Hyundai Sonata 2005 and earlier

2000glsv6 · July 2001

I have a question for those of you with factory floor mats. Do you have a problem with the plastic hook in the carpet, that is to keep the mat from moving, coming apart and not holding the mat in place? If so, what have you done to keep it in place? I have thought of drilling a hole through the clip and riveting it together. Thanks for any advice you can provide.

hdcse · July 2001

There's a reason the hoods are so heavy on these vehicles - they are designed to be a stressed member in a frontal collision. Take a look at the hooks at the rear-most corners. Too bad this raises the CG, though. This is one stout piece of metal located way up high.

jc58 · July 2001

I noticed your comment regarding the cost of the GLS with leather, etc. I saw one advertised in the Chicago area, same equipment for $15,799, it said it was a new vehicle, but that seemed awful low.. About a 2 months ago I paid $15,275 for a new GLS with option package 10 ( moonroof, upgraded stereo, etc) , auto and floor mats. So far no problems. Yes, I would like a few more ponies off the line, but once you get going and hit 3500 rpm's it really kicks in. Like I had previously posted, I am surprised you don't see more of these than you do. I had rented a Camry 4 cylinder one time, and while it was nice, I am not so sure it was any better, and for the price ( the Camry equipted like mine would have run about $8,000 more) you can't beat it. It feels rock solid and has a great ride.

har1bush · July 2001

Anyone know when the '02 models will come in? It would be real interesting to see how many more Sonatas and Optimas will be sold if they really end up offering the 2.7L V6.

sonatava · July 2001

Was the Kia salesman Korean? One Korean guy I was talking to about Hyundai's said that the Korean versions have lighter metal.

sonatava · July 2001

Bulldog's website has wiring info for alarms in case anyone needs it for installing an alarm.

Last night, the local news did a story on "chop shops", and had a crew strip a car live during the broadcast. The reporter also mentioned some sort of police-sponsored "fair" about anti-car theft at a local shopping mall parking lot (Springfield Mall, VA). Well, I went over there just to pick up a few brochures and have a look at the demo's. It was co-sponsored by Allstate insurance, and Viriginia's HEAT program (Help Eliminate Auto Theft) which gives cash rewards up to $10,000 leading to car theft arrests, etc. In the HEAT trailer they had various locks, and I noticed that they have a product that I haven't seen before, perfect for those of us who feel that maybe the $30-$40 we spent on The Club was wasted. It's called "The Club Shield" and is made of white sheet metal, two halves that cover the steering wheel, and held in place with, you guessed it: The Club. This also prevents theft of the driver's airbag. If I ever get one, I'd probably use a towel over the steering wheel or pad the "shield" somehow to avoid creases in my steering wheel. I don't know how much it costs and I forgot to get a brochure since I thought it'd be on their website (it isn't) and I was very hot and thirsty from waiting around for my freebie: VIN etching.

The HEAT program was offering "FREE" VIN glass etching on all your windows, including the sunroof. They had 2 lines going, but it was still a 20-30 minute wait. They print out special labels with your VIN, then dab on some special acid, wait for a few minutes, then they remove the label, clean it up, and put on stickers warning thieves of the VIN etching. These stickers are small and they're white to match my car, so I'll probably keep them on for a while. For those in Virginia, they plan to do the VIN etching again down in Roanoake in a few months, see their website for details, but you must own, not lease the vehicle, as they'll be checking your driver's license and registration before doing the etching. The stickers mention that it's against Federal Law to remove the VINs from the parts. One cop was mentioning that the etched VIN shows up easily when they hit it with a flashlight at night.

majorthomecho · July 2001

No, the guy I was talking to about the difference in price between the Sonata and the Optima was American.

sonatafan · July 2001

I used to saw through those in 5 minutes flat with a pocket hacksaw. Definitely not a recommended product.

majorthomecho · July 2001

Sonatafan, did you have a previous life as a car boost? ; )

