You can buy a bluetooth speakerphone for less than $100 which is about the equivalent of the Hyundai addon but has to to be charged after about 15hrs of talk time/800 hrs standby. Try supertooth.com and look at the Supertooth Voice device. I have a similar unit and it works great.
I'm very pleased with my 2009 V4 GLS except that the engine seems quite loud when idling. I don't notice it when I'm driving but it sounds like a 4 year old Civic when idling.
Your dealer is majorly trying to rip you off. The standard sonata bluetooth system is $325 straight up. I think that should include install as well. Unfortunately I think it only has partial integration at best to the car system.
I'm kinda amazed by the gas mileage so far. I'm doing a lot of city and it looks like I'll still hit over 450 miles in a tank. I probably will only need to fillup once in over 2 weeks.
I recently purchased a 2009 Sonata Limited V6 with navigation. I've noticed that the volume is limited quite a bit with all but Dolby Digital recordings. I can turn the volume up to 35 (max) and can still hold a conversation (that's the only way to easily put it). However, if I put in a DVD Audio disc, also encoded in DD, I don't need to turn it up beyond 20 and it sounds great. Anyone know how to reprogram the nav to eliminate the volume nanny?
By the way, I can't believe how awesome this car is. I was looking exclusively at the new Camry and Accord to replace my 14mpg (on premium) Trailblazer SS. My dad said I should look at the Sonata, after he rented one a few months ago and really liked it. Just to appease him, I did. They offered me almost $3k more for my trade than Honda and Toyota, and sold me the Sonata for $24k ($3.5k off MSRP). It rides better than the Camry and fits me better than the Accord. It was a no brainer! Now, I just have to get my friends and coworkers to stop laughing at me. People need to be convinced that Hyundai doesn't sell the junk they used to. It took me about a week of research and a test drive.
I called the parts department at the dealership in Michigan where I purchased the car from to get an I-pod cable for the 2009 Sonata and they had no idea what I was talking about. I called back after finding this thread and referenced the above part number (08620-2L000). I'm happy to report that this was exactly what I needed. The dealership in Michigan charged me $29.99 and it works great! Thanks rv65!
Can anyone confirm this for me? All of the advertising I've seen for the 2009 Limited includes a 6 disc CD Changer. I bought the model with navigation and was disappointed to find out it only plays a single disc and does not include the changer. I read through the manual and it seems to confirm this. Having the Nav is a fine trade off for it, but I was wondering if anyone else was surprised by this.
I wasn't surprised, since it said that on the sticker. Just get an Ipod and forget it! You know you can watch movies on the nav? They don't display while driving, though. That's probably a good thing.
Forget the Disc changer. I finally got my 32GB Usb stick and I'm never looking back. All my cds will stay in their wallet as I enjoy a selection of 4000+ songs It's so much easier than digging through a hoarde of cds.
There is a TSB that just came out. It's for those using an iPod with the standard cable. It basically says that you need to buy the iPod adaptor cable for proper operation. Also I recommend updating the iPod's firmware to the latest version to ensure compatibility.
08620-2L000 is the part number for the iPod cable. I encourage any 09 sonata owner with any modern iPod to go to the dealer and get the cable.
According to the manual, “No Formal break-in procedure is required. However, you can contribute to the economical operation and durability by observing the following recommendations during the first 1,200 miles.” • Two of the eight suggestions listed are: o “Don’t drive faster that 55MPH” o “While driving, keep your engine speed (rpm, or revolutions per minute) between 2,000rpm and 4,000rpm” Following the second suggestion is impossible to do with automatic transmission unless one uses Sports Mode shifter to keep the rpm higher than Auto transmission will. For the most part Auto transmission keeps the rpm from under 1,000 to 1,500. I want this engine to last as long as possible and in the long run I want to get the best MPG possible. Hence, do I keep using the Sports Mode shifter to keep the rpm around 2,000-2,5000?
I don't think the 2000-4000rpm is really a rule you need to follow. The more important thing during break-in is just to try to vary the rpm's. Don't always drive at one single rpm, which means using the shifter at times could be good. Of course I also don't follow the 55mph rule because it's ridiculous to drive that slow on a freeway.
