.....its a decent car, but its too cushy and soft for me. It feels like you are isolated too much from the road. It feels nowhere near as sporty as my Accord. Also, it feels like you are sitting on top of the seats, instead of in them. There is no seat bolstering at all. It seems as though Hyundai went the Camry rout on this one as far as handling is concerned. Another thing I dont like is the parking break......on the floor like a truck. I prefer the handle next to the gear shifter.

All in all, not a terribly bad effort by Hyundai......but its just not as nice as the Accord IMHO. The interior has too much hard plastic and the leather isnt as nice.

Ehhhhh........ :dunno:

Sounds like most reviews I've read of the Hyundai...both the Sonata and Azzera. Nothing really bad, several things actually pretty good, but nothing really outstanding, either. Best thing appears to be the bargain prices, relatively speaking.

For my money, far and away the number one thing is I'll have to give them ten years or so to prove their durability/reliability. I won't give them a serious look until they have a longer track record.

Overall, probably not bad, but they're no Honda! :thmsup:

The new Accords have hard plastic everywhere comapred to my Accord.

Also, the Azera is not in the same class as the Accord. So a comaprison between the two isn't fair really. It's way bigger, and it's cushy because it's a fullsize; so yeah, they went the camry route.

My Mercedes has a floor parking brake. I never use it, but it doesn't bother me really.

I'll have to give them ten years or so to prove their durability/reliability. I won't give them a serious look until they have a longer track record.

Well I look at used Hyundais online alot, and most Sonatas with 140k+ miles seem to be holding up great. I would like to drive one; then I'll have a solid opinion, but as of right now, I'm all for cheering Hyundai on!:banana:

Well I look at used Hyundais online alot, and most Sonatas with 140k+ miles seem to be holding up great. I would like to drive one; then I'll have a solid opinion, but as of right now, I'm all for cheering Hyundai on!:banana:

Really? Hmmmm...wasn't aware of that. Well, that's a good thing!

I'm definitely not *against* Hyundai, by any means. The better the competition is, the better Honda will have to be. :yes:

Really? Hmmmm...wasn't aware of that. Well, that's a good thing!

I'm definitely not *against* Hyundai, by any means. The better the competition is, the better Honda will have to be. :yes:
But lately, it seems that Honda is getting worse while Hyundai is getting better..

Plus more competition means more competitive, aka lower, price tags! That is always good news for the masses.

But lately, it seems that Honda is getting worse while Hyundai is getting better..

I think Hyundai is definitely getting better, but I don't know that I agree that Honda is getting worse. Are you basing that on empirical data or anecdotal evidence? Seems to me some of the bigger problems they've had in the past had to do with transmissions, and those seem to have been greatly improved.

Plus more competition means more competitive, aka lower, price tags! That is always good news for the masses.

True. But Hyundai is pricing higher. Think about it. The Veracruz can be priced at $40k..

I think Hyundai is definitely getting better, but I don't know that I agree that Honda is getting worse. Are you basing that on empirical data or anecdotal evidence? Seems to me some of the bigger problems they've had in the past had to do with transmissions, and those seem to have been greatly improved.
It has to do with experience. From back in the day when my dad had his 1988 Accord. 100% Japanese, better quality control, etc. Honda still builds great cars, no doubt about it. But the fit and finish doesn't seem to be as good as it did 10 years ago. They are getting more expensive, yet using cheaper parts. The plastic is getting harder, it just doesn't have as much quality feel anymore.

Granted, this is mostly subjective..

I think Hyundai is definitely getting better, but I don't know that I agree that Honda is getting worse. Are you basing that on empirical data or anecdotal evidence? Seems to me some of the bigger problems they've had in the past had to do with transmissions, and those seem to have been greatly improved.

Light bulbs burning out like crazy, transmissions, more TSB's than I've ever seen before, rattles, peeling exterior trim, crappy paint, bad headunit screens (although improved!), fit and finish quality is rather unimpressive for Honda etc.

Nothing that seems to be stranding anyone, besides the transmissions, but all things someone buying the "oh so amazing" honda product shouldn't have to deal with IMO. Especially the quality control issues. :(

I've yet to hear of anything that's plauging the most recent Hyundais as far as reliability goes, and you have 10yrs/100k of time covering mechanical failure.

Would I buy a Hyundai? Probably not, just because nothing they're selling is really aappealing to me; but for the average driver their products bring alot to the able as far as well priced and very decent trasnportation goes.:thmsup:

It has to do with experience. From back in the day when my dad had his 1988 Accord. 100% Japanese, better quality control, etc. Honda still builds great cars, no doubt about it. But the fit and finish doesn't seem to be as good as it did 10 years ago. They are getting more expensive, yet using cheaper parts. The plastic is getting harder, it just doesn't have as much quality feel anymore.

