Altima vs. Sonata

[cartersaltima]

Thanks, but I heard the 2006+ Sonata is FAR better than the 2005-. Probably all Hyundai's pre-2006 are a lot worse than the current ones. I also heard that Nissan quality has deteriorated in the past years (that's why you like your friend's 98 Altima). You guys gotta admit that the Sonata is a pretty tough competitor for the Altima. It's only disadvantage I can think of is the V6 power (235 vs. 250 for the Altima). The Sonata is bigger, cheaper, better-built, safer, and statistically more reliable. Don't get me wrong, I love the Altima, but it's the reliability and costs (maintenance and premium fuel) that I'm most worried about.

I found it very hard to find comparison reviews (e.g 2006 vs. 2006) for these cars. Can anyone please post a link to a good one?

And I know I'm getting a bit over myself because I'm buying this car within a couple of years. By then I will probably opt for the 2007+ Altima.

Thanks.

You sound like you already made your mind up lol just buy your Sonata. Just know all of us here on nico or the good amount are 76% befor our new altimas even had a nissan befor that. I love nissan. It won ALOT of Consumer Car Report awards for a reason

[600hppot]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4c2...lated

now who said sonatas are slow?

if we were looking at bang for buck, the sonata wins by a mile.14,000 for 0-60 in 7 sec. ... reliable... roomier... good on gas... regular to boot...hell it even looks as good as a bimmer (looking at the video i posted, side to side, the alti made me want to puke, and bim.. err sonata looked real nice.

so what if they're trying to look like BMW, they look good.

im not hating the alti, i mean it does have more power and a slightly better interior, but that's where the advantages end.

oh, and i almost forgot

[mcheddadi]

If you try just a little bit harder you can sound your age..

Hmmmm, yes I concur

[desertdragon]

So, where is the troll that wanted our "opinion" ?

[edonissan13]

go with the kia rio

[MagicM]

As much as i like Nissan/Infiniti cars, I have to Agree that Hyundai Products have probably surpassed Nissan cars in Realiablity and overall build quality. I live in Canada, and just in a few years i've seen an explosion in the amount of HYundai cars on the road compared to back in the late 90's. People really have to give some credit to them, they have accomplished alot in a short amount of time from being cheap bangers to a respectable name. As for why Koreans don't drive hyundais on NorthAmerica is not because they hate thier own cars, in fact most love them, the #1 reason is usally wanting to try a foreign car ex American/European/Japanese. It's a bit of a CHange because they are used to driving nothing but Hyundais/Korean cars when they were living in Korea.

I'am Korean Myself, and while i don't hate Hyundai, ill never own one, i've been in new and old and they feel cheap and boring, i know it wil get me to point A-B, but it wil get me there in misery. Even my Infiniti Suffers from the same thing(just not as much). reliablity and build quality is overrated , thats why two of my cars are the most unreliable cars you can buy, I might not Make it to point B, something always going wrong on it, but it's like driving with a best friend, and brings me a smile, unlike the hallow gloomy Hyundai.

[Ilpav]

I saw that video of the Hyundai plant and it's amazing how they do everything with such precise action and attention to detail. Makes the Sonata look like an even easier winner of this little argument. I would still like to see videos of the Altima being built if anyone wants to share. You all might think that I am gonna buy the Sonata 100% (I think I am because of all these stats, which make the Sonata the clear winner), but I will only decide 100% after I thoroughly test both cars to see which one I like better.

[JLAUDIO85]

I'am Korean Myself, and while i don't hate Hyundai, ill never own one, i've been in new and old and they feel cheap and boring, i know it wil get me to point A-B, but it wil get me there in misery. Even my Infiniti Suffers from the same thing(just not as much). reliablity and build quality is overrated , thats why two of my cars are the most unreliable cars you can buy, I might not Make it to point B, something always going wrong on it, but it's like driving with a best friend, and brings me a smile, unlike the hallow gloomy Hyundai.

