Any car experts/hobbyists?

[Johann]

...we'll never buy used again and are firm Hyundai owners from here on out.

I had a similar good experience with a Hyundai. Back in 1986 I bought a new Hyundai and I drove it for 7 years - a VERY durable car, especially considering it cost so little. Unfortunately, Sanantone is right about these cars - a majestic Buick slid slowly into the side of my Hyundai at a stoplight on a snowy day. My car was a total wreck - hardly a scratch on the Buick. With the insurance money, I bought a used Dodge Omni -my last car before I decided to quit driving. Another tough car, it lasted until it was 13 years old. If I ever start driving again, it'll be another Hyundai -unless I win the lottery. Then it'll be a 1937 Wolseley 6, a Riley RMB or the 50s-60s Alvis convertible of my dreams.

Most important thing to look for in a car purchase -- dealer's reputation.

Johann

[mrs.b]

Hyundai's come a long way in safety ratings with the new designs the past few years. For an extra couple bucks - one-time investment - purchasing gap protection at time of purchase covers against accidents in the few year or two from other drivers' stupidity. Neither my last one (a Tucson - man, I loved that thing and was like giving up a favorite pet when I had to trade it in to pull equity out of it to get my husband into something new) or this one (Sonata; the Elantra is my husband's since he drives further and needs better mileage) have had any collisions to test that, a couple times when I was in for oil changes, other drivers were there getting repair work done after collisions and always had stories about the severity of the accident but the minimal damage to their vehicles and safety of passengers.

Kia is an even less expensive version of Hyundai, and the body designs and many of the mechanics are the same. From the brief check we did during our last purchase round (could be wrong as we only glanced at other options from Hyundai), the warranties are similar if not the same. The only major differences I saw were some of the interior design and what perks came standard.

[dposborne]

With the growing popularity of Social Media, you should look take a look and see if this company has a Facebook page and make comments about their service there as well...

[sanantone]

I had a similar good experience with a Hyundai. Back in 1986 I bought a new Hyundai and I drove it for 7 years - a VERY durable car, especially considering it cost so little. Unfortunately, Sanantone is right about these cars - a majestic Buick slid slowly into the side of my Hyundai at a stoplight on a snowy day. My car was a total wreck - hardly a scratch on the Buick. With the insurance money, I bought a used Dodge Omni -my last car before I decided to quit driving. Another tough car, it lasted until it was 13 years old. If I ever start driving again, it'll be another Hyundai -unless I win the lottery. Then it'll be a 1937 Wolseley 6, a Riley RMB or the 50s-60s Alvis convertible of my dreams.

Most important thing to look for in a car purchase -- dealer's reputation.

Johann

I can attest to this. I was in an accident several years ago while driving a Buick Century. A Hyundai SUV that was a few years old hit me and another Hyundai SUV that was fairly new. Both of those vehicles had to be towed away while I was able to drive away with a small dent. You would think that a mid-sized sedan wouldn't fare as well as an SUV. That was a sturdy vehicle; it had over 200,000 miles on it when I got rid of it. Many people don't know that the Buick Century and first generation of Buick Lacrosses were rated as just reliable as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. I was involved in another accident a few years ago while driving a Mercury Sable. I was hit from behind by a late 90s Honda Accord. That car was totaled, but I was able to drive to work with only some minor dents and scratches on the back.

With the growing popularity of Social Media, you should look take a look and see if this company has a Facebook page and make comments about their service there as well...

I wouldn't be so upset if I had only bought this car from a mom and pop dealership for $5,000, but this vehicle cost about as much as a new economy car and came from a nationwide dealership that prides itself on selling "quality" used cars. I'm almost starting to think I would have been better off with fixing the 15-year old Buick Park Avenue I had. I didn't think it was worth it to spend almost $2,000 fixing the A/C and multifunction switch (need it to work properly for safety inspections) since the car was worth about that much.