Hyundai Sonata vs. Honda Accord vs. Toyota Camry vs. Ford Fusion

goodegg

DO a google search on Ford lawsuits.
Then Hyundai. Would you care to wager which brings up the
most hits.

Who cares?

Your experiment does what? Convince the world that Hyundai is so much better than Ford? Both manufacturers have less than stellar reputations in the US. Your slant towards Hyundai is obvious, so what anybody else says to the contrary does not compute with you. There are millions out there who are slanted against Hyundai BION.

My slant toward Honda does not cloud the fact that other car companies make good vehicles. If I bought a Ford I'd take care of it, get any warranty work done, and expect 80,000 miles on it before trading/selling it in 5 years.

But I'm not buying a Ford. Leaning toward 07 Camry.

jordan5cyl

I've seen spy pictures of the new Camry. The seats are just as flat as they are now. The Camry is for drivers who prefer a more relaxed drive and don't corner hard enough to need any form of side bolstering.

Even the new Camry looks like a bore to me. It will be reliable and fast with it's new engine, but don't expect it to feel sporty.

If Toyota made the Camry more sporty, they'd lose a lot of buyers.

jimmy81

May the better company prevail!!

I doubt the better company will prevail if its Hyundai. My 2002 Sonata was full of aggrivating problems in the 4 years I owned it.

I just bought an Accord. My girlfriend's Accord has been super. Never anything wrong with it in 3+ years. I'll put my vote in for Honda prevailing. Never again a Hyundai for me.

zen2

But 20 to 1? And I checked a few, and they were indeed
lawsuits against Ford for everything from fires to
defects causing accidents. Several lawsuits not only
the vehicle was F. O. R. D.

zen2

I'm not really slanted toward Hyundai. I am still
on the fence about my Sonata. I also own a Honda.
and traded a Honda for that one. No problems so far with
my CRV, after one year. In the last 12 years I've
owned 4 Hondas, with only one major problem. Hondas
are good cars. I would have bought the Accord, except
for the 6000 dollar price difference.

Before the Hondas, I had three Fords. Let me see,
replaced tranny in one, replaced engine in another,
replaced turbocharger in another, faulty drive
shaft in the one with the tranny. All these problems
before 48K, even though I go overboard with the
routine maintenance. Then my daughter had the engine
fire in her brand new Explorer.

Anyway, if you do buy that Ford, make sure you buy a fire extinguisher on your way home from the dealer.

romanc54

I've been very gentle on my '06 Sonata V-6 LX, therefore, my car may not be completely broken in. I only use it for family outings and they usually are in town, only 95% of the miles on it are city miles. All the highway miles go to an old 4-banger Toyota, going to and from work. I am a bit disappointed in the actual MPG average my Sonata is getting. So far it is giving me a combined average of 19.4 MPG at 3,500 miles. I hope this helps those looking for a number on the combined gas mileage. I'm going to have the dealership take a look at it after X-Mas. I'll post an update afterwards.

thegraduate

Am I mistaken, or are the Fusion's taillights made the same cheap way as the Taurus'? By this, I mean, the taillight/brakelight/blinker is all from the same bulb (no seperate blinker). I got cut-off by a Fusion on the way home and noticed what I think was an all-in-one taillight. The problem with these is that you don't get the effect of the brakes and blinker at once, making a split second delay in my realizing they are stopping to turn, not just changing lanes, or signaling a turn in the near future. I thought that surely Ford would have moved along further than that!

rdillier

"Anyway, if you do buy that Ford, make sure you buy a fire extinguisher on your way home from the dealer."

Zen: I think that advice is WAY off base... I'd have the fire extinguisher handy BEFORE I went to the dealership!!!

fushigi

You're getting 19.4 MPG on a car rated at 20 MPG city when 95% of your driving is city. Are you complaining about a 0.6MPG difference?

hansienna

NOT one has had an engine fire or fire anywhere else. The Ford Fusion is NO more likely to catch on fire than the Accord or Sonata.

blnewto

I liked the overall Fusion package, thought some of the trim looked of a cheaper quality than some of the other comparable cars. The main gripe I had about the Fusion was the white-out tail lenses and the flashy grill. Too much "look at me" for my taste.

snakeweasel

My Lincoln caught fire this summer. But to be honest its almost 70 years old and needs a lot of work. We think we might of did something to the fuel line working on it.

pat

Seventy years old?

snakeweasel

Well lets see its 2005 almost 2006 and the car was made in 1937 that would make it 68 or 69 years old, so yes almost 70 years old.

alpha01

Its a Lincoln and it caught fire?
Haha.