I

As much as i like Nissan/Infiniti cars, I have to Agree that Hyundai Products have probably surpassed Nissan cars in Realiablity and overall build quality. I live in Canada, and just in a few years i've seen an explosion in the amount of HYundai cars on the road compared to back in the late 90's. People really have to give some credit to them, they have accomplished alot in a short amount of time from being cheap bangers to a respectable name. As for why Koreans don't drive hyundais on NorthAmerica is not because they hate thier own cars, in fact most love them, the #1 reason is usally wanting to try a foreign car ex American/European/Japanese. It's a bit of a CHange because they are used to driving nothing but Hyundais/Korean cars when they were living in Korea.

I'am Korean Myself, and while i don't hate Hyundai, ill never own one, i've been in new and old and they feel cheap and boring, i know it wil get me to point A-B, but it wil get me there in misery. Even my Infiniti Suffers from the same thing(just not as much). reliablity and build quality is overrated , thats why two of my cars are the most unreliable cars you can buy, I might not Make it to point B, something always going wrong on it, but it's like driving with a best friend, and brings me a smile, unlike the hallow gloomy Hyundai.

I am korean myself too and i dont think i will ever buy any korean cars EVEN if they come out with a ridiculously nice car because I rather try out and buy another foreign cars...dont get me wrong I love hyundai but they are not as good as Nissan Yet...maybe down the road they will

and whats up with this clown coming to NICO and bashing our car?? if you want to say something good about sonata then go find a hyundai's forum and post it there...cuz WE DONT GIVE A F*CK this guy is starting to p*ss me off now...can a mod lock this thread seriously lol

[jdshift]

I saw that video of the Hyundai plant and it's amazing how they do everything with such precise action and attention to detail. Makes the Sonata look like an even easier winner of this little argument. I would still like to see videos of the Altima being built if anyone wants to share. You all might think that I am gonna buy the Sonata 100% (I think I am because of all these stats, which make the Sonata the clear winner), but I will only decide 100% after I thoroughly test both cars to see which one I like better.

Then maybe test drive both in 2 years or so.............let us know how it goes then.

[Ilpav]

I I am korean myself too and i dont think i will ever buy any korean cars EVEN if they come out with a ridiculously nice car because I rather try out and buy another foreign cars...dont get me wrong I love hyundai but they are not as good as Nissan Yet...maybe down the road they will

and whats up with this clown coming to NICO and bashing our car?? if you want to say something good about sonata then go find a hyundai's forum and post it there...cuz WE DONT GIVE A F*CK this guy is starting to p*ss me off now...can a mod lock this thread seriously lol

For the second time I'M NOT HERE TO BASH YOUR ****ING CAR!! I'm just saying good things about the Sonata to see if anyone can say the same thing about the Altima. I also asked the same question on another Nissan forum and I got treated with much more respect about this odd question (although some on this forum aren't ****ing bungholes like this guy and I thank you for that. ).

[JLAUDIO85]

For the second time I'M NOT HERE TO BASH YOUR ****ING CAR!! I'm just saying good things about the Sonata to see if anyone can say the same thing about the Altima. I also asked the same question on another Nissan forum and I got treated with much more respect about this odd question (although some on this forum aren't ****ing bungholes like this guy and I thank you for that. ).

You all might think that I am gonna buy the Sonata 100% (I think I am because of all these stats, which make the Sonata the clear winner),

maybe i am an a$$hole but do i really care?? lol..that statement above sounded like a hater to me..maybe if u reworded or actually think b4 u write then i might have gave u some respectsoo go buy ur sonata in two years when u actually have the moneystill disagree with you about sonata being the clear winner lol if u actually think that as of today, then u dont know jacksh!t about cars lol

[spike228]

This is the funniest **** I've read on this thread because do you know why? Have you guys read the reviews on the new altima coupe.. hahaha Of course you have, everyone here is an altima owner. It always, every single review, always say that altima is a poor man's G35. Regardless of whether it is the same principle company or not. We coupe owners are all hypocrites. Even honda's new accord designed was copied, and they even said they got their inspiration from a car.. which i cant remember..

Who the hell cares, every single model is a slight redesign of another car. Whether its an imitation or not, if quality is there and looks better, i will buy the imitation over the original. I had a choice to buy a 2006 G35 but I liked the altima better, so I got it.