I bought an 09 Limited V6 with the navigation system option about three weeks ago. Totally loving this car.
As far as the break-in suggestions, that 2K to 4K rpm bit is for manual transmission cars, obviously not the automatic. Even though Hyundai doesn't specify that, it's pretty easy to figure out, as bringing the engine to 4K rpm's in the auto would mean completely flooring the throttle, and that's not good during engine break-in. I'm actually surprised how many miles Hyundai suggests for break-in. 1,200 miles is much longer than other manufactures, but I'm following it just the same.
And to moocow1, actually driving faster than 55 MPH on the highway with today's ~$3,70 a gallon gas prices (and rising daily) is "ridiculous." I'm absolutely amazed at being the slowest car on the freeway driving 55 MPH. People are blowing by me like I'm standing still. I guess no one has made the mental leap that the faster you drive the more gas you burn. This is especially true at anything over 55 MPH, where gas mileage plummets. People [non-permissible content removed] and complain about high gas prices but they do absolutely nothing about changing their driving style to help mitigate the pain. They still floor-it as soon as the light turns green like they are in some kind of race, they still drive 80 MPH plus on the freeway like they're taking a pregnant wife to the hospital, and they still break at the very last instance like they're testing their breaks to make sure they work. That is ridiculous, not driving 55 MPH, not taking off very slowly from stops, and not slowing down and breaking way in advance of a stop. That is smart driving, and it seems to me there are very few smart motorists on the road these days.
I can't do anything about the ridiculous price of gas, but I'm sure not going to be hypocritical about it like everyone else by bitching and then not do a damn thing to change.
The difference in gas mileage between 55 to 70 isn't really that much for most cars with decent aerodynamics. Losing a few mpg isn't the end of the world. And the rush is that sitting there driving for an extra 20% longer on the freeway is pretty silly. The speed limit is 65, why would you go under that? And time really IS money, it's the key to investments. So you lose money by either wasting time, or wasting gas. Pick one.
actually driving faster than 55 MPH on the highway with today's ~$3,70 a gallon gas prices (and rising daily) is "ridiculous." I'm absolutely amazed at being the slowest car on the freeway driving 55 MPH. People are blowing by me like I'm standing still.
In IL you would get a ticket for impeding traffic. Drive the speed limit, or get off the road.
The difference in gas mileage between 55 to 70 isn't really that much for most cars with decent aerodynamics.
I have to disagree with that as a general statement. My 2004 Elantra AT is quite aerodynamic for a compact car. There is a significant difference in mpg at 55 vs. 70. At 55, the engine is loafing at around 2000 RPMs, and can easily get near 40 mpg on level ground at that speed. At 70, the RPMs are around 2700 (I forget exactly how fast) and mpg drops to around 35 mpg on level ground. I have found similar behavior on every other car I've owned over 30+ years.
There is discussion in the press about resurrecting the 55 mph national speed limit, to save gas. Already some states are dropping their speed limits.
On a long trip, I can see the benefit of going 70 vs. 65. On around-town driving, I think the gas savings in slowing down far outweigh the little bit of time saved. I did a test once. I drove a route I frequently travel across town, mostly on an urban freeway but with some city streets and stoplights too, about 7 miles total. On the way to my destination, I drove the speed limit (55-65 range) on the freeway and tried to use as light a foot as possible on the gas, considering conditions. On the way home, I drove much more aggressively, went 5+ over the speed limits, didn't pay any attention to how hard I was pressing on the pedal, and sped away from stoplights. I got about 24 mpg. I also saved a whopping 1 minute on my trip.
The sonata's gearing is built for higher cruising then because 70mph = 2k rpm or so. And I've been getting 30-35 mpg on freeways so there's definitely no complaint about fuel economy so far.
Have you tested the FE at 55 and at 70 mph, on level ground? I'll bet you'll find there's a significant difference. Maybe with that 5-speed it'll run 1500 RPMs at 55.
