What does everyone think of Hyundai

[Popinski]

Originally Posted By: Jerryb
My daughter drives a 2008 Sonata 4cyl. Cost $14,800 + tax new.
35k miles and no issues. Quiet, comfortable and looks nice. I might trade in my 2000 taurus for a 2011 Sonata this summer.


If I were you, I'd wait a while so they can fix the bugs if the newly designed engine has any..... It's a brand new engine design, brand new chassis, brand new styling.. that calls for problems.

 

[Popinski]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
How does Hyundai get a pass on the junk they dumped here in the 90's, but the Big 3 don't?



You're kidding, right? People still think of Hyundai's as the ones from the 1980's.

Even today, when you hear "Hyundai", you still hear things from uneducated people: "Copy design" "inferior parts" "Korean junk". Hyundai's past still lives on especially in older folks.

 

[crinkles]

well, you asked, i think they are a serious contender for my next purchase. I owned a new hyundai for a couple of years, was fine, had less rattles than my camry...
they do seem to have pretty bad fuel consumption, at least everyone i know of down here complains about it.
I had a 1.5L that got worse mileage than my 2.4L I4. MIL had same 1.5L that she bought for fuel economy; traded it in because it was essentially a guzzler for the engine size.

 

[Deltona_Dave]

My Dad just bought an 09 Santa Fe. Looks well-built, nice ride, V-6 has plenty of power and smooth. He was a die-hard GM man before. If they made a pickup, I would consider buying one. I think one of the reasons they don't make trucks, is that Hyundai has been making Heavy Equipment for years and also ships. Daewoo was Korean [censored] in my book (probably why their auto line went under).

Dave

 

[Shannow]

Parents bought an Elantra at the same time as in laws bought an Accord V-6.

One was less than half the price of the other. Both had leather, air con, blah blah blah.

Yep I'd rather had driven the Honda, any day ... if someone else was paying for it.

A workmate just bought an I30 diesel, for well under 30 grand (The honda was $41k 5 years ago), and is enjoying 18km/l.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: Popinski
Originally Posted By: dishdude
How does Hyundai get a pass on the junk they dumped here in the 90's, but the Big 3 don't?



You're kidding, right? People still think of Hyundai's as the ones from the 1980's.

Even today, when you hear "Hyundai", you still hear things from uneducated people: "Copy design" "inferior parts" "Korean junk". Hyundai's past still lives on especially in older folks.


I've actually never heard anyone bash hyundai.... Usually because they are extremely "buy american" and say "korean junk" or "german junk" etc etc. I may be buy American but I respect that in the end it is the buyers decision what car they buy. Some people don't.

 

[Jerryb]

Originally Posted By: Popinski
Originally Posted By: Jerryb
My daughter drives a 2008 Sonata 4cyl. Cost $14,800 + tax new.
35k miles and no issues. Quiet, comfortable and looks nice. I might trade in my 2000 taurus for a 2011 Sonata this summer.


If I were you, I'd wait a while so they can fix the bugs if the newly designed engine has any..... It's a brand new engine design, brand new chassis, brand new styling.. that calls for problems.


I think I agree with you. Thanks for bringing me down to earth.

 

[eljefino]

Toyota USA started in 1957. How long did they take to gain acceptance? Maybe 1974, the 1st oil embargo, maybe the late 70s, the 2nd? So they were a joke, or at least an unknown quantity, for 20 years. I sense the same upward, ambitous hunger for quality and market share from Hyundai now.

Hyundai appeared in US in 1986 and every model generation showed significant improvement over the previous. The 96 Accent buried the previous Excel. Late 90s purged most of the borrowed/licensed/collaborated Mitsubishi powertrain stuff. IMO for the better. Styling improved in the 2000s, IMO the last step after they got the mechanicals right. (Last disaster: the subsidiary Kia Optima shark-tooth grille)

 

[grampi]

No one can deny the Koreans have made vast improvements in all areas, but I'm not totally sold on them yet. They still lag behind many of the Japanese makers in terms of technological advancements, and I'm still not convinced a Korean make would hold up as well long term as the Japanese makes do.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Oregoonian
Originally Posted By: barlowc
Originally Posted By: pbm
I think Hyundai and Ford are the top two car companies at the moment and if I were in the market it would be one or the other.


+1 Hyundai is the company the rest of the auto companies need to look out for. They've got a nice line up and the features/money ratio is currently unmatched. The new Sonata looks really nice. And if I was in the market for a car today, I'd be giving the Genesis Coupe a serious look.


Look out for Hyundai...they are the an up and coming automobile...the Sonata will give the Accord and Camrey a run for the money.

The Elantra was rated #1 in that class (Over the Civic) by Consumers Reports and the Sonata was a recommended vehicle by CR.

As others have said...If I were in the market, Hyundi would be on my list as well. Excellent warrenty too.

I also like what Ford is doing. The Ford Fusion (or clone Mercury Milan) should be one of the vehicles your friend should consider. I believe it was named "Car of the Year".
_________________________________-___________
2003 Ford Focus SE 2.3 / 82K
Valvoline MaxLife 5w30 / OCI 7000 +/-
Purolator PureOne PA 10241


I'm not buying CRs pick of the Elantra over the Civic. Two guys I work with have newer models of both and I've driven both, and the Civic was no question the nicer of the two cars. It gets better fuel economy too.

 

[CivicFan]

I think Hyundai pulled off one of the greatest corporate re-branding of the past few decades. They turned what was an essentially an image of a [censored] car into a mainstream vehicle.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

I acquired a 2006 Elantra at the end of January. As part of a mentoring program I had co-signed a loan for a young couple early in 2008, and they failed to make the payments for November and December of 2009, so I had to repossess the car.

