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And I’m inclined to agree. Hyundai had some of the best sales numbers of 2008, and they rolled out some killer products like the Genesis and Kia Soul. Too bad Forbes based their whole article off of the JD Power Initial Quality Survey.
18 Comments on “Forbes Declares “Year Of The Hyundai”...”
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I’m not sure I’m quite ready to declare Hyundai’s products to be better than Honda’s, but the gap is certainly narrowing. My only question is how well a Hyundai will age compared to its more mature competitors.
I drove a Genesis coupe a few weeks ago and was very impressed, I must admit.
Agreed – Hyundai seems to be executing a sound product strategy that has helped them to turn a recession into an opportunity to gain market share.
Also +1 on the Genesis coupe which is one of the most entertaining (and affordable) new cars to come along in a long time.
Genesis / Veracruz maybe. Sonata bigger maybe.
Otherwise, I still shudder to think what you’ll have when these things are five years old or more.
they will be great once they have great resale value…
i see 20 year old Hondas still driving. I know when a new Honda comes out it always is reliable, relatively inexpensive to run and has relatively good depreciation. no matter which specific type of vehicle. I might not like the specific vehicle myself. but it still will have the said properties including longevity. Resale value is a good indicator for low running cost and reliability. Once i see all that in Hyundais, I will agree they are good product. anything before that are rumors.
I think that Genesis is a great car. Very Impressive. Yes, it will most likely depreciate quite a bit and the dealer experience is quite horrendus. It needs to get away from the other model lineup, but this would probably cause the price to go up quite a bit. I was very impressed while driving it………..fit and finish seems at least equal to many other luxo makes.
The Genesis is nothing more than an LS460 ripoff. I was initially impressed by its build quality but once that wore off – its still just a Hyundai.
In fact, the new E-class Sedan has more driver/passenger space. I’d rather take that.
“My only question is how well a Hyundai will age compared to its more mature competitors.”
I looked at a used, one year old Santa Fe last week. It drove MUCH nicer than I had expected, and the load of electronic goodies, not to mention safety features, was impressive. The price was two grand less than the Outback that I was cross shopping it with.
But at one year old, with ~12K miles the drivers seat material was already permanently creased and the center console was severely scuffed from use. You could tell the level of plastic used was one, perhaps two, notches below your average Toyota. But it was still a hell of a deal.
I ended up buying the Subaru. Not because I was afraid to buy the Hyundai but because it was gone by the time I got back to the dealer! They are selling (relatively) like hotcakes around here, new or used…
I was a Honda Salesman : Hondas are 3-4 years behind Toyota & Hyundai in Technology and have a very rough ride. They are very reliable, but they are also very “Overpriced”. They should be selling for $4000 less for all models except the Odyssey which should sell for $10,000 less. As for the new insight, well its “CHEAP” all around, save your money, gets half the mileage it should have. And the ONLY Honda that “Really” kept it’s resale value is the “Element” My main gripe with ALL Hondas is the way they “RIDE”… Closest I can describe it is like riding in a “Go Cart”…They all fell like a “CHEAP” suspension system.
IE:Dodge Neon Or Ford Pinto!
Hyundai’s resale value is only hurt because of it’s “PERCEIVED VALUE”, not on anything else. “Perception”, It’s a great Automobile in this day in age, it’s “NOT” the Hyundai of the 80’s & 90’s. It’s Quality is every bit a good as a Honda, and it RIDES much better too! As far as technology goes, Hyundai is 5-6 years ahead of anything Honda has to offer!
Honda wishes it were a Hyundai! Honda does not meet the expectations of automobile buyers wants & needs. Honda buyers “Settle” for a Honda. If you have ever tried to make a DEAl for a Hnda, forget it, they just “THINK” they have a good product. In reliability yes it’s good, as for bang for your buck…not even a also ran! And Honda doesn’t seem to care, their Hybrid technology almost seems to be going backwards! As for “Options” they are extremely limited & behind the times, even in the high-end models
@ggreenwood4
What Honda are you talking about? The Honda I know, makes several vehicles which offer the best of class value. The Accord is tops in the mid-size market. The Odyssey is tops in the mini-van market.
I guess you are used to the Big 2.8 where you pay no where near sticker because the cars are simply not worth it?
@ggreenwood4
Although Honda may have slipped a bit recently and Hyundai has greatly improved your rant is based on emotion and your own bias. What measurable metrics or facts do you base your rant against Honda on? Are you a disgruntled former Honda salesperson who has turned anger toward a brand to get back at a former employer? Don’t you believe that the market will indeed win in the end and set the price or value on a product?
“Don’t you believe that the market will indeed win in the end and set the price or value on a product?”
But ‘market’ doesn’t mean ‘on the merits’ – it means perceptions, biases and prejudices all roll into to the equation as well.
I do live near the ‘Detroit Three’ and used Hondas have *always* garnered huge resale numbers beyond the value of the metal. It’s great if you’re buying new, lousy if you buy used.
For years the best used value around here was Subaru – nobody wanted them b/c they were perceived to be less ‘prestigious’ than a Honda. Making them a hell of a used buy. Now, not so much….
Flashpoint :
June 26th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
The Genesis is nothing more than an LS460 ripoff. I was initially impressed by its build quality but once that wore off – its still just a Hyundai.