When the 55 MPH national speed limit was forced upon us, my car at the time was a '71 Volvo 1800E, 4 speed + electronic overdrive. (4 cyl, 121 cid, 130 hp). Engine revs were the same at 71 MPH in overdrive as they were at 50 MPH in 4th gear. At 55 mph I couldn't use overdrive as the revs were too low and would foul the engine (had to keep the revs @ 2K when maintaining speed).
I think your example of an aggressive driving test is more an example of accelerating, braking, accelerating, etc, rather than driving at a relatively steady speed.
Back to my great old 1800E, on a highway trip of 350 miles (notwithstanding wind resistance) it just seems that 5 hours at 70 mph vs 7 hours at 50 mph would result in better mpg at the higher speed in the higher gear.
"In IL you would get a ticket for impeding traffic. Drive the speed limit, or get off the road."
Well I don't live in IL, I live in TX and the speed limit here is 60 mph. Driving 5 mph under that limit is hardly impeding traffic. It's called a "speed limit" for a reason, meaning it's the fastest you're legally allowed to drive. It doesn't mean you have to drive that fast. I wouldn't care if the speed limit was 65 mph, I would still drive 55 mph. As far as I'm concerned as long as I'm in the far right lane, if you don't like how fast I'm driving then go around me. I'm not going to speed up and waste my money to accommodate some impatient motorist behind me in a big rush to go nowhere.
Hey, if people want to go flying around at 80 mph wasting gas that's their prerogative. However for every mile per hour faster than 55 mph, fuel economy drops by about 1 percent, and the drop-off increases at a greater rate after 65 mph. So with gas prices dangerously close to $4.00 a gallon I will take every bit of gas savings I can get. And if it means driving 55 mph instead of 80 mph and taking a little longer to get to my destination, then so be it. Unless you work in a job that requires you to drive, then time does not equal money. My priority now is to save money on gas, and I will do everything I can to make that happen.
I hope not either, at least not on the Interstate system in the bigger states. I lived in TX so I know what you mean about lots of road between cities.
But speaking of that 2009 Sonata... that would be a nice car to take on a cross-country cruise, huh?
I picked up my 2009 I4 LTD two days ago and absolutely love it. Black with camel interior...the charcoal interior just didnt do it for me. Took it on a mini road trip and was surprised at how smooth and elegant the I4 is. Thought about getting the v6 but didnt want to part with the extra coin. Been drooling over this car for a couple of months and couldnt be happier with the purchase. This is a major improvement over the previous versions of the Sonata and Im so glad I didnt buy one last year but waited for the refresh. And, Backy...I am taking mine on a cross country trip in July...cant wait!
Wow, what part of TX are you from? Curious as I see the speed limit as anywhere from 60 to 80 MPH, with the bulk of the highways being 70 MPH, even in town the speed limit is 65.
Unfortunately I am not the type to ever do that test. I prefer using my car to get where I need to go. Maybe someone else here can spend some time testing between those speeds.
I have the 09 Sonata V6. I've noticed about a pretty significant difference in average MPG when my average speed is around 60 mph compared to an average speed of 75 mph. I typically drive about 6-7mph over the limit. I drive 300 miles per week on a highway where the limit is 70mph and then on most weekends I take a road where the limit is 55mph for about 150 miles. My average MPG on the 70mph highway (keep in mind I typically drive about 6-7mph over) is about 27-28mpg and on the 55mph road, it's around 34mpg (driving around 60 mph). That's about a 5-7 mile per gallon difference, which can really add up.
That being said, it does not slow me down when I drive in the 70mph zone. I agree with moocow1 that time is money. And to me, even though I do enjoy driving this car, driving is such a waste of time . There are so many other productive things I could be doing. I took gas prices into account when purchasing the V6 and I do not have any regrets. I love it.
Ah wait, you have the V6, that explains why your numbers seem a bit low. Still pretty good though! Ya there's definitely going to be some savings if you take the 50-55mph route. But I'm no hypermiler and I never will be. My philosophy is to be as efficient and fast as possible. Doing both well is hard, but it's a fun challenge.
Does anyone know if the 09 Sonata SE has come out. If it's not out yet when can we expect to see them at dealers and will they have the 5 speed auto as an option?
