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Now that people have a year experience, are you happy with the Sonata Eco?

3K views 15 replies 12 participants last post by  Telpwnen 
#1 ·
I'm just curious, over a longer term, how happy people have been with the Eco model of the Sonata.

1) What do you specifically like about the car?
2) What gas mileage are you getting, with what type (city/highway) of driving?
3) Anything you have been unhappy with?
4) Any mechanical issues, particularly with the 7-speed DCT?
 
#4 ·
Don't have an Eco, but if they offered that engine with all the features in the limited ultimate package I would have gotten the Eco. From what I've read that Eco engine is quicker than the 2.0. And while my 2.4 is quick for what it is, I do tend to clamor for more at times since I tend to drive a little more aggressive ever now and again, namely back roads.
 
#5 ·
I have had mine since November 2014. I probably bought the first Eco that my particular dealer sold. I really like the car overall. Most of what I like is of course stuff that comes with the other trims of the Sonata, the tech stuff. Specific to the Eco, the car is very punchy when you need it to be. On an all highway trip I can get about 40 depending on if the wind is with me or against and if its winter as I live in MN. I would say high 20s with mostly city driving. I can't say I have been unhappy with anything yet. I have not had any mechanical issues with the 7 speed or the 1.6 as of yet.

I do think it would be nice if they would have some of the ultimate features along with the 7 speed and 1.6. Maybe the sunroof(although I know that adds weight), the Infinity system.
 
#6 ·
I should have added a question five: Do you recommend the car/would you buy it again? Curious if the owners are happy with the Eco (not including the lack of options) or if they would prefer to have a 2.4L or 2.0T with the six speed automatic?
Bought mine in July 2015.

1. I love the gas mileage, the ride quality, and it's a really quick car.
2. I drive about 70/30 city/highway. Mileage is 28-32 in the city, and my record for highway is 43mpg.
3. CarPlay isn't there yet and the head unit seems to freeze up occasionally. The steering wheel controls also stop working for my iPhone's music occasionally, too.
4. No issues at all yet.
5. I would recommend the car and definitely would buy it again. The 1.6 has plenty of power, and the DCT is a great transmission - it has a learning curve but it's worth it. The only thing I do miss about a typical automatic is having near-instant power when you put your foot down. The Eco seems to take its time and "think" about going, then all of a sudden it launches you forward. No biggie but takes some time to get used to.
 
#7 ·
I've very interested in the Eco. I like the 1.6L engine, it has some pep while still being economical. I also like the DST. My one major worry has been how well it will last, particularly once you get out of warranty (over 100,000 miles) -- it seems between the Turbo and the DCT you have a good chance of a major expense before 150,000 miles, for those that want to hang onto the car.

I'm another person that is frustrated by Hyundai no longer offering options on the base Eco model. Like some others have stated, it would be nice if they offered a version of the Limited model with the 1.6L engine and DCT as an option -- in fact, an argument could easily be made that the 2.4L on the Limited would be better with the 1.6L engine. I looked at the Kia version of the Eco (the LX Turbo) and really liked it, particularly since you can buy it with a version of the premium package (with the Blind Spot/Cross traffic warning and the 8" head unit).
 
#9 ·
I have almost 51k on my 2015 eco. i still love it everybit as much as when i bought it. ive def improved it alot from factory but i still get roughly 39mpg on the highway and average close to 35mpg. i had one issue with my transmission early and nothing since. and im hoping to keep it for a very very long time.
 
#12 ·
So Far, So Good

1) What do you specifically like about the car? The way it looks, handles, and accelerates
2) What gas mileage are you getting, with what type (city/highway) of driving? Typically 29-31 in city and 35-38 on highway
3) Anything you have been unhappy with? Carplay still not available, a bit of hesitant acceleration when engine is cold
4) Any mechanical issues, particularly with the 7-speed DCT? It will make a strange noise now and again, but my dealer told me this is normal for a dual clutch
 
#13 ·
1. The style continues to grow on me. I love the way the car looks when parked or in an angle. It looks very sexy and continues to surprise me the more I look into it's detail.