~alpha

zen2

Well, if you want to know about some just do a
search on Ford engine fires. Many interesting
stories. The worst thing, in my opinion, is not the
fires, but that the company in almost all cases
would do nothing to help their customers.

lightfootfl

Fire or not, Ford isn't interested in helping their customers with any kind of warrantee problems. They will stall anyway they can, and then argue about ??? so they can get out of it. PS I have had several Ford warrantee and non warrantee problems. They do live up to the "Fix Or Repair Daily" branding. But possibly having put several hundred thousand miles on various ones I have just been the unlucky one.

oldjoe

I also have a 2002 V-6 XLS Ford Escape and find their warrantee very good, right down to replacing rubber grommets on the gas door. I guess it depends on the dealer...working with one service writer at a specific Ford dealer (where you bought the vehicle) has been good for me for many years.

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

thegraduate

I'm kind of surprised at a few of these. Do they take reliability in to account? How does Kiplinger do their testing (or do they test, even?)? Any info would be great, folks! Thanks a bunch!

thegrad

ontop

Kiplinger's is so LameO.

The Mini Cooper?

Who buys a car based on these lists anyway. Buy what you want, not what some knuckleheads say you should.

And Kiplinger's is hardly objective.........

stockmanjoe

Kiplinger's is right on withthe Sonata! It is THE car to buy this year!!

ctalk

Honda Accord can't fit into the category :P

$18,000 to $23,000

But I think the Sonata should get the award, it is a great value. But the Mini Cooper and VW Beetle as best in class seem odd IMO.

Also, the Accord won Car and Driver's 10 best cars again.

jimmy81

But you have to explain to everyone you come in contact with why you bought a Hyundai, instead of just getting a CamCord and being accepted.

backy

Of course it can, e.g. the Accord LX fits nicely into that price range. But the Accord LX simply is not as good a car at that price as the Sonata, as the comparo by Edmunds.com illustrated.

backy

Well, it's a great conversation starter!

thegraduate

Well, it's a great conversation starter!

You are right about that! As far as features go, you are right, the LX Accord is not a good comparison with the LX Sonata...Perhaps the LX V6 Accord and the GLS V6 Sonata? The price difference is a couple thousand here, but the cars are closely matched.

jimmy81

You're absolutely right. Maybe one day Hyundai will achieve that elusive 'you're OK' label that CamCord has. Times change. 10 years from now the CamCord could be dead. And the Chinese version will be here.

bhmr59

Who cares what "everyone" thinks? Do you buy a car to impress people, who probably couldn't really care less? Or do you buy a car that fits your needs and presents, in YOUR opinion, good value for the money?

Kinda reminds me of all the "nonconformists" who have to be sure they do whatever their group of friends do.

If people accept me based on the car I drive, I don't need their acceptance.

If someone asks why I bought a Sonata, I'll tell them. I don't care what kind of car someone else drives. If an acquaintance has a $90,000 Mercedes or an old Honda worth $2,000, that doesn't change my impression of the person.

snakeweasel

I hate to say this but the same can be said for anything like it (J.D. Powers, car mags, CR).

snakeweasel

I never had to explain why I bought a Hyundai, except to the occasional knuckelhead who is blind to anything that isn't Japanese.

zen2

A couple of thousand? If that were true, I'd probably
be driving a Honda Accord LX V6 right now. Try
5 grand. No rebates and not much discount on the LX
V6. Or are you just talking sticker? BTW,
I had occasion to visit the local Honda dealer
today, and the Accord seats may be worse than
the Sonatas. Definitely not like my 2000 Accord LX V6.

ctalk

I had occasion to visit the local Honda dealer
today, and the Accord seats may be worse than
the Sonatas. Definitely not like my 2000 Accord LX V6.

IMO the Accord's seats are the best in class, and is a great improvement over the previous model. Besides, almost all of reviewers seem to agree with me :P

I know, I know, these are all personal opinions.

lightfootfl

Well said, thank you.

jimmy81

the Accord seats may be worse than
the Sonatas.

Worse at what? Allowing you to slide off even more than Sonata's. You CAN'T tilt the Sonata's seat bottom up anything past horizontal. And that's very weak.

But if you like the 'falling off the edge' feeling when you're driving, then the Sonata is for you.

The Accord's adjusts infinitely more ways than Sonata's.

backy

Actually you can tilt the Sonata's seat cushion past horizontal, but only with the power seat. FWIW, I found the same problem with the Accord's base seat (the one that has only one adjustment for the seat bottom), but it was passable for me.

snakeweasel

I don't know how people came up with this sliding thing. I didn't feel like I was sliding when I sat in the Sonata. While they weren't the best seats I ever sat in they were far more than adequate.

I did find the Accords seats rather uncomfortable as they seemed to exert a lot of pressure on the sides of my lower back. Not sure how long I could go in one of those, but my guess is not to long.

ontop

Well there's a surprise - you don't like anything other than a Hyundai.

