I hear McDonalds is teaming with with Korean automakers to make the next generation hybrids that'll use piping hot coffee in the batteries to carry the power...on the plus side, the third-world childern we feed the used batteries to will find them slightly more palatable...
So back to the topic, did we mention the recent Suzuki X-90 yet? I saw one on the road this weekend, and MAN what an odd duck...
my uncle had actually considered getting an X-90. I think his rationale was that it sat up high and had good visibility, and that my aging grandmother would be able to get into it comfortably. It didn't have a high step-up height like your typical truck or truck-based SUV, but it was still easier to get into than your typical car at the time, where you stepped down. I think one thing that turned him off, though, was that it really didn't get very good fuel economy, considering how small it was.
And since then, cars in general seem to have gotten easier to get into and out of, as they've gotten taller and almost more 40's like in their proportioning.
Or another car I group in the same category the Honda del Sol. I know they are super reliable and all but , please, you have to draw the line somewhere.
I think they both were mainly bought by young women in their early twenties.
I kinda liked the VehiCross for its totally futuristic look, though I didn't care for the "Ironman" version with the Ironman logos all over it...
In the movie "Mission to Mars" (the Brian DePalma one), Gary Sinese drove one on Earth that was modified to make it a fully open vehicle. It looked pretty cool I thought...sorta like a space-age Jeep Wrangler.
When I was a kid I thought they were really cool. I especially liked the "oh, crap" handles. You know, now that I have kids I can see how those things would be truly wonderful. :P
Speaking of kids and since we're on this "Wouldn't be Caught Dead Driving One" board. If anyone ever comes out with a family sedan, SUV, minivan, or whatever - and I don't care how ugly it is - if they'd offer the option of a privacy window between the front seats and the rear like in a limo, I predict that it would be one hot seller to those of us with kids!
To me, the VehiCross looked like an expensive, trendy basketball sneaker Back in 2000, when I was leasing an Isuzu Rodeo and waiting for the paperwork to be completed, I sat in a VehiCross on the showroom floor. Both headroom and rear visibility were conspicuous by their absense and the rear seat looked microscopic.
Emergency responce people and tow truck operators get instruction on how NOT to get electricuted when working around a smashed hybrid. The voltage can be as high as 400.
My High School friend's Mom and Dad sold antiques and used a black circa 1968 Cadillac hearse to transport. They had a batman cutout hanging in the window. Mr. and Mrs. Becker were pretty cool!
...she was driving and orange-red 1991 Mercury Tracer with the worst paint in the world - mismatched, peeling, and repainted in spots with a can of Krylon - yuck! Not only that, but the rubber door sill moldings were dry rotted. It had three original wheelcovers and one from a early '90s Toyota Camry that I found and had in my basement for years until she lost the right rear wheelcover off her ride. Funny that a woman with a good education and a decent salary to go with it was driving such a loser car. The car had to be twice towed from behind my house because it wouldn't start. It seemed the car needed some several hundred dollar repair every month. I told her that if she's going to be shelling out several hundred a month just to keep this heap going, she might as well be making payments on a new car. She then got her 2001 Chevrolet Impala.
My dad had a trailer at a resort on a lake just outside Nashville. Some of the regulars there had a moped club where they rode around the resort on mopeds. It was rather fund riding one around that resort. However I wouldn't ride one out on the open road.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
went through a period of time in his life when he had to depend on a moped for transportation. Not exactly a high point in his life. Can you go off-roading with a Moped, or are they pretty much strictly for paved surfaces? I used to think it would be fun to have one to ride around here, except these days all the once-abandoned farms are sprouting a new crop of McMansions, and even the old railroad right-of-way is now a hiker/biker trail, with no motorized vehicles allowed. I drove my Gran Fury on it a few times, though. :shades:
My uncle went through a period of time in his life when he had to depend on a moped for transportation.
I used to work in the Loop (downtown Chicago) and lived in the far west burbs so I took the train. I noticed that there were a number of people that commuted from their homes to the train station in mopeds/scooters. They are easier and cheaper to park at the station and you could most likely commute all week on a buck or two of gas.
Can you go off-roading with a Moped, or are they pretty much strictly for paved surfaces?
That would depend on the moped and what you consider off roading. If you can ride a 10 speed over it (not a mountain bike) than you most likely can do a moped on it.
FWIW I have a tandem that has a small battery motor to assist the riders. Its really not good for moving the bike on its own but it really helps going up hills (its a single speed and I know the wife doesn't pedal).
