Mikelly Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 So the Bimmer is a little long in the tooth. The wife commutes at 0515 in the morning, for about an hour. I'm not to comfy with her driving the Bimmer at that time of day in the middle of nowhere, so I opted to buy her a new car... Planted the seed a while back. She is not one to get rid of things, which is why I'm still around. And Getting her motivated to buy a car is a monumental task that requires planning. So 9 months after I planted the seed, memorial day finds us at the local dealerships. I've never in my life owned a "brand new car". Ever. This is a new experience for me, since I'm not a "new car" fan, in general... But you know, after checking out a number of vehicles, we settled on a Hyundai Sonata SE. The price of this car, with every option except for NAV and the mooonroof is $24200. After talking back and forth with Tom Harris (Tom works at Hyundai!) in text, we finalized the deal and bought her the car. Financing was unbeatable thru Hyundai, and at 2.9%, we opted to finance the car thru the automaker... I must admit that the whole experience has been unlike any I've had, and the wife, who has bought a number of new cars in another life, said the same... She's happy, I'm happy that she's happy, and this car is pretty darned impressive... If you haven't checked one out lately, give them a look... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodZilla Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Did you get the 2010 Model? Hyundai has really stepped it up and the Sonata is a sharp looking car. The Genesis is also very very nice in both the 2 Door and 4 Door variants. I think they are also thinking about or ARE bringing the Equus I believe. It's a massive luxurious sexy beast. Back in the day I wouldn't purchase a Hyundai but these days ... certainly competitive enough and in my top choices of new cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossman Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 (edited) Hyundai's have come a long way since their first car in the states. The first time I drove in an Excel back in college I remember thinking "this thing is a load of ****." Now they are giving Nissan, Honda and Toyota some tough competition. I considered buying a Santa Fe for my wife but she HAD to have a Rav4. It's a nice car but I'm not that impressed with the (so called) Toyota quality. Edited June 2, 2010 by rossman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19762802+2 Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 My parents rented a Hyundai sonata once for a trip to Minnesota to see family. I loved that car, It was great got good gas mileage and was comfortable. By far the best car we ever rented. Also is yours the V6 or the 4 Cylinder? I heard from a Hyundai owner that they have timing chains not belts. Anyways Good luck with your car . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted June 2, 2010 Author Share Posted June 2, 2010 (edited) 2011 model... It's an impressive car...They dropped the V6 in the sonata lineup in 2011. The Genesis coupe was also on our list and we drove it... She was leaning that way, but it really isn't practical for her needs. We already have several sportscars in the family, and another just didn't make as much sense. Mike Edited June 2, 2010 by Mikelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rturbo 930 Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 My parents rented a Hyundai sonata once for a trip to Minnesota to see family. I loved that car, It was great got good gas mileage and was comfortable. By far the best car we ever rented. Also is yours the V6 or the 4 Cylinder? I heard from a Hyundai owner that they have timing chains not belts. Anyways Good luck with your car . As I recall we too rented a Sonata when visiting Seattle. I didn't drive it, but it was quite nice. Wasn't overly huge outside, but inside, it was more than roomy. Far roomier than the A4 we rented, or the Kia... something or other, which was a POS IMO. The Genesis also seems to be doing quite well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad-ManQ45 Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 I'm 56 and have been in and driven/rented quite a few cars as software trainer all over the US. I have 2 Z's, a '96 Lincoln Town Car and a '94 Q45a. A few years ago my wife was hit in the Q by someone and we rented a 4 cylinder Sonata. It had more leg room in the back than the Lincoln! Great mileage, just as if not more quiet perky acceleration. This was the year that C"&D ranked it over the Camry in a shootout. They have gotten nothing but better since then. Good choice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Yeah, I test drove one, 6 speed auto w/ paddle shifters and worked interior. It was boring to drive, but very comfortable, quiet, and best of all... the 2.4L direct injection motor makes 200hp, and gets 34mpg on the highway. And the thing has an 18.5 gallon gas tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted June 3, 2010 Author Share Posted June 3, 2010 With a 2006 Dodge Megacab 3500 4X4, 2001 Porsche 911 Turbo, 1997 BMW 328iS, 1992 Mazda Miata, 1976 Datsun 280Z V8 car, and Kawasaki ZRX1100 in the stable, we're OK having something "boring" as a new daily driver for the wife. The 2011 model is a complete redesign and I am impressed with what $24K buys... Drove it to a client's location today and enjoyed the ride and features. Since we keep cars until they are "classics", we'll likely have this car for the next decade, unless it starts causing problems... Mike Yeah, I test drove one, 6 speed auto w/ paddle shifters and worked interior. It was boring to drive, but very comfortable, quiet, and best of all... the 2.4L direct injection motor makes 200hp, and gets 34mpg on the highway. And the thing has an 18.5 gallon gas tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 I meant that the new sonata isn't exactly fun or responsive to throw in corners, but it is a solid and terrific daily commuter if you need a car to go from A to B. When I test drove it, it was quiet, it had ample power to do normal tasks, and it cruised at 75mph at 2,200 rpm or so. I decided not to buy it because it was too big for me, and it didn't handle as well as my mazda did So I got a 2010 mazda 3 hatchback that's plenty fun to drive and gets OK fuel economy (not as good as a sonata). I average 27-28mpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted June 4, 2010 Author Share Posted June 4, 2010 Man, you're not kidding. Sitting next to the E36, it's a foot longer and atleast 6 inches wider. When we testdrove them, we found drastic differences in the GLS model and the SE model. I assumed we would be getting a harsh ride with the "sport" suspension and 18inch wheels/tires. It was just the opposite. It tracks flatter and is more compliant. the GLS handled much more "blandly" and certainly wasn't inspiring. Not that the car is gonna make you think you want to drive it at your local road course, but it does make driving back roads more fun than the GLS would have. Mike When I test drove it, it was quiet, it had ample power to do normal tasks, and it cruised at 75mph at 2,200 rpm or so. I decided not to buy it because it was too big for me, and it didn't handle as well as my mazda did So I got a 2010 mazda 3 hatchback that's plenty fun to drive and gets OK fuel economy (not as good as a sonata). I average 27-28mpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted June 9, 2010 Author Share Posted June 9, 2010 Some pics we snapped when we brought it home... 10 days later and we're still very happy with it... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 I got hyundai. I like it very much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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