hyundai elantra

I have wanted a Hyundai Santa Fe for so long. I can taste it. I've even priced a few around me. But since my credit ranking is somewhere south of poor, I'm screwed for a while.

 

We have two -- a 2000 and a 2006 -- and think they are great cars, especially for the price. I have had no issues with either one. Although I haven't needed to put as many miles on it recently, I have driven the 2000 pretty hard and it is going strong. Probably will keep it until it dies.

 

Have you looked at their Tucson? I got one in '05. They're not as long as a Santa Fe, less cargo hatch, but a great compact SUV. In '05, the cab of the Tucson (headspace, legroom, etc.) was actually larger than the Santa Fe. Not sure if that is still true with the new design of the Santa Fe. One thing about Hyundai's - they are safe vehicles, with airbags everywhere.

 

I know someone who has the Tucson and whatever the largest one is. Said he loved them both. I don't really need the added size of the Santa Fe...but it seems rounder and cuter.

 

You can have a blue 2002 one with a busted a/c compressor. No reasonable offer refused.

Overall, it has been a fairly sturdy car. Hopefully the later models have been better adapted for the US market, with all the controls going the right way.

 

mrs. shockey is signing the papers as we type on a 2005 elantra with 33,000 miles on it. $10,000. no money down, five-year payoff for $282 a month.

insurance will be about $600 a year. if payments/insurance cost us/boy shockey $325 a month or so, we'll just have to make it work, i suppose. when you're already drowning in debt, does it really matter how far over your head the water is?

other rationalization: until two years ago, when i stopped driving, we were a two car-payment family and survived. so we're back where we began... with college payments straight ahead. yikes!!!

 

Hyundai Tucson=Kia Sportage

Based on the Elantra.

 

Hyundai came out about the same time as the Yugo (late 80s) and I always seem to equate the two in my mind for that reason. Is Hyundai's reliability as improved as everyone says? I may buy a small one next time.

 

Hyundai and its Kia stablemates have made big strides.

 

Probably not.

What year's your Civic? And that's miles, right?

199,000 miles works out to about 320,000 km.

We're coming up to 300,000 on our '94 Camry.

I think I can get 400,000 km on it (about 250,000 miles)

 

It seems that the quality is improving. If nothing else, Hyundai is willing to give consumers better warranties these days.

But I agree completely with JR. The Hyundai is far from a bad machine - I'd take it over anything with a domestic badge - but it's not in Honda/Toyota/Nissan territory. At least not yet.

 

little shockey and son no. 2 are now sitting in the "new" car as it sits in the driveway. mrs. shockey wants to know why they're doing this.

me: "they're talking."

mrs. shock: "can't they talk in the house?"

i told her, "little shockey is showing off his first car. let him enjoy it."

remember the feeling of your first car? damn, i didn't get my first -- a brand-new '80 celica ($7,000) -- until i was 23. the boy's excited. cool that he wants to share it with his bro.

YUP. A BRAND-NEW EFFIN' '80 CELICA FOR $7,000!!!