2000glsv6 · July 2001

What happened to your web site? Just wondering.

protectsecond · July 2001

I am planning a 800 mile round trip later this week. I have almost 800 miles on my 2001 GLS V6.Can I flow with the crowd on the interstate ? Speed limit is 70 mph, most are doing at least 75 to 80 mph.
I am concerned about break in period. Seems my manual mentions the first 1200 miles and 55 mph.

vocus · July 2001

Follow the manual then. That's your smartest move.

sonatafan · July 2001

My site recently moved from NBCi to Geocities because NBCi is discontinuing web hosting. I just checked it and it seems to be working ok.

http://www.geocities.com/sonatafan

I know T-H-C has been down.........

protectsecond · July 2001

For anyone interested, the Hyundai Elantra GT is featured car of the month.

http://www.carpoint.msn.com/

sonatava · July 2001

I was thinking the same thing... 5 minutes, I guess this was before you gave up your life of crime? Seriously, I know that the Club isn't that great, especially if your car is parked in a remote area. But, otherwise it'll make a thief think twice because it'll add time to the task. I was mentioning "the Shield" part as an alternative for those who've already purchased a Club, but were considering a complete steering wheel cover like Diskloc, which tends to be a bit more expensive.

kwonc71 · July 2001

Break in period!!! I had same Idea just like Vocus has, but my friend Chad who bought 2001 Elantra 9 months ago think diffrently.I know he drove the car up to 100 MPH right after he bought it. He asked me "People test drove your car even before you buy it, and many of those people drive it hard to see the limit of the machine. How come your Sonata & my Elatra is fine?" I can not deny his idea. I think up to 80MPH is fine for your sonata too.

2000glsv6 · July 2001

I had the NBCi site still bookmarked. Glad to see you still have your site available. I use Geocities for my web site for my Explorer as well. It was easy and free to use.

majorthomecho · July 2001

I think the break in period is still important, but yes I know that people who test drove my car before I bought it may not have followed the break in period. I don't think I have much to worry about because I always look for low mile cars. My Escort had 42 miles on it and my Echo had like 51.

Whatever car you buy, test drive one (equipped exactly like you want) and buy another with low mileage. This way you can abuse one and baby the one you buy. ; )

vocus · July 2001

Low miles eh? My 2001 Mazda Protege ES had 2 (yes, 2) miles on it when I got it. I was the one, in fact, to peel off the white paper.

The last car I got, a 1999 Protege DX, had 4 miles on it. Would never get a new car with more than 15 miles on it, myself.

sonatafan · July 2001

My Sonata had 8 miles and my Echo had 4 miles.

majorthomecho · July 2001

I stand corrected on what constitutes low mile cars.

hdcse · July 2001

Auto manufactures release new vehicles to the press, only to be tortured in every conceivable way during testing. These same automobiles are then sold to the public as used, with the full applicable factory warranty intact. It makes one wonder about prolonged break-in instructions dictated by some (not all) manufactures. Does Hyundai really think anyone will not exceed 55 mph for 1,200 miles? I think not, and I hardly think that their engines are designed with this in mind. But there are sensible standards to follow when breaking-in any new engine. First, expose it to as many heat cycles as possible - that is, full warm-ups to full cool-downs. Second, don't drive at any sustained speed for prolonged periods. On long trips vary the speed 5 mph or so about every ten minutes. This is easy to do and easy on your machinery. But not exceeding 55 isn't a realistic objective in this country. Not if you want to come home alive, anyway.

drimple · July 2001

From what I heard from reliable sources (Click and Clack), following the break-in suggestions may mean the difference between the engine lasting 200,000 miles or 100,000 miles nowadays. It's not a big concern anymore.

majorthomecho · July 2001

Following the break in period and having the engine last 200,000 miles as opposed to not and having the engine last 100,000 miles may not be a big concern, but that is a big difference. If it is all the same to you, I choose to have my engine last 200,000 miles.

csandste · July 2001

I agree with hdcse that a 55 mph break in period is probably a good way to die. I took my new Elantra on a 300 mile trip two days after taking delivery. I set the speed control at 55, then 65, then 60 and tried to vary the speed at regular intervals of every mile or two. Even at 65, that engine is not running very fast in fifth. I don't think I've had the car over 70 yet, and probably won't exceed that speed until I hit the break-in mark.

