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Comments
all this talk of bad suspensions and wacky sounds is scaring me off. I thought I would save $$$$ and get the pop package w/ the gls, for 16.2 , but now i am thinking of spending the extra thousands and getting an Accord :sick: .
I want to keep this car for along time, can someone talk me back off the ledge and into the Hyundai dealership?
thanks in advance
I have driven about 15 2006-9 Sonatas over all kinds of road surfaces. These cars had anywhere from 3 miles to 40,000 miles on the clock. There is a particular road near me that I use as a "test track" because it is badly rutted with an undulating surface, with several curves and no traffic, so I can get the car up to a decent speed. I have driven Sonatas, Accords, you name it on that road and others. I haven't noticed unusual suspension noise on any of those Sonatas. What I did notice was tire slap on some roads, particularly over tar strips/expansion joints, and especially with the 17" wheels. I am not saying others have not experienced other suspension noise; different people are sensitive to noises at different frequencies, and cars can have defects--which it appears is true on the Sonata, as there have been TSBs on the Sonata's suspension since the 2006 redesign.
But you need to test out the car you want to buy and see how it feels and sounds to you. Ideally, compare the Sonata and Accord back-to-back over the same course, if the dealers are close enough together to allow that. I am lucky in that I live in an area with many car dealers, so I can almost always do the back-to-back comparison on the cars I am considering.
Good luck, and let us know what you decide.
I have had hearing loss at least since 1989 when I was 40 years old. Even with hearing aids now, there are some sound I do not always hear, usually higher pitched sounds. Then, there's times in a crowded situation when I cannot hear the person I am talking with but can hear someone else 15 feet away. Everyone's hearing is different, not just those with a hearing problem.
Drive the car & see for yourself. My 6 cyl, '05 Sonata (previous generation) is very quiet except on "old" concrete roads where road noise becomes a factor. This is due to tire noise with the Michelin's not wind noise.
My wife's Honda CR-V, to my hearing, is much noiser on any type of pavement, wind noise and engine noise.
Another poster stated some time back that he thought the Sonata was so quiet the other noises experienced in other cars may mask a minor suspension noise and make a Sonata suspension noise seem more than it really is. He could be right. Find out for yourself & good luck.
Regarding the noise issues being reported: I own a 2009 Sonata Limited (V6) and have put over 17,000 miles on it. From time to time I do hear a slight crackling-type sound inside, but I only hear it when I'm pulling out out of this parking garage that has a slight slope up and then goes down right away. I really do not ever notice anything like that while driving and it only seems to happen when I'm pulling out of that garage when it's cold outside. I don't even notice it in warmer weather. My 1995 Camry did the same exact thing in that spot in cold weather. I think the materials inside the car get slightly harder in the cold and make that sound when the car flexes as the road changes. It's definitely not anything I'm concerned about and I haven't noticed it during normal driving.
Also about the "tire slapping" - an owner of a model with 17" rims will likely hear the bumps/tar strips a lot more than a model with 16" or less rims. To me, the 09 Sonata is very well insulated and quiet so it is not an issue, but I will say that my 1995 Camry (which had 14" rims) and my 1993 Mercury Cougar (which had 15" rims ) were both slightly quieter over bumps. My father has a 2001 Chrysler 300m with 18" rims and his is much louder than the Sonata over bumps, tar strips, etc. As the rims get larger, the noise levels increase. I believe the GLS has 16" steel rims, which will likely be quieter than the 17" rims on the other models. Here is a quote from an Autotrader.com Expert Review: 2009 Hyundai Sonata about the tires:
"In terms of ride quality, the 17-inch wheel/tire combination makes its presence known on rough pavement, where the shorter sidewalls transmit more of the road's imperfections into the cabin. The GLS four-cylinder, the lightest model and on 16-inch wheels, offers the best ride quality for those who do most driving on marginal roads."