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Legally they are the same. Most legal jurisdictions in the world do not include "pedal" in their description of moped. Generally the legal definition in most of the world includes a small (under 50cc) engine and a maximum speed (usually around 50 km/h).
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
with McMopeds as fun little play-time accessories.
Barbie and Ken sold separately.
Yikes. No wonder NASCAR is so big in America.
The thing is, the McMansions themselves as houses seem to actually trap those who buy them. By that I mean they build them one by one, all looking the same, and the designs are pretty good by themself, but when you stamp them out one by one by one by one all of a sudden you've got something hideous looking that sort of jumps out at you and says "PLASTIC"!
I think people that tried to ride mopeds here in Pocatello, ID, would become Road Food pretty quickly.
Sad, but true.
Now, in Pierre, SD, mopeds and scooters galore! Young and old. It wasn't just thrifty there it was their Midwestern right to platter that little sleepy capital of South Dakota with those things. The drivers of the scooters drove them smartly and didn't cause me any heartburn at all (another topic could be concerning the smarts of buying and driving small rigs, which includes the 2006 Kia Rio LX sedan in either Sapphire Blue or Silver...I'm digging the Silver one here locally. A lot). What's more, it was rare to hear hideous rap music coming from the scooters, either. An added bonus!
My friends and family aren't into the "image" thing, but I wouldn't be caught dead driving a Hyundai or (especially) a Kia. You might as well get a custom license plate that says "CREDTBANDT".
All Kia ads on TV obviously pander to that group, they have an even scummier feel than the "buy here pay here" lot ads. I'm guessing this is because if someone had decent credit, they'd buy a car that wasn't the modern-day equivalent of an Iron Maiden.
I'm guessing this is because if someone had decent credit, they'd buy a car that wasn't the modern-day equivalent of an Iron Maiden.
Ever thought that instead of having bad credit they were trying to get the most for their money and not spend extra $$$ for a car that exceeds their needs?
Case in point, my next car will be something cheap and most likely stripped down. Why? My credit is good and I can afford it so it can't be any of that. The reason is that this next car will be used only for my 25 mile round trip commute to and from work and the occasional trip to the woods with the dog. I won't need it for anything else so why spend the extra money?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
perna: should I tell my folks, who own an '03 Sonata, that they are credit bandits? They were long time Toyota fans who bought the Hyundai because they could get a V6 GLS for the price of a 4-cyl Camry LE. To them, it was the best value for their money.
snakeweasel: OK, I'll agree with you regarding the legal defintion of mopeds vs. scooters. However, from a perception point of view, I would think that one is way cooler than the other.
Someone probably posted this already, but I was on the highway today and drove by a Kia Amanti, then looked at the front end in my rear view mirror and got a sick pukey-feeling after seeing it- LORD, could they have made it just a little more hideous! Add it to my list of "Never, ever, no matter what".
like Hyundai and Kia is that they DO appeal to the poor and credit-challenged. Now that's not saying that other groups of people don't buy them too, and let's face it, the poor/credit challenged need transportation just like everybody else.
However, just like any other situation, you see just enough examples of it to perpetuate the stereotype. I know people that make good money who have bought Hyundais, simply because they just didn't want to pay a lot of money for a car, but they still wanted the warranty and peace-of-mind of a new car.
As for the Amanti, I don't like it at all. It's just TOO pretentious, like it's trying to pose too hard. Other models, like the Hyundai Sonata and Azera, are pretty tastefully done though, IMO. And I even liked the XG300/350.
The problem with cars like Hyundai and Kia is that they DO appeal to the poor and credit-challenged.
I see this more of a Carmax issue than a Hyundai/Kia issue. Yeah I know you can get a decent deal on a low mileage car at Carmax and save yourself the depreciation of the first year of driving. But a lot of what they have are 3+ year olds with 50k+ miles on them.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
but around here it seems like most of the dealers that carry Hyundai and Kia tend to scream at you, do the "Yo' job's yo' credit" type of advertising, and practically ram it down your throat that "We'll pay off your trade no matter HOW MUCH YOU OWE!!"
We used to have these ads run by one dealer, where this middle-aged white guy who spoke in what seemed like a combination of Cajun and Ebonics would shout at you on the tv, especially late at night, and insult your intelligence as he tried to seduce you out of your money.