Granted, this is mostly subjective..

Fair enough...to an individual, that's what matters most.

On the flip side, my '92 Accord was great as far as fit, finish, and materials. But the '07 seems even better, so far. They're so vastly different now it's kind of hard to compare, but it seems much more refined now. Same thing when I compare it to my '89 Civic, '83 Civic Wagon, and '01 Odyssey. The materials on my new one seem much better than the '92, but it's a leather vs. cloth interior, so that can make a difference. The one thing I absolutely LOVED about the '92 was the way the center console just lit up with those beautiful blue LED lights.

But my experience is also subjective...YMMV of course.

:)

It has to do with experience. From back in the day when my dad had his 1988 Accord. 100% Japanese

Are you sure on that one... :dunno:

not even the J-Vin accords get all their parts from japan. And my Mom had an ohio built 86' Accord; most were.

Light bulbs burning out like crazy, transmissions, more TSB's than I've ever seen before, rattles, peeling exterior trim, crappy paint, bad headunit screens (although improved!), fit and finish quality is rather unimpressive for Honda etc.

Transmissions: isn't this actually an improvement over the last 5-10 years?
Light bulbs: based on what?
TSBs: is it actual or perceived, or are we just better-informed now?
Rattles: seems to be something to this one
Peeling exterior trim: how so? TSB's? how about the old rust problems on earlier gens?
Crappy paint: based on what? personal observation or objective data?
Bad headunit screens: yes, was a problem...hopefully better.
Fit and finish quality unimpressive: again, based on what?

I'm not saying you're wrong on any of them. I'm just asking if you have hard data to support some of your claims, or if these are just your own observations, experiences, and opinions.

No offense intended. :)

Transmissions: isn't this actually an improvement over the last 5-10 years?
Light bulbs: based on what?
TSBs: is it actual or perceived, or are we just better-informed now?
Rattles: seems to be something to this one
Peeling exterior trim: how so? TSB's? how about the old rust problems on earlier gens?
Crappy paint: based on what? personal observation or objective data?
Bad headunit screens: yes, was a problem...hopefully better.
Fit and finish quality unimpressive: again, based on what?

I'm not saying you're wrong on any of them. I'm just asking if you have hard data to support some of your claims, or if these are just your own observations, experiences, and opinions.

No offense intended. :)

Many people on DA on have had to het their door trim replaced due to it peeling on 7th gens. - I'd assume there's a trend growing...

Fit and finish quality unimpressive based on numerous compalints of rattles, panels rubing, parts falling apart (like the door trim), I could go on.

Bulbs would burn out like crazy on 6th gens, the clocks, map lights, gear selectors, etc.

TSB's - Might be better informed.

4th Gen Accords had transmission issues from 1991-1992. And 5th gen's were near flawless from the many I've seen, and the people I know who own them, aside from the redesign in 1997 of the AT which I think was also similar to those in 1998+ cars; and it had the tendancy to fail. So you could say it's an improvement, but I still think it's an iffy thing.

Rust on rear wheel wells was gone with in the 1996 MMC Accord.

Azera is a nice car...not sporty tho....as it competes w/ the Avalon.

The Veracruz is a very nice SUV and 37k is its max price....but then again....it is much nicer than any Pilot you can configure. I drove one on Monday and would have to say....it was as nice as the MDX and was much quieter inside.

My parents have two Hyundai products and the Civic Hybrid. Neither have been to the dealership...but the Civic is going in for a rattle....

Steven you drive every Hyundai don't you?

You probably get them all excited into thinking you're going to buy one :lmao: .

Once the tiburon replacement goes onto that rwd platform I will take a serious look at it. I love my honda, but I have to admit that my 7th gen seems a little less of a product than my 5th gen did when I had it. The interior door panels seem to be fitted rather horribly and create some fun and completely unnecessary creaks and groans. The headliner rattles are also something that I see as needless. The same goes for the hard rubber along the window seals. I have also noticed that my car has a whole lot of orange peel (this is one of the issues I care less about). All of these issues, although minor, have definately detracted from my ownership experience. Theyve cheaped out in a few minor ways, and while their engines and m/t's still seem to be great, it's sometimes hard to enjoy them when your car rattles as much as it does at times. I really enjoy my accord, although honda seems to be dropping the ball a little bit in terms of their overall product and I'll give some other companies a much more serious look when it comes time to get my next car. If subaru would cut their emissions down a bit on their wrx/legacy gt vehicles and maybe increase economy, I would definately give those a serious look.