You however are 30 and single. The choice is clear:
Buy a G37
I promise that you will not be disappointed.
Price vs. Goodies
I think the Sonata crushes the 3. I was looking at a 3 myself (plus a Civic) and the Sonata gave a LOT more standard options (they're all pretty much loaded) than did the 3 and it cost less. I would not have been able to get a 3 at any trim level for 15050. You get a lot more car in the Sonata.
Driving Fun
I own a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata (factory turbo, lightly modded, hard suspension) so I have Mazda experience. The Sonata is the antithesis of the MSM. It's large, floaty, comfortable, and relaxing. And quiet. The ESC, ABS, and Traction Control give the Sonata the ability to handle bad situations but there's no feedback and the steering is numb. The Sonata is NOT "fun" to drive. The 4 banger is adequate for a family sedan. The V6 probably has more oomph. But it's heavy and it handles like a heavy car. It's a subdued, mellow ride.
The 3 will give you a lot more fun behind the wheel. Have you considered the Mazdaspeed 3? It's got a factory turbo and probably a stiffer suspension. For the price of a V6 Sonata, I bet the price delta isn't that large. Though the 3 will cost more.
What Would I Do?
I was replacing an 04 Sentra. I have two kids and needed a family sedan that was roomy, comfy, nice ride, stick shift (tough to find a 09 Sonata in a stick but I did), and upscale interior plus economical. Sonata delivers. But I already got the sportscar. So I wasn't looking for "fun" in this car. Spending a few extra grand for a snappier drive didn't make sense. Nothing is going to top the Miata when it comes to handling (unless you shell out at least 30K) so why spend another 3K just for some cripser response?
If I was only in one car (I've always had two), I'd get the 3. And I'd consider the MS 3 if you can afford to do so.
Bottom Line
Sonata does not have problems. But in your case, I'd get a 3 and cosider the MS3. FYI - my wife told me the Sonata is not capable of picking up chicks.
The Sandman
I'd suggest learning to drive stick and getting the MS3. It's not hard to learn and well worth the effort.
If you're worried about quality, rest assured with the Hyundai warranty. If anything goes wrong with the Mazda, you won't be covered. One of my buddies had a Mazda RX8 and at 89,000 miles he had to replace the clutch and some of the other parts that hold it on and it was really expensive.
This was the first time I have heard this kind of noise on a 2006-2009 Sonata. I know there were suspension changes for 2009. However, I think it supports the need to drive the exact car you plan to buy, over a wide variety of road surfaces.
Here are the new cars I bought and prices paid at the time I bought them (all BEFORE tax):
93 Hyundai Scoupe - $8500
95 Honda del Sol - $17500
99 Honda Civic DX - $13500
04 Nissan Sentra 1.8S - $11500
04 Nissan Altima 2.5S (wife) - $17500
04 Mazdaspeed Miata - $21800
09 Sonata GLS - $15050
Looking over my buying history, the Sonata is a screaming deal given the whole package of what you're getting. The suspension isn't perfect and the windshield frame flexing makes some squeaks in the cold if you hit uneven roads (the del Sol did this with the targa top).
Frankly, I think it needs to be put into perspective based on price and package.
When we test drove it, there wasn't that sort of surface around. Believe me, many lessons have been learned with this car purchase!
I keep waiting hoping that they get enough complaints that they look into WHY it is doing this...it's almost like the suspension needs to be "tightened up/stiffened up" some to help take care of the situation. I don't know.
Other than that, no complaints--just still not thrilled about the car yet--and it's been six months!
I find the noise to be a sort of deep bass, rumble sound. It's common to all 4 corners and isn't THAT disruptive.
Foldaway mirrors are handy, for garages as well as those tight parking spaces in parking ramps.
One can only wonder why?
Or is it one for the glass, one for the mixer, and one for the vodka?
Seriously, even cars with three-across front seating don't have three cupholders in front, do they?