Almost kinda makes you feel sorry for Hyundai and Kia, because even if they do make a decent product, they still have to put up with predatory dealers and tactics, and other strikes against them that seem to keep them down.
Ever thought that instead of having bad credit they were trying to get the most for their money and not spend extra $$$ for a car that exceeds their needs?
If my credit was crap and I couldn't afford a new car that wasn't from Kia, I'd buy used. I would much rather own a 4-5 year old Maxima than a new Kia Rio.
The "long haul" warranty isn't worth much when you're constantly "long hauling" your car to the shop. Kind of defeats the purpose of owning a car in the first place!
but many people who have bad credit aren't exactly the most forward-thinking people in the world. Many of them don't realize how they got into their situation, and nowadays so many people think they're "entitled". No matter how bad their situation is, they're "entitled" to a brand-new car, expensive clothes, a McMansion, etc.
As for the few people I've known who have had Hyundais, I can't recall any horror stories.
but many people who have bad credit aren't exactly the most forward-thinking people in the world. Many of them don't realize how they got into their situation, and nowadays so many people think they're "entitled". No matter how bad their situation is, they're "entitled" to a brand-new car, expensive clothes, a McMansion, etc.
As for the few people I've known who have had Hyundais, I can't recall any horror stories.
As to your first point, I agree. One only need look at the CCB board to see examples of people setting fire to stacks of thousand dollar bills. What Kia buyers fail to realize is that they are much better off with a reliable used car than a new piece of junk.
As to your second, I have to say that the few people I've known who owned Hyundais did OK with them, except for my wife's college buddy who had an Excel. He still owned it for a few years after I met my wife, and rode in it a couple times. It was a horrifying, even worse than the Fiat a HS buddy owned whose floor had rotted away (watching the road go by underneath you while your feet rest on 2x4s... what a rush! ).
Now, Kia on the other hand, well, that's a whole other story. HR lady at work as a friend who was backing out of her driveway in a brand new Sportage, and the transmission actually FELL OUT of the car. I don't know a whole lot about cars, but I can't even conceive of that happening. Or the neighbor with the Sephia, who lemon lawed that bad boy within about 2 months.
...my brother drives a 2005 Hyundai Sonata and he hardly fits the stereotype of those targeted by those ads aired between episodes of Jerry Springer and Maury Povich. He lives in a modest house with a mortgage so small it wouldn't even pay the rent on a ghetto apartment in Philly. He's got no car or credit card debt and plans to retire at 50 and go fishing. I feel ashamed of myself when I see how frugal he is. The guy does seem to enjoy life. He doesn't act as if he's deprived.
Did you ever see the TV commercial with the yuppie-looking dude on his ride-on mower in front of his huge beautiful suburban house bragging about his country club membership, "How do I do it? I'm up to my neck in debt! Please help me!" Don't let those external appearances fool you. The disheveled guy living in a rusty trailer with two mangy dogs and drives a beat-up truck could be a millionaire whereas the guy in the commercial is on paycheck away from the street.
that has to take talent for a transmission to FALL out of a car!! I always took the phrase "dropped its transmission" to be more of a metaphorical thing!
I had one car that came close to literally dropping its tranny. Had an '82 Cutlass Supreme that needed a tranny rebuild. Wasn't too terribly expensive, around $675. This was back in 1993 though. Anyway, about 2 weeks before the warranty was up on it, I had to get a new tire. I got into the car to drive away from the NTB lot, made it about 50 feet, and the car just stopped. Engine revved fine, but the car would not move. Had to have it towed to the tranny place. Turns out that somehow all the bolts holding the tranny to the engine loosened up and the tranny physically pulled loose from the engine! Now there's a frame crossmember that the tranny also mounts to, so I don't know why that didn't keep it more or less in place...maybe the transmission mount still allowed for a bit of play?
I guess maybe one reason that I don't let the Hyundai and Kia horror stories scare me is that I have never experienced them personally. After all, just look at all the Mopar horror stories you read on the web. And all the scandal of Intrepids dropping their trannies (metaphorically :P ) and sludging their engines. Yet I've had good luck with Chryslers for the most part.
Actually, I guess I should take that back. I WANT to trust Hyundai and Kia, but I do admit that I'm just a bit leery of them. While Chrysler quality gets slammed, at least I have my personal experience to offset any fears. But with Hyundai/Kia I just don't have that personal experience, except for a few acquaintances that have bought them. And admittedly, not had them very long.
