jkutti2000

ha ha.. the status is the monthly hefty payments which u have to make... lol.


come on. it s a lexus.. it turns more heads than a puny SONATA.. the sonata will soon become so common. wont turn any more heads. !

raviola4

First, i agree with another poster, the Kia Optima has better styling. At first i was uncertain about Sonata styling but really don't care for it. My opinion only.
As for which to choose. Kia Optima would be my choice.
Have an 07 ES350, bought Oct. 09 as CPO. Have had oil leaks, new water pump, and now poised to take it back for annoying rattle in dash. Car looks/rides great (except for rattle). But based on what i've been reading over past couple years, Hyundai and Kia have got their $#&* together. To some extent Lexus IMHO has slipped some.
Yeah more status in a Lexus, but WTF. With warranty of Hyundai or Kia and vastly improved quality in recent years forget Lexus.
I doubt i'll return to a Lexus showroom. Our other car is a 2011 Acura TSX. A 4 door sport type vehicle so not as smooth a ride as a Lexus but alot more fun to drive and quality so far appears superior to Lexus. Again, IMHO.

WAES300

The V6 in the ES is much smoother than any 4-cyl, the Sonata included. I love that my ES has 208K miles and runs like new. Having driven the Sonata, I feel that the visibility is bad, and aside from the flashy flamboyant styling, there wasn't much to get excited about. Sure it drives good, has decent power, but I actually came away thinking my old ES is a better car.... & My car had much smoother shifts. Go figure.

I know the Sonata is a much better car than what Hyundai has put out in the past, but I would still rather take a Camry over that. At least it's not ugly (imo)!!!

Sunapollo

I was deciding between a 07 Lexus vs 11 Sonata vs other cars just like you a week ago ... Now a CPO Lexus ES is parked in the garage ... Loving it

LexBob2

Regardless of what one thinks of Hyundai in general, they are definitely mainstream now both in terms of sales and reliability. Their bad old days seem to be behind them now. They are competitive in each segment where they compete, and yes their prices have crept up accordingly. Consumer Reports, JD Power and numerous auto publications confirm their quality/reliability are at or near the competition.

I still don't know if I'd buy one of their models ahead of the competiton, but I'd give it consideration.

IMO to dismiss them is a mistake.

frankbcnt

I would only buy if price was the issue. I can't help but notice that everyone seems to be copying Toyota/Lexus.

btrfly12

Thanks for all the responses.

What I really wanted was a Lexus, but I should have framed the question better in that I was really looking for a backup car assuming I couldn't find a good deal. The choice really was around, "Do I want a car payment for the next five years or do I buy a non-luxury brand and pay it off in three years?"

For a backup car, I was looking at a used Camry or new Sonata. I think a new Sonata is a much better choice. The only unfortunate part is that there is no V6 version of the Sonata. Not that I'm a power-hungry person, but over the years, you really just get used to the smooth ride and quieter ride.

btrfly12

Just to update, I did purchase I CPO 2008 Lexus ES 350. 38K miles for $24K. Very happy with the purchase and to be part of the Lexus family, but I'm lying if I don't see a Sonata drive by and think of how little THAT car payment would be for a much shorter amount of time.

Here's hoping that my '08 ES 350 will last me a very, very long time.

racingt

Congrats, great decision!

ndg

I rented a Sonata last summer. It seemed like a good solid car, but I wouldn't take it over my '07 ES. You ended up with an '08. That's even better. Good luck with the new car.

WAES300

Were you looking at a base Sonata? Loaded up they go up to $30K... Which would be quite a bit more. Not factoring any incentives in though, but have noticed not as many incentives for them ( they do build a nicer car now!) For similar options, wouldn't the Sonata actually be more new? Granted you do get a new car..

Anyways congrats, didn't mean to ramble!!

rx300mm

Someone hit the rear of my 2007 ES350 and needed a new bumper with sensor, etc so I got a rental for 2 weeks. It was 2011 Sonata with all the stuff in it. It had 4 cylinder bit noisey when I accelrate, only 1 month old. Enjoyed driving a new car but as soon as I got my ES back started the engine drove then I knew I really missed it ... there is no comparision between v4 Sonata and ES. I would buy a 4 year old ES anytime over a Sonata.

vetkilr

There truly is something to be said for how a 3-4 yr old es 350 drives. My bet is in 3 or 4 more years a 08' es 350 will still drive light years ahead of a 11' Sonata.
J

garsarno

Had a 2011 Sonata as a Enterprise rental car with only 1,200 miles on it. No comparison to my '07. None. Compare to a Ford Fusion.

Humaira

It galls me to think that people compare a Lexus with a Hyundai or even a Buick. The Lexus' competitors are the Mercedes Benz, BMW, Cadillac, Audi, Jaguar, an Acura, or an Infinity.