I bought a brand-new car - '07 Hyundai Elantra GLS

[JasonC8301]

I would throw my opinion into the mix and say try a Mazda 3.

The Hyundai's are nice (drove around a 07 Sonata for a little bit) but the sheet metal I have noticed on some of them are on the thinner side.

Besides all this throwing around of what owns who and who owns what is really just another distraction. Buy what YOU want and not what other people say about the business HQ side of the picture.

Also pay attention to the country of origin and place of assembly/maunfacture on the sticker. Reading some of them has surprised me. Japanese/Korean branded cars built in the USA, American branded cars built in Mexico...I am not going to get into a lengthy research post about how that came to be but when I had a 06 Jeep Cherokee 5.7 Hemi rental for a week the fit and finish sucked, but damn that car was fast (along with terrible thirst for gas 4 mpg city, 10 on the highway, well some of it had to do with my lead foot, lol.)

 

[lightr07]

I have a Ford F150 Lariat (2005, 4 Door), Its been very reliable and has taken a beating and still looks alot better than a friends Silverado. If i had to choose i would probably take a foreign car like a Honda but as far as I'm concerned the Ford Pickups are still much better than any foreign car.

 

[Fallingwater]

I would throw my opinion into the mix and say try a Mazda 3.

Owning one (for a little while more at least) I can definitely agree with you.
Great car, not a single problem, and the diesel powerplant sips fuel.

 

[NeonLights]

Ford owns 1/3 (the controlling interest) in Mazda. Mazda does not, has never, and will never own Ford. If you are going to bash American cars Danbo, at least get your facts straight and don't go making things up.

For the record, I own one American car (a Ford Mustang GT), one English car (a Mini Cooper - made in England although BMW owns Mini), and two Japanese cars (a Mazda Miata and a Subaru Forester XT). I couldnt' be any happier with my choices.

I'm a car nut and feel life is to short to drive boring cars, and I enjoy driving and racing the cars I own. Not everyone feels the same way though, and for appliance cars which just get you from point a to point b, the Korean cars have come a long way, and are good values.

I've had stellar results in the last 20+ years from American, Asian, and European cars. I've also had less than stellar results from owning cars made in each of those continents. Both American and foreign car quality has come a long way since the 70's and 80's.

 

[9volt]

Funny, I've got a Mini and a Subaru Legacy GT. If I got a third car I'd probably get a Miata or an american RWD V8.

 

[fuelblender]

Fords have notoriously low resale values, too. Plus, Fords are really horrible, as far as reliability. No way, would I recommend a ford to anybody.

For many years (1970-1996) I was an avid FORD fan but their QC kept getting worse and worse. The last GOOD Ford I owned I bought used in 1976 when I was 24 years old: A 1965 Ford Fairlane with a 289 cu.in. engine with an automatic trans. That's the only two options it had. It was a baby blue 2 door - what a beauty! My last Ford was a 1996 Ranger with a 4 cylinder engine with an automatic trans with a/c. The truck was so underpowered, it could hardly get out of it's own way. The transmission went out at 60K miles (and that's with changing the trans oil and filter every 20,000 miles). Cost me ~2700.00 for a rebuilt one. I now have a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 truck - not perfect, but MUCH BETTER.

 

[orionlion82]

Oh boy!

i can sure start a $%$^storm and then sleep on it.

aint no way, no how EVER than people who are known *historically speaking* for eating dogs are gonna make a better car than us. never. there are people out there fighting and DYING for this fact RIGHT NOW! we aint spilling blood to play second fiddle for any reason any time.

the mazda 3 is built in japan.

the focus is built in WAYNE michigan, USA.
the engine comes from CHOIUOLOCHA mexico and is built by EVILMETRICrobots.

its a shame and a sin that MY car has metric fasteners, eleventeen millimeter metric torx security inverted heads and crap like that all over it.

if youre gonna come to america, speak english and do it legally.

if youre gonna make an american car in america convert all that metric SHI#$%#$ to SAE - matter of fact lets make it a law!!!
how about NO metric cars? none. let the other contries conform if they want to make a buck off our backs.

the fact that we speak commie metric crap in america disgusts me.

i CANNOT change the oil in MY AMERICAN CAR without a metric socket.
that cost me $30.00 for an oil change.

metrics are on our food, our computers, and even are pushing into other places. (flashlight ratings anyone?)

its gotta be stopped and reversed.

let the euro commie nanny governments have their metrics.
we cant tell em what to do, but we can secure our borders against it.

not in my name, not in my neighboorhood and sure as hell not in the USA.
im done with my irritation for now. im sure once i pop back in there could be a bit of discussion... discuss, sure - but dont get too crazy.