In fact, the new E-class Sedan has more driver/passenger space. I’d rather take that.
Agreed, but the comparable E-class is about $30,000 more than the Genesis, unless you’re buying used.
Personally, aside from the car-for-the-buck anaylsys, I wasn’t impressed with the Genesis. In terms of driving dynamics, the Genesis is less of a performance sedan than a simulation of one. Push one hard, and then drive a Mercedes or BMW right afterwards, and you will feel the difference.
Hyundai has a LONG way to go before it can compete with the majors in the luxury field. At this point, I’d rather drop 45 large on an off-lease certified BMW or Mercedes.
ggreenwood4 :
June 27th, 2009 at 1:21 am
I was a Honda Salesman : Hondas are 3-4 years behind Toyota & Hyundai in Technology and have a very rough ride. They are very reliable, but they are also very “Overpriced”. They should be selling for $4000 less for all models except the Odyssey which should sell for $10,000 less.
I don’t agree with you on Honda technology, but I’m with you 100% on Honda pricing…and don’t get me started on Honda dealerships. My first car out of school was an ’85 Civic. I had to wait six months for it to appear on the lot, and once it did, they jacked up the price on the new car and lowballed me on my trade. When I complained, the salesman pointed to two guys sitting at a table, and told me they were ready to buy my car if I wasn’t. I should have walked away, but I was young and dumb.
Flash forward to 2009, and they STILL think it’s 1985 and nobody sells a decent car but them. I shopped a local dealer recently and they are STILL trying to push off “market adjustments” on Accords…when they have probably a hundred of the things on the lot.
As far as the mighty Odyssey is concerned…it’s a lightly-restyled version of a TEN YEAR OLD design. Chrysler did the same thing with its minivans, and got roasted for it…but Honda does it, and it’s still a Consumer Reports darling. Go figure.
Honda makes nice cars, but they are NOT “all that.” The differences in quality between their cars and their competitors are there, but they’re marginal – certainly NOT enough to justify the pricing.
Acura is even more overrated.
marman :
June 27th, 2009 at 6:50 am
@ggreenwood4
What Honda are you talking about? The Honda I know, makes several vehicles which offer the best of class value. The Accord is tops in the mid-size market. The Odyssey is tops in the mini-van market.
The Accord is a nice car, but frankly, whether it’s “tops in class” is highly debatable. There are several competitors that drive and perform better (the Mazda 6 and Nissan Altima come to mind), and nearly every other competitor in this market offers better styling.
What ALL the Accords’ competitors offer, though, is that their dealers skip that stupid, almost arrogant attitude of Honda dealers. I shopped one recently that’s STILL trying to get “market adjustments” on Accords and Civics…in THIS market, when they have hundreds of them on the lot.
You can also get a decent deal on a competitor’s car, which is something that is NOT possible on an Accord.
Reliability? Honda has an edge, but it’s just that – an edge. The days where Hondas were radically better than their competitors in terms of quality and dependability are long gone.
As far as they Odyssey is concerned…only Honda could get away with selling a restyled 1999 model and STILL get love from Consumer Reports. Ever wonder how much they’re paying them?
The Koreans are beating the Japanese, the Americans, and the Europeans. They deserve credit for a job well done.
Honda’s are too noisy (road noise), and ride too harshly. Toyota’s are ugly and overpriced. Hard to imagine, a country which makes such beautiful motorcycles, how Toyota can survive with the styling they have. They need to hire away some stylists from Kawasaki.
So many criticize Hyundai/Kia, go drive their latest cars. See for yourself, they are the real deal.
While the Genesis doesn’t quite drive as well as the 5-series, it’s definitely comparable to the E-Class or the LS… very comparable. Quality is good and the ride, while not great, is not as stupidly stiff as Mr.Runflat over there in the corner.
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While the IQS is of dubious applicability in terms of reliability, it at least indicates that a lot of care goes into screwing together modern Hyundais. And I know quite a few owners of the newer model platforms who are quite satisfied with their rides.
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Honda? Lagging? They’re neck-in-neck with Toyota in terms of fuel economy, and are second-to-none in terms of engine technology. Their cars are well-screwed together and feel pretty solid. They’re expensive, but they offer higher content than most, mechanically… you can buy a 5-speed automatic in the Fit which is miles better than the old 4ATs in most of the competition. The only complaint I can level against Hondas is that they seem to have been road-tested exclusively by engineers who are as fit as Formula One drivers… leading to cars that corner well, ride stiffly, and have seats that are only comfortable for twenty-year olds with six-pack abs, and not thirty year olds with beer bellies.
All those doodads and gizmos and fancy-shmancy marketing…
When Hyundai learns to make a suspension that doesn’t whine, crash, bang and thunk, I may take notice.
Until then, they’re a poseur of a real car company.
From experience with a 2000 Hyundai Tiburon and a 2004 Kia Sedona, the initial quality part is great. Long term? Not so great.
Both vehicles had a myriad of problems a couple of years in (both had to have catalytic converters replaced around 70k miles for one). Interestingly we received initial quality surveys but never any a couple of years in.
They are certainly improving, but the down time my wife and I have dealt with have put us off from the brand. The Kia is still a major issue that we’re looking at a possible legal resolution since they don’t want to budge after the cats failed (under and replaced by warranty) and caused more damage to the engine.