Well, I went ahead and had a third-party remote starter installed yesterday since Hyundai has pushed the release date of their starter back SEVEN times since September. If anyone is interested, I bought a CompuStar CM6200-S Remote Start Controller with the RF-P2W901-SS Remote. It's a 2-way system with a 5000 foot range. (Details here:
PRO 2-WAY 901 | RF-P2W901-SS | Remote Starters)
I paid the Hyundai dealer for the install, but they outsource it to Ultimate Automotive in Ottawa. Ultimate seems to have done a really good job on the install; I can't tell that any interior panels have been disturbed.
I can confirm the following:
1. It requires Compustar FOBs. So far I have not found a way to start the car with the factory FOB, though I'll update this post if FirstTech comes back with an answer about this.
2. You do NOT have to shut the engine off before driving. The 2015 Sonata allows secure takeover. Here are the steps:
a) Start the car with the Compustar FOB.
b) Unlock the door using either the Compustar FOB, the factory FOB or the button on the door handle (doesn't matter which). When you get in the car, you'll see the instrument cluster is lit, but the radio screen is off.
c) Press the brake and hit the ignition button once. The radio screen will come on. The engine will remain running.
d) Put the car in gear and drive.
More details here:
https://support.compustar.com/hc/en...-procedure-for-my-Push-To-Start-vehicle-work-
3. The range on this remote/starter combo is really good. Tonight I was sitting in a movie theatre in the middle of a 24-screen multiplex, probably about 750 metres from my car, and I was able to start it no problem. Haven't tried from farther away yet.
4. The system does have a windshield antenna, which I didn't really want, but it's really small....smaller than some other ones I've seen. They installed it on the spotted portion of the windshield, above and behind the rearview mirror. In fact, it's so small that I didn't even notice it until my roommate pointed at it and asked, "What's that?".