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Where can you buy a Maxima loaded like the Sonata Limited for $26k.
Maybe a previously owned with less than 10k mi. And still the warranty will not take you to the yr 2021.
rates the Maxima 8.6 exterior and 8.0 interior. Sonata 8.8 exterior and 7.8 interior.
So ...
"It's definitely not better looking than the 2011 Sonata! That's my opinion shared by every auto rater in the Country except Nissan owners."
Is an untrue statement. Pretty much a wash according to the media.
Personally I prefer the Maxima inside and out.
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Looking at (in no particular order) the Acura TL, Nissan Maxima, Infiniti G37X, and Sonata turbo. Leaning towards the TL or Maxima. Not sure I can wait for the Sonata turbo.
We were comparing the Limited Turbo to the Maxima. The Limited Turbo will end up selling for about $2k less than the Maxima. If you're evaluating in terms of performance, Maxima wins that battle hands down. If you're evaluating in more subjective terms (appearance), then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I'll need to drive the Turbo and see how it handles. Turbo might bump the HP up to be competitive, but I'll be curious how the Limited Turbo suspension handles against sport sedans like the others.
What attracts me to the Sonata/Optima turbo is nice power and the MPG to go along with it on regular gas and the warranty. If the suspension can be improved and become at least competitive(a habitual Hyundai weakness as well as less refined but perfectly good engines) I will consider the turbo models. I know that I won't be getting the same richness of the luxury brands but for a few thousand less it's a decent tradeoff. But, if the suspension isn't right I won't be buying it. I almost bought a 2007 Sonata but bought the Mazda6 instead because of the suspension. Otherwise I liked them both pretty much the same as the pros and cons were about equal but the suspension and sloppy handling I just couldn't put up with. Hopefully Hyundai will improve on that because I think they are an up and coming brand and have shown great improvement in most other aspects of their cars.
I hear that the Limited TURBO will have 18" wheels, paddle shifters and a panoramic sunroof (like the 2010 Hyundai Tucson). Current 2011 Sonata Limited (4-cylinder NON-Turbo models) already have a standard backup camera when you get the NAV. It also has standard front and rear heated seats.
Also, I would love to see HID (Xenon) headlights and ventilated seats on the Limited Turbo, but I have not heard that those are coming which is really a shame. Other features that I really wish Hyundai would add to the Limited Turbo are a Power Passenger Seat (like the 2010 Honda Accord EX-L V6 has now) and a small annoyance is that the 2011 Sonata doesn't have an electronic readout for the dual automatic climate control's temperature (like all other cars in the segment). You just have to read the numbers on the two dials. I'd also love to see LEDs in the tail lights (like the Maxima).
You may have heard that the soon to be released, 2011 Kia Optima Turbo (same engine as Sonata Turbo) will definitely have HID (Xenon) headlights and LED tail lights plus Kia's version of Ford's SYNC system. It's called UVO. I know that Hyundai and Kia are only sister companies, but come on Hyundai! We want this stuff on the 2011 Sonata Limited Turbo, too!
I also love the blue lighting on the Sonata's gauges. I hate, hate the orange nighttime lighting on the Maxima. Please test drive a Maxima at night before buying it, if you care about that kind of thing. Really annoying.
Also, as much as I love the Maxima's exterior and sweet torquey engine...the interior feels very cheap (even on the premium package equipped Maxima SV with a $39,500 sticker). And it requires premium gas. Lastly, you must use synthetic oil or Nissan's $90 oil change with Ester Oil to get 19 mpg City vs. Sonata's 22 mpg City on regular oil. So, in the long run a Maxima costs more to own.
Both fun cars to own, though.
They aren't. Some of the items the OP mentioned are not part of the turbo package on the Sonata Limited. I think he might have mistaken the information for another Hyundai or Kia model. I have a Mazda6 with red lighting and have had Pontiacs with the red/orange night lighting and found them to be no problem at all. It sounds like more of a personal preference. I would rather have blue but the red/orange is no problem and Mazda actually says that studies have shown it to be a very good night color for visibility(of course they would but they do cite studies). By the way, Kia has red lighting on their cars for the most part.
I think you're going to find that Kia and Hyundai are going to not only differentiate their models by looks but also content to some degree. If every single option or piece of standard equipment was available on each one you would end up with the same stuff that GM did for so many years and for what they got slammed for. Building the same car but only different sheet metal.
I'm not pushing the Maxima by any means but if you think that the Maxima SV interior feels or looks cheap, just what would you call the Sonata's interior? The leather is much nicer and the controls are higher quality in the Maxima and the car, when driven, is just plain tighter and better behaved on bumps and corners. I think your "hate, hate" of the red lighting possibly tints your view of the rest of the car. I agree about the higher costs but there is no free lunch in this world.
