEET SALES: Rental Co buy cheap cars (Sonatas), to rent at comparable prices to Toyotas /Hondas and make good profit!
Most of the present Hyundai Dealers/Dealerships would be rejected by Honda/Toyota/Nissan...

backy

Hard to generalize from one dealer. The nearest Hyundai dealer to me has a very nice waiting area, comfy chairs, big TV, free coffee and cookies, free internet with PCs already there, free stereos with personal headphones, phones, work cubbies, etc. The other dealer I've been to for service has a nice big waiting room with free internet connections (need your own PC), and a 50s-style snack bar with (depending on time of day) pastries, hot dogs, cookies, slushies, pop, coffee etc.

snakeweasel

Hyundai will never catch-up with HONDA/Toyota... because of the CRAPPY DEALERS they have, no matter how cheap they will sell the cars!

The four Hyundai Dealerships that I have been to all are very nice and three of them actually combined with different makes (one also sells Buick and Saab, one Pontiac [I actually worked there in high school], and one VW). FWIW the owner of the Hyundai/Buick/Saab place also owns a Nissan franchise and the Pontiac/Hyundai also owns (or used to own) a Toyota franchise.

Hyundai WOULD BE WISE to have company owned dealerships,

If I am wrong in what I am about to say someone please correct me but I think that that would violate anti trust laws. Much the same way a movie studio cannot own movie theaters.

pat

in all the time I have been buying cars and hosting these forums, I have had and seen complaints and praises for just about every manufacturers' stores. I do not think that the manufacturer has anything to do with how individual stores treat customers. That's up to the dealership itself.

tb88

I have owned a Sonata 2001 until I bought a 2006 a few weeks ago. I have been to dealerships Up North (MI) and In Florida and most of them have CRAPPY everything and OUTRAGEOUS prices: ie. Timing belt replacement $500-$700 (I called several dealers in several states for quotes!)... the same high price goes for 7,500K/15K/30K maintenance.
That is the main reason I decided to trade my 2001 Sonata, rather than service it for 60k - plus I would need to buy new tires soon and do the Brakes and other things a 60k car will need!
I don't know what dealer you went to, but I I haven't seen anything you mentioned at the dealerships I visited! They all have chairs in the showroom with a Tv and some coffee (I never tasted it!).

zen2

Wow, coffee? Free?

chuck1

"Hard to generalize from one dealer. The nearest Hyundai dealer to me has a very nice waiting area, comfy chairs, big TV, free coffee and cookies, free internet with PCs already there, free stereos with personal headphones, phones, work cubbies, etc. The other dealer I've been to for service has a nice big waiting room with free internet connections (need your own PC), and a 50s-style snack bar with (depending on time of day) pastries, hot dogs, cookies, slushies, pop, coffee etc."

OK-nice waiting room. How about the quality and price of the maintenance? Someone once told me there are not any free lunches.....(or donuts, hotdogs, slushies, etc!

backy

Oil changes (with coupon, which I get in the mail) $17.95. 15,000 mile service on my '04 Elantra, including replacing 2 bulbs and the air filter, and less a free oil change coupon, $67. The listed prices for service are high, but what I do is go over the manufacturer's service schedule with the service writer and make sure I am only getting the services that Hyundai requires, or the car needs. It's amazing what that does to the cost! And they are fast--less than 1 hour for the 15,000 mile servicing, for example. They are not perfect, but I've had a lot worse.