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?

about one of the new hyundai's looks good.

they copy others styling almost dead on. kinda sad. theyre good cars now. i still wouldnt buy one but they're buyable. just not by me. lol

Kia is now owned by Hyundai, and most of the cars are rebadges of Hyundais at this point.

Hyundai is definintely making quality improvements and is increasing the status of it's nameplate.

Hyundai = Kia

Both = crap

They are better than they were, but that is like saying horsesh!t doesn't smell as bad as dogsh!t.

It's still sh!t.

Forget the meaningless JD Power surveys. Look at resale value. Hyundais and Kia's still depreciate like crazy. The brands still get no respect. It's going to take more time for Hyundai to distance itself from the horrendous garbage they built less than 10 years ago. They are on the way though, I'll give them that. We'll see if the Hyundai's sold today don't fall apart in 5-10 years, then people may start to trust them....

For now though, the smart money goes to Honda and Toyota. You'd be better off with a 2 year old Honda or Toyota than a brand new Korean car.

Wow, you people have short term memories, it was like 40 years ago when Japanese cars makers such as Mazda, Nissan and gasp even Toyota were just starting to distance themselves from the cars they made that would seem to rust within weeks compared to their domestic counterparts. Why else would Toyota's American marketers be at such as loss to the point of making their commercial taglines "Oh what a feeling."

Korean cars have improved quite a bit and thanks to associations such as JD Power, magazines like Consumer Reports and online reviews the word is spreading a whole lot quicker. Also, with Chinese cars coming out in a year or two Hyundai, Kia (who is owned by Hyundai) and even Daewoo won't be considered at the bottom of the heap for long. :blah:

Right...

LIke what ReverseGTR said, Hyunda is in the exact place of Toyota/Honda decades ago.

Right now, their quality is improving drastically, which can be reflected in the JD power and CR ratings, but stuff like resale and "image" will take a longer time, in my opinion, since it'll still be hard to convince buyers immediately to see Hyundai as a good brand, even if they are reliable and such.

^^agreed.....just give them time, all car manufacturers have been in this position, now that quiality and safety are dramatically improving, just give it time, i think within the next 10 years, maybe even 5, Kia, and Hyundai will be considered some of the top affordable cars avaliable

I am glad that Mazda and Nissan were mentioned. They really are quality brands also. In the meantime, look at what is happening to American car companies. They are falling apart. Now don't get me wrong. I am very happy I bought a Scion. But what happens if no one buys American cars? Will we all be standing in line to get jobs at Walmart?

Hyundai will benefit from the Chinese cars. I can see it......buy a Hyundai.....it is better than a Chinese car.

Muchpeace,
Jerry

I disagree. Toyota and Honda had more image issues than reliability issues to overcome when they came here. Everyone was very "Buy American". It was their reliability that overcame the image, unlike Hyundai and Kia that were hurt because of it.

I disagree as well. Toyota and Honda were building quality cars from the beginning. They didn't have the sturdy construction of their American counterparts, but they were well-engineered and reliable Neither of which applies to Korean models of even 5-10 years ago. Early Hyundais were garbage through and through. In the case of the Koreans the image problem was well-earned.

I will give them credit for having improved leaps and bounds though. Just look at the new Hyundai Accord-wannabe, whatever it is called. Very impressive. Still not as good as an Accord, but close enough for most people probably and that says alot.

Regretably, I have to say that Huyndai has surpassed domestic brands.


If I had to choose say between an Accord or 06 Sonata, I would have to weigh out a few things asides 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 :gun: the Joneses.

I disagree. Toyota and Honda had more image issues than reliability issues to overcome when they came here. Everyone was very "Buy American". It was their reliability that overcame the image, unlike Hyundai and Kia that were hurt because of it.

Im not sure about their reliability from the past. Say 20+ years ago. Sure those cars would run forever but not always run great. Id say the important mechcanical stuff they had it down early. As far as the body and anything not mechanical it wasnt that good even for the day. They rusted out fast and lots of things broke. It did take them awhile to get that stuff down and not lose the mechanical quality but they did it.

For Hyundai and Kia their early stuff was and still is very cheap. They made lots of crap that had horiable reliability. Its harder to over come bad images when you cant at least claim the car worked good even if it doesnt look good. I guess from what I read they have greatly improved quality and in time people will forget the past but they need to make an effort to keep up with they are doing. I havnt been in a Kia or Hyundai thats new for a few years so Im not going to judge on what they make now. My friends mom has an older Kia though and its a pretty good very cheap little car.

Not all Hyundai's are Korean cars... A few roll off the line here in Alabama... does that make them American made?

I was at the plant a few weeks ago and wondered why there was a line of Accords parked at the gate...It was a line of new Hyundais instead. Ifr they didn't think they'd last 10 years, they wouldn't warranty them for 10 years.

I'd give them a second look if I were in the market.

Id buy a hyundai...That new sedan is nice as is the sonata and the tiburon

Warranty- Hyundai tops it

Cuz you're going to need it...

I disagree as well. Toyota and Honda were building quality cars from the beginning. They didn't have the sturdy construction of their American counterparts, but they were well-engineered and reliable Neither of which applies to Korean models of even 5-10 years ago. Early Hyundais were garbage through and through. In the case of the Koreans the image problem was well-earned.

