jchan2

and after not being able to cut a deal over a Basque Red Pearl Accord EX-L (we were within $400 of each other and neither of us wanted to split the difference), we parted ways.

So, we took a drive down the street to the Hyundai dealer to try a Sonata 2.4 SE, and all they had in stock were 2.0T SE models. So we said "sure, let's give it a try!"

My dad ended up buying a '11 Sonata SE 2.0T. We knew what we wanted to pay net for the car and didn't care how the dealer structured it between the trade-in and the price of the new car, so here's how it went:

$24,455 for the new car (MSRP of $25,580)
minus $6,069 for the trade-in ('02 Odyssey EX, 133k miles, Honda dealer had offered us $4,000 for it and we came in wanting about $5,000 for it to make it worthwhile to trade-in)
$18,386 net price before taxes, tags, title, and $279 doc fee.

Was it rock bottom? No. But my dad wanted out of the Odyssey and the net price (assuming the Odyssey was worth about $5,000, the Sonata would be $23,386, not too horrible) was within reason. I'm sure the dealer gets to make a few dollars.
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Iel05yDqxuJg5iuxk6ANA5dz4LrgIZo-9fMZlwkNoyE?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_FWsBEGlSje8/TbN1otTRqAI/AAAAAAAAAFg/AmSWq6Pon5A/s800/33460042.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117347193677649983548/Apr232011?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbpscWw0ujjBg&feat=embedw ebsite">Apr 23, 2011</a></td></tr></table>

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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GaobTHs3LxB6Qas6PsluuZdz4LrgIZo-9fMZlwkNoyE?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_FWsBEGlSje8/TbN1qAYsvZI/AAAAAAAAAFo/j4INrwkWQoA/s800/33460044.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117347193677649983548/Apr232011?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbpscWw0ujjBg&feat=embedw ebsite">Apr 23, 2011</a></td></tr></table>

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/r5PoSXjsfbaT4jwrmg9irZdz4LrgIZo-9fMZlwkNoyE?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_FWsBEGlSje8/TbN1qLEiA1I/AAAAAAAAAFs/pDD-Nl1uGC4/s800/33460045.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117347193677649983548/Apr232011?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbpscWw0ujjBg&feat=embedw ebsite">Apr 23, 2011</a></td></tr></table>

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Nice car!

Nexson

I would have paid $400 more for the accord

Rockstar21

iTrader: (1)

although Hyundai is impressing me lately, I have to agree.

I wouldn't settle for a 2nd choice on ANY car over $400 bucks..


congrats though! I like the sonatas.

jchan2

I think my dad came out of the test drive a bit lukewarm about the Accord, so it wasn't just the $400. He told me after the Sonata drive that by comparison, the Accord was "disappointing".

Rockstar21

iTrader: (1)

well that's all that matters then, good for him

pttl

I was driving a 4 cylinder 2011 Accord all day today. It really is nothing special at all. Very boring.

Rockstar21

iTrader: (1)

V6-6speed all day!

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Congrats to your dad! He made the right choice!

The car looks awesome imo.

madcaps

iTrader: (1)

Congrats!!

I saw a Genesis yesterday that looked really nice.

calgary2800

What the heck is a doc fee? I paid 150 for mine when I signed for my 2011 Mazda last week and forget you can negotiate out of it.

And was it was V6 Accord you guys didnt buy? I had a V6 Accord than I got out of because it was a stick shift, if it had been a auto I would have kept it, Those V6 Accord engines are a gem.

Aman

I'm surprised you were about to buy the Accord without trying the Sonata first But glad your dad got into a car he ended up liking more

fsttyms1

Fixed. the hyundai is a better purchase. Especially in the 4cyl.

jchan2

The doc fee is essentially what the dealer charges you to fill out all the paperwork and send your license plate application to the county clerk's office. Anything over $50 is ridiculous, but I haven't seen any dealer hit that $50 number since my dad bought the Odyssey in 2002. (back then it was $49.50 I think).

At $297, it was "low"; I've seen other dealers shamelessly ask for $499 or even $599. I normally ask what the doc fee is, think about what I'd like to pay, and reduce my offer by that amount to account for it.

Anything over $50, and the dealer is profiting big time. Actually, even at $50, they profit.

We went in thinking we'd get a 4-cylinder for the MPGs, and then after the Honda dealer we thought we'd try to get a 2.4L Sonata, but the local dealer only had 3 Turbo SEs (all silver, 1 with navigation), so that's what we tried and my dad was like "let's do it!" and we just kind of rolled with it.