Almost any new engine will easily exceed 100,000 miles as long as oil is changed at 5000 mile intervals and (as I keep reminding my kids) kept within the normal range on the dipstick.

alc4 · July 2001

Just completed a 4236 mile trip with our 2001 Sonata GLS Round trip from Paterson,NJ to San Antonio TX including stopovers and sightseeing in New Orleans and Nashville..The car ran flawlessly.Cruised effortlessly at 85mph on A long streach of I-10 from LA. to the Tx.border a little over 400 miles with loads of luggage and two adults and I got 31.2 miles per gallon on that leg of the trip That tank of gas gave me 423.7 miles on the trip meter before I needed to fill up..Speaking of which,I never payed more than 1.19 a gallon for gas cnce I got to Tennessee,znd the average price for the whole time we were in the south west was 1.14 a gallon..At a Flying J station in Arkansas,just off I-40 I payed 1.05 a gallon and the car ran perfect on it..Tell me w'ere not getting ripped off here in the northeast
This car is a true joy to drive and own..I have never been happier wiyh any car I owned and I have had plenty..

astrol · July 2001

Agree completely. This is a car made for effortless cruising. The V-6 seems to live for long runs.

And while some reviews lament the suspension tuning, I have yet to find a single fault with the handling and road manners. The Sonata may not carve up the cones to the numbers of some of the competition but it is real world driving that counts. As a matter of fact, I have yet to drive a vehicle with as little useful feedback as a Camry under any circumstances.

bluewinds · July 2001

Sonata and XG300 are manufactured in Asan Plant.

You will see several cuts of manufacturing and testing Sonata. This is the movie about Asan plant.

Click "Hyundai Asan plant"

http://myhome.naver.com/mildbreeze/menu2.html

timnielsen · July 2001

Has anyone heard anything about the 2002 model? I had a 2000 Sonata GLS, which I loved, all except for the front end. I had to sell it to take a job in New Zealand.

Here, the 2001 Sonata looks somwhat different, and much improved I think. I wish my car in the states looked that way. I'll probably buy another GLS when I get back, but am curious (and hopeful) that maybe the look of the 2001 here will be incorporated into the 2002 there.

For you info, here's a link to the New Zealand Sonata. Notice a couple things. Although you can't get a great view from the picture, the front end is more squared off. It also has electric releases for the gas and trunk.

And perhaps more importantly, substitutes a 2.7 for a 2.5 liter V6 on the upper end model.

One can only hope that this one makes it's way to the states.

http://www.hyundai.co.nz/hyundai/sonata.html

astrol · July 2001

Should be here in Aug. It has the C-class front treatment with the squarish XG-type grill, the Jag S-type rear and the Optima-style interior. I'm glad to finally see it with the 2.7L. I assume it will have the same specs as the current US Santa Fe engine.

The new look and engine should keep these cars moving off the dealer's lots. Looks like another banner year for Hyundai.

giowa · July 2001

Had the chance yesterday to air out my '00 Sonata GLS V-6 w/Pkg 13 and 5-speed manual. At 115 mph (indicated speedometer reading) she was turning over 5,800 RPMs in 4th gear. At 120 mph she was turning over 5,000 RPMs in 5th gear. She was running out of steam but I think she could've gotten that extra 3-6 mph if I hadn't run out of optimal road. 120 is the fastest I've had her going. She was pretty stable and the road & wind & engine noise was not too bad (I had turned the radio off).

