I heard you mention in another video to never trust Consumer Reports when researching vehicles (since we don't know. I purchased a membership a couple months ago to help me in my used vehicle search myself, and am now wondering why not to consider their opinions? They seem to love Toyotas as well (not that that says much) but they have always been revered as being the best test company out there, for cars to home appliances, etc.
What is your overall view of Sonatas? I'm interested in them (yes I know 2011/2012 have had bad engines but Dealerships have replaced or will replace if part of recall).
Looking for suggestions for a larger newer (more current body style), reliable, sporty, gas efficient vehicle although I've been open to older cars/suvs that's not so good with mpg. I've been all over the place with Highlanders, Camrys (yes I know you LOVE Toyotas!!), Optimas, Sonatas, Terrains, Enclaves, Sorentos and more!!! Please help- looking in FL for a rust free one!
Thank you!!
Love your videos, thank you for making them for us!!
Consumer Reports mags make somewhat decent toilet paper. That's about all they are good for.
Hyundai/Kia are junk and if you're buying used, don't think you'll be able to lean on that 100k warranty. It is non-transferrable and only applies to the original owner, who they will also try to screw out of warranty repairs.
The fact that they don't transfer their warranty should tell you all you need to know. But if not, search this forum for the nightmares others have had with their products.
Yes, you're correct on the 100,000mi warranties, at least the 2004+ ones. Thank you for your response!
This is exactly the reason why you shouldn’t trust CR - they have you considering a Hyundai/Kia product.
Search this very forum for the numerous questions about relatively new, low mileage Sonatas with serious engine problems.
If you want a spacious vehicle, get the petrol Highlander. If you want a spacious fuel efficient vehicle, get the Camry.
No matter what you buy, have it thoroughly checked out by a professional mechanic, before you buy it.
And for the sake of your own sanity, don’t buy a Hyundai/Kia product.
All the best!
Thanks for your response!
CR isn't what made me consider Hyundai/Kia lol. I have been using them as an additional standard to go by, checking out the mpg and other pro/cons listed in the online database. They def recommend Toyotas, at least most of them that I've seen so far...so it's not like they are totally out there. Unless I have concrete reasonings from whomever, I won't just dismiss them as TP use only esp since I have no idea who anyone is on here responding to me anyways. lol
I know specifically the 2011/2012 have engine issues but have seen many listings with brand new stronger engines, due to the recall. No doubt I ran away from them initially but then I figured if they are brand new and "worthy" now, why not? But that's where I'm not sure if they are worth it.
The price for the older Toyotas are still high but since I wasn't initally looking for a Toyota at first, I found many others that looked good, etc and is what got me on the other makes/models.
I'm buying out of town so I don't have a trustworthy mechanic to take it to. I have my own car knowledge and a brand new obdii scanner with live feed.
Thanks so much for taking the time to respond!
@knb2021 Unfortunately you're mistaken. The engine issues for Hyundai/Kia are from 2011-2019, almost a whole decade. Also, where did you find the information about the stronger engines? I would love to read all about it!
Well at the end of the day it’s your money at stake. So you can buy whatever your heart desires, but don’t say that we didn’t warn you. I agree that you need to take everything you see & read on the internet, with a grain of salt.
@pulp friction I didn't realize it was a decade long issue, thank you. I did end up looking this up year by year and discovered that this has been the case, so thanks for bringing it to my attention.
I initially heard about engine replacement in the car listings where the seller said it had been replaced so I looked it up here: https://www.carcomplaints.com/Hyundai/Sonata/2011/recalls/connecting-rod-wear-may-result-in-engine-stall-15v568000.shtml .
I have always been one to take all info in- not trying to go against what you or anyone else has said, maybe it came across that way. I was simply stating that as I revisited the idea of buying a Sonata, I wondered if it would be ok if the engine had been replaced already, being that it's the biggest complaint and was dealt with.
@kristian
Hyundai unfortunately recalls some but not all of the affected vehicles. Remember the video I posted? They are just trying to save themselves from giving away free engines. Its the same engine and they don't care to increase the quality. Its unfortunate because they make it seems like they solved the quality issues.
Any of their vehicles, ANY of them, from 2010-2021 will have some kind of engine or transmission issue.
Optimas, Sonatas, Terrains, Enclaves, Sorentos
Avoid all of these cars above you said, they are horrible and can't last 100k miles.