Americans originally invented many of the technolgies and electronic appliances, but Japs copied it and improved it and made it look better, and now we all buy Japanese products. HAHAHA!!!

FYI, the 4th gen altima coupe is the poor man's G35. Also, why does that matter? Infiniti and Nissan are one and the same, of course their designs are similar.

Also, thats exactly why Hyundai sucks in my book. They copy people, but they don't make it any better. Surely, its not that much worse. But its not any better and it costs the same as the name brands that we know and love.

Innovation in design can only go so far, the point is to steal designs and make it your own. Change it so much that its not at all obvious that you stole the design.

Oh and that special olympics pictures is absolutely right. I'm not going to argue about this. If you love Hyundai's so much, go and buy it. Why the hell would you care what people's opinions on it is?

edit: yes, that troll must be laughing his *** off at the crap he's stirred up here. i shall redeem myself by going to a honda forum and asking about the "hyundai accord".

[Hussain]

thats a good one, going to the honda forums lol maybe thats what this guy is doing.... i know some people would get a kick out of it. i could imagine my brother bored at work doing some **** like that just to mess with people lol

but i agree with you about the whole copying and not making better. hyundai wont get any credit until they actually make there own car and stop copying other companies ****! but ya, this guy is stupid, no one in there right mind would choose a sonata over an altima... not saying a altima is as good as a lambo but it's a hell of a lot better then a sonata and that's the reason why i got my Altima coupe.... my dad bought my car cash. i could have gotten another car if i wanted. i looked around at other cars and theres a reason why i got my car.

[prlwhitecoupe]

Hey Bro,

Welcome to the forum. And I think I can help you out. My father's car is a 2005 Altima, which we bought brand new. It's not a 3.5 but a 2.5 s, but the reliability will be the same for both. So far it has almost 80,000 kms on it and so far shes been great and very reliable. I was involved in an accident with this vehicle...lets just say I hit a guard rail on the on ramp at about 80km/hr.....the headlight, tail light and washer fluid reservoir were busted...and i got some rim rash.....BUT it was repaired under insurance and there were no alignment problems, the chassis is perfectly fine...that was 2 years ago and still no issues. It is a great car, very reliable and I would highly recommend it.

On the flip side, my friend owns a 2000 Sonata, which he bought from an auction, it was repo'd. He's spent ALOT on maintenance....his car sounds like some hamster is running on a wheel under the hood!.....not to bash the poor guy's car....but I would take the Altima any day...not just because I'm on the NICO forums...but as you can see, I am speaking from personal experience.

Goodluck and I hope that helps!

[zozoka1212]

If you are looking to buy in 2010 then you should look into what's new in 09 or 10.

Here is a new Hunday Genesis coupe instead the sonata. Sonata IMO is good when you want to pick up some chicks at the nursing home.

Sorry had to. Did not mean to offened anybody.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/hy....html

I don't know if they are changing anything in the Altime in 09. Do some search to find out.

I don't know if we can compare the 2 cars the Genesis will be RWD and the Alti is front. But you can judge since you will be shopping. You have 2 years to read reviews and articles check out other forums.

Have fun and peace.

zozo

[ssjones]

I seriously considered an '08 Sonata V6 to replace my 03 Accord. I had a V-6 with all accessories priced at $21.3K. The 100k warranty was intriguing as well. I signed onto the Hynundai board for research those folks are as passionate as us. To be honest, the posts reflected less troubling issues. One owner in CO found a cab company using Sontas with over 100k on the odometer and few issues.

The Sonata did well in a recent Car & Driver article and has received sometimes better Consumer Report results than the Camry, Accord or Altima (I'm not a fan of CR for my auto info/results).

The Sonta caught my eye/wallet when I rented one on a business trip.

In the end, the Altima style and gas mileage won me over.

Last week, I rented a Sonta for one week. Boy, am I glad that I went with the Altima. The Sonata just felt unsubstantial (nice word for "cheap"...) That V-6 is quiet but the transmission is rough. I guess any transmission is rough compared to the CVT.

