24th Feb 2008, 17:56
The Hyundai Sonata has nothing to make apologies for. In 2006 it beat out the Toyota Camry in a Car and Driver comparison. The new Sonata is better built than the Camry, gives the Accord some good competition, and isn't all that far behind the top rated Ford Fusion. It is a smooth, reasonably powerful and very well made car. It is also a great value.
As for those who would put down the Hyundai brand based on pure ego, I could point out that the Sonata has higher reliability ratings than many BMW, Mercedes and Porsche models (which are featured in Consumer Reports "Cars to AVOID list). One of my millionaire clients has a Hyundai and it doesn't seem to embarrass him in the least.
My only real complaint with Hyundai is the horrible dealer service and the huge number of complaints I read of owners who have warranty repairs denied. I was on the brink of buying a 2006 Hyundai Tiburon and I read all the reviews on here about dealers failing to honor the warranty. My best friend bought a new Hyundai in 2006 and he was told that he could not even buy a TIRE from anyone but his Hyundai dealer without voiding his warranty.
Recently his dealer notified him that he had to have a "required" transmission fluid and filter replacement and radiator flush at only 30,000 miles, which is LUDICROUS. The price they wanted was also THREE TIMES what my GM dealer charges for the exact same service on my GMC. It is this sort of thing, rather than any lack of quality, that keeps me away from Hyundai. Personally I think the cars are a far better value dollar for dollar than Toyota or Honda.
25th Feb 2008, 12:45
I have to say I have no idea how such cheap cars could have any expensive servicing costs.
Hyundai is no frills, basic A to B motoring.
26th Feb 2008, 20:53
After posting comment 17:56 I was browsing through the latest edition of Consumer Reports Automotive edition and noted that the Hyundai Sonata is given the HIGHEST rating (much better than average), the same as the world class Ford Fusion and one notch ABOVE the Toyota Camry. As I said before, Hyundai and Hyundai owners have nothing to feel inferior about at all.
As for servicing costs, those ARE outrageous, as the cars are not any more complex than cars whose service fees are much, much lower, but that doesn't alter the fact that the cars themselves are very good cars.
28th Feb 2008, 14:12
I am about to buy a Sonata 4-Cyl GL tonight after test driving all those cars including Camry, Accord, Impala, etc. It is like Samsung when the Korean company used to have some "poor image" some time ago, but the latest I know is that they are crushing Sony big time, and in fact Sony had surrendered to Samsung.
29th Feb 2008, 20:47
I have heard of LG, but I have never heard of a company named "Alba." What is its main product anyway?
I won't be surprised if Hyundai does the same as Samsung did to its Japanese competitor. Let's face it; it is going to be a very interesting next 10-year. My money is on Hyundai doing it. Once that happens, it is all good for us consumers because it certainly will bring down the hefty and arrogant Japanese auto prices.
1st Mar 2008, 15:50
Samsung is a respected south korean electronics manufacturer; that much is true and has been for the last few decades.
Hyundai on the other hand is more like LG or Alba (cheap end of the market)
2nd Mar 2008, 18:29
My money is on Hyundai, too. Honda and Toyota have been stagnant and a bit complacent living off their reputation while Hyundai keeps getting better and better each year. It appears that Hyundai have finally caught up to them, or may have surpassed them.
Hyundai seems to have a huge advantage over the Japanese competitors due to their dominant domestic market position. In other words, they have their backyard covered and can always draw their resources from it.
All things start from somewhere. I remember about 30 years ago when Toyota and Honda were in infancy. In fact Honda was basically a bicycle company, and nobody knows what Toyota produced back then.
13th Mar 2008, 21:07
I wrote comment 17:56, part of which dealt with Hyundai's outrageous service charges, and stated that my best friend's Hyundai dealer was demanding an outrageous price for a (required) 30,000 mile transmission flush, radiator flush and tune-up (NONE of which should be required at that low mileage!!). I had lunch with my friend today and he told me he had had the service performed by an independent service facility for exactly ONE THIRD of what Hyundai was demanding. He plans to keep the receipts for the work and use them as proof that the service work was performed. His lawyer informed him that if Hyundai refused to honor his warranty he would have proof and could contest the decision legally.
25th Mar 2008, 12:33
Under the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, a manufacturer cannot require that you use their products and services to maintain your warranty. If they claim that use of some other products or services are the cause of some defect that invalidates coverage under the warranty, then the burden of proof is with them to demonstrate this as fact.
Search Magnuson Moss, and see excerpt below.
1st Apr 2008, 12:11
Thank you commenter 12:33 for the research on the warranty requirements. Unfortunately, lots of unscrupulous dealerships, both foreign and domestic, often tend to lead the buyer to believe that ONLY the dealer parts and service will keep the warranty in force. I ALWAYS discuss my service needs with the service managers at the dealerships where I buy my new vehicles. As a mechanic, I perform all my own servicing and make it very clear that I am aware of the laws regarding warranty requirements. A detailed logbook and receipts for parts and such things as oil and filters are all that is required.
I drive only domestic vehicles and have never had a required repair under warranty (or for the first 100,000 to 150,000 miles for that matter), but I am confident that proper documentation will insure compliance with warranty issues.
My late brother noticed a knocking noise in the engine of his car just before the warranty expired. He took the car to the dealership and was told it was "nothing to worry about". About 3000 miles out of warranty his car had massive engine failure. By documenting that he had expressed concern about the issue prior to the warranty expiration, he was able to get the dealership to install a brand new factory engine at no charge.
25th Dec 2007, 20:33
"I was simply pointing out the poor respect which Hyundai get"
Seems to me that those who give "poor respect" have never been near a Hyundai recently (make that the last 10 years).
Yet those people who have bothered to investigate Hyundai can only find a great deal of respect for this manufacturer. Having been driving for 40 years, and having owned several makes from brand new, including 3 Hyundai, I feel well qualified to report that my Sonata is well engineered, well built, runs like silk, safe, has a long warranty and don't cost much.
"the broke and the impoverished I guess" I can't see what's wrong with getting best value-for-money. I research and shop around for any product I purchase and always go for the best value, which may not be the cheapest. In the case of the Sonata, they offer very good value. I pity the poor mugs who pay double the price for something that in reality is no better.
An example is, I sit at traffic lights and check the tachometer to see if the engine is still running. It really is that quiet.
Hang on, shush, don't tell the world how good Sonatas are. If people find out, then they will sell more, and then the price will go up. I want the price of my next Hyundai to remain at bargain levels. So, yes, they're complete crap, so don't bother with them.