Hi all,

First of all let's be clear here. I LOVE AUDIS, but my wife is not a car chick and therefore really doesn't care what she drives. That said we're considering other brands and on the list is the 2013 Hyundai SantFe so I'm wondering if any of you here have owned a Hyundai or own one and what are your opinions on it. Also, please take into consideration that Hyundai has come a VERY LONG WAY and has grown to become a competitive force that is now rivaling Toyota, Honda and Nissan. I don't want to turn this into a "This brand is better" thread, I just want to hear some constructive and objective opinions on Hyundais.... I posted here because like me, you all own Audis but like me I'm sure your second or third car was made by another manufacturer. Here is the thread I posted on the Hyundai Forum.

My wife owns a Toyota Rav 4 and I currently own a 2002 Audi A4 (my baby)

Since we have never owned a Hyundai we'd like to hear some impartial and fair opinions on the brand. 20 years ago I would not have been caught dead in a Hyundai as the quality just wasn't there. Today things are different and we are considering the 2013 SantaFe. The brand has grown and evolved and I get that but still, with every make there must be some quirks and nuances that still to this day haunt the Hyundai line.

Can anyone tell me what we can expect from a Hyundai 4-5 even 10 years down the road? The Toyota and Audi are 10 years old and have stood up very well through the years. How does Hyundai compare and what are the first few things that tend to go on them?

Cheers and Thanks

 

They've stepped up their game. I've more than once considered the Kia Optima GDI with a 2.0t in it. I only see them growing more and more in the US as Honda and Toyotas reliability have gone down in recent years.

 

Pretty sure the Hyundai comes with a ten year factory warranty so I really don't think you have anything to worry about. If I bought one I'd drive it off a cliff though lol...def will be cheap though

 

Well yes it's cheap but REALLY, who cares? The stuff you get for the money you pay is impressive compared to what Toyota and Subaru will give you. And besides, who cares if it doesn't have an all time bomb proof AWD system. Viscous coupling and a lockable differential are enough IMHO for what my wife does with the car (A to B).

I have to admit I'm a bit bedazzled by all the bells and whistles you get for the price you pay but man it is a SWEET ride. My question is..... Will the car stand the test of time?

Oh and Ben, you can drive it off a cliff if you like, I'm not as elitist.

 

I have a friend with two Hyundais in his family (they were from 2001-2002) - one of them being the older Santa Fe and they both are still running strong today. It's impressive considering my buddy rarely pays attention and doesn't baby those cars. I think of the biggerproblems with the cars is the paint fading (again, I'm certain this could be prevented if he did the annual wax and seal every so often, but he doesn't). Other than that, I've only heard minor things such as battery dying and what not - the usual older car stuff.

Not gonna lie, I've looked at the Genesis coupe couple of times. Those cars are so cheap for what it is and it's a great bang for the buck. Oh can't forget the Equis - it's a great car!

 

You guys keep saying cheap buy have you looked at the price tags? The genisis which is the same as the Optima depending on motor is a $31K car lol.

 

Thanks for the support guys...

I also posted this on the Hyundai Forums and I received a lot of impartial and unbiased reviews from owners who have been around the block with Hyundai and so far the reviews are really good.

Audi and Toyota owner considering the 2014 Santa Fe - Hyundai Forums : Hyundai Forum

Apart from regular maintenance, brakes, tires and such. There has never been any real issues that I am hearing about.

I'm not cutting down Audis at all (I love my car) but when you compare this to the sludge problem, timing belt scandal and early 1.8T engine recalls, I'd say Audi is no better. A better car YES, but not a better reliability record. And come to think of it, I've never really seen a post 2000 Hyundai on the side of the road.

 

When I said cheap, I was referring to the Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track. Base price for it is $33,000 compared to the similar G37 with 40K base price. With the Track you get Brembos and other sport features and gadgets.

 

My mother drives a 2003 Hyundai Elantra and I have to say it's done pretty well. Other than basic maintenance, it hasn't had any huge problems. However, it's currently down because the auto tranny crapped the bed. But I think it was due to her driving it with a bad speed sensor for only God knows how long.... Anyway, I don't really have any other experience with Hyundais.

 

So did you end up getting the SUV?