Hell Freezes Over - Sonata beats the the Accord and Camry
 

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=106434

I knew this day would come soon. Now, If Hyundai decides to build a good, cheap and reliable RWD sports car (and they are seriously considering it), ala Datsun 240, everyone could be in trouble.

On a seperate note, congrats to GM for managing to lose another $1,000,000,000 in the second quarter on the auto side despite your stupid employee discount offers. This is going to be the slowest, most agonoizing death of a company in the history of the world.

I'm not surprised at all. Hyundai has definatly stepped it up. Kia also.

People used to look at the likes of Yota, Honda etc as they once DID about Hyundai and KIA. Those cars are getting better by the day!!!

I remember just a few years back how everyone was making fun of the Korean cars, but I'm sure their not laughing now.

Last year hyundai sold more cars then honda. The hyandai sonata took most reliable car of the year from JDP over toyota, honda, lexes, and acura.

The sonata, the santa fe, the tuscan, and the kia sorento and kia sportage (both made by hyundai) were rated as excellent cars. It's no surprise that a little dumpy car company can get a foothold, build a better car and give the big boys a run for thier money. That's how toyota and honda started...

I agree, ten years ago I say no way in hell to some Korean POS.

But now, well no not yet, but maybe in another 5-10 years...

Especially if it's an inexpensive RWD

My wife and I recently bought a Sorento. It really suprised me. It's very roomy and feels fairly solid. Of course, the fact that it's so much higher off the ground and heavier than my RX-8 gives me a slightly uneasy feeling when I drive. The engine is very smooth, it has enough power and torque (around 180-190 of each) and enough room to make it one heck of a value. As cheap as you can buy them for, you'd be suprised how high of quality the interior and exterior of the cars are. I really don't think you can find much better in terms of value than the Hyundai line, they've come a long way in the past few years, which is accentuated even more by the lackluster lineup of the Americans and comparatively high expense of the German and Japaneese counterparts.

but there weren't hondas and toyotas around back then when they came of age.. :)

i have nothing against hyundai's nor doubt their potential, but they are coming of their own while there are much more competitors who already have years of street cred on them- when Hondas and toyota's came of age, it was 'new' to have a competitve japanese sedan/sports car etc.....so while I am glad to see Hyundai come around, I still think itll be a while before they reach the Yots and Honda category, regardless of JD Power, and all that other stuff.

An Accord is an Accord, just like and Accord or Maxima will never be a 3 series, etc etc....

Im sure they make great cars, but the name itself will take years to estabilish...
Just my opinion, the more better cars out there the better!

I'm not so sure it's going to take hyundai or kia very long. One is already outselling honda, and the other is not far behind.

Fox, my wife also has a sorento. I wasn't real happy about getting a kia 2 years ago and when she mentioned it was on her list of mid suv's I mentally wrote it off. After reading some reviews on the car, every mag gave it top ratings, I went and took a look at it, after looking at several others. I was very surprised with the options that came on it, and then very impressed with the quality. It had all the options others were offering, and a few the others didn't, all for thousands less. The salesman brought up the 10 year warrenty and I asked how much on the deductable. The answer was no deductable, kia covers the drivetrain for 10 years, no cost to the cust. That was the final obsticle, so we bought it.

Now, it's 2 years old and has never been into the shop for anything other then regular maint. This thing is rock solid and not one single thing has broken on it, knobs, squeeks, rattles, nothing. I would highly recommend this car for anyone looking for a slightly larger then mid size suv. It beats the compatition hands down. The only one negative thing I would mention, and I know that this is new to this forum ;) , is the gas milage. I'm getting about 15 per gallon, but other then that, this is a great car...

On a side note, I recently looked up the nada, kelly's and edmunds on the value of our sorento. Original sticker of 23K, 2 years later and the cars worth just under 20K. I think thats excellent. For comparison, I check my rx8. Original msrp was 32, 1 year later and the cars worth 27-28K. The kia lost 3 K in 2 years and my 8 lost 4K in 1 year...thumbs up for kia resale...

It seems the way to go if you're starting out as an automaker is to offer cheap cars, and then work and work on the build quality if you want sales. That, from my recollection, is what Honda and Toyota did in the first place when they were starting out, and is also the strategy of Kia and Hyundia. Maybe there is something stifling and conservative about doing well, and those companies will not keep pace (a la GM) with the emerging car world.

I just read a while back that any hopes of a camaro etc. have all but been dismissed, so it may not be that slow after all, either that or they will just quict making cars and stick with butt ugly road stifling suvs until they plunder deeper and deeper into oblivion. Either way, I really miss the GM that brought me the 5 window pickup, the chevelle etc, now we have a goofy overpiced SSR, and a front wheel drive impalibu? Maybe GM should steal from Holden and save their asses before it's too late.

They did but it didn't work out so good.

not really, the GTO is no Holden by any means, it might share some stuff but both Ford and Chevy should take a look at their Aussie counterparts and drag them on over here, the Falcon and the Holdens (esepcially the Ute) would be awesome here in the states. :)

Cool...and the American car companies continue their sad decline...

I don't know if hell froze over, people in the auto industry were seeing this coming. They made some good strides in getting their quality up and their product isn't too bad.

Some things they did to make the GTO different from a Monaro- hp, transmission revisions for auto, light pattern, fuel tank, corrosion protection, recal TCS, exhaust, wheels and tires. Hope I didn't forget anything.

Nevertheless, Ford- I want your Falcon here!

Sonata is actually a fairly nice car. I haven't driven the new one, but the older one was nice. I'd never buy it, but it was cool as a rental car, or a beater.

thats cool to see, i like hyundai. Currently my parents own a Santa-Fe and that thing is comfortable and looks nice. And as for the rwd sports car,http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef78133/0 Seems pretty cool, it would be around the time my youngest sister will be getting a car.

I just bought a 2006 Sonata for a second car. It's almost as much fun as the RX-8, and I dare say it would pull on the 8 in a stoplight race (at least for a block or so). You put your foot down and you move right now. That's a feeling I don't get very often with the 8.

The linked article above makes a very good point that the Accord and Camry have already won their reputations, so they're charging what the market will bear. The Sonata is trying to win a reputation, so they're priced very competitively.

I bought a Sante Fe for my wife about 2.5 years ago. Took it to Cape cod, Virginia, South Carolina dn Miami with 5 passengers, roof rack with 15 CU.Ft. overhead bin jammed, etc... and the trunk totally amazes me in how reliable and conmfortable it is. Not one single issue to date. Not a one and I drive it faily aggressively. So I am not surprised at all of this report. Personally, I think these cars are going to get more expensive over time and they have suffient market share. there is no doubt that you are driving a Japanese type built car at Korean prices. Can you see where they tried to cut costs? Yes. WQould I want to go in the back woods with it? No becaue I don't think it will handle it as some of its competitors.

Watch this company. They let their buyers do the marketing and sales. They never claim theirs is better/best yada yada yada....

Have you seen the Tiburon with Black rims... That car looks so damn good.. imagaine if it were RWD

Ya. And if you look carefully, the new Eclipse looks like the Tiburon's brother. I think they stolen several styling cues from the Tiburon. I took the Tiburon for a nice test drive. Nice car, very "sporty" with a little pep but not a "sports car".