IF you are looking for the most car for the money, need a low payment and other considerations are not as important you would be foolish to ignore the Sonata.

[Ilpav]

maybe i am an a$$hole but do i really care?? lol..that statement above sounded like a hater to me..maybe if u reworded or actually think b4 u write then i might have gave u some respectsoo go buy ur sonata in two years when u actually have the moneystill disagree with you about sonata being the clear winner lol if u actually think that as of today, then u dont know jacksh!t about cars lol

Then prove to me how the Altima (sedan, not the hideous coupe) is better than the Sonata.

As I said before, the Sonata is cheaper (cost, maintenance, gas etc.), supposedly better-built, has way more standard features and some that the Altima doesn't even have as options, like stability control, and is statistically more reliable.

The Altima is a bit more stylish, powerful and economical (2007+ b/c of CVT)... anything else?

Again, I am not here to praise the Sonata. I am just defending it against all of these false remarks like "it's a Hyundai and that means it's total crap." Also, I would like for someone to add any more advantages that the Altima has over the Sonata. This isn't a challenge; just a question. Ok?

[altimacoupelvr]

well i've been reading the responses on this topic for a few days. Everyone here has posted some great responses. Some have even gone the distance i wouldn't have to call the sonata a great car. but honestly, if you want more information and you obviously have the time(2yrs), you should go to their websites and build the cars as you would want them, then go to the dealerships and test drive them. i have actually gone as far as taking a car from one dealership to the other to compare side by side. you can only make this decision youself! you are the one thats going to have to drive the car and be seen in it! And by the way, you are sitting there calling the coupe hideous........ummmm can anyone say sonata!!!!! very grandma looking!!!!!

[AltimaJoe]

Yeah, I wasn't going to contribute to this thread at all, but to come in here and call the coupe hideous? Dude, do you know what you're setting yourself up for???

Good luck with finding civility on this board now! If I thought it would make a difference I'd go ahead and give you my opinion but apparently you've got an argument against every positive comment made about the Altima. So good luck, hope you get the car you want and it gives you all the joy you could want and none of the trouble you don't want. I'd say come back after you buy and let us know how it went but... well, I really don't care any more about which car you get.

[desertdragon]

Then prove to me how the Altima (sedan, not the hideous coupe) is better than the Sonata.

As I said before, the Sonata is cheaper (cost, maintenance, gas etc.), supposedly better-built, has way more standard features and some that the Altima doesn't even have as options, like stability control, and is statistically more reliable.

The Altima is a bit more stylish, powerful and economical (2007+ b/c of CVT)... anything else?

Again, I am not here to praise the Sonata. I am just defending it against all of these false remarks like "it's a Hyundai and that means it's total crap." Also, I would like for someone to add any more advantages that the Altima has over the Sonata. This isn't a challenge; just a question. Ok?

Go away, go ask your mom to give you more spending money. Once you have enough money then come back in the next couple of years.For now just imaging yourself driving your Sonata.

[mcheddadi]

[...] sedan, not the hideous coupe [...]

line has been crossed, calling the ban hammer!

[JLAUDIO85]

Then prove to me how the Altima (sedan, not the hideous coupe) is better than the Sonata.

Jesus Christ wow is this guy for real?? ok lol i drive 'hideous' coupe AND what do u drive? wait u dont own a car...go guy urself a old crap car IN 2 years and see how many girls u get in that sh!tty a$$ car...

i am not even ognna bother explaining why altima is better because i dont see a point explaining it to a retard who doesnt know a **** about cars and personally i dont care what car u buy in two years..like i said go buy a sonata and make urself to thinkn that ur driving a bimmer k? lol

i cant believe this thread went 3 pgs long ....

[600hppot]

well i've been reading the responses on this topic for a few days. Everyone here has posted some great responses. Some have even gone the distance i wouldn't have to call the sonata a great car. but honestly, if you want more information and you obviously have the time(2yrs), you should go to their websites and build the cars as you would want them, then go to the dealerships and test drive them. i have actually gone as far as taking a car from one dealership to the other to compare side by side. you can only make this decision youself! you are the one thats going to have to drive the car and be seen in it! And by the way, you are sitting there calling the coupe hideous........ummmm can anyone say sonata!!!!! very grandma looking!!!!!

i don't think this looks like Grandma at all. Quite the contrary.

