Quote Of The Day: Meet The New Upstart Edition
Published: October 3rd, 2009
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Hyundai is awesome. They are undoubtedly a threat because their products are cheap, and the quality is improving
Honda CEO Takanobu Ito in the Canadian Press. “Hyundai is the biggest threat for the Japanese automakers,” adds Nissan senior VP Shiro Nakamura. “We have to offer the equivalents of sushi, tempura and kaiseki to compete against Korean barbecue.” Now imagine the reaction these quotes would have received ten years ago.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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While, as a Toyota/Lexus owner (I have an ES350 like the one that crashed), I'm aware their quality has dropped over the past few years, the Toyota floor mat crash is not an indication of slipping quality. It's the fault of the idiot dealer for putting the wrong mats in the car b/c they want the factory mats to look new so they can sell the loaner car for as much as possible. The optional winter mats for Lexus cars are extremely heavy and stiff, and could easily jam a pedal. My local Lexus dealer puts the winter mats in upside down to protect their top surface and the carpet mats in loaner cars (they actually put the left one on the right side and vice versa to make them fit). It's quite dangerous, and I always yank the map and throw it into the back seat before driving the loaner. I do think, however, that a simple mod to the engine computer software to cut the throttle to idle when the brake pedal is pressed would have been a smart response to the original floor mat debacle a couple of years ago. Hyundai cars seem pretty good. I had an 07 Elantra rental a couple years ago, and was very impressed with the fit and finish and interior/exterior styling (despite the fact the exterior was a blatant Corolla rip-off). As far as Hyundais at auction in the 60k+ mile range having mechanical problems: It could just be due to the possibility that the demographic that buys Hyundais tends not to maintain or properly treat their cars.
v7rmp7li, there are treatments for ADHD you know. Seriously, I've seen the Kia Forte. This could be bad news for Toyondissan.
The Hyundai 5 year 60,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty is a big selling point to the budget minded car buyer. http://www.hyundaiusa.com/global/warranty/warranty.aspx As their quality improves the warranty looks less like a band-aide for poor quality and more like a company confident in the quality of their products.