....were looking for their last car, they were seriously considering a Camry. They've owned 3 Toyotas over the years ('73 Corona, '85 Celica and a '91 Camry), so it was a known quantity.
My dad did some research and found the Hyundai to be (in his mind) just as well put together as the Toyota. His comment was that the Hyundai uses a better gauge of steel - to him that is a sign of quality (to me, it means that the car will be heavier, but I kept that opinion to myself).
As I mentioned earlier, the kicker was that they could get the V6 GLS Sonata for about the same price, if not less, than a 4-cyl Camry LE. I think they paid around $17K for the Sonata; the Camry's they were looking at were in the $19K range.
I think they've had the car almost three years and it has around 12,000 miles on it. As my folks are in their late 60's it will probably be the last car they buy.
My ex owned a Santa Fe for a few years, and some close friends of ours have a Santa Fe as well. To my knowledge, neither of those cars have had any problems.
I will admit that the early Hyundais of the 80's and 90's were not as well made as the ones from the past few years, and that many of the Hyundai and Kia dealers use questionable tactics to get folks in the door.
Would I, personally, drive a Kia or Hyundai? I suppose, though I feel they still have a bit of a disadvantage when compared to the Japanese makes they compete against, particularly in the area of gas mileage.
Value, OTOH, is quite good .. we took a hard look at the new '06 Sonata last fall for our daughter and was amazed at how many standard features were available - TC, ABS, 6 air bags, stability control, etc. Couple that with the 235HP V6 engine and you've got a pretty good package for under $20K (the dealer offered to sell it to us for, I think, $18K after rebates -- and offered us $8500 sight unseen for our '03 Focus as a trade).
I suspect that most folks go with Hyundai or Kia because they can get a new car with a good set of standard features and a killer warranty for less money than a comparable Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc. Plus, it's probably easier for these folks to get financed when compared to a used car.
our friends almost new vw jetta's transmission fell out as they were driving. does that make that a piece of crap. they had so much trouble with that car they got rid of it and got a toyota corolla. we also own a hyundai and we have excellent credit. we have no problems with it and we love it. we like even more than our civic (both are 2005's)the 1988 hyundai excel we owned had almost 200,000 miles on it with the original transmission when we gave it to our son-in-law. it was totaled when someone ran a red light. we have friends that love the kia. so to each their own
but many people who have bad credit aren't exactly the most forward-thinking people in the world. Many of them don't realize how they got into their situation, and nowadays so many people think they're "entitled". No matter how bad their situation is, they're "entitled" to a brand-new car, expensive clothes, a McMansion, etc.
In many cases that's entirely true. On the other hand, the in and outs of credit scoring are such that a person who normally is quite responsible in his or her use of credit can encounter unforeseen events that lead to a severely depressed score. For instance, a dispute with a medical billing agency over insurance coverage for a specific bill might end up with the agency filing a "collection account" notation on your credit reports. Even if the bill is for a small amount, and you are honestly disputing your liability, the agency's action could well drop your score 100 points or even more. All of a sudden, the fact that you've always paid your bills on time counts for nothing, as in the eyes of the FICO scoring models you're a "credit criminal," as bad a risk as someone who's just filed bankruptcy with a mountain of debt.
I agree 100%. In fact, that's why I said "many people who have bad credit" instead of "most people who have bad credit" :P Heck, I've been there myself. Went through a bad marriage and divorce that left me about $27K in debt, had to go on CCCS for about 2 1/2 years to avoid bankruptcy, etc.
And I've had family members get hit by big medical bills, so I know what that's like, too. :sick:
I had something like that happen just recently. I cancelled out of a contract and negotiated a price to end it early. I paid the agreed to costs and everything was fine and dandy until almost two years later I get a collection letter from a collection agency that "bought" the outstanding debt. :confuse:
Also several years ago I applied for a credit card, seeing what happened I will not mention the companies name because I don't want to give Capital One a bad name. Going through the whole thing they started an account with a $200.00 credit limit. I said "what? why? nope I don't want or need a credit card with a $200.00 limit" and told them to cancel the whole thing. several months later I go to refinance my house and guess what? I have that account with several hundred dollars owed on it 90 days over due. That didn't help my credit score. It seems they left the account open, bumped up the credit limit twice (it was $2,000 by then) charged me a fee each time, plus interest and late fees. :mad:
To Capital ones credit they closed the account waved all fees and contacted the credit bureau to correct the issue. The other one was a dogfight to correct, it finally took a letter from the states attorney generals office to correct.
