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Hyundai Sonata vs. Honda Accord vs. Toyota Camry vs. Ford Fusion
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Did it have anywhere to go but up? (I researched old Ford reliability and cam to that conclusion.)
~alpha
It's apparent that you're so compelled to defend your recent Hyundai purchase. It's okay! You own a HYUNDAI, so what.
What I was trying to say is that Zen2 shouldn't go to such great lengths to defend his Hyundai purchase. So what if he owns a Hyundai. His win.
You're right... the difference in price between the Sonata and Accord that C/D compared wasn't $5000, it was actually $6,355. My comment was pertaining to the prices of the cars in the comparos, and the point I was trying to make is that I am not surprised that an Accord that cost $6,355 more than the Sonata (and $4200 more than the Fusion that was tested) bested those cars. It should have!
You may think comparing cars that cost about the same money is a no-no, but I do that all the time when I buy a car, and when you think about it, isn't that how a lot of people buy cars? "What's the best car I can buy for my $20k?" for example. For that kind of money, you could get a 4-cylinder Accord or Camry with not much in the way of options, a base Fusion V6 with an option or two, or a loaded Sonata LX (I am talking negotiated prices including rebates here). If they say, "I want what the Accord offers and I don't mind paying a few thousand more to get it," that's their prerogative.
I have said this earlier; the Sonata does have a big price advantage in real world pricing (low price plus rebates); I was commenting on the MSRPs. If you do an MSRP comparison between an Accord, Sonata and Fusion, you too will come up with the same pricing I did. Trust me, the MSRP of the Fusion is very close to that of the Accord.
I would go a step further and say comparison of MSRPs is downright useless relative to a comparison of the actual prices for the individual consumer seriously looking to make a purchase.
Why make a comparison between prices you aren't going to pay?
For some of us the first and foremost part of a vehicle purchase is "status" not value, performance, and the most quality for your $$. Myself, I purchase what I feel is the best vehicle, not some auto reporter/writer. Doesn't take much to write a story about a Honda or Toyota. Fact of the matter is there are other sedans to CHOOSE from. Mazda 6, VW Jetta, Chevy Impala to name a few not mentioned here. Choice is nice.. :shades:
My 96 Taurus ran great, but the transmission usually mega-slipped, it ran hot, and the resale value when I unloaded it was a joke. Got rid of it for a Camry that was trouble free for 5 years.
Googleing is a joke. I can google my business' website and get thousands of hits that are meaningless.
Also, checked the resale values 3 and 4 yrs from now and that is where Accord shines. The difference on both cars was approx $4,000 resale value. I am sure Sonata is a great car but I went with proven record and a little more car.
Plus, my wife loves the look of the new Accord and hates the looks of the old ones
Regards,
Webby
Here it's a little different picture, in trim names and prices. The invoice on an Accord LX V6 is $23,141 (all figures USD), and on a Sonata GLS V6 with Premium Sport Package is $21,213--so only about $1900 difference. But there's a $1000 general rebate, a $1000 HMFC rebate, and $1000 loyalty rebate on the Sonata. So for someone like me who already owns a Hyundai, it's more like a $5000 difference. That is major money, especially if either car could satisfy someone's needs.
I understand the mindset in buying a Honda. Sonata's a nice car, but I can't see putting it ahead of the Accord. Don't care about a few bucks when it comes to a long term commitment that a car brings.
Drooled over a EXV6 today in carbon bronze. Salesgal couldn't find the key for it, left me standing around staring at the car for 15 minutes, never came back. Crazy. Got my CU financing all lined up and my quote from USAA for insurance. Good closer coulda had me.
I am not aware of any rebates on Sonata other then special financing in Canada.
Regards,
Webby
We have been driving Hondas since 1975 and the Accord won it's category 20 yrs at of 25 and 9 yrs in a row, is bullet proof so it not easy to go with a newcomer ( Sonata ) although it is getting a lot of attention.
Regards,
Webby
I'd bet you'd bet right. My '85 Ford Tempo tried to kill me several times, with bucking and stalling, until I made the wise decision in 1991 to dump it for a Camry. 1985 was the first year for fuel injection in that car, which Ford decided to sell even though they hadn't yet figured out what fuel injection was. Every part related to the fuel system in the car was replaced at least once.
Back when it was made, Ford's big advertising theme was "Quality is Job 1." Remember that? The ad campaign seemed so earnest and honest that you almost believed it. But the reality was very different.
Now the conventional wisdom is that Fords really have gotten better, in spite of more recent headaches like the Focus and Escape. With the Fords having only a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty, I'd rather take my chances with Hyundai.
It may be more than fourteen years since I got rid of the Tempo, but I haven't forgotten all the time, money and misery it cost me.
