Hyundai...........I'm Impressed!

[ateball]

I still remember back when the Hyundai Excel came  to our shores..............Boy, it wasn't much better than an Eastern German Trabant.  I.E.  It didn't help Hyundai in the U.S. consumer's eyes very much as an first offering.

I'm not going to post a bunch of pics or any at all...........No doubt folks here know about the Genesis line of cars, that are getting decent reviews from our domestic magazines.

What really has me interested is Hyundai is the first of the foreign midsize car builders to "drop" the "V6" offering on their Sonata for 2011, and will instead have an optional turbo charged 4 cylinder to be the optional, more powerful, engine choice.

Also, we have been hearing about how Ford's fusion is the best mileage hybrid out there, yet little has been said about the recent testing of the 2011 Sonata that is getting upwards of 40 mpg, real life mileage from magazine testers...........Just check out autoblog and some of the major publications.  Even though this car is rated at 35 highway, the real life testing is getting over 40 mpg's out of the standard engined Sonata.

Also, Hyundai has built an in-house 6 speed automatic...............That impresses me! 

I went down to my closest Hyundai dealer to check out the new Sonata.............They actually had only two base models, but for base models they were very impressive.  Interiors were on a par if not better than entry level midsizes from the other makers.  Visually, the exterior is very well executed too.  The base 4 cylinder puts out some decent H.P. nuimbers but I can't remembe them at this time.............Just know they were competitive with others.  The turbo optioned 4 cylinder has not come out yet, but is supposed to be coming soon.  It is supposed to have H.P. ratings very close to the V6 midsized cars H.P.'s, but will do much better mileage-wise.
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Anyway, I'm not sailing down to Hyundai to buy a Sonata, but I'm impressed!  They've still got the best warranty in the busines too. 

Last note.  I always like to test the doors on new cars.  Those Sonata doors shut with a very solid yet quiet thump, that exuded a quality feel.  I think that Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and even our domestic boys need to read, and learn, cause Hyundai is quickly shedding it's "Excel" image.  I've even read that Hyundai used car resale values are climbing at a fast rate.  That will tell you something right there.
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[75america]

This is the wrong forum to adulate Hyundai. 
Please, next time post it on http://www.hyundaifans.com/rides/
I'm pretty sure you will find more members over there who give a damn.

[Paul Jaray]

What's happening here? I remember this place as a friendly forum where anyone can post what He likes...I'm not impressed by Hyundais, but I'm willing to hear from who is and I hope any opinion will find his place here, with or without a huge follow-up by others. 

[Otto Puzzell]

What's happening here? I remember this place as a friendly forum where anyone can post what He likes...I'm not impressed by Hyundais, but I'm willing to hear from who is and I hope any opinion will find his place here, with or without a huge follow-up by others. 

Ditto.

[Ultra]

This is the wrong forum to adulate Hyundai. 
Please, next time post it on http://www.hyundaifans.com/rides/
I'm pretty sure you will find more members over there who give a damn.

This is the wrong forum to tell someone else what or how to post. 

[Allemano]

I still like this more than most of the current concepts we get bothered with:

[MG]

Imho, Hyundai has the BEST styling currently on the road. All their latest models look terrific, or at least pretty darn good. And they are selling well in America. Some observers think they may outsell Honda in a couple of years!  

I too remember the dreadful Hyundai Excel and its sibling the SCoupe. Both were horrible cars. When I was a used car manager, I used to try to convince people NOT to trade them in. I couldn't get anything for them at auction. Transporting them to be sold cost me more than what they sold for.

The original Excel came standard with a Panasonic cassette player - a big deal back then in the bottom end of the market. The slicky boys would steal the cassette and the insurance companies would total the car because replacing the radio/cassette and fixing the damage to the dash caused by ripping the old unit out exceeded the value of the car!   I swear I am not making this up!  

Hyundai carefully studied the trajectory of both Honda and Toyota in the US. They did what those who went before had done - build an organization, constantly improve the quality of their product and be patient.

I remains to be seen if Hyundai will be able to move into Acura/Lexus/Infiniti/BMW/Mercedes territory. That's a big leap. But if they don't, it won't be for lack of trying!  

[Otto Puzzell]

Imho, Hyundai has the BEST styling currently on the road.

Dude - you gotta quit the mind-altering drugs! 

[mymokke]

Wow, the original reply to this post was at best rude, and at worst blatantly nasty!!.
Having said that, I too am impressed with Hyundai; and this, coming from a "Die Hard" Chrysler fan.
I still keep my Plymouth at hand, but I drive my Hyundai Azera with pride.
Great cars, great value and I'll tell this to anyone, anywhere.