Posted on 01/11/2006 5:06:44 AM PST by CarrotAndStick
Anybody that's driven or been a passenger in a recent vintage Hyundai will tell you they are building much, much better cars.
absolutely. hyundai's turnaround has been remarkable...
I see a lot of teens and young 20-somethings driving the sporty and sexy Hyundai Tiburon. If only they'd make a convertible out of the Tiburon, I'd pick one up as a 2nd car. The current Toyota Celicas are ugly and Honda never has done a convertible well.
About 8 or 9 years ago, I rode in a friend's Hyundai. It was a rattle-trap. The thing sounded and felt like it was going to shake itself apart, and it was only less than a year old. He had bought it after having had (and liked) a Saturn.
Last month, I rode in another friend's two year old Hyundai, and she loves it. It was really a very nice car.
I've owned Toyota Corollas for the last 16 years (I'm on my second), but when it comes time to buy another car (in about another 4 years), I'll give the Hyundai a serious look. Toyota has nearly priced the Corolla out of my budget.
Mark
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Maybe Ford and GM can hire some Koreans to run the companies.
I have a 1997 Elantra, now it's my husbands car since I drive the minivan. Wish they made a minivan! I love my Hyundai, and would buy another one in a minute. The car has 150,000 miles and keeps chugging along, quite nicely actually.
Here in So Cal the darn things are everywhere. I would imagine it is one of the hottest franchises for a dealer right now.
Toyota should be worried about Hyundai. I don't buy for a second that Hyundai has completely matched Toyota yet on quality, but they've dramatically improved. Toyota itself is starting to act much like the Big 3 did back in the 70s, when they thought they were invincible. That can come back to bite them if they aren't careful.
In their recent comparison of family sedans, Car and Driver rated the Camry dead last out of the four competitors - First went to the Accord, second went to the Ford Fusion, and third went to the new Sonata.
And the Camry's not invincible, so they'd better not get the feeling it is. Just from my personal experience, in the past two years, my 1998 Camry has cost nearly $1800 in maintenance and repairs to keep running (thank you Toyota for defective strut mounts that you claim aren't a widespread problem (BS)).... by comparison, my 1997 Taurus has cost only $230 to maintain, all but $50 of that being routine maintenance.
The whole point is that the auto business is one that if you rest on your laurels even the slightest bit, you'll get eaten alive. The big 3 have done that twice now, and they're suffering. That doesn't mean they don't make some good high quality vehicles (and some stinkers). There are quite a few models they make that are very high quality... But if Toyota doesn't shape up, Hyundai will pass them by, then Toyota will be looking for ways to pay for its aging and retired workforce while fighting a leaner competitor without those costs, just like the big 3 are doing now....
yeah they are going to love chinese cars in few years
For example . . . Toyota generally operates the most efficient auto terminals at various ports around the world. Toyota vehicles spend less time on their terminal lots than any other vehicle, which means their shipping costs for import/export vehicles are lower because they can run more vehicles through a terminal on a per-acre basis than any other company.
As of a couple of years ago, Hyundai auto terminals were actually among the least efficient of any manufacturer. In order for Hyundai to truly compete with Toyota they are going to have to improve in ALL areas of their business, and not just the quality of their cars.
I'd also add this . . . I'm seeing some very small "subliminal" signs that Toyota is facing a looming decline in its reputation for quality. If I were a betting man, I'd say that five years from now, Toyota's reputation for quality and reliability is going to be noticeably less than it is now.
they are living off the good reputation they created earlier maybe?
the large increase in volume of sales may hurt them in quality...itll be interesting to see if they can maintain that quality throughout.
I bought my wife a Hyundai Tucson last year. Great road safety car (six air bags, full-time all-wheel drive, ABS and stability control), drives great, six-year warranty on everything, ten year on power/drivetrain. All for just over twenty grand. Nothing all that fancy, but a solid vehicle overall.
Hyundai beat the bunch with their 10 year/100,000 mileea coverage.
Sorry about that. Fine built vehicles with a good warranty.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.