mpgman · July 2001

As to break in, driving at varied speeds below a certain rpm level may be more important than pure speed. So.....70 mph in 4th may be OK because you are only doing about 2500 rpms, but flooring it in 1st or 2nd isn't. If you do believe in strictly following break-in procedures then you should never consider buying a rental car or a demo, especially ones requiring premium fuel. Who knows what was put into the tank?

har1bush · July 2001

I looked at the '02 model and it looks very nice... what is best about the new model is the 2.7L engine, which will probably have 178hp and 180 lb-ft of torque (according to the korean hyundai website). This should finally distance the V6 models from the I-4 models and keep the V6 models more competitive with the others. I will say this, however... When Hyundai introduced the XG300 to our shores, it should have put the 3.5L engine in the XG and the 3.0L engine into the Sonata and Optima. Maybe this would have increased the prices somewhat, but this would have made it clear that the Sonata was competing against the Camcords, while the XG was going up against the Lexuses and Acuras -- the way Hyundai intended to. However, I pretty much doubt that most people looking at Lexus ES300's and Acura TL's are even looking at an XG300's picture. Now, it looks like Hyundai has another dilemma... if the XG300 continues production and the new 3.5L engine becomes an option, the XG300 will be squarely in competition with the Sonata V6 (the base XG goes for less than 21K these days). I just wish that Hyundai stays away from the canabalistic ways of GM.

giowa · July 2001

Is it definite that you can (theoretically, assuming you could find one) get the 2.7L V-6 with 5-speed manual? Does Hyundai still bundle ABS/TC with all other goodies in Pkg 13? Would be nice to have as separate option. And other safety enhancements? Brake assist? EBP? Altima adding these and side curtain airbags front & rear.

har1bush · July 2001

not sure about the 5-speed... dont be surprised if V6 no longer comes with a manual, since the 2.7L will probably have enough power now and not many people buy manual tranny anymore

also not sure about the option package with ABS and TC, but seeing that these two aren't packaged together in the Optima (i think) it's a possibility that we wont see them together

I think I did see Electronic Brake Distribution on the website and maybe even xenon headlights (?) but nothing seems finalized for the U.S. spec models... just wait and see i guess

giowa · July 2001

Anything option-wise to improve handling? A more aggressive option package? Bigger tires? Is she going to 16 inchers for '02?

jomorisin · August 2001

Well, for no reason today the Malfunction light went on-little engine symbol light in bottom left of dash display. Won't go off. Anybody got any ideas or experiences?

astrol · August 2001

More than likely a fuel or intake sensor problem. Take it in and see if a code was registered.

jomorisin · August 2001

Well, turns out the gas cap was loose! They actually needed to reprogram the car's computer to make the light go off.

astrol · August 2001

when they say---at least three clicks. May we all be as fortunate in the future. Happy Driving!

intrepidspirit · August 2001

If it happens again, you can save yourself a trip to the dealer. Once the cap is tightened, it takes usually 2-3 days for the air pressure to build up again and the light to go out. In the meantime, it won't harm the car...

jomorisin · August 2001

Yup, I do feel a bit dumb.

Thanks for the info. I will definitely remember and act accordingly from now on.

I say only a bit dumb because I believe this may be the perils of full service gasoline stations in NY.

Sometimes there is too much noise to hear the clicks.

sundayduffer · August 2001

I see nothing wrong with the handling of this car. I got to put my 2001 GLS through a major accident avoidance test the other day. Pickup clipped a van on the freeway and at 75 was able to snake the Pearl wonder between them just like a Nascar pro as they banged off the retaining wall and back across 3 lanes. No need to fear loss of control in an emergency, she tracked like she was on a rope.

