RIP RUNRGAL, Hello Hyundai
By: Mr. Wilson on
December 15, 2008
RUNRGAL's place in the garage now belongs to a new 2009 Hyundai Sonata which we purchased from the good folks at Sid Dillon (just south of 27th and Pine Lake). I have been thinking about purchasing a Sonata for a couple months. Driving one sealed the deal. It's a lot of car for the money, even if you stick with the base configuration.
Since this is a blog about Lincoln, and since Sid Dillon is a local dealer, you might wonder how they performed. I have never directly purchased a vehicle before, so my opinions on buying a car are based mostly on indirect experience. The experience at Sid Dillon was pleasant. It is obvious that the modern car-buying process has been researched from start to finish. Everything is designed to feel comfortable and friendly. They even had a train table for the kids which made Robbie an immediate fan. In fact, the only "unpleasant" part is the paperwork. I don't know how you make paperwork sexy.
All the people we dealt with were fantastic, including Nick and Sherry. That's their job, of course, but it is important they do it well. They were extremely knowledgeable and, for the most part, open and honest. For example, Nick was pretty blunt about the quality of the base level Hyundai Tucson. (My advice after driving one: you'll want to spring for a few upgrades.) On the other hand, trying to get a car salesman to talk openly about money early in the process can be frustrating. Fortunately, I didn't have to haggle much once the money talk started. I knew going in how much the Prizm was worth as a trade, I knew roughly where the fair sale price range lie, and I knew what I was willing to pay each month. You've done your research, right?
The next test for Sid Dillon is the quality of their on-going service. If their service department is as sharp as their sales department, we shouldn't have any problems.
Oh, I should mention that if you do end up going to Sid Dillon and you buy a vehicle, be sure to drop my name. I'm not sure how it works -- it wasn't high on my list of questions -- but I know they do have a referral program of some sort.
Comments
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I drove a Hyundai for about 5 years and was pretty happy with it. I think you’ll be pleased with your purchase.
We bought a new Hyundai from Sid Dillon about four years ago. We had as pleasant a purchase experience as I expect a person can have, and the service has been great. I think you’ll be pleased.
I’ve been thinking about a Sonata too. Good mileage? How did you end up picking that model? Can’t beat the warranty!
Does it have the butt warmer?
Mileage is listed at 22/32. It’s way too early for us to know how our usage will compare to that, but I’m keeping an eye on it.
We chose the Sonata for a number of reasons. The “bang for the buck” factor is very high. Among the Accord, Camry, Altima and Sonata, the Sonata consistently comes out at or near the top in review after review, and at a lower price. If reviewers find something to criticize, it’s usually that the Sonata doesn’t feel as “sporty” as, say, the Camry. But the things that make a vehicle “sporty”—certain handling characteristics, say—aren’t especially important to me relative to other factors. The 2009 Sonata is attractive inside and out, with lots of nice enhancements since the last major update in 2006. And like you said, the warranty is awesome.
In the end, we had a hard time coming up with reasons not to choose the Sonata over the other options out there.
Heh, no, no butt warmer. I’ve never had much of a problem with the temperature of my backside so it wasn’t much of a priority for me. The Missus probably would have liked it, but she also likes smaller car payments.
I bought an Elantra several years back and have been nothing but pleased and only had 1 problem with it. The lights are supposed to turn off when you turn the car off but after a few years, that feature was spotty. All I do is turn the lights off now.
The car has been superb for me and has run without problems for 60+ thousand miles.
As for Sid Dillion’s service department, I got my oil changed there several times and the service has be fantastic as well. I always get a call the day after asking if everything from my visit was satisfactory.
I should say, if you kept the lights in an on position, they were supposed to turn off when you turned the car off. Several years went by before I had the problem where they would not turn off.
Good choice. It appears that the good dealers are down south, and the terrible ones are up north.
I recently bought a 2009 Honda Accord Coupe from Williamson. My experience mirrored yours. Larry in sales and Scott in financing were both fantastic. Williamson has definitely made a commitment to a positive customer experience.
As for the cars, you can’t go wrong with a Sonata. Several friends of mine own one. Hyundai has really stepped up their game in the last several years, so much so that it’s hard to imagine they were once joke cars.
I’d love me some Hyundai Genesis, 375 Big Three stomping horsepower and 17/25 MPG to boot!
Good choice, I have an 06 Sonata. It’s been great. Recently had an issue with an oxygen sensor and air bag light, other than that, never had a problem.
The warranty they offer is great, granted you may never have to use it.
Also Sid Dillon’s service dept. has been exceptional. They are a class ahead of another dealership up north I bought a vehicle from a few years ago!!
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