Hyundai Will Have Hybrids Next Year - And Fuel Cells in 2012?

Many people here in the U.S. don't realize that Hyundai is Korea's largest conglomerate with big resources. Besides cars, other companies in the Hyundai group make ships (the world's largest shipbuilder), electronics, construction equipment, and they also have container services, real estate development, travel services, etc. With their deep pockets, they have the capability to play catch-up.

I drove a friend's Hyundai Entourage van a little over 400 miles a while back, and my observations were that it had a nice ride; the engine was very quiet at idle but a little noisy at WOT; the engine had reasonable power; the transmission shifted smoothly; interior fit and finish were good. The only negatives I notices on the 1 year old van were that one of the power sliding doors was very noisy and didn't close properly all the way, something the Sienna had a problem with a while back; and fuel economy was not that impressive at 16 ~ 17 highway MPG cruising mostly 2 lane country roads in Wisconsin at 40 ~ 50 MPH, which is the same mileage we get on our V8 Sequoia that weighs about 1,000 lbs more and has 4WD. I haven't driven a current generation Sienna to compare the Entourage with so I don't have a good comparison.

This is a Toyota site. I would rather walk than even be seen in a Hundee. Keep your raves to yourself! Scott

-- Message posted using

"dbu" ...

My first new car was a Hyundai Excel. I liked the car, but it very little testicular fortitude. I remember that at one time in California, Hyundais were the #1 stolen car. Why? The radios! They would steal the car, swipe the radio, then abandon it!

Now nuts is that?

Natalie

I remember when Toyotas were regarded as junk and they were, rust buckets. Just goes to show that companies that try their best to improve do. Now Hyundai is trying to beat the leader, if the leader don't keep an eye on their backside and keep working on improvements some other company will move ahead.

I have an 04 Sienna and it rides like the old Caddy, but still handles damn good, the motor is quiet and plenty of power and the power sliding door does not rattle, not a bit. My old 94 Dodge caravan, rattle and creaked down the road, but the motor was very good. I understand it had a timing chain and not a belt, it was the 3.3.

Yes, Hyundai is a big company, if they wanted to build the worlds best car, I believe they could, perhaps they are protecting Toyota, so that Toyota doesn't horn in on some of their business.

"dbu" ,

Yup - just ask the Big Three.

Natalie

Huh?

You wanna 'splain that, Lucy?

Natalie

Okay, I'll bite - when were Toyotas considered to be cruddy cars? In '76 I was car shopping for a small Japanese car, looking at a Datsun (Nissan) and a Toyota; I truly do not remember either of them being considered to be shoddy. Economical, but not cruddy.

Before the mid-70's, it wasn't super-practical to buy a non-American car - be it a Volvo, Saab, Japanese car, etc. - in many U.S. locales, incl. upstate NY, because there weren't nearby dealerships/service places to take them for maintenance. But by the mid-70's it become feasible here. So... bye-bye Chrysler, hello Datsun & then Toyota for me.

Cathy

you scratch my back I'll scratch yours. I bet they make deals over lunch. Americans should get back to the two martini lunch.

I think there might be an exception - I think it was practical to buy VWs in the 60's and 70's, because parts were easily available. When my parents went on vacation in 1975 (I remember the year, because I got braces and was in 5th grade), our babysitters had a VW bug. The only VW I recall being in. (I might have been in one in the mid-90s, except that the VW dealer was an asshole, so I never returned to the showroom.) My dad rebuilt engines in 50s to the mid 90s. Parts availability was never an issue when I worked there in the 80s. (Before that, I was too young to safely spend time in the shop or too involved in baseball, school, or playing cowboys and Indians, so I don't even memories of it.)

You're right - VW Bugs were the exception to the non-practicality of owning a foreign car before the mid-70's.

Cathy

When my

They were junk in the seventies, rust buckets.

How can the remainder of his post be BS? For some people, even $1600 was too much - never mind insurance, gas, etc. And, if one's family couldn't fit into the Beetle, how would it be a practical car for them? Then... (quote) "However, for many people, it was a great car." How is that sentence BS??

Cathy

"Cathy F." ...

Oh I remember the 'crapanese' and 'Jap-crap' comments about Toyotas. I remember it from the 70s, but they didn't stay like that for long, if I recall correctly.

The Big Three are *finally* getting that people have long memories when it comes to cars, and you have to take customer complaints seriously. I hope it's not too late for them.

Natalie

"dbu"

Okies. Your syntax in that previous comment was quite puzzling for me.

:-)

Natalie

So what in your view was an equally or better affordable NEW car for transportation, in THAT time frame for ALL people, that was maintainable by the owner?

LOL. You know what I mean, but maybe not. Anyway forget it...Nothing personal, LOL.

I remember when Japanese goods in general were considered to be crappy - in the 60's, esp., but not their cars...

Cathy

A friend had one from the early 70's - hers was the in-between sort of transmission: a stickshift, but no clutch.

Cathy