 

[InTheDark]

discuss, sure - but dont get too crazy.

I think we've passed that point about 1 post ago. I hate to break it to you, but even Britain, who invented our imperial measurement system, is going metric, along with almost e every other country in the world.

It's a shame that a car can't be based on tangible merits, like reliability, performance, quality. etc. It seems to me the only companies that really care about the "buy american" sentiment only do it because they are unable to compete in any other category. If Fords (or Chevy, or GM, or whatever) made decent cars, then the country of origin wouldn't matter, they'd be able to stand on their own.

I'm not gonna go anymore into the whole domestic vs. import debate, cuz i could talk a storm. But lemme just say that this "buy american" mentality really doesn't help in the long run, it's this type of short-sighted thinking that allows other countries the opening they need. If there's a problem, it's bad enough to bury your head in the sand and try and ignore it hoping it'll go away, but it's even worse to continue to reward the bad behavior that caused it in the first place. That's the real shame and sin

 

[NeonLights]

Wow, orionlion, chill out. I for one am happy that American cars are starting to use metric fasteners. It makes working on a variety of cars much easier.

I wasn't aware that we have Americans fighting those "dog-eating commies" in Korea anymore. I thought that war was over decades ago. Wake up, dig your head out of the sand, and live in the present. I'll never own a Korean car, but I won't go out and insult those who do.

 

[Danbo]

Ford owns 1/3 (the controlling interest) in Mazda. Mazda does not, has never, and will never own Ford. If you are going to bash American cars Danbo, at least get your facts straight and don't go making things up.

My mistake for passing on what I thought was accurate info about the Mazda/Ford ownership thing. I'm still confused as to who owns what, not that it matters. I really don't care all that much.

Bottom line is, Ford still has a long way to go, to come close to the Japanese cars, as far as quality control and reliability is concerned. If telling the truth is considered "Bashing American Cars" , then I guess the truth hurts.

 

[Fallingwater]

the engine comes from CHOIUOLOCHA mexico and is built by EVILMETRICrobots.

its a shame and a sin that MY car has metric fasteners, eleventeen millimeter metric torx security inverted heads and crap like that all over it.

if youre gonna come to america, speak english and do it legally.

if youre gonna make an american car in america convert all that metric SHI#$%#$ to SAE - matter of fact lets make it a law!!!
how about NO metric cars? none. let the other contries conform if they want to make a buck off our backs.

the fact that we speak commie metric crap in america disgusts me.

i CANNOT change the oil in MY AMERICAN CAR without a metric socket.
that cost me $30.00 for an oil change.

metrics are on our food, our computers, and even are pushing into other places. (flashlight ratings anyone?)

its gotta be stopped and reversed.

let the euro commie nanny governments have their metrics.
we cant tell em what to do, but we can secure our borders against it.

not in my name, not in my neighboorhood and sure as hell not in the USA.
im done with my irritation for now. im sure once i pop back in there could be a bit of discussion... discuss, sure - but dont get too crazy.

Are you on drugs?
Are you actually making a big deal of the measurement system?
"Euro commie nanny governments"?
I hope you're just kidding and you forgot the smilies.

 

[orionlion82]

i love you guys.
we CAN have a nice stinging discussion without launching missiles.
there is a beauty to CPF, and ill fight for it. CPF forever!
you guys really earned my respect.



look at fords plans - (post turnaround - post way forward for 2011 - its astonishing for an american company "bold moves" indeed!

behind? sure. sure to leave behind other companies?
i think so.
you can call it un-competative and lame. BUT!

same for dodge! (even though most of their stuff is mitsu design and built in america, and isnt that great - its still gonna be better )

Same for GM (even though most of their stuff i dont like they can still build a competitive car - dont get me wrong as a GM basher.)

and i say this after a more-than-nightmare after 24 hours of a broken down ford.

screw it. being miserable and stranded and irritated for 48 hours a year is still better than buying an import. (and believe me ive been an irritated unhappy miserable man recently)

sorry - im not buying an import and i would be hard pressed to see the day when i would.

and neonlights, you may be a flashaholic and a really good man otherwise *and yes otherwise lets not loose the point*

but your support of the metric system is entirely un-American and there is blood spilled every day for our way. i am dissapointed you live in ohio - middle america. our heartland.

i apologise deeply to you as an upstanding member of our community-

but i just cant have metrics. nothing enrages me more. i cant stand for it sir- and i hope you know its not a personal thing that you are the first member to earn my blocklist on CPF. i gotta stand up for what i believe in and i hope you can understand. i call a dog a dog and i dont comprimise myself for nobody. find it in your heart to not be hostile to it.