I haven't seen one yet but you can "build your own" on the hyundaiusa site. Note that it will be just a V6 now, with the 5-speed AT standards. No I4 with stick variant.
It woulda been damn nice to get the fog lights and alloy wheels from the SE in a I4 GLS too. Ah well, they gotta make cuts somewhere and these are some of the least painful.
In case anyone was wondering, I confirmed with my dealership that older sonata mudflaps are not compatable with the new 2009 Sonata. Pretty annoying since the 2009 accessories are not out yet. I guess I'll have to make do until they're released.
Yes the 09 Sonata SE's are out. I have the Willow Grey and the only other colors I've seen so far are the Bright Silver and Slate Blue...wasn't impressed with the latter.
You are the first person here to own a 2009 SE (I think). Could you please tell us about it? How does it handle with the sport suspension and tires--did you compare it to a 2009 GLS or Limited by chance? Did you test-drive other cars, and if so how does the SE compare? How do you like the leather/cloth interior? What does the metallic dash trim look like? Any other observations you can share? Thanks!
Compared to the GLS and Limited, it handles better.I drove the 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder Limited (both 09's) and wasn't impressed with their handling . Driving the 09 GLS and Limited back to back with 08's on the lot, they all felt the same (steering feel). Although the SE handles better, I would not consider the O.E Kumho Solus KH16 tires as performance tires. The tires are quite and comfortable, but not the best in terms of grip. I personally think that Hyundai should have gone with 225/50R17's on the SE instead of 215/55R17 as this would have helped steering feel and effort. I'd like to point out that the steering is very responsive and communicative but felt light to me, so it could be the tires, or maybe I miss the response of the low profile tires on my previous car (215/50R17). As far as seat comfort is concerned, I found the seats on the SE more comfortable than the leather seats in the Limited. The cloth seats in the GLS wasn't bad either. I made a 14 hour round-trip during the Memorial Day weekend and never felt exhausted, or wished for a more comfortable seat, for me the seats were that good. Observations: 1) My gas mileage on the trip ranged from 29.8mpg to 33mpg @72mph which I think is very good for a car producing 249hp with the A/C running and 2400 miles on the odometer.I would be repeating the trip again in August and I'd check to see if the mpg stays consistent. 2) The metallic trim (or whatever it is) actually looks good. The trim in mine is silver which I think enhances the look of the interior. So far it has been very easy to keep the seats clean especially the cloth inserts which I thought would be difficult to clean (pet hair). 3) The transmissiom didn't shift real smooth the first 600 miles when I tried to baby the throttle, so I just give it enough gas so that the transmission shifts between 2500 and 3000rpm. Under full acceleration the shifts are very smooth and it upshifts at 5500 rpm. It has only shifted at redline once, and I pretty much had to floor the throttle and let's just say the CVVT feels good (if you have ever driven a Civic Si or any Honda with i-VTEC you would know what I'm talking about.
Based on my experiences so far, I would rate the car a 10 on a scale of 10. To answer the question if I drove other cars, the answer is yes, listed below is my opinions of the cars driven: 08 Accord Ex: both engines were responsive but wind and road noise was better subdued in the Sonata. The only thing I liked about the Hondas was how the steering felt (but again they had 50 series tires compared to the Sonata's 55 series). I personally feel the SE's chassis can accomodate a real performance tire/summer tire upgrade compared to the O.E Kumho's 08 Malibu: wasn't crazy about the interior and but liked the power of the V6. 08 Pontiac G6: a decent car but that's it. 08 Saturn Aura: wasn't crazy about the steering effort (which was the same in the G6 and Malibu) 09 Camry SE: 4-cylinder was adequate but the SE V6 was stupid fast, too bad the transmission had a mind of it's own.
I hope this post was helpful, but if anyone has specific questions regarding the 09 SE V6, I would be happy to offer any information I have. The buying experience was great, got a good deal on my trade and paid $21,150 for this vehicle.
