Just joined the community and am impressed by all the Hyundai wisdom! I apologize for changing the tone of the forum but I really could use some advice on possibly buying my first Hyundai. I don't buy often. It's time to bury my old 1995 Caddy and step into the modern age. I'm looking at either an '06 or '07 4 cyl Sonata or a comparably priced 2004 Camry. Needless to say I'm impresseed by the lower mileage and more extras with the Sonata. I drive cars until they die so resale means nothing to me. But I'll trade the low mileage and extras if they come at the expense of comparatively high operating costs and less longevity. I expect this forum naturally to be biased. But tell me what I can expect long term with the Sonata v the Camry. Thanks!

I bought two 06 LX's (about a week apart). I prefer the V6 engine for the extra power and smoothness. I think they are great city cars and OK for trips to 100 miles or so. I prefer a bigger heavier car for long trips. I also had a Caddy ('91 Coupe de Ville) just for that purpose.

The '06's came with some baggage in that they frequently had problems with the horns, windshield washers, and outside temperature sensors. I did, in fact, have problems with all three. I have had no major problems though.

In fact, I will probably buy another Sonata, or maybe an Azera, when I need a replacement. The value for the money is a powerful argument for these cars. Also, the '06's didn't come with sunroofs, GPS gadgets, satellite radios and the like which I considered to be a good selling point. I just finished shopping for a larger trip car and the use of silly "options" as a price booster got me more than a little disgusted.

I don’t know if you value Consumer Reports for their reliabilty ratings, but the Toyota Camry (4-Cyl) fared well. Out of 17 categories, the 2004 Camry received 11 solid red circles, 5 half red circles, and one empty circle. For its overall rating, it received a solid red circle.

In comparison, the 2007 Sonata (4-Cyl) received 14 solid red circles and 3 empty circles. The 2006 Sonata (4-Cyl) received 11 solid red circles, 4 half red circles, 0 empty circles and 2 half black circles. The half black circles were for brakes and body integrity. Overall, both the 2006 and 2007 Sonatas received an overall rating of a solid red circle. Both the Camry and Sonata are excellent cars. Neither would be a bad decision.

This post has been edited by Blue07: Jul 9 2008, 09:21 AM

Thanks for the response! I had read the Consumer Reports ratings. Being a later model Sonata they can only project reliability. Previous history is if I remember correctly was a little sketchy. The Camry has more history and it all looks good. I was just wondering older car Sonata owners have to say about life after 100K miles.

problem with this is the cars are completely different from top to bottom... going by what someone who has a 2002 Sonata says is really comparing apples to radishes...

there are probably a couple (very few) people who have actually driven the NF (2006-2008) Sonatas over 100k already... i know i bought mine with 26k miles on it, and i have almost 44k on it now (in just about a year) and i have had not a single issue with mine (knock on wood)..

i think most people will concur (Sonata owners or not) that Hyundai's reliability and build quality has dramatically improved in the past 3-4 years.. the new Sonata's and newer Santa Fe's as well as the Azera's (and now the new Genesis) are all pointing to the upswing in Hyundai's reputation...

make of that what you will.. but you wont be guaranteed on any pre-owned car, Hyundai or Toyota...

Unlike Toyota, Hyundai is the company that must TRY HARDER.

While Toyota has been lately making cars with less and less of the stellar quality they've been known for (see the new Camry which has made lots of owners very unhappy and caused Toyota to be downgraded even by Consumer Reports), Hyundai is on the way UP with quality, simply to survive in this tough competition....

I'd opt for the NEWER Sonata than an older Camry.

And I have been driving Camrys for a whole decade, prior to this Sonata....

A strong endorsement! Thanks for the response.