Needless to say you will never know what will blind side you on your credit score. Keep an eye on it regularly
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I don't know what others mean but the guy I know with the Toyota it means the transmission was resting on the ground not attached to the car. IIRC in that case it turned out that it wasn't properly secured to the car.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
are definitely worrying about your "image" too much. Hyundai is going thru what Toyota did about 30 years ago. The new breed Hyundai's appear to be pretty good cars. Now, I sound just like my father.
our friends almost new vw jetta's transmission fell out as they were driving. does that make that a piece of crap.
Well, yeah. VWs are barely a step above Kia in my book. Those cars are electrical nightmares. I had a '96 Jetta that was so bad, I wish I could have afforded to just drive it into the middle of a field and set it on fire. By far the worst car I've ever owned.
Comments
So back to the topic, did we mention the recent Suzuki X-90 yet? I saw one on the road this weekend, and MAN what an odd duck...
And since then, cars in general seem to have gotten easier to get into and out of, as they've gotten taller and almost more 40's like in their proportioning.
I think they both were mainly bought by young women in their early twenties.
In the movie "Mission to Mars" (the Brian DePalma one), Gary Sinese drove one on Earth that was modified to make it a fully open vehicle. It looked pretty cool I thought...sorta like a space-age Jeep Wrangler.
I loved those jump seats in the Brat's bed.
Speaking of kids and since we're on this "Wouldn't be Caught Dead Driving One" board. If anyone ever comes out with a family sedan, SUV, minivan, or whatever - and I don't care how ugly it is - if they'd offer the option of a privacy window between the front seats and the rear like in a limo, I predict that it would be one hot seller to those of us with kids!
Back in 2000, when I was leasing an Isuzu Rodeo and waiting for the paperwork to be completed, I sat in a VehiCross on the showroom floor. Both headroom and rear visibility were conspicuous by their absense and the rear seat looked microscopic.
Harry :surprise:
http://www.pbase.com/tastyorange/image/33519596
Kyle
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
But I wanted everyone to know that I saw one.
Mr. and Mrs. Becker were pretty cool!
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I've owned 2, yes 2 Pinto's and a Metro.
I did a 400+ mile road trip in in a '73 Toyota Corona.
I've even driven a 1960ish 2cyl. 2stroke 500cc Fiat. (of course when the engine died, I help the guy that owned it drop in a 650 Yamaha).
I even rode a moped once. Once.
My dad had a trailer at a resort on a lake just outside Nashville. Some of the regulars there had a moped club where they rode around the resort on mopeds. It was rather fund riding one around that resort. However I wouldn't ride one out on the open road.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I used to work in the Loop (downtown Chicago) and lived in the far west burbs so I took the train. I noticed that there were a number of people that commuted from their homes to the train station in mopeds/scooters. They are easier and cheaper to park at the station and you could most likely commute all week on a buck or two of gas.
Can you go off-roading with a Moped, or are they pretty much strictly for paved surfaces?
That would depend on the moped and what you consider off roading. If you can ride a 10 speed over it (not a mountain bike) than you most likely can do a moped on it.
FWIW I have a tandem that has a small battery motor to assist the riders. Its really not good for moving the bike on its own but it really helps going up hills (its a single speed and I know the wife doesn't pedal).
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
They looked like classic Vespas, which I guess is a redeeming factor...
A moped is motorized, but also includes pedals (hence the "ped" part of the name).
A scooter has no pedals.
Legally they are the same. Most legal jurisdictions in the world do not include "pedal" in their description of moped. Generally the legal definition in most of the world includes a small (under 50cc) engine and a maximum speed (usually around 50 km/h).
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Barbie and Ken sold separately.
Yikes. No wonder NASCAR is so big in America.
The thing is, the McMansions themselves as houses seem to actually trap those who buy them. By that I mean they build them one by one, all looking the same, and the designs are pretty good by themself, but when you stamp them out one by one by one by one all of a sudden you've got something hideous looking that sort of jumps out at you and says "PLASTIC"!
I think people that tried to ride mopeds here in Pocatello, ID, would become Road Food pretty quickly.
Sad, but true.
