What is the deal with Hyundai???

[Soldier76]

I work as an armed security guard for a military installation here in Georgia and what I found was quite amazing. I check thousands of vehicles that come onto the military base in a 5 day period. I made it a personal goal to ask only the people that drove Hyundai vehicles (old and new) on how they felt about the reliability of these cars and how they like the overall vehicle in general. "THERE WERE NO BAD REVIEWS". Most people told me I needed to get one and there family have owned Hyundai's for years and never had a problem. One man who had a Genesis told me those Koreans finally got it right , and I replied they had it right for some time now.


This is my first Hyundai and just by hearing all the great reviews on the internet and actually getting to talk to other Hyundai owners face to face and on the net about there real life experiences with Hyundai vehicles got me "PUMPED UP". I'm really excited about a manufacture that takes genuine interest in the small guy, and cares about quality and what the consumer is really looking for in a great vehicle, that is perfect for there everyday lifestyles.

 

[ayasin]

Welcome to the club! I too had a very bad initial image of Hyundai based on 4th and 5th hand stories. When I started actually doing my own homework as you did I found quite the opposite to be true. The word will spread, slowly but surely.

 

[Mark_888]

Welcome to the club! I too had a very bad initial image of Hyundai based on 4th and 5th hand stories. When I started actually doing my own homework as you did I found quite the opposite to be true. The word will spread, slowly but surely.

Those 4th and 5th hand stories go back to when Hyundai first imported the Excel into the US in 1986 when reliability was quite poor. From Wikipedia:

"Initially well received, the Excel’s faults soon became apparent; cost-cutting measures caused reliability to suffer. With an increasingly poor reputation for quality, Hyundai sales plummeted, and many dealerships either earned their profits on repairs or abandoned the product. At one point, Hyundai became the butt of many jokes (i.e. Hyundai stands for "Hope you understand nothing's driveable and inexpensive") and even made David Letterman's Top Ten Hilarious Mischief Night Pranks To Play In Space: #8 - Paste a "Hyundai" logo on the main control panel."

About the only thing that saved Hyundai (and gave them time to improve the product that we know today) was that the Yugo was even worse.

 

[Nullunit2000]

I've owned both an '88 and '93 Excel. They were both crap.

That being said, when I started looking for a new car to replace my aging VW I was shocked to see that Hyundai was getting so much attention for their new Genesis.

I read all the reviews. I trolled owner's forums. I took a test drive and ultimately decided that after 20 years Hyundai had learned their lesson and started producing good cars.

What my decision came down to is the fact that I'm a sucker for a good deal. Anything else I looked at that even came close to the Genesis in terms of features and performance was at least $10K more.

I am now two months into my ownership and I couldn't be happier.

 

[YEH]

Hyundai's quality started to improve once Hyundai's Chaiman, Chung, initiated a program to focus on quality in 1999.

As a result, Hyundai's quality over the years has seen a remarkable rise (JD Power and Consumer Reports both show Hyundai having surpassed Nissan and edging closer to Toyota and Honda and Auto Bild in Germany places Hyundai in the top 5 for quality).

Toyota's Chairman actually wanted to do an exchange where technicians from both companies would visit each others factories, but Hyundai refused.

While Hyundai has come far, a couple models (such as the minivan) don't do well in the reliability surveys.

I've owned both an '88 and '93 Excel. They were both crap.

A big part of Hyundai quality problems early on were due to using cheap/crappy powertrains and powerplants from Mitsu - Hyundai's quality started to improve once they began utilizing their own designs/manufacturing processes.

 

[Par Avion]

Most people don't know that the old Excel was a Mitsubishi powered car, not a Hyundai.

 

[ctrcbob]

My niece had one of the first Excel's sold in this country. Manual transmission, which she taught herself to drive. It had over 100k miles on it when she got rid of it.

Nothing wrong with her Excel.

 

[monblanc]

I think it's the R&D drive Hyundai has been pushing last 10 years or so. % of R&D investments in Hyundai is now one of the highest. Hyundai's engine is now world's top 10 engines (ousting 14 year resident VQ of Nissan). Hyundai is now among top 2 (along with BMW) manufactuerers that introduced new technology in automobiles (auto industry survey)!!

Hyundai is probably still long way to ctach up with german and japanese manufactuerers. But recent advancement is eye popping. And I am surprised by Hyundai's bold approach attacking the core performamce of the luxury vehicles unlike Japanese approach who avoid direct competition with Germans and took a "detour" if you know what I mean. This is boom or burst, in your face, attack!

 

[Soldier76]

I agree Hyundai is taking no prisoners on this one. If you look at Hyundai's whole line up of vehicles (including Kia) is really amazing on how much these vehicles have improved in just about every aspect. I've owned a 2005 Honda Odyssey and a 2008 Toyota Camry and both vehicles had transmission issues. I wonder if we are about to embark on a powerful shift in the car market. Toyota, Honda, Mercedes, Bmw, and whoever else in the car arena better put there armor on and pick up there swords cause they just awaken a sleeping "GIANT KILLER".