I will give them credit for having improved leaps and bounds though. Just look at the new Hyundai Accord-wannabe, whatever it is called. Very impressive. Still not as good as an Accord, but close enough for most people probably and that says alot.

Toyota and Honda cars a couple decades ago weren't reliable as they are now, I think...somewhere around the level of the Hyundai/ Kias of now. But they improved over time.

Thats incorrect.

They have improved over time, everything has, but they were always far more reliable than average, whereas Hyundai was always well below average until very recently..

I don't think it was reliability that made Japanese automobiles but the balance of fuel efficiency and realiability.

At one point up until the early 90s Citroens, Peugeot, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, MG/Rover (who pulled out by the late 70s) among the obvious competition from Germany. Now for the most part European cars were and still are fuel efficient but unfortunately (with the exception of the German cars) they weren't too realiable or at least less than the Japanese competition as well as more expensive.

When it came down to it the reason why Japanese cars rusted faster than American as well as European cars pretty much came down to the paint or lack of that coated the body as well as how the metals were or not tempered. It was pretty much a trade-off for why they were cheap.

And South Koreans cars were pretty much the upmost example of how to make an incredibly cheap car, with the exception of the Yugo.

So what it came down to, at least in the 1980s was this.

American cars great for: raw performance and not rusting so easily.

European cars or the cheaper models would be great for: fuel efficient with decent performance but still a bit pricey for what they had.

Japanese cars: mechanically realiable, fuel efficient and very well priced.

Korean cars: cheap

So the situation now is that some Japanese cars pretty much moved up the later to what European cars were, while the ones that are left in the US moved even more up class. Korean cars are now what Japanese cars were and American cars have for the most part stayed the same.

Korean cars are just now becoming what Japanese cars were years ago, yes, I agree with that.

American cars have made more dramatic advances in reliability than any other and now some models are better than European brands and closing in slowly on the Japanese.

Hmmmmmmm...

Well, at this point I'd rather by a Kia than a Renault or Fiat... :P

I'd rather have a Renault I think. Americans have a certain idea about Renault based upon what we saw in the early 80's but most have no clue about what today's Renaults are like. They are a hell of alot nicer than Kia's I can tell you that. One nice thing about European cars, reliability aside, is that they don't suffer from the painfully generic, soulless look and feel you find in many, many Asian cars still today.

It seems that many Asian cars have this problem and for years the best they could do to attempt 'soul' or creativity in car design in most cases, was to imitate others. They have broken out of that mold in recent years to some extent, but not entirely.

Go test drive a brand new 4 cylinder automatic Camry if you need an example. Good reliable car, but painfully lacking in any zest or personality or anything that would actually compel a passionate person to buy one. Most European cars, IMO, even the cheapest most pedestrian ones, have some kind of personality and a little zing or quirk that makes them fun to drive.

maybe they want to make cars that young people can be able to afford insurance let alone payment. not even young people. just americans. i'm guessing you have a clean record and money. most of america does not.

My mom used to have the very first Hyundai Sonata that came to the US. After our horrific experience with the car, our family decided that we will never buy Hyundai again. However, i gotta say that i am changing my mind slowly but surely.

Almost all the Korean companies had image issues in the US. However, look at how Samsung improved their image from a cheap brand to a marquee name that rivals Sony's of the world. I think it is just a matter of time before we see Hyundai topping our reliability expectations.

(Samsung has no union and obviously has no labor issues but Hyundai does.. and i think this may be their achilles hill...)

i didn't read all the posts but here's my opinion.

Hyundai was looking like crap years back. Their styling was just not meant for anybody but now look at the SONATA it's almost a rip off the HONDA ACCORD. It's getting to the point where they make car that look decent. Also the 10 year warranty seem appealing. Give them more time and they'll be at TOYOTA and HONDA's level no doubt. Also i wouldn't mind buying the SONATA very nice looking car for a reasonable price.

Yes, Biznox, I actually have owned or driven many Euro vehicles, and some of them are quite nice. Some, however, I just would not own again. :P

Renault for example makes incredibly easy to keep running basic cars, and some rather plush feeling higher end cars. None of them give me an easy feeling ever since this one Dauphine and one Caravelle I once new... ('60's)

Fiat is an industrial giant that makes everything from little 350cc cars to huge trucks, and much else in Italy and elsewhere. Thing is, I've always felt Italian electrics have been a bit 'on edge' in their reliability. Doesn't seem to matter if it's a Fiat or a Ferrari.

Then of course there are the British cars I've owned ("Lucas, Lord of Darkness") - I made a promise to myself back in 1969 to NEVER own a British car again if I could help it. I love some of 'em, but even if someone gave me a Rolls or an Aston Martin, I'd trade it for something I felt more comfortable with.

Yeah, most of that is basing that on experiences I had seemingly long ago, but after all one MUST learn from experience or not learn at all.

My first Honda car was a '72 Z600 - one of the first two Honda models brought to the states for limited distribution (the N600 Sedan and the Z600 Coupe). The first Kias and Hyundais brought in were in reality a lot better cars...