Now, in Pierre, SD, mopeds and scooters galore! Young and old. It wasn't just thrifty there it was their Midwestern right to platter that little sleepy capital of South Dakota with those things. The drivers of the scooters drove them smartly and didn't cause me any heartburn at all (another topic could be concerning the smarts of buying and driving small rigs, which includes the 2006 Kia Rio LX sedan in either Sapphire Blue or Silver...I'm digging the Silver one here locally. A lot). What's more, it was rare to hear hideous rap music coming from the scooters, either. An added bonus!
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
All Kia ads on TV obviously pander to that group, they have an even scummier feel than the "buy here pay here" lot ads. I'm guessing this is because if someone had decent credit, they'd buy a car that wasn't the modern-day equivalent of an Iron Maiden.
Ever thought that instead of having bad credit they were trying to get the most for their money and not spend extra $$$ for a car that exceeds their needs?
Case in point, my next car will be something cheap and most likely stripped down. Why? My credit is good and I can afford it so it can't be any of that. The reason is that this next car will be used only for my 25 mile round trip commute to and from work and the occasional trip to the woods with the dog. I won't need it for anything else so why spend the extra money?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
snakeweasel: OK, I'll agree with you regarding the legal defintion of mopeds vs. scooters. However, from a perception point of view, I would think that one is way cooler than the other.
However, just like any other situation, you see just enough examples of it to perpetuate the stereotype. I know people that make good money who have bought Hyundais, simply because they just didn't want to pay a lot of money for a car, but they still wanted the warranty and peace-of-mind of a new car.
As for the Amanti, I don't like it at all. It's just TOO pretentious, like it's trying to pose too hard. Other models, like the Hyundai Sonata and Azera, are pretty tastefully done though, IMO. And I even liked the XG300/350.
I see this more of a Carmax issue than a Hyundai/Kia issue. Yeah I know you can get a decent deal on a low mileage car at Carmax and save yourself the depreciation of the first year of driving. But a lot of what they have are 3+ year olds with 50k+ miles on them.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
We used to have these ads run by one dealer, where this middle-aged white guy who spoke in what seemed like a combination of Cajun and Ebonics would shout at you on the tv, especially late at night, and insult your intelligence as he tried to seduce you out of your money.
Almost kinda makes you feel sorry for Hyundai and Kia, because even if they do make a decent product, they still have to put up with predatory dealers and tactics, and other strikes against them that seem to keep them down.
If my credit was crap and I couldn't afford a new car that wasn't from Kia, I'd buy used. I would much rather own a 4-5 year old Maxima than a new Kia Rio.
The "long haul" warranty isn't worth much when you're constantly "long hauling" your car to the shop. Kind of defeats the purpose of owning a car in the first place!
As for the few people I've known who have had Hyundais, I can't recall any horror stories.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
As for the few people I've known who have had Hyundais, I can't recall any horror stories.
As to your first point, I agree. One only need look at the CCB board to see examples of people setting fire to stacks of thousand dollar bills. What Kia buyers fail to realize is that they are much better off with a reliable used car than a new piece of junk.
As to your second, I have to say that the few people I've known who owned Hyundais did OK with them, except for my wife's college buddy who had an Excel. He still owned it for a few years after I met my wife, and rode in it a couple times. It was a horrifying, even worse than the Fiat a HS buddy owned whose floor had rotted away (watching the road go by underneath you while your feet rest on 2x4s... what a rush!
Now, Kia on the other hand, well, that's a whole other story. HR lady at work as a friend who was backing out of her driveway in a brand new Sportage, and the transmission actually FELL OUT of the car. I don't know a whole lot about cars, but I can't even conceive of that happening. Or the neighbor with the Sephia, who lemon lawed that bad boy within about 2 months.
Did you ever see the TV commercial with the yuppie-looking dude on his ride-on mower in front of his huge beautiful suburban house bragging about his country club membership, "How do I do it? I'm up to my neck in debt! Please help me!" Don't let those external appearances fool you. The disheveled guy living in a rusty trailer with two mangy dogs and drives a beat-up truck could be a millionaire whereas the guy in the commercial is on paycheck away from the street.
I had one car that came close to literally dropping its tranny. Had an '82 Cutlass Supreme that needed a tranny rebuild. Wasn't too terribly expensive, around $675. This was back in 1993 though. Anyway, about 2 weeks before the warranty was up on it, I had to get a new tire. I got into the car to drive away from the NTB lot, made it about 50 feet, and the car just stopped. Engine revved fine, but the car would not move. Had to have it towed to the tranny place. Turns out that somehow all the bolts holding the tranny to the engine loosened up and the tranny physically pulled loose from the engine! Now there's a frame crossmember that the tranny also mounts to, so I don't know why that didn't keep it more or less in place...maybe the transmission mount still allowed for a bit of play?