So I still say... you are 30 and single... save the practical cars for your next purchase. Buy a G or if you want to be "practical" check out the new 335d.
0-60 in 6 secs. 36 mpg hwy.
thanks,
Richard
PS....TPMS is dumb as far as I'm concerned, I usually check my tires at least once a week anyways!
I purchased my sonata last week and noticed it has a clunking sound while driving mostly from the right side. I took it to the selling dealer and went on a ride with the service mgr. he told me that they have had many complaints and that there is nothing they can do he said to complain to hyundai and that enough people complain maybe they will issue a service bullitin. i cnt believe that a car with 174 miles on it sounds like it has 174,00 miles on it and needs struts . hope they figure this out soon this is my 4th hyundai and will be my last if it is not corrected soon
Good luck.
You can read the old posts, etc. under the thread Suspension Thunk. They did replace my whole front right suspension, which took care of a little noise, but didn't take care of it fully.
I've been contemplating forming an official complaint with Hyundai or taking it back to the dealer and getting my money back.
Great looks ! Great Warranty ! We were treated very well ! Agreed on a good price, conditioned on fixing the auto door unlock feature.
2009 owners manual, page 7 states this can be deactivated by dealer.
Car came from the factory set up to unlock all 4 doors when trans. goes to park. This is a safety problem if you pull into the wrong parking lot and encounter trouble. Problem is, so far, Hyundai Zone Rep. and Corporate Engineers can't tell the dealer techs how to do this.
Dealer said trouble code was P2135 (I think) and replaced the throttle body. Dealer service at North Houston Hyundai was excellent. So far the problem has not returned.
I am disappointed that such a new car would develop such a problem but I hope this is an isolated event. I am a conservative driver and have done all scheduled maintenance. Generally I have liked the car, except for the cheap leather (worse than Ford) and a squeak in the rear suspension. It is a comfortable highway commuter, has good power and a good sound system.
Best regards to my fellow Sonata owners.
We have an 09 Sonata Limited and my wife busted the passenger side mirror when backing out of our garage. Has anyone out there had to replace their mirror before? I am just trying to get a ballpark estimate of the cost of the mirror and the labor. I am in Texas and will probably take it to Huffines.
Paying cash....have purchased cars in the past so am aware of the basics, invoice/tissue, holdbacks etc.
Please help with some very recent experiences that I can learn from as I expect to purchase in 2 weeks.
Is there still a buyer loyalty rebate of $3,500 - does it expire soon?
Also do not want NAV - but prepared to have dealer tell me that NAV is already installed on all cars that are available...I assume that's not true.
Thanks, guys!
Navigation is an optional item on all Sonata trims, including both limited trims.
In terms of the loyalty rebate, I think it's $1,500 (don't quote me on this, as I am not 100% certain). Hyundai is currently running a $2,000 rebate on the 09 Sonata, so the combination of the two do add up $3,500 Plus any deals your local dealer willing to throw in, and you may be able to get a sweet deal right now. Keep us posted, and we'll make sure to keep quiet until after you surprise your hubby
http://www.yflove.net/
Have most of my ducks in a row for 09 Sonata Limited 4 cyc - just a few questions for you experts:
1. Is the dealer prep amount standard or does it vary among dealers?
2. Are any of your buyers being coerced into taking NAV by salesmen telling you that no Sonatas are available w/o NAV?
3. What is the best guess re: will the $2K rebate and $1.5 loyalty incentives be renewed for March?
4. Anyone purchase recently on Long Island in NY - if so, how did ya do??
Thanks - your help is truly appreciated!!
It is ridiculous for any sales rep to say that no Sonatas are available w/o nav. I would walk out the door immediately if I were told that.
I suspect there is also a problem with the punctuating system.
I really would like to just take it back to them and cut my losses as well. I don't know. I'm waiting for the service manager to call me back and see what our next recourse is going to be.
I'll keep you posted. Lemon law maybe?