What is the skinny on Hyundai?

[tcsenter]

We are in the market for a used economy but not sub-compact sedan, no older than 2013. Something turned my mother onto Hyundai for some reason (I don't know what, she has never owned one, I don't think she has even driven a Hyundai before), so she is looking at Elantra and Sonata. I have been looking at ratings, seems Hyundai is ranked above-average in most areas or categories except it has only average reliability?

What is the general reputation of Hyundai v. their direct competitors? We probably would be looking to buy a Honda or Toyota on reputation and reliability alone, except the resale value on them is soooo strong, not sure if the extra premium of a pre-owned Honda or Toyota driven by the name/reputation is worth it? TIA for insights and responses

 

[tracerbullet]

Random thoughts -

They have a great warranty, it won't cover everything but it will cover the catastrophic stuff.

They've come a long ways since the original Excel's, wow.

Even an "average" reliability car these days is about as good as anything even just a couple years ago. Also, the things that may knock it down may be small silly stuff. A dead stereo screen or wind-noisy sunroof seal may rank equal to a transmission engine falling off it's mounts onto the highway.

If she really likes the car, there's really no reason not to go for it. They're kinda cool looking IMO, no Ferrari but pretty decent looking for what they are, maybe that's what's got her going on them?

 

[NutBucket]

The 10 year warranty may or may not transfer...buyer beware.

But, they are fine automobiles and I wouldn't steer anyone away from an Elantra or a Sonata.

 

[CA19100]

I've had Sonatas as rental cars a couple of times, and it was so nice it made me consider trading my Honda for one. I was very impressed.

 

[evident]

I've had Sonatas as rental cars a couple of times, and it was so nice it made me consider trading my Honda for one. I was very impressed.

I wouldn't go that far, but they aren't bad cars...

 

[Jimzz]

Yea they are good cars now IMO. We found a 2005 Elantra for my nephew. Been a great car so far.

As long as you get a mid 2000's or newer they should be ok if taken care of.

 

[phreaqe]

I have had 3 over the years. The oldest was a 2002 elantra and it was a great car. By the time we got rid of it, it was 12 years old but had never had any major failures on it and we only needed routine maintenance and wear and tear items replaced.

2nd was a 2003 santa fe which was reliable but had a nasty squeak from the rear suspension which i believe was caused by an accident from the previous owner. Other than being incredibly under powered, it was a good car.

3rd is a 2010 santa fe which has knocked them down a peg with me.. I have had it in the shop for 3-4 issues one of which was getting the whole transmission replaced(under warranty!). All the issues its had were warranty items, but i expected better.

 

[mmntech]

Granted this was a while ago now, but the rental lot I worked at used to have a lot of them. Around 2012 was the last time I drove one.

My thoughts, the pre-2010 ones aren't that great. Post 2010 models are fantastic. I think the Sonata was my favourite to drive. Handles well, comfortable, very well equipped for the price. They aren't bad with the 200hp 2.4L GDI engines either.

The Elantra is a very solid compact. Handling is a bit "floaty" IMO. You'd have to actually drive it to understand what I mean by that. Otherwise a solid car, also reasonably well equipped for the price. I can't testify to the long term reliability of them though. The rental company tended to cycle them out pretty quickly. That was all about getting the best resale buck.

Both Hyundai and Kia have really come a long way in in the last five years. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one. You're not going to get quite the same build quality as Honda, Subaru, or Toyota, but they're up that. I'd wager better than Nissan at least, and definitely better than Volkswagen and the Big Three.

 

[MegaFlop]

We have a 2013 Santa Fe and a 2013 Elantra GT (hatchback).

So we are definitely biased. The 10 year 100,000 miles power train warranty absolutely does not transfer. That is for the original owners only unless you buy certified pre-owned car from Hyundai.

The Elantra GT is a great little car. My main complaint which I think is applicable to all the small Hyundais is that it does not have a independent rear suspension. You really can tell when you hit a bump or go over something rough. Also it has never hit it's EPA highway mileage figures. We average 27ish in mixed driving. Ours is loaded and has a automatic. A base manual might hit the advertised numbers.

The good points...

The features. Ours has the "Tech" package which includes a panoramic sunroof. I don't think that is available on any other small car. It is really nice and makes the car feel very open. Generally the car feels sturdy and is fairly quiet. We have taken some long multi-day road trips in the car and it has been great. The infotainment system is nice and the audio quality seems good. The navigation works well. I don't have any ergonomic complaints. I'm 6'4" and fit in the car very well. It hasn't had any unscheduled service, but we only have 20k miles on it now.

Now that being said I'm not sure if I would buy a used one and give up the warranty coverage. Also unless you are looking at a loaded model I might be inclined to look at something else. I think a lot of Hyundai's value is in all the features that they offer on their cars.

 

[PricklyPete]

I've had a sonata and a Santa Fe as a rental and both have been solid cars in their segment. Newer Hyundai's are pretty reliable and if you buy it new, you get a 10 year warranty which is pretty solid.

 

[Vetterin]

2nd was a 2003 santa fe which was reliable but had a nasty squeak from the rear suspension which i believe was caused by an accident from the previous owner. Other than being incredibly under powered, it was a good car.

My daughter has a 2005 Santa Fe V6 that is quick as hell and now with 165,000 miles is still as solid as a rock.