My average mileage around town has been 24mpg but that's because I rarely ever do 100% city driving. My weekly commute is probably 60% highway and 40% city (a distance of 20 miles round trip). So far, the mpg calculator seems to be very accurate and the biggest variance I have seen with regards to manually calculating mpg was 1 mpg (actually 0.956)
They called me to do a customer satisfaction survey, basically asking what I thought about my new Hyundai. They asked what kind of improvements could be made or what kind of features I would have liked to see added to the car. I told them the following:
1. Power passenger seat 2. Passenger Auto Up/Down window 3. Engine immobilizer (cheap econo cars have this, can't believe my 09 Limited doesn't) 4. Rear door pockets 5. RearView camera (if you buy the nav system option) 6. Power folding mirrors
I really think at a minimum Hyundai needs to incorporate the first three suggestions. I didn't realize my car didn't have the immobilizer until I got it home and was reading through the owners manual. That's kind of cheap of Hyundai not to add that. So if any of those features show up in a future Sonata you can thank me.
But I basically told them I loved the car and besides a few features I would have liked it's a home run. I especially like the new navigation system. The voice recognition is spot on.
I bought my 09 Sonata GLS with package 2 two days ago. Today, I put my key to the "accessory" position (I thought it was in the "start" poisition). And then I stepped on the brake and shiftted the gear to "R", the car started to back from the parking lot. And then I shift the gear to "D" so I could adjust the direction of my car. The car Kept going backward. I was scared and stepped on the brake and the brake did NOT work - the car kept sliding backward!!! It only stoped when I shifted the gear to "P". I checked the shift - it was in the AUTO transmission mode (this is right). So why this happens? It is not safe at all!!! I remember my old car would not move if I do not start the engine. Isn't this the basic safety feature???
I tried 2 more times later this evening. One of these was just like I wrote above. I also smelled something burning. Anyone has similar experience? Would you please try (several times) to see whether it is just my car or it is a common problem for 2009 Sonata?
Heck, I would even take half of those mileage figures and be extremely happy. I don't think there is a car on the road that gets 60 mpg on the highway let alone city. But that would be real nice.
Currently I'm very happy with the 29 to 30 mpg I'm getting with my 09 V6 Limited. I think the fact I've had to use my A/C since purchasing the car probably hasn't allowed me to break the 30 mpg ceiling. Plus the engine is still very new. I just hit 1,100 miles on the way to work this morning.
I'm finally on my third tank personally. Heading toward that 1k mark...hopefully by the end of this tank I'll be officially outta break-in, although I'll probably baby the car until first oil change anyways. I gotta say so far, everything's been working perfectly with no unexpected issues. Well except I had an unreliable usb stick, but that's not hyundai's fault. I think the shifting has gotten smoother over time as well, I can still tell easily on the major shift between 2-3 it seems, but everything else isn't really noticed unless I pay attention. There was this really annoying new black Lexus GS450 that was stealing her turn early, i had fun fighting her off this morning. Stinky toyotas with oversized engines!
Comments
By the way, I can't believe how awesome this car is. I was looking exclusively at the new Camry and Accord to replace my 14mpg (on premium) Trailblazer SS. My dad said I should look at the Sonata, after he rented one a few months ago and really liked it. Just to appease him, I did. They offered me almost $3k more for my trade than Honda and Toyota, and sold me the Sonata for $24k ($3.5k off MSRP). It rides better than the Camry and fits me better than the Accord. It was a no brainer! Now, I just have to get my friends and coworkers to stop laughing at me. People need to be convinced that Hyundai doesn't sell the junk they used to. It took me about a week of research and a test drive.
08620-2L000 is the part number for the iPod cable. I encourage any 09 sonata owner with any modern iPod to go to the dealer and get the cable.
• Two of the eight suggestions listed are:
o “Don’t drive faster that 55MPH”
o “While driving, keep your engine speed (rpm, or revolutions per minute) between 2,000rpm and 4,000rpm”
Following the second suggestion is impossible to do with automatic transmission unless one uses Sports Mode shifter to keep the rpm higher than Auto transmission will. For the most part Auto transmission keeps the rpm from under 1,000 to 1,500.
I want this engine to last as long as possible and in the long run I want to get the best MPG possible. Hence, do I keep using the Sports Mode shifter to keep the rpm around 2,000-2,5000?