Nissan Maxima
Absolutely! I'm ecstatic with the new sound of my Hyundai - and with a 120db output far less worried about safety issues,
Hmmmm....I guess it isn't isolated. I guess Hyundai isn't perfect after all. They tried to hide the truth from their most loyal customers. :mad:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/complain/complaintsummary.cfm?odi_id=- 10336919&prod_id=844773&cmpt_id=1&type=1
So that means your issue is not unique. But 2 out of about 100,000 cars is "isolated", IMO.
And I don't recall anyone here maintaining that Hyundai is perfect. :surprise:
A $500+ car payment does not thrill me so I have been looking at used G35X's.
I was looking at a 2007 with 34k miles for $21900 last weekend but it sold fast.
What I find strange is you will not post your video here but you have sent it to the NHTSA. Hopefully we will get a chance to see it someday.
Also I hope you don't heat your home with natural gas. There have been several incidents of explosions in the home and you should be aware of the potential for it happening to you. Not frequent but it has happened.
Anyone else having regrets?
I believe you will find others with regrets since Consumers only give it a 9.5 out of 10.
It would be highly IRRESPONSIBLE for Hyundai to warn consumers about a defect that currently has a .002% potential of being present, and a current 0% risk of death.
I understand that it is personal, because it happened to you, but it is not reasonable to expect a manufacturer to speak out on an issue that has only been verified to have occurred in 2 of 100,000 vehicles, especially given that the cause/defect has not been confirmed... to even exist, much less which system or part.
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Just for a little clarification on the "40 complaints" rule you heard
about through your dealer, none of our investigations are nearly that
clear-cut. 40 complaints may be a drop in the bucket when it comes to a
vehicle like the Ford F150 which sells nearly 600,000 units annually.
In contrast, 40 complaints for a 2011 Hyundai Sonata that has only been
out for sale for a very limited time may be a drastic population
representation! If we're looking at an issue of rusting under-carriages
in 10-year-old vehicles, 40 complaints may only draw notice and a
"consistent monitoring" status. However, a steering complaint in a
brand new system in a brand new vehicle would receive dire attention
well before the 40 complaint mark. In short, each issue we confront is
really held to its own standard because the severity of the issue must
be weighed as well as the number of affected units. Again, I thank you very much for helping out with this investigation.
I'm sympathetic to the experience you had, and I do not doubt that it happened, and I am sorry that your family had a life-threatening experience.
However, if you look at everything you've posted here, you have to understand why other members are frustrated with your campaign that Sonatas present a realistic danger. Apart from your complaint, there's only one other on the NHTSA site. Even if Hyundai wanted to cover up an issue, they have zero power to stop consumers posting a complaint on that site - zero. So, given your report that there are "many more" complaints, it is understandably frustrating for other owners to have no information (which you are apparently the sole possessor of) to check out this potential issue.
If it is a life-threatening issue, members would naturally anticipate that, in the interest of preserving their families' safety, you would offer them EVERY opportunity to investigate the issue. Instead, you choose that your "privacy" (or whatever) is more important than other owners' lives. Can you see how that would make others frustrated?
Additionally, it appears that the cause has not been determined. As far as anyone can tell, the vehicle may have been damaged in transport, or by road conditions, or anything else that has NO relationship to the make/model, and that points to no defect in any part or manufacturing process.
Given all of these variables, it is very hard to see anyone else getting riled up, fearing a potential safety issue, or to join a campaign for a recall.
If you have information that would help others investigate this issue, we would most certainly appreciate you posting it. But claiming that multiple third parties have reported this issue without any substantiating information really isn't helpful to anyone here.
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Hyundai is no different than any other auto manufacturer. They are in the business to make money. They all have problems and they will do and say anything to keep that money flowing. That is the bottom line.
(They can't fix a problem if they don't know it exists.)
The reason I can comfortably say that is because the total number of deaths across all manufacturers as a result of a manufacturing defects is so low as to be incalculable - it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of one in tens of millions. Even with the recent massive Toyota recall, no one (including independent investigators) has been able to verify that any deaths were a result of component failure.
Lifetime risk of dying in an automobile accident are now at 1 in 100. Most of those are due to driver error, driver distraction, and alcohol. Lifetime risk of dying in an automobile accident as a result of a manufacturing defect is 1 in >10,000,000. That is almost zero. If you narrow it down by manufacturer, it's even lower.