Are you sure on that one... :dunno:

not even the J-Vin accords get all their parts from japan. And my Mom had an ohio built 86' Accord; most were. Yup, it said so on the window sticker that my dad kept up until a couple years ago. I remember it saying it was 100% Japanese.

To be honest, my favorite feature of our 4Runner is that it is 95% Japanese.

If subaru would cut their emissions down a bit on their wrx/legacy gt vehicles and maybe increase economy, I would definately give those a serious look. Subaru's are great cars. They handle very well. We had an 02 Outback. That was a very nice vehicle, and I enjoyed driving it.

honda of the 90's and honda of today are not the same company as they used to be.

the fit and finish may have gone down a bit, but is still good compared to what they used to make. the 7th generation accords has some minor fit and finish issues such as interior rattles, trim falling apart, etc. my 7th generation only has some minor intermittent rattles, most of which i have been able to fix myself. i get a squeak and creak hear and there from the chasis, but everything seems to be intermittent and not really that bothersome to me. my car only has 4,000 miles on it so hopefully everything will set itself in eventually.

anyways, the car drives great. it is fast, predictable, and has a good ergonomic interior layout. its a big step up from riding in a 1990 accord for 13 years. hopefully, the 8th generation accord will bring an increase in quality and durability of materials and even better engineering and chasis.

despite the few flaws that my car has, the only thing i can complain about pretty much is intermittent rattles and creaks. other than that, i do no regret purchasing it since i wanted a daily driver with good performance and ride quality. i can also be rest assured that every time i enter my car, it will start up for me 99.9% of the time as long as there's gas in the tank.

True. But Hyundai is pricing higher. Think about it. The Veracruz can be priced at $40k..

Yes, but it seems like the Veracruz is designed to compete with the large luxury SUVs, like the MDX. It may have a $40K price tag, but the luxury competitors are going to be considerably more expensive. Therefore, if hyundai can effectively grab a share of this market, it may force the competition to lower their price tags in hopes of regaining their share. It may only be a meager drop in price, but its a drop none the less.

In the case of the Accord, hyundai has marketed the sonata with comparable or better features and a much lower price tag. I would say, based on the fact that I've been seeing more and more sonatas on the road recently, that hyunda is certainly grabbing their fair share of the mid-size car market. This could potentially drive down the prices of competitors, like honda and toyota.

Its not as much about the actual dollar amount that a vehicle is selling for, but its more about the price tag of the vehicle compared to the competition in a particular market niche. In the case of hyundai, they seem to be offering a lot of options for a much lower price tag. Am I ready to purchase a hyundai? No, but maybe in 5-10 years after they have a proven track record. This is a company that is certainly headed in the right direction.:thmsup:

I kind of look at Hyundai today as Honda was 25 years ago, meaning an Asian company building a reputation for inexpensive, reliable cars that's trying to establish itself as a major force in the U.S. automotive market.

one comment stuck out to me... what hyundai has 140k and no problems??? everyone i've known who has had one has had some big issues with theirs (both older and newer models) and most very much so regretted their decision to buy one.... i'd love to meet the rare owner who truly had no problems in 140k on a hyundai.....

keep in mind it's all perspective based. hyundais were notoriously bad for years. any improvement they make is bound to get noted and boost their car line up even if it's still not up to snuff. but people expected so little from them that when they improved a bit (up to say domestic car quality), they get huge thumbs up and alot of satisfied customers.

by contrast the co's that are notorious for great quality like toyota and honda tend to get ripped for little issues like rattles and thus "quality" drops. people have come to expect major leaps and bounds in quality from them so when those expectations aren't met, percieved quality falls even if it's still better than the competition.

ps~the elantra i was in with a coworker the other day stunk. i didn't drive it, but the quality of the interior was :thumbsdow . they definitely picked and choosed on where to spend the money and effort and tried to focus on what they thought would stand out. however, seat material was sad, dash was cheap looking and not organized very well at all. i will give them credit for sticking the sunroof controls on the roof though. that's the one thing they did thast made sense..... ;) overall the exterior looked "thin" and the car didn't feel solid to ride in at all. almost equivalent to the dodge neon feel. :paranoid: the engine didn't sound like it struggled to the extent the neon's did though...

i'm with whoever mentioned that before i would ever consider a hyundai, they have atleast 10 years or so to prove their long term reliability. and it better be backed by some factual info, not the equivalent of someone like my dad saying, oh i still have my 95 caravan on the road and it runs well. well, yeah, it better run well after how many engine rebuilds and tranny replacements, and tons of other odds and ends. the only thing original to that car are the body panels and seats. :rolleyes: in other words, the problems with perspective need to be cleared up before i'd trust the reliability of a hyundai in 10 years.

