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Sorrento vs. Highlander vs. Sonata....(ya, I know)......

Your money. Your choice. What would YOU buy......

  • Toyota Highlander

  • Kia Sorrento

  • Hyundai Sonata

Results are only viewable after voting.
redgtxdi

redgtxdi

Diamond Member
I'm gonna cliff this.........

Your money
Your choice
Which is it???

Kia Sorrento

Toyota Highlander

or the new Hyundai Sonata

I know the Sonata doesn't match up, but I'm talkin' about replacing a sedan so sedan for sedan I'd take the Sonata, but I'd also kinda' like to move "up" as I'm tired of climbing out of my cars. I'm getting older & lazier.

TIA
 
I do like that the Highlander is a good middle-ground (although the new Sorrento may be just that too).

Problem for me was that before now, the Highlander was a bit of an undersized gas-guzzler....but now with the new 2.7L i-4 I like the idea of a true 20+ mpg multi-utility vehicle.

HOWEVER............(and remember, it's YOUR money)...........the new Sonata is nothing short of phenomenal!!! A 200hp i-4 that gets 22city/35hwy is friggin' amazing. And the car is BEAUTIFUL in person. Again, the sacrifice is a less room & shorter vehicle.
 
Highlander is obviously nicer but more expensive. I would not buy a new Kia because Kia resale is CRAP. I mean why buy a new one you can get a used one with 1500 miles for thousands less. And I wouldn't buy the toyota because I avoid buying new anyway. I think the sorento just had a refresh though, and I hate buying a last-gen.

What's the price diff on these? The Kia will have a nice warranty. If you honest to God mean to keep it for many years its resale is less of a concern because 150k miles on one car vs another is negligible anyway; both aren't worth sh*t used. So if the Kia is much cheaper....
 
A 200hp i-4 that gets 22city/35hwy is friggin' amazing. And the car is BEAUTIFUL in person. Again, the sacrifice is a less room & shorter vehicle.
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Not, bad, except Hyundai on their site says 198 and 24/35!
 
well its 22/35 with the auto.

and it 200hp for the SE model with a different exhaust. I went with a friend to check the new sonata out and it does look pretty nice , though they were locked up and we could not sit in them. wasnt a single manual on the lot, and well seeing as 95% of people in this segment would buy an auto, i figure that probably makes sense.


I guess if you consider one fo the SUVs a move "up" then those are a real tossup but you might as well move up if you can afford it. well the 2011 sorrento doesnt seem bad and its newer than the highlander (which came out 2-3 years ago ) and has a 6 speed auto vs a 5 speed which probably will give better fwy milage.

i think the main reason you get a highlander really is because tehy are offering a lot of incentives thse days. i think its 2 years free maintenance and 60 years 0% on it because of the pedal situation. I don't really believe the pedal thing is as big a problem as the stupid media makes it seem. thetruthaboutcars.com actually published some stats that say that there are a few ford models that have nearly as many unintended acceleration problems reported so its just the media trying to scare people. which is good sicne its giving you a great deal on a highlander probably if you choose to buy one.

the sorrento is a little smaller than a highlander as well, it is somewhere between a rav 4 and highlander in size, so the highlander has more space going for it if you need it.
 
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hans007 said:
i think the main reason you get a highlander really is because tehy are offering a lot of incentives thse days. i think its 2 years free maintenance and 60 years 0% on it because of the pedal situation.
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Damn, what are the monthly payments on that thing? Like $5??? 😉
 
Hyundai has come a long way and I really like what they have been doing latly.

If you want a SUV also see what Hyundia has or look at the new 4cyl Chevy Equinox. It also gets good gas milage but would not be as peppy as the Sonata.
 
WTF? A sedan and 2 SUVs?

I've been in a 2010 Kia Forte for the last few days as my car is in the collision center being fixed up, and I have to say besides the shitty engine and general unrefined nature of the ride, the interior is quite good and the car looks OK.

Being in previous Kias, I'm impressed with these guys for how fast they've improved.

Oh and since I was hit by a Highlander, I would suggest you get better brakes if you intend to buy one :sneaky:
 
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Marlin1975 said:
Hyundai has come a long way and I really like what they have been doing latly.

If you want a SUV also see what Hyundia has or look at the new 4cyl Chevy Equinox. It also gets good gas milage but would not be as peppy as the Sonata.
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My sentiments exactly. And you hit on what I forgot...........the Equinox!!! (GMC Terrain is same but ugly in comparison). I meant to put the Equinox in the poll & totally forgot....Aaargggh!!

I actually test-drove the Terrain. Only problem with it is it's actually a bit narrow. I thought it was just me, but then looking at the dimension #'s on their website, it is indeed pretty narrow. Shoulder room, hip room, etc. I felt like the dealer salesman & I were fighting for the arm rest.

Dunno.......might have to drive all consecutively in one day to get a feel for a 'favorite'.

EDIT---------WTF, can I not edit the poll???? ArrggrrGGGrrrrrr
 
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Forester/Outback > any of those.

And I get 30mpg summer / 26mpg winter in my Outback
 
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Jumpem said:
Forester/Outback > any of those.

And I get 30mpg summer / 26mpg winter in my Outback
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BSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

For a 19/27 vehicle you either have to drive drastically under the speed limit and 100% highway to achieve those numbers. Yea, I can get 30 +MPG on my 19/28 car, but I'm doing 55mph for 8 hours straight. Any normal driving behavior will get me 20-25.
 