The alti coupe is not hideous, its good looking, but dont go calling the sonata grandma cause with a body kit, it looks twice as good as the A/C.

people here are so brand biased, i swear.

[altimacoupelvr]

well the way he's talking i don't think he plans on doing anything like that!! he wanted to know about reliability........not how he can mod it. i'm not saying they all look like grandma cars.....but every single one i have seen(with the exception of yours of course) is very boring and looks like it should be a family/ grandma car. i have to say i have never seen anyone mod out a sonata and i live on a military base where everyone is always trying new things with vehicles!!

[Hussain]

line has been crossed, calling the ban hammer!

this guy is just here to cause trouble. i don't think he is really buying a car, i think he's just here to stir up trouble... can one of the moderators please ban him so we can go back to the way things were?

[jdshift]

Dude, I gave you my .02 cents on the subject. I have a 2005 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE.........did you miss that? You may be reading, but you are not taking in the responses you requested for. Seems you had it all figured out with the Sonata, but not really giving the Altima a chance to be a choice in your future. None the less..........best of luck to ya.

[generic808]

Koreans can only make one good thing and it is televisons, SAMSUNG haha

Hyundai are cheap for a reason, even korean people in the U.S. do not buy their country's designed cars. Go for a Honda, Toyota, or Nissan before a Hyundai, Japanese imports FTW!! I would even go for a domestic before a Hyundai and thats coming alot from me

Wow, ok, I guess I'll have to join in this thread although I really didn't care to. SHIFT_CR, I really don't appreciate you saying something like this. Why? Because I am part [C]orean (if you don't know why I spell with a "C", you should read up on it) and I really don't appreciate your racist remark. Now if you know ANYTHING about economics, you'll know that South Korea is very developed and is the 3rd largest in Asia and the 10th largest in the world, in terms of nominal GDP. Prior to the IMF, Korea was up and coming. They were going to be a force to be reckoned with, but that collapsed. Thankfully, they pulled themselves out and now, upon entering the 21st century, S. Korea is world's leading IT nation in just 5 years.

The most recent analysis report by Goldman Sachs in 2007 shows that South Korea will become the world's 3rd richest country by 2025 with a GDP per capita of $52,000, and 25 years later, is to surpass all countries in the world except the United States to become the world's 2nd richest country, with a GDP per capita of $81,000.

Today, POSCO is the world's 3rd largest steel producer and South Korea is the world's largest shipbuilder with multinational enterprises such as Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries consistently dominating the global shipbuilding market. Contries like Japan, and especially China buy all their ships from Korea.

If you don't know what you're talking about, please don't make comments like the one you just did. READ. Learn the facts first before you post because you'll upset many people. This world does NOT revolve around YOU! If you don't realize how ignorant you sound, hopefully I just clued you in.

BTW, I personally wouldn't drive a Hyundai, but they are pretty good cars. Within the next ten years, they will be one of the heavy hitters in the industry, and this I guarantee.

[jmack]

Please, please get the hyundai. You deserve it!

[Ilpav]

Thanks to anyone who posted a report that I asked for.

And I'm sorry if I went a bit overboard calling the A/C "hideous". I was just trying to say that it isn't as good-looking as the sedan. Agree?

And if you think that I'm just here to stir things up, your horribly mistaken. I am buying one of these cars within the next couple of years (probably in less than a year).

And I do currently have a car. My mom's old 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager.

And I'm still not 100% decided yet. I will be after I test them, of course.

And BTW heres the same thread on a Hyundai forum, if anyone's interested.http://www.hyundai-forums.com/...34249
Modified by Ilpav at 2:04 PM 2/1/2008

[mcheddadi]

And I'm sorry if I went a bit overboard calling the A/C "hideous". I was just trying to say that it isn't as good-looking as the sedan. Agree?

Disagree . I would have bought the sedan otherwise. (I mostly bought my coupe for the looks, so...)