You've probably seen some of my other posts. I'm looking for a semi-quick car that I can down the road modify.

Hyundai isn't like that, at least the models I'm looking into. They are selling very cheaply and with low miles. I'm half-ass tempted to buy a mid 2000 and pick up a project car. I could do that and satisfy both of my needs. I've seen a lot of them on autotrader for around 4K.

So, in the respect of a daily commuter, back and forth driving with occasional traveling. How does Hyundai do? I've never known anyone to have one, aside from Tiburons and they loved them. I'm looking more into your typical 4 door car, like the Elantra-Accent.

the new Hyundai Genesis!

Any car company that tries as hard as they do to get out of the "cheap junk" category is going to be making some decent cars. Especially with their 10yr/100K Mile warranty. I don't care what most people say about Hyundai, their newer cars are definitely worth looking into.


On the other hand....you have other fingers.

In my family we teach that boys have a God-stick and girls have a Shame Cave. -John Stewart

The genesis is really nice, but can't be had for 4k unfortunately

Hyundai is decent stuff, stay away from KIA.

A guy here at work had a Hyundai Accent hatch that went to 129K before dying and he only had to replace the slave cylinder for the clutch, and didn't service it regularly. They are decent cars and they do have their act together.


-Chris

What would you consider one of their newer cars for good quality? I'm mostly looking at stuff around '04.

I'm with you though. If they are willing to put that big of a warranty on it, then they know it's not going to break down on them.
I'd assume their transmissions are pretty decent as well. If I go the route of getting a cheap commuter I'll be getting an auto, could use it on any long trips to save miles on our new vehicle.(wife can't drive manual).

Kia sucks? Really? :*(

Someone here at work told me there was an aftermarket following for Hyundai. I wouldn't really be interested if I get a 4 door grocery getter, but I'd still be nice to look around at my options.

Made a bloop on the year. I'm finding more '02s with less mileage than mid 2000's. So anywhere from 2000-Present. I'd go with whatever has the lowest miles.

Is there a way to look at them in terms of good-best?
I'm not familiar with the names:
Accent
Elantra
Excel
Sonata

Which would probably be the one to look at?

If I remember right, the relatively new Elantra's had a decent style to them.


On the other hand....you have other fingers.

In my family we teach that boys have a God-stick and girls have a Shame Cave. -John Stewart

My brother-in-law runs the Hyundai dealership nearest me, which is pretty isolated and draws from a big area. Seems like he's in a good place to be, as far as all the struggling car sales are concerned. Sales are encouraging, and the cars themselves are quite good. I also have the benefit of getting schooled on the official "corporate" pronunciation. Hint: Hyundai rhymes with "Monday".




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So it's actually pronounced Hunday then? That's how I've always pronounced it, but people always look at me funny. Probably cause I'm so damn good looking....

Or it could be my grotesque features, or my oh too cool mullet! I swear, not sure when that went out of style but I'll be ready when it comes back!

i drive a 2004 elantra daily and it suits me just fine
its not a speed demon, but is fairly nimble
fit and finish is above that of a cavs, there are no squeeks, rattles, or cracks anywhere in the dash
the motors still use timing belts tho, which isnt a big deal, but cost me 500 bucks to get replaced
the after market is not great, but there are products out there, and one company just developed a roots charger system for the beta engine (01-06 elantra and 03-07 tibby i think) plus 03-07 tibby suspension parts are interchangeable with the 01-06 elantras
most people going for a drop get tib GR2's as they are stiffer and handle the drop better
suspension setups are not cheap still for these, but you can do a good suspension for around 500 bucks for struts and springs where as in a cav, it would be a couple hundred more

I would definately consider Hyundai. To me, older Accents are pretty rough around the edges, but Elantra's and Sonata's seem to be good vehicles, and I find both comfortable, and nice to drive (if my opinion means anything.) Also, I found the Hyundai's always started in the winter no matter how cold (as in -35 degrees) while the Hondas and Toyotas sat there dead.

Personally, I think the new Elantra's look fantastic.

Rented an 2002 Elantra for 2 years and ended up loving the car. Very well equipped for the price and good smooth ride.

Short answer, no.

Long answer, noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Knoxfire wrote:Short answer, no.

Long answer, noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

yea that tells the OP and anyone else a whole @!#$ lot, good job
maybe perhaps enlighten us with your vast experience and knowledge as to why you say no?