Please save your money and get something reliable like a Camry, Accord, Highander...
You might even want to consider a Mazda 6, or CX-5 from 2014-2017 (2014 new generation, 2018 MY had new cylinder deactivation technology known to wear engines out).
Check out the links below for more information on buying cars.
I also find Consumer Reports to be decent compared to non sence rankings like JD Power but their "long-term" isn't 20 30 years. They might find a Mazda, Toyota, and Kia are all reliable to the same degree in the first 5 years and they would keep it at that. The initial surveys are also annual so thats 1 year of ownership, not much better than JD Power's 90 days.
Thank you for responding!
Scotty actually recommended the 2014-2016, and maybe newer Sorentos, as they are somewhat similar to Toyota. I've seen many of those above mentioned vehicles in ads with 100,000+ miles on them but yes I'm trying to comes to terms with ignoring them. So many vehicles are have a lot of miles on them or are much older for the money or aren't reliable.
Thank you for the extra vehicles to consider, links, CR info and your time!
Your welcome,
My family actually has a Hyundai vehicle, but its a model year 2009. After 2010ish the production cheapened out. The engines were made wrong because they were made in the US instead of Korea. They are more complicated (ours has a 4 speed automatic with no problems, while the newer 2017 2018 ones have a Dual Clutch 7 speed with problems, engines themselves have GDI and tend to catch on fire)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iaMHhWkSNw
Thanks for the video! Not sure I would have entertained a stranger in the parking lot asking about my car haha but vid is good so far!
Consumer Reports is definitely better than some other publications out there such as J.D. Power. Optimas, Sonatas, Terrains, Enclaves, Sorentos are all endless moneypits. Look at Toyotas, Honda's, Mazdas, Subarus, and Suzukis. Even Ford's can be half decent, although I would recommend avoiding the Ecoboost.
Scotty mentioned the 2014-2016 and maybe some newer Sorentos are similiar to Toyota and are good. Thanks for your response!
He never said that the Sorento is as good as a Toyota.
He basically did, I watched it in one of his videos. He even said if he was wanting to spend less, he'd get the Sorento.
Here's the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfTsncrgO6U&t=332s
Good find! What I did notice though is that at the time, Scotty was working with what information he currently had. The lawsuit was ongoing, and at the time of his video, I believe only the 2011-2014 models were part of the lawsuit. Shortly thereafter, the later models were added. Only time will tell for current/future models as well. It really is unfortunate and frustrating for Hyundai/Kia owner's right now.
Scotty talks good in these in person videos even with Nissans and Subarus he isn't a fan of them but says they are good in those vids but not so much when asked here.
Also, its only 4 years old. You aren't getting 200 300k miles out of a Sorento that is just adsurd. For a Kia, its decent enough but the 2.0 engines and 2.4 Hyundai/Kia engines were the ones with problems and this Sorento also has it. Hyundai just recalls some of them and not to others, but adds them later on.
Also, on owner review sites, the most common complaint on the 2016 Sorento is engine failure!!!
Why take the risk?
Thank you!
Oh bummer. 🙁 It's getting harder and harder to find a decent vehicle around here, at least right now, with decent mileage, etc. I really appreciate your insight, thank you!!
The other's answers says it all. I'd like to add mid-size sedans in general will ride better and more "sporty" than big SUVs. Also definitively consider the Honda Accord, it is a little better on the sporty and gas efficient side compared to the camry.
Take Consumer Reports with a grain of salt (they also recommend some German cars to buy!!!) and listen to the mechanics (like Scotty, Car Wizard, and others) who actually work for a living fixing cars (regardless of make and model) for decades. They have accumulated a wealth of knowledge on which vehicles to buy and which to avoid, so it’s wise to tap into that. They are not sponsored by anyone except the truth.
Thanks for taking time to respond!
I do take CR with a grain of salt, just utilizing as a resource to check out vehicles by. Thanks for the Car Wizard resource! I love and would watch more but I have so much going on I can't watch all the videos lol. But I will check them out as well, thanks!
I had a Hyundai Sonata. The stupid thing caught on fire after I had it for only a month. I bought a 2019 Toyota Camry SE used a couple months ago and yes it was expensive compared to the used Sonatas, Ford Fusions, Nissan Altimas, and Kia Optimas but I know I won’t be spending nearly as much in repairs or be visiting the repair shop nearly as often
My nickname explains everything