oh and what's funny is the hyundai azzera is meant to compete with luxury cars, not entry level! it's meant to compete with acura's, lexus's, bmw's, mercedes, lincoln's, caddy's, audi's, etc..

heck last i heard the whole hyundai line is supposed to be hitting that entry level luxury car bracket, not the entry level car one anymore! they're aiming to make kia that line of vehicles and hyundai is supposed to be the cheaper luxury car.... :rolleyes: they have alot of work to do to get there imho.

i nearly busted my gut laughing at that commercial of hyundai comparing their veracruz to the rx 350. i swear i was looking at the same vehicle when they showed both cars side by side.

dont even get me started on the DUH! commericals. :lmao:

if only hyundai offered amenities on their cars like sonata, such as factory installed leather and a built-in navigation system. they offer dealer-installed leather on their sonata and some garming gps unit, which from what i hear isnt too bad at all.

when i first sat in that new sonata to test drive it, i felt like i was going back in time due to the lack of modern day features.

if only hyundai offered amenities on their cars like sonata, such as factory installed leather

Um, they do offer factory installed leather. All Sonata LX's have leather as std. equipment. I think haveing Dealer installed leather is nice as well, I'm sure tons of people who buy LX and VP Accords would've liked that option.:yes:

when i first sat in that new sonata to test drive it, i felt like i was going back in time due to the lack of modern day features.

This line right here basically shows that your post is basically bashing hyundai without much to back up your points.

Lacking modern day features eh?

Like the numerous safety features (std. stability, traction, ebd, airbags everywhere etc) , mp3 audio (accord is lacking this as std.), power everything, auto climate control, shiftonic automatic transmission... I could go on, but obviously whatever Sonata you felt was lacking 'moden day features' was not a 2006-Present one.

The Sonata has several more standard features than the Accord. In fact, I can't think of one feature the Accord has that the Sonata doesn't, besides the ability to roll down the windows with the key. There's probably something though...:dunno:

The Sonata has several more standard features than the Accord. In fact, I can't think of one feature the Accord has that the Sonata doesn't, besides the ability to roll down the windows with the key. There's probably something though...:dunno:

I would say that is Hyundai's main marketing strategy, that and the 100k warranty. Without a boatload of standard features and the warranty, there probably wouldn't be too many people driving these cars. As far as I concerned, Hyundais still seem to need this 100k warranty and are not even close to being as nice an Accord. Sorry, but I'm not buying one until they prove themselves on the road. Hyundai can make all the comparisons they want to Lexus, Land Rover, etc., but sorry not even close.

I would say that is Hyundai's main marketing strategy, that and the 100k warranty. Without a boatload of standard features and the warranty, there probably wouldn't be too many people driving these cars. As far as I concerned, Hyundais still seem to need this 100k warranty and are not even close to being as nice an Accord. Sorry, but I'm not buying one until they prove themselves on the road. Hyundai can make all the comparisons they want to Lexus, Land Rover, etc., but sorry not even close.

Don't be sorry that you're not going to buy one!:lmao:

I'm not interested in buying a hyundai, but I definetly don't rule them out as junk. over 50% of new car buyers won't even keep that new Sonata long enough to even worry about major wear and tear items. Most people who buy new cars get one as soon as their lien is up, sometimes before that. That's usually 36-48mo's.

I learned how to drive in a 2001 Accent, and that car was with my family for over 110k, 1 fender bender, and being tortured by me who could barely shift at the time, and it went in for warranty work once. The average for most new cars.

My Aunt also had an 03' Sonata for about 40k, it had an A/C issue that was fixed in a matter of hours by Hyundai under warranty, and a fan belt that squeaked upon startup (it went away), but she never did anything about it (out of adjustment), and traded it in for a newer car.

So that's 150k miles worth of Hyundai that I've had first hand experience with, and they both never saw a tow truck. I still, cannot say that about my own Honda; but that's another story, for another time.

Um, they do offer factory installed leather. All Sonata LX's have leather as std. equipment. I think haveing Dealer installed leather is nice as well, I'm sure tons of people who buy LX and VP Accords would've liked that option.:yes:



This line right here basically shows that your post is basically bashing hyundai without much to back up your points.

Lacking modern day features eh?

Like the numerous safety features (std. stability, traction, ebd, airbags everywhere etc) , mp3 audio (accord is lacking this as std.), power everything, auto climate control, shiftonic automatic transmission... I could go on, but obviously whatever Sonata you felt was lacking 'moden day features' was not a 2006-Present one.

