Some years ago, few would buy a Huyndai.
Reliability and looks were a problem for this "new" asian carmaker.
Lately, they have been coming up in ratings and looks.
Their new product line is sharp!
Perhaps, Kia is where Huyndai was some 10 years ago!
So, do you think their is still a negative image or a stigma if you will, in owning a Huyndai?

 

Personally, I like the new 2006 line of Huyndais.
Their new Sonata is sharp as well as their brand new Azera.
I see quiet a few of the Tuscons also!
I don't think that there is a stigma anymore, maybe with the ones that have not looked at the new line of cars or not read up on them.
I would personally own one instead of a domestic car brand!
Perhaps, they are loosing their "cheaper" car advantage.
Although their products are priced right, I don't believe they are cheap anymore. It is hard to buy a Sonata, when you can buy an Accord for the same price. Yes, the Sonata has more standard features but is still not up to par to Accord standards.

 

Hyundai owns Kia. Hyundai used to be partnered with Mitsubishi motors to provide engines/trannys for the hyundai product. THAT is where they developed their shitty image.

Hyundai broke away from Mitsubishi and started using their own engines. The day I heard about this I told my wife "in 5 years hyundai will surpass mitsubishi in quality and total sales". I was 100% correct.

The new Sonata is built about 40 minutes frmo my house and they are VERY nice. For the money I don't think is a nicer/faster/more optioned car. A sonata GT w/ V6 costs less than a base accord with 4cyl. It's the performance leader in almost all catagories in it's class. It's even the lowest priced and sharpest looking (IMO).

Hyundai is now positioning themselves more upscale with nicer cars and more luxury. This is where Kia will step in and take over Hyundai's "entry-level-car" position. they will use platform sharing to keep costs low for both and use styling changes and option deletes to seperate the two in sales.

VERY VERY SMART on hyundais part. GM and Ford could learn something from the Koreans.

 

I remember the Excel from the 80's.
They were inexpensive but pure crap!

 

you mean the mitsubishi mirage clone?

 

With a starting price of $17,800 for a base Sonata, it is a rather tough position for Huyndai Motors, when you can buy a base Accord for the same!

 

actually according the their company website

accord starts at 18,225

sonata starts at 17,825

HOWEVER

macked out V-6 sonata starts at $22,000

while the BASE V6 Accord is Almost $26,000

 

^^^
I see the advantage of the V6 Sonata.

If I was to buy either one, would have to weigh out a few things aside from performance.

Depreciation-Accords' is unmatched
Reliability-Accords' is unmatched
Warranty- Hyundai tops it
Insurance- Sonata not stolen nearly as much as old Accords.
Looks- would put both equal
Jones factor-to keep up with the Jones, Accord would be
more appropriate/more status, but personally
I the Jones. .

 

personally i would rather keep $4000+ in my pocket

 

Weve recently had a family member buy a Hyundai all I can say is no one will ever buy a korean car again. On paper they seem nice but, in reality after a year of use they just fall apart, more rattles I have never seen!

Its poorly put together and they use cheap parts. I would much rather have the accord, the lower rate of depreciation alone does it, after a few years of owning it you can trade it in for some actual money while the hyundai wont be worth anything.

 

If you figure approximatly $20/month added to your car note for every $1K financed you would save $80/month over an accord. $80/month over a 60month term is a lot of money. ($4800)

also the v6 sonata is a CLEAR performance winner.

 

It reasons to conclude then that it is wise to buy a base Accord, but if one wants a V6, they should go for the Sonata.

 

Matty, are you on Hyundais payroll?

I read the recent mid-size sedan comparo between the Camry, Accord, Sonata, and the Fusion, and while the Sonota was the cheapest, it was also the cheapest. Not a single on of the editors who participated (11 or 12 I think) had anything nice to say aobut the interior. However, they did give it points for excellent fit and finish as well as performance, and it came in 3rd overall, beating the Camry, which has been a benchmark in this catagory for a long time.

To answer the initial question, yes, I believe that the Hyundai taboo is rapidly disolving and in a few years people will have no qualms about buying one as long as the fit and finish keeps improving on them and they dont start slacking off like the american companies.

 

a hyundai isnt a bad choice. there are many who say they will pass honda in sales in the US in as little as 2 years. they do have a lot to offer, but hyundais generally aren't known to bring anything new to the table. their strategy seems to take what has worked for existing manufacturers and make copycat clones. not saying thats any bad or good, but innovation is what drives technology.

but think of it this way, 10-20 years ago most wouldnt be caught dead with a subaru. noisy, falling apart, left-over looks. now they are winning over would-be camry & accord owners with the legacy, they are enjoying their success of the impreza, and they've adopted AWD and turbocharging as standard practice when most companies only use it for special occasions.

i dont really know where im going with this, but i wouldnt exclude hyundai from my list of potential buying choices. then again, there arent really any models that i'm remotely interested in. so i dont know much bout their current offerings and because of that i cant really say i'd buy one.

 

nah, I'm not on hyundais payroll....but i do have a pretty good eye for the future and I think they are only going up from here. They've already expanded 3 times in alabama alone.

They've shown a prototype engine a few years back that ran on water (hydrogen) and made 380hp from a twin turbo v6. A TT hydrogen hybrid about 5 years ago.....that's pretty ahead of it's time if you ask me.