There is one comment, though, that I just must take exception to: "One nice thing about European cars, reliability aside, is that they don't suffer from the painfully generic, soulless look and feel you find in many, many Asian cars still today." While many of the Japanese cars actually imported to the US are so similar one must look at the name tags, the box has personality and a soul. :D

If you want Renault just own a 2002+ Nissan, oops. :lalala:

Not exactly. Renault is the dominant partner in that arrangement. Though they do use Nissan's excellent VQ motor in some of their cars.

But even if that was the case I'd rather have that then a damn Kia POS. I'd rather have almost anything than a Kia. There are even several Fiat's I'd prefer.

Not exactly. Renault is the dominant partner in that arrangement. Though they do use Nissan's excellent VQ motor in some of their cars.

But even if that was the case I'd rather have that then a damn Kia POS. I'd rather have almost anything than a Kia. There are even several Fiat's I'd prefer.

Even the minmum trim Punto and Panda?

But you are right that Nissan does sell more powerful motors standard than Kia, they ever sell more powerful engines standard than Honda or Mazda. But like Mazda with Ford, Renault did get the more beneficial end of the relationship.

But I hope we get the Renault Clio or Peugeot 205 based Nissan Sentra replacement soon, for Nissan's sake too. :pray:

I dunno where your getting your information from but my friend works at a Kia dealership. I happen to know alot about Kia electronics, they are way above Hyundai electronics wise. You'll find more luxury in a newer Kia than a hyundai (BTW Hyundai stands for Hope You Understand Nothing's Driveable And Inexpensive :rofl: )

Do you mean wireing, ECU/TCU or do you mean every workable thing in the interior?

As far as I see the only differences between say a current Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tuscon is the interior, body and how the suspention is tuned. And for which engine, suspension as well as the wiring that goes along with both SUVs pretty much the same.

But I guess it makes sense considering that Hyundai has penned Kia as their more rugged devision and also more luxurious at times with the exception of the Hyundai Azera. But since you can buy both equivalents at about the exact same price I always have been a bit confused with that aspect. :yawn:

I dunno where your getting your information from but my friend works at a Kia dealership. I happen to know alot about Kia electronics, they are way above Hyundai electronics wise. You'll find more luxury in a newer Kia than a hyundai (BTW Hyundai stands for Hope You Understand Nothing's Driveable And Inexpensive :rofl: )

Well if your friend knows as much as the average person working at a dealership, salesmen included, then his opinion is worthless.

Kia IS Hyundai. Hyundai IS Kia. They are built by the same company and use the same substandard crap. End of story. Saying Kia is better than Hyundai is like saying diarrhea tastes better than watery sh1t.

In another 10 years they may be close to the level Honda and Toyota are at now, but then Toyota and Honda will still be a decade ahead of them. They could have done themselves a favor by just trying to build quality cars from the beginning like Toyota and Honda did. It's alot easier to build a good reputation from nothing than it is to build a good reputation out of a sh*tty one.

They could have done themselves a favor by just trying to build quality cars from the beginning like Toyota and Honda did.

The early Hondas were pretty sad. The first one I bought here in the US, in 1972, was worse than ANY current Kia/Hyundai ... a 1310 pound, two cylinder, 600cc, air cooled ultra, ultra cheap two place coupe on 10 inch wheels:

http://tijil.org/Z600.jpg

It was a lot of fun, though ... scurrying along on the freeways, dodging the larger pieces of debris and looking up at the lug nuts on the semis. :P I put nearly 48,000 miles on one! A lot of that screaming along at about 7000 RPM on the freeway. :D

They could have done themselves a favor by just trying to build quality cars from the beginning like Toyota and Honda did.

The early Hondas were pretty sad. The first one I bought here in the US, in 1972, was worse than ANY current Kia/Hyundai ... a 1310 pound, two cylinder, 600cc, air cooled ultra, ultra cheap two place coupe on 10 inch wheels:

http://tijil.org/Z600.jpg

It was a lot of fun, though ... scurrying along on the freeways, dodging the larger pieces of debris and looking up at the lug nuts on the semis. :P I put nearly 48,000 miles on one! A lot of that screaming along at about 7000 RPM on the freeway. :D

Hopefully a few of those girls came with that car. :silly: :pray:

Naw, and my wifey wouldn't have let me keep her if I got one, anyway... :P

They could have done themselves a favor by just trying to build quality cars from the beginning like Toyota and Honda did.

The early Hondas were pretty sad. The first one I bought here in the US, in 1972, was worse than ANY current Kia/Hyundai ... a 1310 pound, two cylinder, 600cc, air cooled ultra, ultra cheap two place coupe on 10 inch wheels:


Of course dude. It's all relative. I'm not suggesting comparing ANY car from 1972 to a car from now. Quality and reliabilty have improved dramatically across the board in almost every car brand since then.

My point is that a 1972 Honda was damn reliable and well built when compared to the other cars offered for sale in 1972 at that price. The same is NOT true for Hyundais when they first came out. They were absolute shiite compared with everything on the market for quite some time. That was NEVER true of Hondas or Toyotas. Make sense?