Just sounds like a narrow minded putz trashing on a brand that doesn't have a real long history of being popular. just one of those people who grew up with a "chevy dad" who wouldn't let him like anything else, or anything labled "economy car" people like that should just ride bikes


On the other hand....you have other fingers.

In my family we teach that boys have a God-stick and girls have a Shame Cave. -John Stewart

I owned a 1984 Hyundai Pony GLS, it caught fire while I was driving it, I almost died. I have driven many crappy many cars in my life, none of them ever tried to burn me alive.

The newer cars are much better, true. However, I have never seen an older model than a 2001 still on the roads here. So they don't do too well with winter. Maybe the newest cars are the cream and cherry on a chocolate cake, I'm willing to keep an open mind. But until very recently they had problem after problem after problem after problem...

Sorry I gave up on them after only 16 years of them consistently dissapointing me (...and everyone who else owned one). If they got their act together recently GREAT! But I think that over a decade and a half is quite enough time to give a car company a fair chance. They sucked between 1984 and 2000, and if they just happen to not suck now I'm happy for the new owners. However, you'll excuse me if I demand for them to show me that they're good for at least half as long as they've shown me that they're bad.

That said, I'd totally buy a new one. They've got good dealerships, the cars are very nice and they're inexpensive. I'd sell it the minute it turned 6 years old, but I think that for the first five years they're great value. So no, I'm not biased. I'm just careful.

well from 2000-2008 is 8 years which is half as long as 16 so maybe you need to learn math or get your head out of your ass. The cars are more solidly built and come with a TEN year/ 100,000 mile warranty so why would you get rid of it after 5? An 84 pony catching fire? That is your reason? You know how often ANY car catches on fire? You waiver back and forth in your post so much im not sure what you are saying. They suck, id buy a new one, but then id get rid of it after 5 years. Sorry, but unless it was an obvious and grotesque design flaw that created said fire in said car, then it was a maintenance issue (or lack there of)

I think the Ford Focus is one of the most reliable domestic cars, best price to value ratio cars out, and also carries a kick ass warranty... and a close friend of mine had his 2002 ZX3 catch fire and burn to the ground on the side of the road. Would I not buy one because his burnt to the ground(he admits it might have been caused by some wiring HE did, and I have never heard of another Focus just randomly burning down). hell no, I still to this day think that in the time I bought my 02 Cav, I could have bought an 04 Focus, had a better warranty, better build quality, and the same payment. And that is all being said, with knowing that ONE in my lifetime has caught fire and burnt to the ground. That kinda is a terrible way to judge an entire car company, or even an entire model of car. I need a recall on a fire issue for me to say that an entire car company is crap because mine burnt.


On the other hand....you have other fingers.

In my family we teach that boys have a God-stick and girls have a Shame Cave. -John Stewart

Do you guys work for Hyundai or something? Jeez. I stated my OPINION. It sure shows that you guys never drove an the older models that conked out two months after the 5 year warranty died on it. Look, it's very simple. Hyundais are cheap, they have good financing and decent dealers who are friendly and courteous. They SEEM to drive well when they're new, but I'm not going to trust the things to last more than 5-6 years because I've never ever EVER seen one that's older than 10 years old on the road. (When's the last time you saw a 1998 Accent or Sonata that didn't look like it was going to die any second?) Is that so hard to understand? It's not like I'm saying that the chairman of the company has sex with his mother, all I'm saying is that (in my personal opinion) they have a ways to go before they convince me that they're in the same league as Honda and Toyota, or even Mazda and Nissan.

Hellion asked about cars that were 6 years old, not new models. I'd trust a new Hyundai, not one that's past it's warranty. That's all I'm saying.

JL, Marin... Learn to accept criticism. I didn't personally insult YOU. I like you guys! I'm sorry if you took this the wrong way. I'll admit, I made a smartass remark at first, I was being funny and I apologize if I offended ya, but my second post was not mindless hatred towards the marque. I stated rather clearly why I wouldn't reccomend the cars if someone wanted a used 5+ year old one. Was mine such a shocking opinion? I do not in any way think you're stupid or ignorant if you own them or like them. I think Tibs are pretty (And handle incredibly), Accents are decent little workhorses and Sonata's very good value. But I still couldn't reccomend them to someone who wanted an older car that would last a long time and/or didn't need constant fixing.

Let's not turn this into a war. Hellion just wanted opinions on the make. I gave mine, you gave yours. It's 2 against 1. You've already won.

Peace.