As far as the break-in suggestions, that 2K to 4K rpm bit is for manual transmission cars, obviously not the automatic. Even though Hyundai doesn't specify that, it's pretty easy to figure out, as bringing the engine to 4K rpm's in the auto would mean completely flooring the throttle, and that's not good during engine break-in. I'm actually surprised how many miles Hyundai suggests for break-in. 1,200 miles is much longer than other manufactures, but I'm following it just the same.
And to moocow1, actually driving faster than 55 MPH on the highway with today's ~$3,70 a gallon gas prices (and rising daily) is "ridiculous." I'm absolutely amazed at being the slowest car on the freeway driving 55 MPH. People are blowing by me like I'm standing still. I guess no one has made the mental leap that the faster you drive the more gas you burn. This is especially true at anything over 55 MPH, where gas mileage plummets. People [non-permissible content removed] and complain about high gas prices but they do absolutely nothing about changing their driving style to help mitigate the pain. They still floor-it as soon as the light turns green like they are in some kind of race, they still drive 80 MPH plus on the freeway like they're taking a pregnant wife to the hospital, and they still break at the very last instance like they're testing their breaks to make sure they work. That is ridiculous, not driving 55 MPH, not taking off very slowly from stops, and not slowing down and breaking way in advance of a stop. That is smart driving, and it seems to me there are very few smart motorists on the road these days.
I can't do anything about the ridiculous price of gas, but I'm sure not going to be hypocritical about it like everyone else by bitching and then not do a damn thing to change.
Slow down people, what is your darn rush?!
In IL you would get a ticket for impeding traffic. Drive the speed limit, or get off the road.
I have to disagree with that as a general statement. My 2004 Elantra AT is quite aerodynamic for a compact car. There is a significant difference in mpg at 55 vs. 70. At 55, the engine is loafing at around 2000 RPMs, and can easily get near 40 mpg on level ground at that speed. At 70, the RPMs are around 2700 (I forget exactly how fast) and mpg drops to around 35 mpg on level ground. I have found similar behavior on every other car I've owned over 30+ years.
There is discussion in the press about resurrecting the 55 mph national speed limit, to save gas. Already some states are dropping their speed limits.
On a long trip, I can see the benefit of going 70 vs. 65. On around-town driving, I think the gas savings in slowing down far outweigh the little bit of time saved. I did a test once. I drove a route I frequently travel across town, mostly on an urban freeway but with some city streets and stoplights too, about 7 miles total. On the way to my destination, I drove the speed limit (55-65 range) on the freeway and tried to use as light a foot as possible on the gas, considering conditions. On the way home, I drove much more aggressively, went 5+ over the speed limits, didn't pay any attention to how hard I was pressing on the pedal, and sped away from stoplights. I got about 24 mpg. I also saved a whopping 1 minute on my trip.
I think your example of an aggressive driving test is more an example of accelerating, braking, accelerating, etc, rather than driving at a relatively steady speed.
Back to my great old 1800E, on a highway trip of 350 miles (notwithstanding wind resistance) it just seems that 5 hours at 70 mph vs 7 hours at 50 mph would result in better mpg at the higher speed in the higher gear.
Well I don't live in IL, I live in TX and the speed limit here is 60 mph. Driving 5 mph under that limit is hardly impeding traffic. It's called a "speed limit" for a reason, meaning it's the fastest you're legally allowed to drive. It doesn't mean you have to drive that fast. I wouldn't care if the speed limit was 65 mph, I would still drive 55 mph. As far as I'm concerned as long as I'm in the far right lane, if you don't like how fast I'm driving then go around me. I'm not going to speed up and waste my money to accommodate some impatient motorist behind me in a big rush to go nowhere.
Hey, if people want to go flying around at 80 mph wasting gas that's their prerogative. However for every mile per hour faster than 55 mph, fuel economy drops by about 1 percent, and the drop-off increases at a greater rate after 65 mph. So with gas prices dangerously close to $4.00 a gallon I will take every bit of gas savings I can get. And if it means driving 55 mph instead of 80 mph and taking a little longer to get to my destination, then so be it. Unless you work in a job that requires you to drive, then time does not equal money. My priority now is to save money on gas, and I will do everything I can to make that happen.
