9th Mar 2011, 21:41
Thank you to all of you who posted reviews for the 2011 Sonata!
I am currently considering the 2.0T as an option, but I am concerned about what has been mentioned above: reliability, steering feel, and ride quality. Also, can anyone comment on depreciation/resale value?
13th Jun 2011, 13:46
Traded my 2008 Hyundia Sonata in with 82,000 miles and the trade value was $9400.00. I paid 12,500 with 36,000 miles. We got another Hyundai Sonata 2011 used. Try the NADA Blue Book.
3rd Oct 2011, 19:15
What were your issues?? There are a few known problems, but these are quickly fixed. Like any new model year car... You buy a new model car because YOU LIKE IT... with full knowledge that there will be "issues" to fix.
I've had 3 new cars, over the past 22 years, and some are worse than others (I know bad because I bought a '95 FORD Windstar and lived through 6 years of hell until it died on a road trip).
If you don't want to deal with "issues"... then DO NOT BUY A NEW MODEL YEAR. I have a Sonata 2.0T and enjoy every minute of it... even when I had 2 issues that were fixed, I DID get a rental for the one day they had it.
Maybe it's a dealer problem. My dealer treats me like I'm "somebody"... The car has performed well and even with the "issues"... I would recommend it.
I'm sorry you had a bad experience, and you should really contact a regional rep to get your issues taken care of. I actually picked a dealer 70 miles away from my home town, because of their reputation... and I have it serviced there as well... research the car... and then the dealer... I've been driving for 35 years... and this is by far the most fun I have had with a car.
8th Mar 2012, 13:57
Sounds like you really have a problem with your dealers service department and not your Hyundai. For your comment to really be valid, you would need to give tell about what is wrong with it, how long it has been in service, etc.
Oh, and dealers are NOT required to give you a loaner, that is something that they do out of kindness and wanting to keep your business. If your car is in for warranty work however, your rental car would be compensated by Hyundai corporate and not the dealer, but that would have to be sent in with the warranty claim.
Please include any and all issues in a comment, as the majority of us LOVE our Hyundais. I have four in my family, and all of them are absolutely top notch.
5th Apr 2012, 16:46
12,000 mile update from original poster. No major problems to date. I had a interior rattle in the center console that was remedied by simply loosening and re tightening the bolts.
Hyundai's factory IPOD cable is useless. It is too hard, and brittle, loses signal at the slightest bumps, especially in cold weather, and is designed to be just short enough to force you to use the radio controls. No big deal, I just use an aftermarket one.
Several minor recalls including flashing the ECU.
One annoying thing I've noticed over time is the 2.4 with automatic does not like the 35 MPH range, IE it will keep shifting between gears at the slightest touch of the accelerator. I simply lock it into manual mode.
Fuel mileage has improved significantly with warmer weather and time. I have seen 36 MPG on a few highway trips. 22-26 MPG is about average for a mix of city/highway driving.
Like most new cars with cheap tires, they seem to be wearing prematurely, but they are wearing even at least.
If I did things over, I would have just purchased the base model; the SE rides too rough for a family sedan in my opinion.
7th Apr 2012, 18:10
I'm a little surprised by some of the fuel mileage figures I'm seeing in these comments. If my 4-cylinder Fusion dropped below 27 in town, I'd be very upset. And 34-38 on the highway is typical. I thought the Sonata would at least be that good. I've gotten as high as 41mpg on long trips on the interstate with the air off.
8th Apr 2012, 17:00
27 MPG is about 11.3 km/L; the mileage will vary greatly based on the operating conditions. If you're getting 27 MPG for a car the size of the Fusion, and with an engine much larger than 2 litres, assuming with automatic, your town driving conditions must be reasonably ideal, and your commute would be at least 30 minutes one way (enough to get the car up to operating temperature, and the engine computer to work in closed-loop mode).
I live in Auckland, NZ, and though the traffic here isn't anywhere near as bad as other major cities worldwide, almost none of the roads here are flat and not very straight. A slight incline will see the fuel consumption gauge of my current car (a 4-cyl BMW 316ti with manual gearbox) racing towards the 7 km/L (16.6MPG) direction.
My own experience with medium-sized petrol/gasoline-powered cars with automatic (I've had a Galant and several Audis) is that driving in town gives an average of about 8.5 km/L (or 20.2 MPG). The only time I ever got at least 10 km/L (23.8 MPG) is with a manual gearbox. My current car manages 11.5 km/L (27.3 MPG) combined with the manual.
24th Jan 2011, 15:37
My 2011 Sonata SE is 6 months old with 8000 miles, now. So far it has been a stellar automobile. These cars are much more refined than the Hyundais of yesteryear. Ride is smooth, engine power:efficiency is highly impressive, and the content you get for your dollar is unbeatable. No other manufacturer can compare.
The controls are laid out in an intuitive fashion and are easy to use. The sound system / nav setup is hands down less complex than so many of the so-called "luxury" cars out there.
Interior space is shockingly abundant. I am 6'4" and do not need to slide my seat all the way back. Even if I did, a person 6' could still sit comfortably behind me. This is a rare find in terms of space! When you consider everything you get for your dollar, the performance, the economy, you will find nothing else in its class can compete. Even the next level up classification would have a tough time.
I chose this car over Buick Lacrosse, and I'm glad I did! There are some tradeoffs... the car does have that "Asian" feel, driving down the road. It's not a plush Cadillac or Buick. But then, it's not intended to be.
Someone else commented that the fuel economy was "only" about 25mpg around town. What more do you want? That's pretty darn good for a car that size. My highway has hit 34mpg. Again, excellent. I am coming off of a 2002 Bonneville SSEi, which got about 19/29 advertised. The Bonneville had much less interior space, yet was dimensionally larger on the exterior than the Sonata. Kudos to Hyundai for packaging the interior in a way to make optimal use of the space!
I bought this before the turbo was available. In another 6-8 months I plan to trade this SE in and step up to a Limited Turbo.
I just can't say enough about the quality. Hyundai is for real now!
By the way, I am a current GM employee. How embarrassing is that to the company... yikes.