2014 Sonata Hybrid Limited, loaded with panaramic sunroof
Owned for a year to the month now. Has had it's share of quirks and later-noticed design hiccups.
* Heated seats too easy bump on by accident
* No way to have fog lights on alone without full headlights. Point of foglights is to see BELOW the fog without illuminating the fog itself. By forces headlights on the same time defeats the purpose. When foglights are on, aimed down too far and unusable. Leave 'em off and save the electric.
* No way to have the sexy LED portion of teh headlamps on alone without the half power DRL's on at the same time. Look out on the road and see all the pretty LED's that are very visible WITHOUT the wasteful incandescent DRL's? -Especially on a hybrid where every conserved amp/volt translates to gas and money out of your pocket.
* Very erratic MPG range throughout the year. I expect that MPG will shift with the seasons, but not this far... The wife can nurse it to as high at 54mpg in mild summer months, yet falls to mid 20's in the cold of winter. It's like paying an unbudgeted gas bill for your house.
* Fuel door latch broken, replaced by dealer, no charge. Problem not discovered until time of need thus leaving car without enough fuel to make it to dealer for service. Had to force it open myself to get gas in it to move it. Fortunately still had our prior vehicle, but other families wouldn't be so lucky.
* Had issues with nav system/screen jumbles and freezeups and failed telematics notifications. Dealer replaced primary head unit. 99% fixed. Only one or 2 minor glitches since.
* Had erractic door lock issues where trunk would allow smart-key access, yet still alarm the system. Sometimes only two of the four doors would unlock (not a possible configuration, only driver, or all four). Dealer located a service bulletin on a similar lock on another vehicle. Kudos to the dealer for treating our car under the same service bulletin that it didn't qualify for, yet fixed the problem. Individual dealer: 1, Hyundai Corporate: 0
Performance, acceleration, torque, design and appearance, comfort for our family of four..... anything mentioned since the word "performance" just rocks. You've gotten this far and read about all our quirks. If it isn't mentioned, then there isn't anything wrong with it. I wish we shopped around and pitted dealers against each other to get the deal and a better price, but not dissappointed and in this for the long run.
Money saver: Hyundai warranties their hybrid batteries for lifetime of original owner when purchased new from a dealer. They won't if it's used or leased.
Money sucker: check current rates of all three BLUELINK plans and what they include and will cost you per month. (subject to change as years pass) We weren't aware of the commitments invovled such as: If you want remote start, it's not on your remote control and you have to subscribe at $20/month, etc.
Others to consider:
Kia Optima Hybrid Loaded: gains some features (hotspot), loses others
Ford Fusion Hybrid (Energi!!!) Titanium: Extra cost on Energi model pays for itself on a purchase if you're in it for the long haul. More luxury and driver-assist features.
Verified Owner