Pray people.....pray to the gas gods. :shades:
But speaking of that 2009 Sonata... that would be a nice car to take on a cross-country cruise, huh?
That being said, it does not slow me down when I drive in the 70mph zone. I agree with moocow1 that time is money. And to me, even though I do enjoy driving this car, driving is such a waste of time . There are so many other productive things I could be doing. I took gas prices into account when purchasing the V6 and I do not have any regrets. I love it.
As far as seat comfort is concerned, I found the seats on the SE more comfortable than the leather seats in the Limited. The cloth seats in the GLS wasn't bad either. I made a 14 hour round-trip during the Memorial Day weekend and never felt exhausted, or wished for a more comfortable seat, for me the seats were that good.
Observations:
1) My gas mileage on the trip ranged from 29.8mpg to 33mpg @72mph which I think is very good for a car producing 249hp with the A/C running and 2400 miles on the odometer.I would be repeating the trip again in August and I'd check to see if the mpg stays consistent.
2) The metallic trim (or whatever it is) actually looks good. The trim in mine is silver which I think enhances the look of the interior. So far it has been very easy to keep the seats clean especially the cloth inserts which I thought would be difficult to clean (pet hair).
3) The transmissiom didn't shift real smooth the first 600 miles when I tried to baby the throttle, so I just give it enough gas so that the transmission shifts between 2500 and 3000rpm. Under full acceleration the shifts are very smooth and it upshifts at 5500 rpm. It has only shifted at redline once, and I pretty much had to floor the throttle and let's just say the CVVT feels good (if you have ever driven a Civic Si or any Honda with i-VTEC you would know what I'm talking about.
Based on my experiences so far, I would rate the car a 10 on a scale of 10. To answer the question if I drove other cars, the answer is yes, listed below is my opinions of the cars driven:
08 Accord Ex: both engines were responsive but wind and road noise was better subdued in the Sonata. The only thing I liked about the Hondas was how the steering felt (but again they had 50 series tires compared to the Sonata's 55 series). I personally feel the SE's chassis can accomodate a real performance tire/summer tire upgrade compared to the O.E Kumho's
08 Malibu: wasn't crazy about the interior and but liked the power of the V6.
08 Pontiac G6: a decent car but that's it.
08 Saturn Aura: wasn't crazy about the steering effort (which was the same in the G6 and Malibu)
09 Camry SE: 4-cylinder was adequate but the SE V6 was stupid fast, too bad the transmission had a mind of it's own.
I hope this post was helpful, but if anyone has specific questions regarding the 09 SE V6, I would be happy to offer any information I have. The buying experience was great, got a good deal on my trade and paid $21,150 for this vehicle.
BiggCellus
1. Power passenger seat
2. Passenger Auto Up/Down window
3. Engine immobilizer (cheap econo cars have this, can't believe my 09 Limited doesn't)
4. Rear door pockets
5. RearView camera (if you buy the nav system option)
6. Power folding mirrors
I really think at a minimum Hyundai needs to incorporate the first three suggestions. I didn't realize my car didn't have the immobilizer until I got it home and was reading through the owners manual. That's kind of cheap of Hyundai not to add that. So if any of those features show up in a future Sonata you can thank me.
But I basically told them I loved the car and besides a few features I would have liked it's a home run. I especially like the new navigation system. The voice recognition is spot on.
I tried 2 more times later this evening. One of these was just like I wrote above. I also smelled something burning. Anyone has similar experience? Would you please try (several times) to see whether it is just my car or it is a common problem for 2009 Sonata?
Thanks!
Now, about that fusion-powered hyperdrive I'd like on the 2010 Sonata...
Currently I'm very happy with the 29 to 30 mpg I'm getting with my 09 V6 Limited. I think the fact I've had to use my A/C since purchasing the car probably hasn't allowed me to break the 30 mpg ceiling. Plus the engine is still very new. I just hit 1,100 miles on the way to work this morning.