I'll tell you 'how they came up with this seat thing'. Because its there and very noticeable, but of course you would NEVER admit or accept that fact because its a problem on the Sonata.

Do you ask the millions of people driving around in Accords how they can stand the seats?

snakeweasel

First off I do like things that are not Hyundai, I also own a Caddy and really like the Milan and have said so on this forum. Just because I like Hyundai and think they make good cars doesn't mean I don't like anything other than Hyundai. FWIW I was very critical of the XG and I am luke warm on the new Areza.

As for the Sonata seat thing I will never admit to it yes, but because I don't experience it. I cannot admit to something I cannot see. Man I want to say something but I know it will only get me in trouble.

As for the Accords seats I am not the only one who has stated that the Accord seats are uncomfortable, others on this thread have said the same thing so I am not making it up.

stickguy

Funny, but I found the Accord EX-L to have comfortable seats. I plan to look at one again today, so will concentrate on that feature.

I only did a quick test sit in the SOnata, but I know I wouldn't like living with those seats (I sat in one with Leather). Way to soft/spongy.

I prefer a firmer seat, but the place i sometimes have trouble (and I think what has been Honda's problem lately) is the amount and location of the Lumbar support. That absolutely killed the Civic for me.

jimmy81

Actually you can tilt the Sonata's seat cushion past horizontal

No - you actually can't, which is why I posted it. Others have said the same, so I drove the Sonata LX to check this exact issue out. And the seat is too flat. You'd think someone would have realized this in the design of the seat and added another inch or two to the tilt up feature. Otherwise I liked the car.

backy

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one then, because I just sat in a Sonata LX again the other day and specifically tested the tilt of the seat, and it DID tilt beyond horizontal at max stops. But not by much, and not as much as I would like.

streetster

There is only one thing i would like to say

The Hyundai Sonata is a clear winner in this price category.
Ford Fusion is still a Ford although more refined.
CamCords are just too popular which is why they are ridiculously expensive.

Sonata once again is a clear WINNER

snakeweasel

Your opinion is shared by others in this forum including me. But I still might get that Milan over the Sonata its close.

ontop

Don't think its a clear winner (maybe over the Fusion). The Sonata is a brand new model. The new Camry will up the ante with its debut, and the Accord will call their raise. This will leave Sonata with their plain, dated styling, and the Hyundai negative reputation hanging around their neck to compete with the Japanese juggernaut.

skarkada

I am one of the recent converts. I traded in 1996 Camry and got a 2006 Sonata on 12/17/2005.

I should not be commenting on the quality of our new Sonata within a week of buying it, but I abosolutely haven't noticed anything wrong with the seat. Actually, I don't even know what you guys are talking about.

The Camry has really serverd us well for about 10 years. No major problems what-so-ever. Minor problems are listed below:

1) Antenna quit working (but makes grinding noice). Radio works fine though.
2) Two of the inside door handles broke apart.
3) Vibration
4) Bumper color doesn't match body color any more
5) Rear suspension had some kind of problem that made noice when driving on rough roads

I have been driving the Camry commuting everyday until the day we traded it in. (Aging was quite visible, though.)

The reason for our conversion is based on value. Recent articles on improved Hyundai quality, warranty, US assembly, dealer's courteous treatment, MP3 player, consealed antenna, all helped in the decision.

When we visited the local Toyota dealer couple of weeks ago, we noticed that they still behave the same way as they were 10 years ago. Regardless our repeated mentioning that we really don't care what they have in stock, he wasted half an hour of our time pointing to the computer monitor and explaining the cars they have.

stockmanjoe

I love this arguement. It is so funny! A guy I work with has a 2003 Honda Accord and he hates the seats in it. It is his only complaint but he complains about it all the time. I suggested he get a new one put in.

As for me I have no complaints about my Sonata seats they are firm but I find them comfortable.

snakeweasel

Is it just me or the just the Honda dealers around my neck of the woods. But in the last month I have gone to three local Honda dealers and spent a considerable amount of time in each and never once was asked by a salesperson if they could help me. Is this common to all Honda dealers or just the few that I went to?

And yes I did take a shower those days and put on clean clothes

backy

I have noticed that kind of behavior a lot too, but the last two times I visited a Honda dealer (two different ones actually) I was greeted promptly and the service was courteous. So maybe they are learning.

ctalk

I love this arguement. It is so funny! A guy I work with has a 2003 Honda Accord and he hates the seats in it. It is his only complaint but he complains about it all the time. I suggested he get a new one put in.

As for me I have no complaints about my Sonata seats they are firm but I find them comfortable.

For me, I am perfectly fine with my Accord's seats.

Something you should note:
Some reviewers have criticized the Sonata's front seats (in the leather model)I can't seem to find a review that criticized the Accord's seats for being uncomfortable.