Midsize Sedans 2.0

sandman_6472

How do you like the Sentra? We were at the Nissan store yesterday and found the 2011 seats to be very comfortable but hated the outside mirrors, they have an odd shape to them. But overall impressed with the car. Not to sure about the CVT though. They also had a Rogue with aftermarket leather...nice ride with great ingress/egress for my spinal issues. Thoughts...opinions?

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

jeffyscott

Far less than $50 per year, if you get it via your auto insurance, rather than AAA. I pay $8 per year per car through my insurance.

The other option is credit cards, which don't provide free service but at least you can call and get help dispatched and pay for the actual service yourself.

This is really a benefit that costs the manufacturer next to nothing, which is why I am surprised to learn it is not universal. We got 4 years on VW and 3 on Mazda, both matching the bumper-to-bumper warranty at the time of purchase.

More significantly both also provided free loaner car, when we had a warranty repair. I assume there is nothing unusual about that and that every manufacturer provides a free loaner, at least in cases where the car has to be kept for more than a day?

sandman_6472

Not all provide a loaner car...but they should. We got 5 years with our Mazda & now our insurance provides it to us. Especially nice that our girls have it on their cars...even though they've got newish cars...sh-t happens. But we love our free roadside just for the piece of mind...all makers should provide it for the life time of the car & be done with it!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

m6user

I think supplying a loaner is strictly a dealer perogative and has nothing to do with the manufacturer. There may be a couple of manufacturers that somehow force the dealer to do it but I'm pretty sure it is few and far between. Manufacturers may encourage it though.

jeffyscott

I am quite certain that for warranty work car was paid for by Mazda and VW, not the dealer. The paper work was for rental car and the rental car appeared on the warranty receipt. With one dealer I even had to go to enterprise to get a rental car. Perhaps "loaner" was the wrong term to use, these were rental cars either from the dealer's in- house rental fleet or from Enterprise.

Because we had an extra vehicle that needed to be used anyway, I turned down the free loaner/rental one time and the service adviser called several times when repairs were delayed, telling me that VW would pay for rental car if I wanted it.

backy

Well, since the Sentra is a mid-sized sedan in the eyes of the EPA at least, I'll provide a short response: it's a good little car, and IMO the best new car I could get (last April anyway) for $179/month sign-and-drive. Smooth-riding, quiet, comfortable, decent back seat for a compact (outside) car, quality look and feel to controls, good mpg with a light foot (CVT). Mirrors are nice and big, the only thing I don't like about them is they don't fold. Fits my needs well, and if something better is available when the lease is up, I can toss the keys and walk away.

Funny story: the sales rep I work with, who drives a new, leased E350, saw my Sentra in a parking lot the other day and asked, "Is that your Lexus?" I told him it's mine, just not a Lexus. Not a "car guy", obviously.

m6user

I think you were lucky on the manufacturers. Here's an excerpt from an article on autoblog.com posted today.

Looking to get some scheduled service work done on your GMC or Buick? If so, you may want to hold off for a couple weeks. Bloomberg is reporting that General Motors is considering instituting a vehicle loaner program for customers who bring in their vehicle for warranty work.

GM covers several brands. I don't think Ford(the manufacturer) has any program where it automatically provides loaners or rentals but dealers might. Even my Infiniti dealer doesn't guarantee a loaner but provides one if available.

dash5

New article and video on the Sonata 2.0T:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1010_2011_hyundai_sonata_2_0t_test/in- dex.html

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1010_2011_hyundai_sonata_2_0t_test/in- dex.html#ooid=lzbTdyMTp2tDrBvBAzBJfXrKYC19Fn0j

"As its performance on our test track reveals, the all-new Sonata 2.0T lives up to the hype. It not only ticked off a few more boxes, but likely its chief rivals as well..."

akirby

Ford provides a subsidy to the dealer for rentals/loaners. I believe it covers all Lincolns under warranty and Fords for at least the first year. But my Ford/Lincoln dealer usually provides one regardless.

jeffyscott

Our 1997 windstar had a free loaner for 1st 12 months. I don't know if that was the dealer or Ford at that time.

My kid was looking at a Lancer and the salesman told him there was free loaner, when warranty repairs are needed. Did not ask about the details, but I think that meant for 5 years and, if it were a power train issue, 10 years.

suydam

My Nissan dealer let me drive a '10 Altima over the weekend when I had to leave my old Maxima there, and we live 45 miles away. It was nice -- like getting an extended test drive. I think that would be smart for dealers to do.

scottl

I drove one yesterday.

Holy cow, what a nice car. 198hp direct injection 2.4L 4 cylinder, 6-speed auto or manual, 35 mpg(!), 4 wheel disk brakes, stability/traction control, 5 Star crash ratings under the NEW standard, bluetooth/iPod standard, steering wheel controls for stereo, phone, cruise, and info center, huge trunk, interior rated as full sized, very quiet, great firm ride, looks awesome. 5 year/60K miles bumper to bumper, 10 years/100K powertrain, 5 year unlimited on roadside assistance.

Made in the USA.

It gets rave reviews from all sources.

$19K with destination and dealer fees included.

Nothing in its class can touch that deal.

cannon3

As I don't doubt your review of the Sonata.. I do disagree with one point.

Made in the USA

How about we change this to assembled in the USA. The domestic content of the Sonata is 43%. Americans assemble the vehicle. I could go further and educate you about the tooling, spare parts, lead engineers/technicians in this plant.. but this is for another topic..

Cheers..

backy

If you want to get nit-picky about it, than the correct thing to say is, "Americans assemble the vehicle and make 43% of its parts--including the engine (and soon the transmission)."