 

[Sal Collaziano]

Soldier76 - This is why I've also become a "fan" of Hyundai. I'm really impressed with how far they've come in such a short amount of time. And I see exactly where they're going. I have a lot of respect for Toyota for what they've done with Lexus and the automotive industry. I firmly believe that Hyundai is next to run down this path. While Lexus is losing a bit of grip on what it's done so well in the past, Hyundai is right there to pick up the slack. I honestly believe Hyundai is going to be the new Lexus - it's just a matter of time...

______________________________

Help support this site so it can continue supporting you!

 

[crupp]

They have certainly stepped up their game and if the Genesis is a peek into the future, the future is bright. I think a seperate showroom would be a smart thing as the product evolves.

 

[Mark_888]

They have certainly stepped up their game and if the Genesis is a peek into the future, the future is bright. I think a seperate showroom would be a smart thing as the product evolves.

Would you pay $5K more to see the Genesis in a separate showroom?

 

[Poopsicle]

To tell you the truth, the 1994(Last year of the car) Excels were very reliable. I first became a fan of Hyundai because of many satisfied owners of the Elantra.

The saying "You get what you pay for" is obsolete now thanks to Hyundai*

*Only Korean products because they make great stuff and their monetary value is lower than US hence the lower price.

 

[Poopsicle]

My niece had one of the first Excel's sold in this country. Manual transmission, which she taught herself to drive. It had over 100k miles on it when she got rid of it.

Nothing wrong with her Excel.

wow!!! What did she get after the Excel?

Thanks for serving our country by the way.

 

[jwaters943]

Would you pay $5K more to see the Genesis in a separate showroom?

If given the choice most value-oriented buyers would probably choose the cheaper price, but if the only way to buy a Genesis was through a separate luxury dealership, I think $5k would be an acceptable increase in price for many buyers. You'd still be looking at a $38-47k car that competes well w/ $50-$65k vehicles from Infiniti, Lexus, etc. And now you'd have a proper luxury brand dealership and no Hyundai stigma to boot.

 

[ImInPA]

Would someone pay $5K more for a genesis in it's own dealer showroom? Good question. It would sure help out the resale values for the early adopters. I am not sure that would work though for this current generation and with the present economy. There are many great deals to be had today with the other brands and Hyundai has yet to establish a competitive "brand cache." In my opinion, the separate dealer network would help establish the Genesis or Equus brand name and provide a platform from which to build. On that same note, I would personally like to see Hyundai create a separate brand called Equus. With the Genesis/Equus sedan range taking on alphanumeric names Equus VS460, GN380, GN460, GC2.0T, GC3.8, GV380 (Veracruz). This would be a fantastic lineup for a new badge. Of course...this is just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

 

[Mark_888]

Would someone pay $5K more for a genesis in it's own dealer showroom? Good question. It would sure help out the resale values for the early adopters. I am not sure that would work though for this current generation and with the present economy. There are many great deals to be had today with the other brands and Hyundai has yet to establish a competitive "brand cache." In my opinion, the separate dealer network would help establish the Genesis or Equus brand name and provide a platform from which to build. On that same note, I would personally like to see Hyundai create a separate brand called Equus. With the Genesis/Equus sedan range taking on alphanumeric names Equus VS460, GN380, GN460, GC2.0T, GC3.8, GV380 (Veracruz). This would be a fantastic lineup for a new badge. Of course...this is just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

Since you chose to not buy a Genesis sedan at current prices, I think that speaks volumes.

 

[ImInPA]

Mark: The Genesis was at the top of my list and is still a favorite. I did not choose against the Genesis, but, chose to not do business with a given dealership. For me, it was the pre-sales experience that tipped the scales for me. My decision to not buy a Genesis has no bearing at all on Hyundai or the Genesis but with my local dealerships. I do think that if Hyundai splits off the Equus/Genesis off into a separate brand, they will at least be able to better standardize the customer experience.

 

[Sal Collaziano]

If given the choice most value-oriented buyers would probably choose the cheaper price, but if the only way to buy a Genesis was through a separate luxury dealership, I think $5k would be an acceptable increase in price for many buyers. You'd still be looking at a $38-47k car that competes well w/ $50-$65k vehicles from Infiniti, Lexus, etc. And now you'd have a proper luxury brand dealership and no Hyundai stigma to boot.

I agree with this assessment.

 

[SCVDon]

So you all say raise MSRP $5K more (most likely be asked to pay full MSRP too) and for that I'd get a fancy dealership, a loaner car, plus maybe some Starbuck's coffee in a fancy waiting room? Maybe for $10K more I can get an AMG-like custom edition too. Not. Ditto to the watch and Waterford crystal that Lincoln sent me for buying the POS Lincoln LS that we are so glad is finally out of our lives. Please, I'll keep the $5K (or more), buy my own watch, and pay for my own loaner if I need one plus I really don't like Starbuck's coffee very much. I didn't need to be "imaged" into buying a bargain and I could care less what someone else thinks about what I'm driving. I don't even care if my Genesis has Hyundai badges. It's our third Hyundai and all have been great cars.