What's important is that it won in your garage. Its nice to hear the accolades and nods from the car rags, but those are certainly just opinions. The real test is the perception of the car by you and the guy that buys it from you later. Sonata is the newcomer and has to be priced lower to gain a foothold in this sector. Hyundai seems willing to lose money selling them at the low end to do so. Honda makes money by winning the perceived value game that goes on in people's minds as they picture the car in their garage.
and last new car. What a shame. Nothing but problems from
day one. When he died, no one in the family wanted the
car, even though he had 10 grandchildren who drove.
It was 3 years old. Oh, and he had been a part time
mechanic for 45 years, so he didn't take the car in
for anything he could fix himself.
or near fatal flaws has been decreasing?
My brother has a Lincoln Town Car, his wife loved
her Hyundai, when Hyundai wouldn't deal with her
on a SantaFe, she bought a Honda. Their combined
income is well within the top 1% of Pa. I guess
everyone doesn't think Hyundais are cheap. But
so are Hondas. Don't you remember the old Civics?
Now, they were a hoot. I have had Hondas, and still
own one. I don't consider it any more "prestigious"
than my Hyundai. Wow, I can afford two cars! 2005,
and a 2006.
with a 10 year warranty. Now that's a tossup.
There is no winner, everyone sees it differently. But of course, there are winners of comparison tests done by reviewers. But like Backy said, everyone has different buying criteria.
in more than a week.
help me out~! what's better you guys think?
I have yet to see a head-to-head comparison where the Camry outpointed the '06 Sonata. Personally, I like the Sonata better also. But you need to drive both and see what you think. Even with closeout deals on the Camry, the Sonata will probably cost significantly less (depending on the rebate picture for January), and it has much more standard safety equipment than the Camry.
Since I do not need the vehicle right now, my plan is to wait until this depreciation kicks in and then buy a 2006.
Any thoughts on this?
Thanks,
Norman
Example: New GLS V6 models are available in my city now for $17k before the loyalty rebate, and $16k with it. I really doubt you'll see slightly-used '06 GLS V6s going for $11-12k at the end of this year.
But it is always a good bet to buy a one-year-old car than a new one, and save the first-year depreciation. You may not save 30% off current prices, but you'll save something.
~alpha
I saw that the 2005 Sonata showed a greater drop than either the Mazdas or Mitsubishis which I attributed to the new Sonata (There was a similar downward bump for the Galant when it was upgraded as few years back), so I took the Mazda/Mits rate instead of the much greater Sonata rate.
Since the LX's MSRP is $22895 and has an invoice of $20961 per Edmunds, this means I could see prices in the $14.7K $16K range once the 2007 is available.
you can get a 2005 Accord for 30% less than a new
one, if it has not been titled. IMO
I've seen minimal Fusions in the past few months. Ford will probably call on Hertz soon to pump up its Fusion sales.
The 06 Accord is a fine vehicle, but its restyle isn't that great. I want a car with some flair and expect to mechanicals to be there. The Fusion does look nice but who knows about the mechanicals. Don't see many of them at all either. May have to go to the TL sector to get what I'm looking for.
Just when do you think the incentive craze will end? I am more likely to believe that "when incentives are offered on the fusion, sales will go up." Ford buyers are used to incentives now, and probably won't buy a car without them IMO. With all the "family pricing" and red tag specials out there, I can't say I would buy an american made car without one since every car and his brother have rebates now. I can imagine that this time next year, the Fusion will have a minimum $2,000 rebate (just my opinion based on other Ford rebate offers).
Honda is very light on their incentives, unlike other automakers. They rather have a high resale value, than more sales.
You should note that tones of Ford's are sold in fleets. That will also effect its resale value.
Is this a fact? If it is I would be puting off my purchase until then. I like the fusion as it is but, 270HP make me very, very happy.
That has not been my experience. I've tracked incentives pretty closely over the past five years and have found that the incentives in the early spring are at least as good as those at the end of the year. The exception is incentives for models that are being sunset--those can be higher as the new model is introduced. But with more and more new models being introduced early in the year, it clouds the picture.
As an example, I found that the incentives on the Elantra reached an all-time high for my local area in the spring of 2004--$1500 general rebate, $1000 owner loyalty, and a $500 regional rebate. There were probably some college and military rebates in there too. I think we'll see incentives on the '06 Camry peaking in the spring, as the '07 model is introduced.
So my advice is, don't assume incentives are highest at the end of the year, on a particular model. Keep checking the incentives all during the year; you might find a great deal some other time.
That isn't always the case, on obvious difference which you have mentioned is when a car is being completely redone. I second your advice though that you have to keep your eye out year round because market conditions affect pricing during the year, i.e. gas rising to 3 bucks a gallon.
I watched the ads carefully over the past few days (I am actually looking for a car now) and from what I saw, the ad prices were no better and in many cases worse than they were earlier in the year, before all the "employee price" monkey business (what a rip-off that was!). But maybe the actual negotiated prices were better.