I guess maybe one reason that I don't let the Hyundai and Kia horror stories scare me is that I have never experienced them personally. After all, just look at all the Mopar horror stories you read on the web. And all the scandal of Intrepids dropping their trannies (metaphorically :P ) and sludging their engines. Yet I've had good luck with Chryslers for the most part.
Actually, I guess I should take that back. I WANT to trust Hyundai and Kia, but I do admit that I'm just a bit leery of them. While Chrysler quality gets slammed, at least I have my personal experience to offset any fears. But with Hyundai/Kia I just don't have that personal experience, except for a few acquaintances that have bought them. And admittedly, not had them very long.
I know someone whose transmission on a Toyota with less than 5k miles on it fell out. I guess Toyotas are pieces of crap too.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
My dad did some research and found the Hyundai to be (in his mind) just as well put together as the Toyota. His comment was that the Hyundai uses a better gauge of steel - to him that is a sign of quality (to me, it means that the car will be heavier, but I kept that opinion to myself).
As I mentioned earlier, the kicker was that they could get the V6 GLS Sonata for about the same price, if not less, than a 4-cyl Camry LE. I think they paid around $17K for the Sonata; the Camry's they were looking at were in the $19K range.
I think they've had the car almost three years and it has around 12,000 miles on it. As my folks are in their late 60's it will probably be the last car they buy.
My ex owned a Santa Fe for a few years, and some close friends of ours have a Santa Fe as well. To my knowledge, neither of those cars have had any problems.
I will admit that the early Hyundais of the 80's and 90's were not as well made as the ones from the past few years, and that many of the Hyundai and Kia dealers use questionable tactics to get folks in the door.
Would I, personally, drive a Kia or Hyundai? I suppose, though I feel they still have a bit of a disadvantage when compared to the Japanese makes they compete against, particularly in the area of gas mileage.
Value, OTOH, is quite good .. we took a hard look at the new '06 Sonata last fall for our daughter and was amazed at how many standard features were available - TC, ABS, 6 air bags, stability control, etc. Couple that with the 235HP V6 engine and you've got a pretty good package for under $20K (the dealer offered to sell it to us for, I think, $18K after rebates -- and offered us $8500 sight unseen for our '03 Focus as a trade).
I suspect that most folks go with Hyundai or Kia because they can get a new car with a good set of standard features and a killer warranty for less money than a comparable Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc. Plus, it's probably easier for these folks to get financed when compared to a used car.
In many cases that's entirely true.
On the other hand, the in and outs of credit scoring are such that a person who normally is quite responsible in his or her use of credit can encounter unforeseen events that lead to a severely depressed score. For instance, a dispute with a medical billing agency over insurance coverage for a specific bill might end up with the agency filing a "collection account" notation on your credit reports. Even if the bill is for a small amount, and you are honestly disputing your liability, the agency's action could well drop your score 100 points or even more. All of a sudden, the fact that you've always paid your bills on time counts for nothing, as in the eyes of the FICO scoring models you're a "credit criminal," as bad a risk as someone who's just filed bankruptcy with a mountain of debt.
And I've had family members get hit by big medical bills, so I know what that's like, too. :sick:
Also several years ago I applied for a credit card, seeing what happened I will not mention the companies name because I don't want to give Capital One a bad name. Going through the whole thing they started an account with a $200.00 credit limit. I said "what? why? nope I don't want or need a credit card with a $200.00 limit" and told them to cancel the whole thing. several months later I go to refinance my house and guess what? I have that account with several hundred dollars owed on it 90 days over due. That didn't help my credit score. It seems they left the account open, bumped up the credit limit twice (it was $2,000 by then) charged me a fee each time, plus interest and late fees. :mad:
To Capital ones credit they closed the account waved all fees and contacted the credit bureau to correct the issue. The other one was a dogfight to correct, it finally took a letter from the states attorney generals office to correct.
Needless to say you will never know what will blind side you on your credit score. Keep an eye on it regularly
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Well, yeah. VWs are barely a step above Kia in my book. Those cars are electrical nightmares. I had a '96 Jetta that was so bad, I wish I could have afforded to just drive it into the middle of a field and set it on fire. By far the worst car I've ever owned.