The Sonata has several more standard features than the Accord. In fact, I can't think of one feature the Accord has that the Sonata doesn't, besides the ability to roll down the windows with the key. There's probably something though...:dunno:

well, hyundai has a bad issue with constantly revamping vehicles....it seems like there si an "all new sonata" every six freaking months. and the main goal is to keep adding in features as other car co's do so they don't loose market based on missing one feature or another. there's not anything neccessarily wrong with that, but automakers who don't generally revamp the entire car every 6 months to a year won't add in the same amount of features until a major remodel is done.

i haven't seen the spec yet, but i'm guessing the 8th gen accord will probably have the mp3 connection. the civic has it and the tsx was added in as part of the mmc. you have to consider the general demographics too. the civic would get mp3 connectivity before an accord because the demographic they're aiming for is more likely to have an mp3 player. heck, i have a tsx and no valid mp3 player to use in it despiter having the ability to. (i DO have na mp3, it's just an old pos..... :lmao: )

ps~i'd llike ot have the option of CLOTH on luxury cars as well. i hate leather. i'm still not sold on it after 9+ months with 2 cars with leather and no option to sit in my old ex coupe with cloth any more. i miss my cloth seats. they're grippier, more comforting, and not as freaking annoyingly HOT.

I was just following a white Azera yesterday, not bad exterior, i'd have to say. Not sure about the inside.

The Azera is just more proof that Hyundai is copying Honda/Acura with the exterior appearance.

The 2004+ Sonata's look like the 2003-2005 Accord sedan, although I think the Hyundai did a better job with the taillights.

The Azera looks like a 2005+ Acura RL. Back at the end of April I saw an RL, and pointed it out to my dad. 2-3 cars later I saw, what I thought was an RL, but it was actually an Azera. I complained to my dad. I'm one of those people who can recognize most Honda's, Acura's, and Subaru's by the shape of their lights and bodies.

The other day I saw a Hyundai SUV that looked like the 2007+ CRV. I'm not sure what model it was, though.

Sorry to bring back from the dead. Just had to put my 2 cents in. I haven't really been around much for the past 2 months, or so.

The Azera is just more proof that Hyundai is copying Honda/Acura with the exterior appearance.

The 2004+ Sonata's look like the 2003-2005 Accord sedan, although I think the Hyundai did a better job with the taillights.

The Azera looks like a 2005+ Acura RL. Back at the end of April I saw an RL, and pointed it out to my dad. 2-3 cars later I saw, what I thought was an RL, but it was actually an Azera. I complained to my dad. I'm one of those people who can recognize most Honda's, Acura's, and Subaru's by the shape of their lights and bodies.

The other day I saw a Hyundai SUV that looked like the 2007+ CRV. I'm not sure what model it was, though.

Sorry to bring back from the dead. Just had to put my 2 cents in. I haven't really been around much for the past 2 months, or so.


To be honest, I think that the Azera's tail lights more like the 03-05 Accords, even more so than the Sonata's. IMO, they are almost an exact copy, minus the LED lights and the center piece of course.

Light bulbs burning out like crazy, transmissions, more TSB's than I've ever seen before, rattles, peeling exterior trim, crappy paint, bad headunit screens (although improved!), fit and finish quality is rather unimpressive for Honda etc.

Nothing that seems to be stranding anyone, besides the transmissions, but all things someone buying the "oh so amazing" honda product shouldn't have to deal with IMO. Especially the quality control issues. :(

I've yet to hear of anything that's plauging the most recent Hyundais as far as reliability goes, and you have 10yrs/100k of time covering mechanical failure.

Would I buy a Hyundai? Probably not, just because nothing they're selling is really aappealing to me; but for the average driver their products bring alot to the able as far as well priced and very decent trasnportation goes.:thmsup:

You have to take into account that, with newer technology and features, brings more problems. You hear more problems about Honda because the only reason people post threads is to have their problems solved. I don't see many threads about how great their Accord is running. I've had my 06 for almost 2 years now, and I've had ZERO problems with light bulbs going out, radio screens going blank, bad fit and finish, etc. I've been 100% happy with my AV6 and its build quality and reliability. I have to agree that Hyundai is getting better, BUT they seem to be focused on what Detroit automakers have been doing for years - that is, throwing all these fancy features and a low price at you. Just wait a few years from now, and I guarantee there will be more than a handful of problems. When you pay several thousand dollars less on a Sonata, you can't (and won't) get the same build quality and finesse that you get with a Honda product.