Poll: 2012 Accord or 2012 Sonata? (lease, luxury, credit, tires)

[LegalDiva]

I am trying to narrow down my list of cars for test driving and ultimately, to purchase. I have the Accord v. Sonata - basically its between Honda or Hyundai (would love a new Acura TL or TSX but its just not in my budget right now)

1) Pros of the Honda Accord EX:
-reliable (my family loves Hondas and thats all they know/drive)
-can probably negotiate a good price with a local dealer my parents know
-familiar w/ Honda since I already drive a Civic
-excellent resale value

2) Cons of the Accord:
-lukewarm reviews on recent models
-boring, bland interior
- no extra luxury features included like sunroof/moonroof, heated seats, leather, navi package which seems standard for Hyundai models
- the PRICE (at least 24-26K MSRP)
-would have to pay extra for the 1 option I really want/need (Satellite Radio)

3) Pros of the Sonata Limited:
- new, shiny, modern interior
-great extended warranty already included (5 yrs/60K miles)
- it comes with luxury items as standard (satellite radio in all models, etc).
- seems to be a quieter/smoother ride than the Accord (?)

4) Cons of the Sonata:
- still no word on reliability after 5-10 years
-Its a Hyundai.
-seems to be somewhat limited availablity at dealers because car is "hot" in the market so I will be unlikely to get much of a discount when negotiating prices
- no spare tire in trunk (I get a lot of flat tires and dont want that stress)


So given all of the above (and if there are more, please feel free to add), I am really undecided. This car will NOT be a lease (either finance w/ my credit union or 100% all cash depending on final OTD price at dealership) and I plan to drive it for at LEAST another 5-8 years. The only reason I am looking to replace my 2008 Civic is because I must sell it to a family member who needs a set of wheels and refuses to buy a Used car from a dealer or unknown private party.

Any insight welcome!

PS I posted another thread but it didnt have the POLL on it..If Admin could delete that other thread, it would be appreciated..

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by LegalDiva

So given all of the above (and if there are more, please feel free to add).

The Kia Optima is a mechanical twin to the Hyundai Sonata. Same car, just with different interior/exterior styling.

http://worldcarmodel.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/2012-kia-optima.jpg (broken link)

[tigerclaws]

Buy the Accord, I have one with 190k miles and still running strong. Go for the EX-L and higher trim to get the "luxury" features (that is what I have). Also don't discount the V6 edition though that would amount to more maintenance over the years than the I4.

[LegalDiva]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

The Kia Optima is a mechanical twin to the Hyundai Sonata. Same car, just with different interior/exterior styling.

What is the overall reputation of Kia? Who makes their motors? How does Kia compare to Honda or Toyota? How is their resale value?

[LegalDiva]

Originally Posted by tigerclaws

Buy the Accord, I have one with 190k miles and still running strong. Go for the EX-L and higher trim to get the "luxury" features (that is what I have). Also don't discount the V6 edition though that would amount to more maintenance over the years than the I4.

For the EX-L model, I priced it out on Edmunds/TrueCar/CarWoo and they seem to show at least 28-31K MSRP and OTD. For that price, I should just get an Acura TSX base model which has those same luxury items, right?

The only luxury item I really 'need' is satellite radio since I drive long distances and love to listen to certain stations. I dont care for heated leather seats or rear view camera - those are nice to have, but not on my list of "must haves"..

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by LegalDiva

What is the overall reputation of Kia? Who makes their motors? How does Kia compare to Honda or Toyota? How is their resale value?

Kia is a division of Hyundai. The same attributes for Hyundai should apply to Kia as well.

[jaypee]

Originally Posted by LegalDiva

For the EX-L model, I priced it out on Edmunds/TrueCar/CarWoo and they seem to show at least 28-31K MSRP and OTD. For that price, I should just get an Acura TSX base model which has those same luxury items, right?

The only luxury item I really 'need' is satellite radio since I drive long distances and love to listen to certain stations. I dont care for heated leather seats or rear view camera - those are nice to have, but not on my list of "must haves"..

Not sure why you are using MSRP ... Truecar's target price for the Accord EX-L (I4) is $25.3 and the Sonata Limited (2.4) is $25.5.
You can get an after-market Sirius radio installed in any car.

[LegalDiva]

Originally Posted by jaypee

Not sure why you are using MSRP ... Truecar's target price for the Accord EX-L (I4) is $25.3 and the Sonata Limited (2.4) is $25.5.
You can get an after-market Sirius radio installed in any car.

Most of the dealers in my area (Long Island/NYC) are quoting me much higher than the TrueCar numbers. One dealer quoted me just MSRP (as if I am going to bother walking into his dealership if thats the best price they can quote me). I am budgeting for 23-26K OTD. With the EX-L model, best I can do is prob 26-28K. Not exactly much wiggle room - I would have to finance it the closer to 30K it gets.

[vegaspilgrim]

To me, the Hyundai Sonata is horribly ugly. It's like they tried way too hard to make the car look "stylish." The Accord isn't the best looking car out there either (front grille looks like cat whisker face to me) but at least it's not unsightly.

If quiet, smooth ride is important, I'd take a good look at both the Toyota Camry and Subaru Legacy before settling on the Accord.

[NOEM1226]

I have owned an Accord & a Hyuandai (Elantra) and I actually prefer my Hyundai to my Honda!