Thinking about a new 2007. (1st time Hyundai owner)
 

Who is the best dealer in the Dallas, TX area?
Ease of DIY routine maint. (plugs, oil/filter, brakes, etc).
Long term gas mileage for V6 > 100k miles.
Average mileage before auto transmission rebuild.
Do the V6's use timing chains or belts? If belts what is the recommanded mileage for replacement? Whats the cost at the dealership?
Average lifespan of the CV drive shafts.
Are dealers doing warranty work willingly?
Any other long term problems you folks have noticed.

TIA, Reggy

RE: Thinking about a new 2007. (1st time Hyundai owner)
 

Actually, the dealers in the Dallas area are mostly pretty good; from what I hear they are pretty much as good as any in the country. I'm over on the Fort Worth side of the Metroplex, so I can't talk too much about the eastern area, but I bought my car from Mike S. at Freeman Hyundai. I called him on the phone before I got there, we discussed what he had on the lot and he gave me an approximate cost over the phone (which was a pretty good deal) and made good on his deal. Vandergriff in Arlington and Alan Samuels near Northeast Mall in Hurst are also supposed to be good to buy from as well. West Loop on the west side of Fort Worth is getting ready to move to a new location so they may be trying to get rid of inventory.

As far as maintenance goes, I'm pretty sure the Sonata has a cartridge-type oil filter (instead of a screw-on type) so that is a little more expensive (about $5-10 per oil change). Other than that, if you keep up with the maintenance, Hyundais run well past 100k miles without serious problems.

RE: Thinking about a new 2007. (1st time Hyundai owner)
 

the 2.7 v6 uses a timing belt thats recomended to be changed every 60k.
I don't know about the other v6.
The hyundai tranny's used to be complete garbage, along with Hyundai in general. But they have come a loooooong way since.
Everything is built to last, thats why Hyundai currently ranks 5th in the world automaker market.
I love everything about my Tiburon, and I would recomend Hyundai to anyone looking for a good car at an affordable price.