Find any machine these days of any size/complexity that has all of its parts made in the USA. I'll bet there's few if any of them. Even some "American" cars like the Ford Fusion have relatively low American parts content. But it's assembled in Mexico. Does that make the Sonata more "American" than the Fusion??

ergsum

Note the revised front end that differs from the pre-production model.

Sonata Hybrid Review

m6user

Like it. The hood is a little less melted look than normal Sonata and looks a lot better than most other hybrids. Noticed that they didn't give the steering wheel the beige insert to match the seats and it looks a hell of a lot better than the color treatment in the normal Sonata. The tranny should give a lot more of a regular car drive experience.

I'm anxious to see what the Optima Hybrid looks like. Haven't really seen thing on that, even pre-production.

dash5

Ditto on the Optima Hybrid. I like the Sonata Hybrid looks, and again some high praise in that article for the car overall and the hybrid drive train and batteries. Personally, I'd kill that chrome piece in front and remove that black plastic bar across the front. It'd look even better.

In any case, another hit for Hyundai looks like.

m6user

Yeah, that chrome piece on the hood reminds of some after-market add on.

dash5

So what does everyone think of the new Regal in terms of classification. I personally have it on my list along with the Kia Optima, Sonata and Ford Fusion. It will cost more at the high end but it already fits in under 30k and they will be adding lower end models (soon?).

Anyone else cross shopping the Buick in with the other midsized sedans?

It's going to come down to test drives and I'm really hoping to get the process going by year end but waiting on all the new cars coming out is taking quite a while.

stephen987

The question really boils down to whether there exists such a market. At $27k it's a very appealing alternative to a Sonata Limited or an Accord EX-L. At $30k it's a tough sell against an Acura TSX. At $33k it's a no-go against an Infiniti G37.

dash5

I'm seeing the Buick pop up all over with comparisons to the Sonata 2.0T. They are pretty close in price and offer turbo 4's instead of a V6. I think a lot of people will cross shop them.

m6user

I agree with you. There is only about a 2k price difference in the Sonata LTD turbo and the Regal CXL turbo and they are equipped very similar with both having a couple of pluses that the other doesn't. With the Sonata you get better mpg and power and with the Buick you get a tighter, euro type handling drive and a little more upscale interior from a materials aspect. Warranties are even somewhat similar but obviously the Hyundai holds the lead there.

Just because Buick markets itself as the next premium brand, I think it's still in the inbetween land and will be looked at by both mainstream midsize buyers and premium brand buyers looking to save a few bucks. Don't know if either will buy it though....that the big question.

mz6greyghost

My wife is interested in the Regal (to replace the Altima). She is looking for an "upscale" type sedan, and she loved the Aura. Besides the exit of Saturn, the Aura wasn't available with a manual (the Altima is a 2.5S 6-speed manual), and both engines on the Regal will be available with a manual (and a bold move for Buick, of which I commend them).

Buick is indeed an "in-between" brand, not mainstream (Chevy), but not luxury (Cadillac). Yet, GM has a ton of potential to make Buick a household name again, catching the attention of performance-oriented buyers (Pontiac) as well as trying to keep current Saturn owners within the GM family. Its going to take a LOT of work to convince buyers that Buicks aren't just for the retired set, but the Regal IMO is a step in the right direction.

dash5

Purely on paper the Sonata/Optima twins look like the better buy. Less expensive, more power, better FE, more room, more tech. Better warranty). More color choices. Styling is subjective but I like the Optima better than the Regal.

For the Buick, the interior looks really nice in pictures, the test drive reviews I've read have been very favorable in the case of the turbo. It's been around as a Insignia for a while, but then again it's significantly reworked in the US form from what I've read.

Again though that is on paper. A lot of reviews mention the refinement and feel of the Buick and that counts for a lot in my book.

m6user

Again though that is on paper. A lot of reviews mention the refinement and feel of the Buick and that counts for a lot in my book.

I agree, it counts a lot in mine too. I really like the looks of the Regal as it kind of reminds me a lot of the Infiniti G. I really can't say I like the Optima better because I've only seen it in pictures. The Regal didn't really wow me in pictures but when I saw it in person I liked it alot. Hopefully, the Optima will wow both in pictures and up close and personal. From everhthing I've read, most reviewers have been wowed when seeing it in person even after liking the pictures.

plekto

Though, don't necessarily confuse praise over Buick's first decent vehicle in a decade or two over anything resembling true class and refinement.

ahossa1

I test drove both the Regal and the Sonata and I prefer the Regal because it has a solid feel, more than the Sonata, it's very quiet car, a lot quieter than the Sonata. Where the sonata excels is the price point, fuel efficency and style. That turbo engine that the Sonata will have and still be fuel efficent (22 MPG) is going to be a huge deal maker for a lot of people. That's will be the sweet spot for a lot of enthusiasts.

m6user

You're very negative. The Enclave has been praised and has/is doing very well. The LaCrosse is also doing well and now the Regal. Buick has been near the top of JD Powers quality surveys for several years. There has been duds too but all in all they are showing a fair amount of promise.

thegraduate

Buick has been near the top of JD Powers quality surveys for several years.

Because mee-maw couldn't hear the whine in the transmission that was about to blow.

Kidding aside, doesn't JD take into account things like "I don't like the cupholder design" or "I wish they'd left the bench seat option alone?"

m6user

I guess they take into account the same things they do when they rate all manufacturers. Not an expert on how they do things or necessarily an advocate of their process but it seems to be a fairly respected firm that all automakers reference in their ads if they are at or near the top of the ratings.

I just don't like blanket statements that are based on old news. I'm not even a Buick or GM advocate but bashing is just a waste of time IMO.

But transmissions are probably one of GMs better efforts over the years. I'd take a GM auto tranny over a Honda auto tranny any day.