CL6

Good! That's why they're in business.

knight rider

iTrader: (1)

I test drove a fully equipped V6 coupe and I felt the same way. I was seriously considering getting that car before I got my G.

edit: I've never drove the Sonata, but your dad at least picked the best looking car

oneonlywgs

Good looking car. It's all in what you want & what you like.

nj2pa2nc

congrats-we also own a '11 venetian red 6MT sonata-excellent car-just wish it had more options-power seats, sunroof, etc with the MT. My mom owns a 08 accord V-6. Prefer my tsx or sonata.

F23A4

Nice pickup.

VQPower37

congratz on the new car ... the new sonatas look really nice

pttl

Hapa DC5

You keep forgetting dealers are NPOs!

OP, congrats on the purchase glad you and your family like it!

phee

iTrader: (5)

I had a really horrible experience at my Hyundai dealer when I was looking at a used v6 gen coupe a few weeks ago.

Salesman basically said that I was youn looking and probably couldn't handle the power or the payments on the car before even learning my name. I said I didn't need his help and walked. I was so ready to pull the trigger going in there too. Probably better to keep my money than to help that guys pockets.

VQPower37

^ hate when dealers do that ... judge u based on ur age on what ur wearing, i just smh in disappointment

Saintor

6K$ for a 2002 Odyssey with 133K miles! Now that's an easy reason to spend 400$ more to get an Honda.

Last week I spent one week with a Sonata in California. It was a competent car for sure, certainly not a penalty box. The engine didn't like high rev, the transmission was slow and the killer for me was the lifeless steering wheel. Not feeling at all.

dallison

I'm glad your dad got what he wanted.

nj2pa2nc

try driving a hyundai to a bmw dealer and find out what happens. We did that a few years ago-not one salesperson appeared to ask if they could help us. We returned later that day in our tsx. They were totally different-

Hapa DC5

the death of a salesman... pre-judging and pre-qualifying.

phee

iTrader: (5)

i had a polo and jeans on with dress shoes

phee

iTrader: (5)

infiniti dealer didnt even send a salesman out. way better for me though. i was looking at the GTI and the 335 they had on the lot. both auto tho so i walked

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

jchan2

They inflated the trade-in price of the Odyssey so they wouldn't have to take as much off on the price of the Sonata, so it's not entirely $6k, per se. Part of that is the discount on the Sonata rolled into it.

On another note though- I put the Civic up on CraigsList last night and my dad says it's already sold.

I'm going to miss that one (much more than the Odyssey); there's something special about your very first car...

PortlandRL

Congrats man and welcome to the Hyundai family!

ABC....always be closing.

I read a great story about something along those lines although I don't recall exactly where I heard it. Long story short, a guy goes along with his young (early 20s) but well-off friend to buy a new Corvette Z06. This was when the C6 Z06 had just come out and so there was a premium on the price, obviously. These guys walk in to the Chevrolet dealer and this older looking salesman asks if he can help and the man says yes, "I'd like to check out the new Z06."

The salesman was professional enough until they sat down to make the deal and he asked, "What were you hoping for on your payments?" The guy replies, "Actually, I was just going to pay cash for the car." The salesman stands up, grabs both of them by the shirt and literally drags them to the door saying, "I've had enough shenanigans for one day" and throws them out. So the guy and his friend drive down the road to the next Chevy dealer who is more than accommodating to make the deal and trade the Corvette he was going to buy from the first dealer. The guy and his friend drive back to the first dealer with their plate frames still on the car, bring the sales manager out front and tell him, "If it hadn't been for that guy, this would have been your sale." Then they left.

That story makes me laugh without fail...every time.

Costco

^holy WIN.

Bet that dude got an earful. Salesmen are just too cocky for their own good sometimes. I know they deal with plenty of tire kickers every day, but to let something like that slip through your hands... thooooopid.

silver3.5

i rather fork over the $400 for the Accord as well.

calgary2800

Is it fun to drive? Its a serious question. I've driven a few higher end cars that were too serious if that makes sense to be just fun. Like the 2011 BMW 5 series, current Maxima. It doesnt have to be expensive to be FUN.

gatrhumpy

iTrader: (1)

Take a pic of your turbo face!

jchan2

I won't get to drive it until I'm home again, but that thing seems fun. A different kind of fun that the TSX, but fun nonetheless. That turbo makes a world of difference in the car (I tested a 2.4 last summer before buying the TSX).

And the Accord difference vs. the Sonata is more than $400; my dad was willing to pay a premium for the Accord because it was a Honda (and it was an EX-L model) but the deal just didn't make.

Between the two cars, the difference was probably closer to $800-$900 net, in favor of the Sonata, even after factoring Honda's $1250 dealer cash and $250 bonus cash on Accords right now.

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

nice pick up Hyundai is coming out with some nice ass cars!

Mr Marco

OP, I would be sure to drive around that Honda lot with your new Sonata as soon as you can. Rub that shit in deep!