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I think it's very odd you say that, when you have deliberately withheld visual evidence (your video) from Hyundai that might help them determine the cause of the problem.
Hyundai knows there is a problem--you have reported it to them, and probably the other owner who put the report on safercar.gov reported to Hyundai also. Finding the cause of the problem, if it's a general one, may not be simple. Any information anyone has that could help Hyundai find and fix the problem faster would be good for Hyundai, good for other Sonata owners, and good for those considering buying a Sonata.
Yes I believe you had a problem with your Sonata and it may have been related to the power steering or any other electrical malfunction effecting the power steering. The cause may have been related to workmanship, part defect, or any other random cause. However I cannot accept your assesment that Hyundai has a serious design flaw that will jeapordize my safety as an Owner. So far after 3mos and 2800mi my Sonata has been a pleasure to drive and I am confident I'm not riding in a time bomb. I have enough confidence in Hyundai and other Manufacturers that if my life were in danger I would have received a recall letter by now.
I took it through car wash with less pressure and it did not leak, so I guess I will wait to see how it does in a HEAVY rain!!
Thank you all I am glad to hear that I am not the only one who thinks this is absurd!!
I was not sure about legal actions of posting the video to the public. So...all I could do is try to warn about the potential defect.
When you sent it to the National Safety Organization you made it available to the public. My Dealer is presently requesting the video you sent to them to forward to Hyundai. Unfortunately he asked me for your case number. Is it possible you can help with the info to make it easier for my Dealer to retrieve the video.
Thank You for your help.
And don't be nerveous. You sold your death trap back to the Dealer.
Uploading the video, by itself, can't cause you legal trouble. What could cause problems is if you added a description or comment to the video implicating anyone else for the crash. A video with a comment such as "video of my car after the crash" doesn't do that. "Video of my defective Hyundai" could.
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Sorry for such a tardy response, but I just encountered this issue when my temporary registration expired and I needed to mount my permanent plates. When I removed the cheap plastic frame (surrounding a plastic insert with dealer advertizing) from the front bumper, I was surprised to find that there was no proper mounting bracket for the front license plate. Just two ragged holes that were apparently drilled in haste and not properly cleaned up. This must be something that was done at the dealer. I cannot believe that such shoddy work would have come from the factory.
Anyhow, I used some thin vinyl weatherstripping to achieve an acceptable mount that protects the finish. It does not show at all and it prevents the license plate from directly contacting the bumper. I used a self-stick type of weatherstriping that is widely available at Home Depot or Lowes. I stuck the weatherstripping to the back of the license plate, not the bumper. After some experimentation, I settled on a strip running across the top of the plate just above the upper mounting holes (and slightly below the top edge of the plate). And two vertical strips which run from the upper mounting holes to the lower mounting holes on each side of the plate.
I got my 2011 Limited on April 20th and I love it.
Don't take this the wrong way, but don't flatter yourself by thinking that they would contact you. This would cause a panic and maybe a slight drop in sales.
Since to date it's about 2 cars in 100,000, I'd have to agree with that.
Hyundai never sent you an email address? But you knew how to contact Hyundai to report the problem. You know where your local dealer is. You know the Hyundai Customer Service phone number. All kinds of ways to provide them with your video.
If they know what the problem is, they can issue a recall for the specific cars affected--even if it's all 2011 Sonatas made up to the time they found the problem (assuming that once they found it, they fixed it on cars made after that). Hyundai has recalled large numbers of cars before for safety-related defects. Do you know for a fact that Hyundai will not take such action because of the expense, or is that your opinion?
You also avoid answering about the 5 other Sonatas at your Dealership and what the Dealer did with the Sonata he repurchased from you. If you were really concerned for the safety of others and you sold back to your Dealer a deathtrap, I would think you would be very closely following the whereabouts of that car and the 5 others.
Just to add to your story, last week a 2010 Ford Fusion blew a tire on the NY Thruway and 3 people were seriously hurt. Should we all avoid buying a Ford Fusion because of a safety defect at Ford.
And finaly do you truly believe Hyundai has a serious design flaw that they do not want the public to know about for fear of reduced sales. In my area it is very difficult to find a Sonata SE on the lot.
I never said to not purchase the darn car!
As for the Ford Fusion, I had also stated that I did like the car but didn't purchase it because it has the same steering unit as the sonata. Good thing...I would have really been freaked out, after what we had gone through with the sonata.
I know the SE's seem to be the most popular Sonata's. It is an affordable luxury car. Middle income families are able to finally afford a car with everything.
I also didn't want the wrong person to get the video and mess with it. It is my proof.
signing off for the day.