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Maybe it is hard to identify which one is the best, and to do so we would also have to define what constitutes best, but I do not think there is much doubt that some auto makers products are, overall, better than others. There is clearly a hierarchy in the minds of consumers.
Sure - some are better than others. But Hyundai/Kia are good vehicles in general and competitive. I see many on the road today where ten years ago there were few.
Well, regardless of what numbers say, the story is in the quality of their vehicles. The KIA we have SUX...
We own a 2006 Kia Sedona LX base and a 2014 Hyundai Elantra SE base. They are "well equiped" for base models with about all we'd want on them. Knowing they were "sister" companies, or that "one was owned by the other" we had reservations about buying the Hyundai. But the deal we got was so great, so we decided to "take a chance".
The Kia has had a couple of serious recalls, and MULTIPLE "TSB"s {Technical Service Bulletins...only done if you take it to the dealer and request the open ones to be done supposedly}.WAY more than I'd like.
Two SERIOUS ONES:
~Recall: the front suspension springs go bad after the rust proof coating comes off and the springs crack. This is the giant spring in the front suspension. I had just forgotten by a couple of days to get my inspection done and I had just received the recall notice letter from Kia about that issue. When I went in ot the inspection, they called me out to "show me something"..I KNEW it was that blasted spring, and it was! They wouldn't pass it, couldn't. It had to sit at home for a whole week and a half, uninspected and off the road, awaiting the new spring to arrive at the dealer. A MAJOR PAIN.
~Another recall/TSB was for the latches on the sliding doors... apparently they UNLATCH even WHILE LOCKED and the doors can FLY OPEN while on the road and at highway speeds!
~The seat belts had problems, another safety issue.The replacement still does.
~motor and body mounts all "disintegrated" by 5 years and 62k miles and all had to be replaced.
~THE SLIDING DOORS FREEZE SHUT come winter. I thought it was because we didn't routinely use them so we started opening them 2 times a day {when we could} and they STILL FREEZE shut! The power sliders may work well, but our model doesn't have the power doors.
All told, I have had it into the dealer for about 22 issues. All before 75K {which I have not even reached yet} that is about 18 more than I'd like. And I am not including regular maintenance which seems to also be high for this model.
The Hyundai, in the 9 months we have had it, SEEMS to be doing OK...it has 15K on it as MOH uses it within work and is on the road a lot in work. We will have it in soon for dealer "TSBs" if any exist, yet, soon.
Will We buy another KIA? MAYBE but probably not... Another SEDONA? NO WAY! EVen the redesigned new one? NO WAY! We will seek another brand of minvan..most likely the Honda Odyssey next time, although I have had a couple of Dodge Gr Caravans, and they were OK. The last one we "drove into the ground" and traded it for the Hyundai when it was 16 years old.
Would we buy another Hyundai? THAT remains to be seen, ask me again at 50K or 100K....
Will We buy another KIA? MAYBE but probably not... Another SEDONA? NO WAY! EVen the redesigned new one? NO WAY! We will seek another brand of minvan..most likely the Honda Odyssey next time, although I have had a couple of Dodge Gr Caravans, and they were OK. The last one we "drove into the ground" and traded it for the Hyundai when it was 16 years old.
Would we buy another Hyundai? THAT remains to be seen, ask me again at 50K or 100K....
I agree the old Sedonas were junk, but the new one has a solid powertrain. The Lambda 3.3 V6 is a pretty good engine, and the Hyundai designed 6 speed automatic has been solid as well.
Serious question, but how does Hyundai/Kia reliability of today compare to Honda/Toyota of 1990?
I don't know, but everyone's mechanical reliability seems better today than it was circa 1990. Nearly 25 years of engineering improvements is an eternity in the auto biz.
I've only ever seen the Hyundai Genesis and Equus while out and about. Those are their higher end cars. But they are grouped with their more inexpensive lines which probably hurts them. Back in 1983 when Toyota decided to embark on a luxury vehicle unseen before, they made the smart decision to create it under a different brand name. When the Lexus LS400 arrived on the scene in 1989, it shook the britches off of Mercedes and BMW. Why? Because those two brands were resting on their laurels: boxy boring luxury cars. The LS400 took off and Lexus was born. Hyundai and Kia might have learned a lesson from history. Oh well.
When the Lexus LS400 arrived on the scene in 1989, it shook the britches off of Mercedes and BMW. Why? Because those two brands were resting on their laurels: boxy boring luxury cars. The LS400 took off and Lexus was born.
That came back to bite them in the butt, big time. After that BMW and Benz ramped up their game big time, and ever since then the LS400/430/470 has always taken a back seat to them. The rest of the Lexus lineup has done very well, though, for the most part.
On topic now... Its not surprising to see Hyundai sales dropping and here's why (IMO): flashy styling of the last Sonata looked great when it debuted, but just a year later it already looked awkward and tired. They redesigned it this year and its Toyota/Honda bland. Noones buying it. Hyundais designs have, generally speaking, been very awkward and goofy. Cars like the Ford Fusion look modern and stylish, and 10 years from now they still will.
Consequently, the American consumer doesn't see near as much of a need for a cheap, low-end fuel efficient car as they did 5 years ago...
My standard line is, "What economy?" We're not seeing it here. Gas went down but it's also going up. There was media hype about how low the price was and many people started believing it would stay that way (not us).
The American consumer should wake up. I've been buying and driving fuel-efficient cars after the gas lines during the Carter administration. I thought I was continuing to do that with the Hyundai Elantra but they lied and the mileage is nasty and the car's very comfy. I think Hyundai's attitude is what's bringing them down. Despite what I've always thought of them (which is ick ... not a Hyundai), the car I have may be okay and I have a motorcycle that helps split up the mileage. But there's no good customer support. I get conflicting responses from the dealership about maintenance stuff. Without the corporation backing the consumer or the dealership and the dealership is all about pushing cars out and with a 100k warranty, so what if they don't fix the problem or do it right, the numbers should drop and they have. To me, it's a mirror reflection of themselves.
I don't know, but everyone's mechanical reliability seems better today than it was circa 1990. Nearly 25 years of engineering improvements is an eternity in the auto biz.
I haveth a different answer for you. In 1990, if there were any kinds of computers in the cars, by 2012 it multiplied exponentially. Any computer can be programmed to fail at a certain milestone - reaching 30k miles or something like that. So, the technology may logically seem better but thing may well be programmed to break down. I've confirmed this with mechanics (I knew it had to happen).
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