And yes you guys up north & over in California are gettin banged on fuel prices, my wife paid 1.02 for regular this week down here in Texas. Prices in Dallas area are anywhere from 1.17-1.38 self serve regular. She caught a 1 day special day after I popped for 1.19 same station.

mpgman · August 2001

Saw one parked across the street from my house. Thought it was an XG300 at first with the new front and rear treatment, but realized it wasn't when I saw the black window frames instead of the frameless glass.

dougndo · August 2001

In the quest to name my 2001 GLS, I settled on "Black Cat" or "Cat" for short. The reasons I did this were 1) it's black, 2) I think the lines have a feline suppleness to them, and 3) the front lenses and GLS grill remind me of of a lurking cat's visage. Now of course the blackest, baddest, most beautiful feline is the jaguar (small "j" please note), but I refrained from calling it that because most folks can't see the small "j' when I say it and will think I'm being presumptive and calling it a Jaguar (big "J") and give me a raft of condescending crap I don't need.

Anyway, last week I took some of my employees out for a nice lunch on the pier in Redondo Beach CA, and one of my classroom advisors had her little sister, Sabrina, along for "sister's day at work." We had a great time at a nice seafood place that only served COOKED seafood. When we left, it turned out that the two of them needed to ride in my Sonata, and Sabrina was ecstatic. "Oh, that is such a cool car. Can we really ride in it?" As we drove, she kept chattering about the leather seats, power windows, rear seat center arm rest, (fake) wood trim, etc. Just as luck would have it, while we were driving, her mom called on her sister's cell phone to see how the day was going. Sabrina's reply: "Omigod, mom, you wouldn't believe it! We went to a restaurant by the ocean and ate sushi, andyou won't believe itwe're riding in the boss's Jaguar!!"

ldisler · August 2001

I was looking at the engine in my sister inlaws 97 or 98 sonata and noticed that it looked a lot like the engine in my former 92 Talon. Does anyone know if they bought their motors from Mitsubishi ??

drimple · August 2001

I believe Mitsubishi engines were used up to the 1999 model year. For the 1999 and newer Sonatas, Hyundai uses their own engines that were developed in house.

tonykrapil · August 2001

I was on vacation this week and 700 miles from home I go to open the drivers side window. I hear a thunk and quickly raise window.

Being curious and wanting the window open I pressed the down button again and BAM the window fell out of site into the door.

I was visiting Duke university in NC and in the parking lot me and my son were dismantling the door panel and undoing all the linkages to be able to raise the window and wedge from cardboard in for the ride hback to Florida. Thanks goodness it did not happen during all the rain I was driving through in Florida a few days ago.

I know things could be worse, BUT what an inconvenience.

On a positive note, the car has not skipped a beat in 13k miles. Round trip avg mpg 31 for base model with auto and A/C on and avg speed prob 70+ for 16 hours

Tony

astrol · August 2001

What exactly was the problem? Did the window jump track or did something break?

Our '00 GLS had a short lived problem w/driver's window as well. It would clunk at the top of the travel when raising it, just as it was going into the molding. Lasted about a week and a half but has since disappeared. I never got a chance to pop off the door panel and take a look-see.

tonykrapil · August 2001

You guys really dont want to look into things. Some doors were just not meant to opened by man, this includes some windows too.

There is one little ole motor that winds a thin braided cable up and down thru a series of pulleys. It is quite a simple operation. None of those scissor like mechanisms we may have seen in the past.

From what I can see, it looks like the guide or maybe lets call it a nozzle that comes out of the top of the window motor snapped off and changed the angle of cable release and uptake, or maybe just increased the cable slack and allowed it to jump off of the pulleys.

This window dropped soo fast and sooo far it was kinda comical, but not when on a trip hundreds of miles from home.

Fortunately the door panel came off easy, and with a little untangling of the cable, I was able to lift the window by hand and shim some cardboard inbetween the glass and the door frame to keep it in place for the ride home.

I dread the dealers soooo much I have thought of just leaving the cardboard in there.

Will let you guys know what happens.

Here is a link to the service page on the window, it doesnt show too much, BUT it surely clear IF you have already HAD to look inside the door like I have.

http://www.hmaservice.com/webtech/iindex.asp?id=390290022#_390290022

BEWARE of window travel noise!!

Tony

Hyundai Sonata 2005 and earlier

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