After paying it off and transferring everything to my name I had just over $2000 into it. I replaced the tires, brakes, battery and fluids so I'm currently into it for just under $3000.

I've been driving it 2-3 times a week since mid-February and it currently has 75,000 miles on it.

I'm actually surprised that I like the car. I had planned to sell it, but after driving it for a while I believe I'll keep it around as an extra. My mileage has been 32-34 MPG so far, it handles well, and overall is a likeable car. The previous owners didn't do much for maintenance, but despite that the car seems to run great.

At 6'3" it's comfortable for someone of my height. Things seem to be well laid out, it feels roomy on the inside, it handles competently and has enough "features" for my taste. The biggest complaint that I have is a slight buzzing in the passenger side dashboard when it's cold out-it goes away when it warms up inside. Insurance is also very inexpensive.

I never would have considered a Hyundai before, but if this marginally maintained 4 year old car is an example of where Hyundai has come, I don't have a problem recommending them to someone else.

 

[cchase]

My problem with Hyundai is their blatant styling plagiarism (and yes, that annoyed me with the Japanese as well). That Every one I have been in has felt very light-duty to me. Beyond that, I suppose it's up to the consumer to decide what car they like. For an economy car they probably aren't a bad choice. I wouldn't buy one at this point though, personally.

Trying to get a warranty claim with their 100k warranty is like pulling teeth, from friends experience (not my own).

 

[Tahoe4Life]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
I acquired a 2006 Elantra at the end of January. As part of a mentoring program I had co-signed a loan for a young couple early in 2008, and they failed to make the payments for November and December of 2009.


What a surprise that was. I know someone whose credit went into the toilet after he did what you did. You are way to nice.

 

[TXMXTruck]

I'll start by saying that I agree with the positive comments regarding Hyundai in this thread. I thought the first $5999.99 models were a bit of a joke and I guess that most of them were. We spent a bit of time in the Hyundai and Kia areas of the Houston 2010 auto show. Very impressive lineup and I agree that Hyundai may be one of several car makers that should do well in 2010 and beyond.

I think a lot of auto makers copy the most properly models, so that is normal. Hyundai / Kia is coming out with some exciting and innovative models for 2010 and the future.

Not to contradict myself, I would like to relay our experience with my wife's 1999 Elantra that we purchased new that year. Note that she has driven this car in our neighborhood in Mexico for the past 11 years so it only has around 40,000 miles on it!

- One Hyundai recall shortly after purchase to fix a problem that could cause slipping of the automatic transmission. Quick fix to a valve that could cause foaming and no further problems.

- Motor: 140 HP 4 cylinder was good for the day and still offers decent performance. I had no problem hitting over 100 MPH in Texas before delivering to Mexico. She blew a head gasket, but I account that to my wife letting it overheat due to a bad hose. Motor sludged up very badly, but I blame myself for not watching her OCI closely. We do have to replace the valve cover gasket (leaks) with each annual tuneup.

- Brakes are still original, still has 2 original tires and we replaced both CV joints. Shocks and struts are still original.

Now the bad stuff: The motors on 3 of 4 power windows broke. The inside plastic handles on all 4 doors broke. Sun visor clips both broke. Body has perhaps 70% paint loss!

In summary, the 1999 models already had the extended power train warranty and the build quality was much better than the early models, but it is obvious that plastic components and some electricals just were not there yet. It appears that the newest models have much better interior materials.

With 11 years having passed, I would not hesitate to purchase a new Hyundai or Kia. They do seem to offer a good and realistic value for the money.

 

[97tbird]

I'll post what we KNOW about our 2003 Hyundai Elantra: it's short:
145k miles (a tad more actually) - zero mechanical repairs.

only problems were replacement of dash clock; fit and finish great, and still solid as a rock; 32-33 mpg hwy, around 25 in town.

only oil changes, and regular maintenance so far.

---------------------

what do i think of them in General? They have done GREAT in the last decade. they look better than most cars and offer more value AND ARE DEPENDABLE too.

However, they should be careful not going overboard with styling. I still like the XD Elantra than the current generation; same with Sonata.

 

[AmericaWestCMH]

I've owned an '04 Elantra since new with 61k miles currently. Zero mechanical issues whatsoever, just routine scheduled mx.

 

[Ursae_Majoris]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
A workmate just bought an I30 diesel, for well under 30 grand (The honda was $41k 5 years ago), and is enjoying 18km/l.

i30 is sold in the US as Elantra Touring (wagon), but with a gasoline engine.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: FORD4LIFE
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
I acquired a 2006 Elantra at the end of January. As part of a mentoring program I had co-signed a loan for a young couple early in 2008, and they failed to make the payments for November and December of 2009.


What a surprise that was. I know someone whose credit went into the toilet after he did what you did. You are way to nice.


I was careful when we set things up so that in the event something like that did happen I would be able to take possession of the car without a personal credit hit. As soon as the bank notified me the loan was in arrears I paid it off in full the next day. I then repossessed the car that same week. Since the title was in his name "or" my name I could transfer everything over to my name without them being involved.

Besides, at my age I'm not sure my credit score would make any difference to me. My home is fully paid, and I always pay cash for vehicles even when I purchase them new.

I have done it in the past without a problem, and for the right people I'd do it again.

 

[LS2JSTS]

Your credit score can affect your home owners and car insurance rates. Always best to keep it as high as possible, even if you never plan to get a loan.

Just sayin, for those who like to save cash.