 

[Meghan54]

Actually, buying a used Hyundai doesn't necessarily mean giving up any warranty, just the 10 yr/100k powertrain warranty is forfeited buying used. The second owner still gets what's left on the 5 yr/60k new car warranty.

Per Hyundai:

Second and/or subsequent owners have powertrain components coverage under the 5-Year/60,000-Mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty.

https://www.hyundaiusa.com/assuranc...oogle_7t7v5k51214151015&k_trackingid=16x156#1


In the OP's case, he'll assume a good bit of the warranty the vehicle came with, taking 2013 as the oldest model year he'll consider.

 

[gorcorps]

Both the Elantra and Sonata are made in the same plant in Alabama. It's a modern shop (started producing in 2005) that has won awards for their automation and technology. It was a hell of a thing to see... very cool.

If you get a modern Hyundai you're getting something that was designed and assembled with about as new of technology as you could ask for. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

 

[JulesMaximus]

One of my best friends just traded in his Lexus RX350 and bought a 2015 Hyundai Genesis Sedan. He went to Lexus first looking at new Lexus SUVs but they wouldn't deal on the vehicle he wanted nor would they give him what he wanted for his trade in so he went to look at Hyundai and they offered him all kinds of incentives.

He is very happy with it so far. This is a guy who lives in Newport Beach in a 2 million dollar house.

 

[BurnItDwn]

ehh, I know several people with Sonatas and Elantras.. A good friend at the office's wife has a 5 or 6 year old Elantra and he replaced his crashed Regal with a Sonata recently. He loves the turbo in it.

That said, I do not have an interest in any of their models myself.

 

[LTC8K6]

Why did they kill the power in the 2.0T Sonata?

 

[LTC8K6]

TEST NOTES: The intercooler hose clamp fell off twice during our test, which may or may not have triggered a lower-power mode; we will retest the 2.0T as soon as possible, at which point the performance numbers may improve.

That happened to the new Sonata 2.0T when C&D was testing it. It only ran an 8 second run to 60, likely because of some turbo boost problem. It is rated 245hp instead of the old 274, though.

It's got to be faster, actually, because the 1.6T Eco did a 6.7 second run to 60.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-hyundai-sonata-eco-test-review

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I bought a new 2008 Hyundai Elantra several years ago. We have 46,000 miles on it and haven't had any problems so far. We like it a lot, but we also come from a background of eco-boxes and low expectations. So far, so good, but it's starting to get a little loud. However, it's been asked to start up in ice cold North Dakota weather for most of its life.

Hyundai could use a convertible for its lineup, IMHO. I suppose it just doesn't make any business sense to produce one.

 

[thomsbrain]

They have a pretty well-established track record of over-stating power and MPG, engine/transmission ECU tuning problems and sub-par shock valving.

But you could do worse for a pod to get to work.

 

[tcsenter]

She is looking at rental car sales. We know two persons who have bought their last vehicles from rental fleets (neither Hyundai), got a decent discount over certified pre-owned and has no complaints.

It's funny to me that Sonatas are going only for $1K ~ $1.5K more than Elantras. We haven't driven either so that will be next, and probably settle some questions. Thanks for the responses!

 

[chin311]

my wife has an 06 accent she bought when we were dating. It's got 120k on it and no major issues, few little things here and there but overall reliable. No frills car but we (she) only use it to go to school and back now.

 

[phreaqe]

My daughter has a 2005 Santa Fe V6 that is quick as hell and now with 165,000 miles is still as solid as a rock.

She probably has the 3.5 engine, i had the smaller v6 option taht was like 170 hp or so and it was so under powered i felt unsafe sometimes. Like merging on from an on ramp would be peddle to the floor just trying to get up to speed. Its possible there was a problem with the car that was causing a lack of power, but the mechanic never mentioned anything when he would work on the car. When i replaced it i got the 275hp engine in the newer generation which is awesome!

 

[LTC8K6]

She probably has the 3.5 engine, i had the smaller v6 option taht was like 170 hp or so and it was so under powered i felt unsafe sometimes. Like merging on from an on ramp would be peddle to the floor just trying to get up to speed. Its possible there was a problem with the car that was causing a lack of power, but the mechanic never mentioned anything when he would work on the car. When i replaced it i got the 275hp engine in the newer generation which is awesome!

2005 3.5L was only 200hp and probably got to 60 in about 8.5-9 seconds.

 

[996GT2]

That happened to the new Sonata 2.0T when C&D was testing it. It only ran an 8 second run to 60, likely because of some turbo boost problem. It is rated 245hp instead of the old 274, though.

It's got to be faster, actually, because the 1.6T Eco did a 6.7 second run to 60.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-hyundai-sonata-eco-test-review

Why did they downgrade the engine in the 2015 Sonata to just 245 hp from the old car's 274 hp? The MPG numbers are basically the same. That can't look good from an advertising point of view, considering competitors like the Accord and Camry are packing V6s with 270+ hp AND better MPG.

 

[996GT2]

I'm also pretty shocked at how expensive Hyundais have gotten. They used to be a "value" brand compared to Honda/Toyota.

A 2015 Sonata Sport 2.0T with the 245HP turbo engine starts at $28,575. That's only $2k less than a better-equipped Accord EX-L V6 with 278HP. Considering that the Accord EX-L V6 is a little bit better equipped than a Sonata Sport, the real price difference is pretty much negligible.