Hyundai? [J.D. POWER SURVEY]: Hyundai leapfrogs Toyota in quality

Oh, this is much better than my Ford Focus Wagon.

 

Thank god I have never worried about a stigma.

 

My wife and I are in the market for a midsize sedan and we are intrigued by the Sonata. It seems to be a cross of the Accord and the new Camry appearance wise and the warranty can't be beat. I still think I want the Camry but the Sonata is giving us pause.

 

Hyundai have been improving their quality since the start of this decade, and they've been moving up the JD Power quality survey for the past three years. They've been catching up to Toyota for a while in terms of lowering the number of platforms and increasing parts commonality. They passed the other Japanese manufacturers like Suzuki and Mazda a while ago - there are still a ton of inefficient Japanese manufacturers make no mistake, Toyota is way ahead of everyone, not just the Japanese - yes, they are still No 1 - see last para...

Build quality is improving on the cars that Hyundai ship here/produce in Alabama, while the lower quality cars that are built in their older plants in Korea are reserved for domestic consumption. The R&D that go into these new models like the Sonata, Tiburon and Tucson has been the result of long-term planning and not just a one-off.

Nevertheless, the reasons why I think Toyota still is No 1 are

- the breadth of their quality: most of their cars have great build quality, not just the models they ship to the US, and all of their production facilities are top class eg even GM has world class facilities but its the older ones that are churning out the crap that give GM bad reviews.
- Toyota's parts and after-sales service and the dealership network is wider than Hyundai's (at least I think so) and this would translate into a better ability to maintain the car. Hyundai's warranty is miles ahead of Toyota but that's because oftentimes, Toyota's warranties aren't really needed
- The JD Power Initial Quality Survey (IQS) - which is what JD Power releases for free and is what is covered in the news article above - only surveys the build quality (or the error rate) of brand new cars. The true test would be the quality survery after 3 years - and this is the stuff you have to pay for. I would guess that Toyota is ahead of other cars in this department. As a car owner, I would find this of more importance than knowing how many cars are returned in their first few months/weeks. Granted, IQS is still important, but down the road should be what car owners should base their decisions on.

 

As you may know(from other car threads), I bought my Camry '07 SE the weekend before last. With the 268 hp V6 and loaded with some cool options(JBL upgrade), I'm really happy with it. I'm starting to see more and more of them on the road, though. There's been more than one time I've been cruising behind the '07 LE version. It won't be long before every other car is an '07 Camry but that's how it goes I guess. Anyway, it hauls ass pretty good and the ride is great. The sporty version ride is smooth with supposedly more feel and tactile feedback in the driving. I can't imagine what the LE/XLE ride is like...probably too soft in comparison.

 

i think those new sonatos that look like accords are pretty sharp

 

now imagine these new chinese cars coming out, half the price of a hyundai, same warrenty..

 

Two years ago, my now-wife bought a Hyundai Santa Fe.

I was really surprised at the quality of the materials used in the Santa Fe. They definitely didn't go cheap materials-wise. It was a solid driver and the price was right (she looked at competing vehicles like the Ford Escape and others and the Hyundai gave her a good deal more for her money). The interior was far nicer than just about any of the recent cars I've had (which include Nissan, Mazda and Ford).

Granted, it's only been two years, but the thing has had zero problems. It still drives and feels as solid as it did the day she bought it. There's less wear and tear in the interior materials than I saw with my Nissan Altima in the same time period. Her Hyundai is actually shown less interior wear-and-tear than my Mazda 6, which is six months newer and has half the mileage.

I can easily see why Hyundai could score very well in initial quality surveys. Two years in, I'm impressed with the mechanical quality, etc. as well. Hyundai really has come a long way in recent years.

 

It's great news for customers no matter what. You add more competition and you force all companies to stay on the top of their game at all times, or else quickly fall behind.

It's a win-win for the consumer.

 

Uhhh....it took Toyota and Hyundai decades to get their cars right. The reports I've heard about the Chinese cars are that they're absolute crap. I'm sure in time they'll make a good car, but you can't just throw cheap cars together quickly.

 

Hyundai has been improving quality for a few years now, so this really is no shock. I still wouldn't buy one, though. lol.

 

KB Homes always ranks among the worst builders in the Dallas area according to JD Power ratings. And they do it consistently.

 

Also, one thing to note is that this apparently is the IQS ratings (Initial Quality Study). This basically just tells you the quality of the cars after 90 days. I know most of us own our cars more than 90 days. That being said, Hyundai really isn't the piece of crap car it used to be. THey really have improved in quality. Hyundai owns Kia. Kia used to be a pile of crap vehicle in terms of quality, too, but they seem to be improving as well (if you believe JD Power anyway).

http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pressrelease.asp?ID=2006082

 

I'll say this...I own a Lexus GS300 and I rented a Hyundai Sonata a few months back. From the 3 days that I drove the Sonata, it was the best car I have ever driven. That being said, driving a car for 3 days speaks nothing when it comes to durability and reliability. As far as I know, that very Sonata could be dead on the road at 23,000 miles. But for those 3 days, the Sonata was king.

 

In 2003 I was going to buy a cheap car. I moved from NY to LA, and needed a vehicle.

I was going to go for a used Toyota, or Honda. What I found was that I could get a new Hyundai for the same price. I did.

I have had no problems at all. I got the Elantra. My wife and I both thought it was good value that we went and got another one for her.

If our next car isn't a hybrid, it will be another Hyundai. I could care less about any stigma from the past. I am not going to let past stigma make me spend a few thousand dollars more.

Another friend of ours drives the Santa Fe. It is very nice as well. I test drove the Sonata and loved the automatic/standard feature on it. Basically it is automatic but in turns or certain situations where you want it, the car can switch to manual transmition and gears. I missed down shifting into turns, but hate the pain of operating a standard on hills.

I would highly recommend Hyundai. They are a good car. I would recommend it ESPECIALLY if I was single. Any girl that is going to reject you because of the car you drive isn't worth it in the first place. Get a Hyundai just to weed the garbage out so you know you are dealing with a better person.

I have two 2003 Hyundai Elantras and have no complaints at all. They have won loyalty from me with their well priced, and well made vehicles.

 

I've been wanting to trade in my big SUV for something smaller and I must admit I have been eyeing those new Sonatas. They are nice!!!

 

Excellent point.

 

One big thing that Ive considered is the depreciation problem with Hyundai. Its probably not as bad as it was years back, but it still is a bit concerning.

 

the depreciation is based on their older, inferior models ....