2. I average 23.3MPG all city with plenty of time sitting in traffic for long stretches of time. When I drive on highway for trips I can get up to 42.2MPG. The engine handles between 0 - 70MPH with spirit however on the higher end you will feel a drag depending on which mode you are in however this isn't a problem to me since when I need to overtake I switch to sport and I switch right back to Eco.

3. The center console is not large enough for an iPhone 6s+ so my center console's door is always open. I would like to close it but I can't without crimping the cable.

4. DCT handles like a beauty. Might be more difficult than the average driver to control at lower speeds but some gentle footwork and experience goes a long way.
 
#14 ·
Just FYI to my fellow Eco owners, an open Campaign exists for our trim as of 03-29-2016. Campaign #TZ8 Description- Sonata Fuel Fill Door Opener (16-01-014)

https://autoservice.hyundaiusa.com/Campaignhome/Campaign/VINPageIndex

or

Home | Safercar -- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)


Just punch in your VIN# to see if you need this fix. I like the safercar site because it has a lot more detailed info, and you can conveniently punch in your other VIN #'s for your other vehicles.
 
#15 ·
My biggest gripe is with the iPod interface. When you accidentally hit the wrong song/artist/playlist/etc. and you go to the previous menu, it starts from the top of the menu. If you have a huge list and you were in the middle or bottom, you need to scroll all the way back. It's frustrating and dangerous. This is with the iPod classic. Can anyone confirm if you still need to do this for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch?
 
#16 · (Edited)
1. It's pretty fast, pulls well from 3rd gear. The shifts used to be smoother. Looks good. Love the interior. Tech works like a charm. Nav is actually more intuitive and the voice sounds more natural than google maps.

2. Fuelly has me at 28.2 overall. In town i get about 20 give or take. On the highway it's 40-47 (personal best, got last week dfuring a 120ish trip miles at 65mph)

3. The suspension seems ill sorted sometimes. The tires have insane amounts of road noise on the highway to where I'm wondering if the eco took out some sound deadening to save weight. Maybe its just the kinergy GT? Has anyone changed from them to something like a Pirelli P7 AS+?

4. The worst is the transmission. At first I loved it. It was incredibly smooth and fast. About 2 months ago I floored it from a red light in sport mode (it was 4AM, no one on the road), and I felt 4-5 jerks/bangs. Not jerks like when someone tries to drive a manual for the first time, this felt like someone rear ended me multiple times in quick succession. I took my foot off the accelerator as my car had drifted into the intersection. I put my foot down again and the same thing happened. When I left my foot down this time it just went into neutral and stopped trying to even power the engine. I shifted it to eco mode and luckily i was 1/2 mile from my apartment so I babied it back.

Ever since then (and a little leading up to that) the transmission is much jerkier than it was, ESPECIALLY at low speed and during downshifts while braking to a stop. I never floor it anymore. I'm a little apprehensive because to turn into my apartment complex I have to turn left at a light on a busy 4 lane road right before the top of a hill (so I can't see cars coming until a few seconds away). I often have to go decently fast to make it comfortably. If the banging ever happened again it would push me out into the intersection and I'd get t-boned.

I read some other member had the same thing happen once. Since I was on a slight incline I'm guessing hill start assist prevented the clutch from engaging, and then dumped it at max RPMs while still braking, hence the massive banging as it repeated tried to dump the clutch.

I'm taking it in for service next week and will bring this up, but they'll inevitably say "its jerky because it's a DCT, drives great to me".

Edit: I should've waited for the hybrid. Had the car for about 9 months now with 5k miles.
Edit2: also, hesitation off the line while the DCT thinks about things is much more annoying than I thought it would be. If the sonata was a sports car the DCT would be pretty cool, but for a family sedan I'd take a traditional auto or a manual. I feel like the sonata went for sporty and comfort, and got in a kind of ****** middle ground. Either try to go mazda 6 sporty or try to make it like driving on pillows.
 
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