I do literally have nightmares about the metric system that causes me to wake up in a bad state at all hours. it is my ultimate personal enemy. i hope you can understand.

we need to drive it out of our so called american cars for good - by legislation- according to our fearless slimeballs^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H
politicians. make it a matter of law and national pride.

i would fight and die to end the metric system for good.
(and usually i would only fight and die for women.)

its just the way i am. fightin and dyin for other priorities are a seperate question. (and likely we have to sign up somewhere else to talk about it.)

the problem with american cars is the cheap imports and unions bleeding our companies dry. no unions? they could do alot better. we dont need them anymore. we dont whip our workers. they dont get ground up in machines. we have far fewer on the job widows than the imports i imagine...

lord knows they make TWICE what i do in the trades and even get benifits (so as to end their companies and bleed them dry) these union boys- allso work HALF as hard as i do. they got it good. better then me and way too better to compete.

no imports and people like you and me wouldnt have to compete against building cars with people who get two square meals a day and live in a commie dormitory.

i cant believe the unions. they put up with metrics and bleed companies dry.
its not the 1920's anymore yall. weve been and gone and are starting to come back.

if the euro commies and schnauser eaters and unions want to bleed america dry, i suggest they come and take it. ive got 8 some odd pints of blood and i hope they find a way to get every last drop from me. aint gonna be easy to come and take it i guarentee.

 

[cslinger]

Wow...........

So how's that Hyundai treating you? How bout' them Orioles.

Chris

 

[83Venture]

My Mother-In-Law was looking for a new car a few years ago to buy before she entered retiremant. She does not have much money so we did some research and she asks about Hyundai.

My initial reaction was based on the first few years (Yuck! Horrible.) But when I started looking into the current models all the rating info said that the quality was about equal to Toyota & Honda, which shocked me. Then saw it came with a 100,000 mile/10 year warranty.

She got a new 6 Cyl Sonata, well equipped for $15,000. Has had no problems so far and she has been very happy with it. I drove it to work this week since she does not get out of the hospital until today. Nice commuter car.

 

[InTheDark]

Hmmm...I think someone needs a little more tin-foil.

Anyway, back to the original subject. In my opinion, Hyundais have always been underappreciated and undervalued. True, their earlier cars weren't much to talk about, but it wasn't because they were incapable of building good cars. In fact, Hyundai could probably give the Japanese makers some serious competition in the near future, they must have a lot of confidence in their products to offer the type of warranties that they do. I wouldn't be surprised if Hyundai started stepping up into the luxury market in less than a decade.

The reason Hyundai's were generally crappy cars is because that was where they needed to start. There's absolutely no way a new import car company is going to break into the luxury or even the mid-size car market right off the bat. There's just too much "bias" that would make it almost impossible for a foreign car company to even get in the door. So they start at the entry level class, where people tend to be a little less opinionated and more focused on bang for the buck. Then, after getting a secure foothold into the market, they slowly start improving their quality until they've expanded into other catagories. That's what the Japanese did, that's what the Koreans are doing, and that's exactly what the Chinese are going to do. They might have a harder time now, since the domestic car companies have now learned their lesson from the Japanese, and that is they can't ignore the little guy anymore. The Big 3 never thought that the small foreign company building tiny econo-boxes could ever compete with their huge V8 musclecars, and figured they could keep forcing their cars upon the american consumers, no matter what the public wanted. Meanwhile, the imports saw the opening that was left behind, and took advantage of it. I guess the Big 3 learned a little to late that consumers loyalty only goes so far, and if you don't supply what the customer wants, someone else will.

 

[stephenmadpotato]

Fords have notoriously low resale values, too. Plus, Fords are really horrible, as far as reliability. No way, would I recommend a ford to anybody.

So basically your trying to tell us that all fords suck? Remove your head from your *** for a moment and sniff breathable air. Much better isn't it? Mustang GT's are VERY reliable. The F series of trucks have decent reliability not perfect, however they give an excellent ride especially for a truck. The interior design is great, and designed for comfort, as well as space. They are affordably priced and handle beautifully. And they have muscle. Only reason I don't want one is the gas milage. Grand marquis are also reliable cars.