I have to agree with knoxfire. They're cheap, and recent build quality has gone up, but given the extensive electrical problems my mother in law had, the cheapness of the interior, and the lack of design implementation (i.e. the Yaris, Fit, Aveo and Versa are all small, but use the space effectively to make it feel comfortable. Even a Pontiac Firefly feels bigger than a Hyundai Accent from the early 2000s).


2010 Honda Fit LX

I've owned 2 Hyundai vehicles in my life. My first was a brand new 1999 Hyundai Accent GL sedan. It was my 2nd car purchase after getting my '88 Corsica the previous summer. I drove that car for about three years. It was a bare bones car (no CD, no power doors, no power windows, no cruise control, no ABS, no traction control...basically the only optional features it had was an automatic transmission and A/C) but it was a fun car to drive. It was very solid and reliable and the only bad thing I can say about that car is that at 95 mph the car isn't really very stable (I wiped out on the interstate) but I don't blame the car, I blame myself for being a dumb ass young punk at 19. In late 2002 in a move I thought would be a step up from my Accent, I went from a bare bones Accent to a brand new base model 2003 Cavalier 2 door coupe with a sunroof. Hate to say it but the interior quality of the 2003 didn't even compare to the '99 Accent. The interior of my Cavalier was so much cheaper than the Accent which was solid, never rattled or squeaked once. I gave my mom the Accent to replace her Pontiac Sunbird in which the engine was on it's last legs. She's had Accent since and coming up on 6 years in her possession and 10 years over all the car is still hanging strong with no major or even significant minor problems. My second Hyundai is my current 2008 Sonata GLS that I got last December new as a daily driver. To me, it's just a phenomenal car. Pretty much fully loaded minus leather appointments, sunroof, sound system (it does have a single disc mp3/CD player) and wheels...and this car is the base model in Hyundai's Sonata line up. Was $20,500 out the door...a car similarly equipped from Toyota, Hyundai, & Nissan could cost up to $6000 extra I do believe. I have a 4 cylinder (it's a daily driver so I'm not really concerned with "speed"...just getting from point A to point B as comfortably as possible but by the "seat of my pants feeling" it feels a lot faster than the 6 cylinder 2003 Mustang I was using as a daily driver in the short term this time last year) which is very good on gas (I'm averaging 34 miles per gallon in mixed driving) and very very quiet. Six cylinder cars are more spirited, more sporty and faster (I think I read somewhere they have a mid to high 6 second 0 - 60 times). Basically what I'm saying is that the redesign Sonatas are solid and very comfortable on long drives especially with cushy seats and lumbar support. I'm not sure how well the previous gens do as I've only been in one once which was a co-worker with a 6 cylinder. Unfortunately you won't find any Sonatas for around 4K unless they are really old models but I think if you look in the right place you could find a 2006 around 9K - 11K. I'd definitely recommend getting a Sonata over a 4 door Accent or Elantra if you can swing it. Much more car for the money.

My first car was a 1991 Hyundai Excel sedan that was handed down from my parents. Combined we drove it 480,000km (300,000 miles) on the original engine, transmission and clutch.

It had a 1.5L fuel injected engine (some were carb'd) and a 4 speed manual with cable clutch. I never changed the oil and I think my parents did a handful of times.

Never once let any one of us down or left us stranded....I would't ever hesitate to buy a Hyundai now.

im not a fan of that car brand at all but if you like them go for it. i had a friend who had a a 98 elantra she was infront off me one night going on the highway . i see her car fly off the highway into the grass so i stop and run over to her car to see whats going on. her air bag went off on her. nothing hit the front of the car or anything just the drivers one went off. she junked it. then i got hit buy a lady in a 2000 elantra and that car folded up. my sunfire had $150 in damage to my back bumper she had over 3500 in damage to her car. a lady i work with had a 08 elantra and she was telling me about a recall with something to do with the gas. so she called the dealer and they tell her that they havent gotten anything yet. so shes like i want to get the car in and looked at incase something happens when im driveing it. the dealer lady tells her well you have to warrenty if it breaks down just call the roadside help.

Looking at the two cars..Sonota wins hands down. It's a way sexier trim, IMO. My deal is still going to be getting cash in hand and seeing what's in my area. My MAIN problem is I live in an isolated area. There's no real competition, so it's hard to find vehicles for good deals. May have to drive out a ways. I'm trying not to get set on a specific car, because that'll make finding something I want that much harder.

From what I've been reading here and from other places. I can honestly say that I will buy a Hyundai given it meets my criteria.