Team-BHP - Sonata 2.7 V6/Gold

Am curious to know views, pros & cons on piking up a second hand Sonata Gold/2.7 v6. Looks like a spacious and comfortable car for chauffeur driven use.

Have basolutely no clue on what it'd cost to own one/what to expect on maintenance etc.

Please advise

Best wishes

While I am not sure about the maintenance, I must say that the Sonata V6 is one of the best cars automatic cars that I have driven in India. The H-Matic transmission is butter smooth and the way it keeps you involved/engaged is simply superb(when you are in manual mode). In terms of looks and comfort, I would rate it better than the Sonata Embera too.Let us wait to see what the ownership experience is like considering it has been discontinued now for almost 4+ years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by esteem_lover (Post 1282984)

If you can afford to keep it, it is a great car with a low value. Have seen them go for 2.25L here. Drinks petrol, expensive parts.

agree: This car is a gas guzler!

If the car is to be used ocassionaly, then It's a great buy to enjoy the V6 at such cheaper prices.

If the car is to be used on daily basis then It would be rather sensible to be away from this, as it has been Discontinued almost 5 yrs back and not wallet freindly to maintain either.

Had both, a 2003 Sonata Gold and a 2001 Honda Accord.
Given that resale values are similar, i'd hands down pick the Accord over the Sonata as a car to be chauffeured around in as well as drive.
The Sonata is nice, reliable car, that has slightly expensive parts, gives a poor FE, has a so so ride quality and driving experience but very good quality interiors.
The Accord on the other hand is more reliable, bigger, more comfortable and fun to drive with the cons being the relatively low cost interiors and that driving in traffic is tiring.

Its a wonderful car. My friend had it for a couple of years before he sold it off upon moving companies (company car). Not too bad a fuel efficeincy for the car of its size , stature & elegance, however, the maintenance costs were on the higher side. Getting any spares would be difficult & you have to only rely on Hyundai for it.

Like someone mentioned above, consider it if you can afford to keep it :)

hey hi,

i have a 2.7 sonata v6, which i used as my daily car these days (except for factory trips where i use a diesel)

the car has absolutley given me no major trouble what so ever and is relatively cheaper to maintain, atleast cheaper than my type-1 crv.

my avg service bills range between 2.5k to 4k and the car is gonna go in for it's 30k kms service pretty soon.

the only -ve point is the mileage: it gives me 6 kmpl in the city and on the highways between 8 to 9 kmpl

overall, if you aren't going to do many kms/ or arent very keen on the mileage and want a comfortable and spacious car for chauffeur driven use, i would suggest a gold, but if you would like to take control of the wheel sometimes, then the v6. although the handling might not be that great, it has its own unique charm :)

ps: parts arent a issue yet. atleast in hyd, most of the parts are available easily at the service centres, only the parts of the terracan are a issue and take time, thats what i was told the last time i went to the service centre.

Hi all

Thanks for that quick feedback.

Mileage, as I see seems to be a big concern despite having learnt to live with 2 beautiful old white elephants (1996 E250D and an E220)

I am going to see a few of these old Sonata's and check them out- all around the +/- 2.75 lakh range. Let's see where this takes me. Will keep you all posted.

Thanks once again

Does the Sonata come with airbags?

I'm looking for a used premium segment sedan too, and my primary requirements are:

* automatic transmission
* airbags
* good ground clearance (the higher the driving position the better)
* budget around 5L

^^ Yup, the Sonata (atleast Gold variants) did come equipped with airbags. Within a 5 lakh budget, you'd do well in considering the Honda Accord too. You'll either get the first gen that was officially launched in India, or an early vintage previous gen. Those cars are built to run till atleast 2.0 lakhs kms (if not 3.0).

I have had the sonata gold for over 6 years and have covered more then 400k kms in it.Its a wonderful car.I had the smaller 2lt version. Very spacious and comfortable as hell.I have always said that the rear seats of the sonata are better then the superb as well as the new camry. I saythis becasue i have those 2 also.Cant comment on the accord as i ve not driven it extensively. It gave me an avergae of around 7. Not too expensive to maintain. Much cheaper then the skoda for sure. The radiator started giving troube after all those kms we clocked in it and finally sold it off in 2009 end for a price of a new zen estilo.

Pune Doc: I agree with GTO. An older Accord would be better than an older Sonata any day. You should seriously consider a 2002-03 accord, even if it's a lakh or two more. The build quality and engine would be far superior.

Having owned the Sonata 2.7 v6 for 7 years and just recently reluctantly sold it in November. I would say the car after about 60,000 kms on the clock ran as i had first driven it on delivery of the car. Crisp and throws out the power on command. The spare parts for the car are not expensive and the average is better on the 2 liter gold engines, but no complains as that is expected from a 6 cylinder engine. Comfort is as good as the E class and the automatic box is silky smooth. When you look at the handling of the 2.7 it is a beast, just grips the road and if you switch off the traction control she is a monster. The E and the Sonata have a similar handling which is fun in their own way. Resale on the car is not good even for the gold. So if your looking to keep her for a short span my suggestion is go in for an older Accord like suggested by others or for any other make. My car was in factory condition with full service history and never tampered with by any mechanic who was not from the Hyundai official Service center and i got Rs 2.30 Lakhs for it.