 

[flashfan]

Hmm, Hyundai sounds like they're in about the same position Toyota was about forty or so years ago. I remember my father (retired machinist) talking about the early Toyotas and Datsuns, and about how poorly they were made. Back then as I recall, people bought Japanese cars almost as a last resort.

Fast forward about 20+ years, and the Japanese imports had really come up in quality and stature. One of my first jobs was working for a Toyota distributor, and I was told that in the early years, the people from Toyota were making trips to American auto plants to learn and observe...by the eighties, the tide had turned, and Detroit was sending people to Japan to see how they produced their cars.

Will Hyundai follow the same path? It remains to be seen, but it sure looks like they're on their way.

 

[l1s125]

In fact, Hyundai could probably give the Japanese makers some serious competition in the near future, they must have a lot of confidence in their products to offer the type of warranties that they do. I wouldn't be surprised if Hyundai started stepping up into the luxury market in less than a decade.

Actually, they're stepping it up even sooner than that. The Hyundai Genesis is slated for release next year, and it's a baby step into a possible luxury line of cars. Apparently they want to test the waters first.

Honestly, I think it's a mistake for them to market a luxury line under the Hyundai brand. Hyundai has such horrible brand identity in the US that it has become a punchline. That bias is very tightly tied to the Hyundai name. At this point, people in America are starting with a negative view of any car that has Hyundai badges, regardless of the quality. People see Hyundai and think POS, even though the cars haven't been POS for a while now. It would be easier for them to take it to the next level if they started with a clean slate by using a new brand name like toyota did with lexus.

Quality is probably not going to be an issue for them. I'm sure they're capable of building a quality luxury car, there are plenty of excellent engineers and designers in Korea. But, if they don't go with a new brand name, they're gonna have to face an extra hurdle to get people to see past the name "Hyundai" and sell the idea that Koreans can build a luxury car...

 

[InTheDark]

So basically your trying to tell us that all fords suck? Remove your head from your *** for a moment and sniff breathable air. Much better isn't it? Mustang GT's are VERY reliable. The F series of trucks have decent reliability not perfect, however they give an excellent ride especially for a truck. The interior design is great, and designed for comfort, as well as space. They are affordably priced and handle beautifully. And they have muscle. Only reason I don't want one is the gas milage. Grand marquis are also reliable cars.

And exactly how many cars have you owned and driven? I take it you have years of experience with all of cars and trucks on the market to form this educated opinion? Before you start attacking people, you might want to learn more and speak less, because your naive ignorance is showing. Why don't you do your own research, and see what kind of resale values and reliability ratings Ford has. You might be surprised, but then again, you'll probably just be in denial.

Even before reading your other thread which stated your age, I would have guessed you to be a teenager who hasn't yet had ANY experience with cars (and no, playing racing video games or reading magazines doesn't count). I'm guessing your just echoing the anti-import sentiment of your parents and/or friends, without ever bothering to learn the real facts. Honestly, you can defend Ford all you want, convince yourself that Ford is still the top of the line in automakers, that all other cars are crap and every car magazine that doesnt' agree with you is biased. Nobody is gonig to dissuade you. At 17, you know it all, and anyone that doesn't have the same opinion as you has their head up their ***.

 

[InTheDark]

Honestly, I think it's a mistake for them to market a luxury line under the Hyundai brand. Hyundai has such horrible brand identity in the US that it has become a punchline. That bias is very tightly tied to the Hyundai name. At this point, people in America are starting with a negative view of any car that has Hyundai badges, regardless of the quality. People see Hyundai and think POS, even though the cars haven't been POS for a while now. It would be easier for them to take it to the next level if they started with a clean slate by using a new brand name like toyota did with lexus.

Quality is probably not going to be an issue for them. I'm sure they're capable of building a quality luxury car, there are plenty of excellent engineers and designers in Korea. But, if they don't go with a new brand name, they're gonna have to face an extra hurdle to get people to see past the name "Hyundai" and sell the idea that Koreans can build a luxury car...

That's exactly what I was thinking also. I'm sure they're going to come out with their own "upscale" brand, just as Toyota did with Lexus, and Honda did with Acura. They need a way to distance themselves from the "Hyundai" stigma. Although Toyota did a pretty good job of raising their reputation, enough that they've come out with the Scion brand in order to market their lower end cars.