MJinZ said:
BSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

For a 19/27 vehicle you either have to drive drastically under the speed limit and 100% highway to achieve those numbers. Yea, I can get 30 +MPG on my 19/28 car, but I'm doing 55mph for 8 hours straight. Any normal driving behavior will get me 20-25.
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Hes kinda got a point there. You can beat the EPA values with the TDI but its not easy and requires very concise driving techniques.
 
MJinZ said:
BSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

For a 19/27 vehicle you either have to drive drastically under the speed limit and 100% highway to achieve those numbers. Yea, I can get 30 +MPG on my 19/28 car, but I'm doing 55mph for 8 hours straight. Any normal driving behavior will get me 20-25.
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It's rated 22/29 with the CVT. Driving is three quarters highway and 55mph rural roads, one quarter 30-40mph vilages, very little stop and go.
 
Jumpem said:
It's rated 22/29 with the CVT. Driving is three quarters highway and 55mph rural roads, one quarter 30-40mph vilages, very little stop and go.
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For a 24mpg combined car, it is unlikely anybody else would be able to get close to 30.
 
MJinZ said:
For a 24mpg combined car, it is unlikely anybody else would be able to get close to 30.
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Think what you want. I have no reason to lie. I usually get about the highway rating overall. My Fit was rated 30/37. I usually got 36-38 in that.
 
Jumpem said:
Forester/Outback > any of those.

And I get 30mpg summer / 26mpg winter in my Outback
Click to expand...

I can't match those numbers, but its pretty close. Estimating 70% highway 30% city with a M-F 15 mile commute that is 12 highway, 3 city.

Here is the graph of my gas mileage since I purchased the car in fall of 06. Average of 27.66mpg throughout the life of a 2006 legacy wagon 2.5 5-speed with fueleconomy.gov showing my car as a 20/27 22 combined. I usually cruise around 70-75, shift ~3k. My car should theoretically get better mileage being closer to the ground than an outback, but otherwise the same.

I can post the complete log showing date gas was purchased, miles traveled since last purchase and gallons purchased to calculate mpg if you guys want. 136 points, so it is a good basis of what my car does with me driving.

mileage.jpg
 
what are your driving habits? do you carry alot of shit? if so get the highlander, if not, get the sonata.
 
Sorento owner - very satisfied. I have a 2005, so its not an apples or apples comparison, but I was surprised how well it fit my particular needs. Gas mileage is not good, but this is on a 2005 as well, not a newer 2011 model. Resale didn't factor in my decision, as I keep my vehicles for 10 years.
 
Go test drive the Sorento, you'll be surprised. Very nice vehicle. Lots of bells and whistles.

We picked up a 2011 EX FWD w/ convenience package a couple of weeks ago. Lease special was going on, $2499 upfront, then $239/month for 36 months (12,000 miles). HOWEVER, it was only $8 more per month to have a 15,000/mile year allowance.

The convenience package (heated seats, backup camera, roof rails, etc.) only made the payments go up about $15.

There was a $1500 lease rebate available, and another $1000 competitive cash on the Altima we traded. So that covered the down payment.

And yes I know how everyone feels about leasing, but for us it's the best option. Wifey wants to swap vehicles all the time. I'm looking forward to her having the same thing for the next 3 years, lol.

Residual after 3 years will be $12,000 according to the contract. So, in 2013, we can buy a 2011 CUV for ~$12k w/ low miles (pending that the wife likes it) with 2 years left on the bumper to bumper and 7 years/55,000 miles left on the powertrain warranty.
 
PhoKingGuy said:
Hes kinda got a point there. You can beat the EPA values with the TDI but its not easy and requires very concise driving techniques.
Click to expand...

beating EPA totally depends on the car.

I had a G35 coupe once. on adjusted SAE 2008 mpg it would be something like 17 city 24 fwy.

Even if I babied it for a few tanks, you could maybe sqeuak out 18 mpg combined. Everyone i know who has owned a nissan product with the VQ engine seems to not be able to get EPA milage in it so maybe its a nissan thing. a lot of german seem to exceed EPA milage in "real driving" since they are designed for 55+ mph fwy which 98% of people do since i guess they are autobahn cruisers. Nissan products... not so much. mazda rx-8 um no.

So my last car was a 2005 TSX, 2008 SAE adjusted was 20/28 (or well it was on the 2008 one which is mostly the same car). I could easily get 24-25mpg. ON the freeway up and down CA from norcal to socal could get into the 34-35mpg range.

My latest car has 21/27 and at 70-75mph freeway cruising with no traffic gets about 30mpg.

THe key is to hold rpm about the same, and not speed up or slow down too often, but it isnt entirely about keeping under say 55mph. Some cars are not even in their sweet spot at 55mph depending on how they are geared. Tough I think I could squeak out another few mpg.

Edmunds just tested a stripper 2011 sonata manual. rated 24/35. When i owned the G35 I lived in the same general area as the edmunds office (my ex roomate works for them actually) but they got under 25mpg combined during their test , but I tend to think the fwy milage on the new sonata is a bit ridiculous and is more "we figured out how to game the 2008 SAE EPA rating" than anything.

On another note, the stripper model edmunds had even ewith the steel wheels and plastic hub caps still looks great.
 
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