am i right to be pleasantly surprised that my recent purchase of a hyundai accent Yplate, shows signs of a car built far higher than the reputation gives credit for. Away from the image, and the boring dash, handling, etc. The car really does feel a whole lot better screwed together than the fiat punto, ford galaxy, suzuki alto and peugeout 206 i've had in the past 5 years.
Is my car a one off, or have in fact hyundai really improved their build quality.
Also, if the car is given a full service at the inreerval (10k) and looked after, how many miles can i expect out of the 1.3 engine, as this is the first car ive coinsidered keeping for good.
One issue, the paint work isnt great and they do rust a little to easy.
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Before you get too excited about build quality Dave maybe you should check out its ability to leave your legs intact if you hit anything bigger than a wheelie bin. tinyurl.com/35rpe
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I pray to god, please dont let me crash it at high speed.
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At least if you\'re going fast then death should be pretty instant in a Hyundai. Just imagine how deleted of deleted must have felt. Personally, I\'ve just invested in a new Saab, so I don\'t suppose I\'d notice a head-on collision with a Hyundai...indeed it may have happened already...I noticed a few scratches on the bumper this morning and I could swear they weren\'t there this time last week!
{Reason for deletion is that those kind of comments are too insensitive. DD}
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"Personally, I've just invested in a new Saab"
Let's hope it's brand new and not a 1997 Saab 900, which seems to have done as well as the Hyundai.
V
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So we buy cars to have accidents in?
I do not; for boring transport we have a Kia Magentis, 6 pots, which is sufficiently agile in experienced hands to keep out of trouble; a Hyundai first cousin, as it were.
But why did they drop the manual, which must spoil that lovely engine note?
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Before you get too excited about build quality Dave maybe you should check out its ability to leave your legs intact if you hit anything bigger than a wheelie bin. tinyurl.com/35rpe
Euro N Cap is a good thing imo. It put me off buying a Rover 600 as i liked the shape of it.
One reason we may buy a new MB, c class is because of the 5 star rating.
Remember, the 5 stars also carry point scoring and I think the Laguna comes top.
More and more people are using these ratings as a guide which is a good thing for the long term as car makers will/are paying attention to this.
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>>The car really doesfeel a whole lot better screwed together than the fiat punto,
>>>
>
i disagree with that, the latest punto's build quality is pretty impressive IMHO particulary the dash area plastics quality. (someones bound to disagree with me!)
still rubbish to drive though>>
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Whilst I wouldn't wish to undermine your feeling of security too much, stealerswheel, I suspect that if you were to crash your new machine into anything solid (including an oncoming Hyundai!) at a speed greater than 40mph you would most probably 'notice it' any would likely be killed!
I don't deny that some cars have a greater level of safety, but I think there is a common belief these days that modern cars are much safer than they really are, particularly at higher speeds. EuroNCAP frontal impacts are performed at 40mph into a deformable and offset aluminium honeycomb - not your average motorway bridge or tree!
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Had to source a couple of Accents, bought to order, for a customer always working on a tight budget. Good value for money,but best avoid main dealer servicing, if the local one here, is anything to go by.Quotes something like Jaguar service rates!! £70odd for font pads!!
Oil changes at 5,000 miles good idea though, semi synthetic from your Vauxhall dealer best price.Or ATS/whoever is doing bargain price lube services, this week. that'll keep your Mitsubishi?? engine sweet for .............miles n miles!!
VB
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OK - So we have established if my accent is to hit so much as a lamp-post over 30 mph i'm a screwed. At least with all that money i have saved on the purchase i can get an exec funeral service taken to the grave in a merc.
Is it true that the 1.3 engine is a mitsubishi sourced engine?
if so that makes me smile.
Avoid hyundai dealers? - the car is out of warranty anyhow, as of midnight tonight. However im waiting for new front door rubbers which are being replaced free of charge and a new linkage cable. Got the fun of its first MOT tommorrow.
I am surprised at how nippy it is for a 1.3.
Another question, are hyundai parts hard to get hold off except for dealers, as i predict most of the parts will be sourced from korea and china. I dont want to pay dealer prices.
And nobody answered my inital question about build quality improving, is this a general company improvement or is my car a one of gem?
As for the punto, i found it great fun to drive 1.2 80bhp so much fun, however it was built like lego.
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In this part of USA Hyundai is the top selling manufacturer with the Elantra being the top selling car. One of the main reasons is the outstanding warranty - particularly for a low priced car. It is 100,000 miles/10 years for engine/drive train and 60,000 miles/5 years 'bumper to bumper'. I suggest they wouldn't give this warranty if there were question marks over quality.
As for hitting a lamp post there was an article in the Sunday Times yesterday quoting the Transport and Road Research Laboratory saying that you will be better off in a small car if you hit street furniture as there is less energy to be absorbed. Different story if you hit another car though.
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im sure 95% of the car is the exact same as the usa version.
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>this is the first car ive coinsidered keeping for good.
>the paint work isnt great and they do rust a little to easy
I think you will find these two are mutually exclusive
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"for good" might mean until it has rusted away rather than "until I snuff it" or "until I give up driving"
;-))
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Its very nippy for a 1.3, faster than 1.4 focus and golf.
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Better built than a 206, faster than a 1.4 Golf, the toughest kid on the chess team... you know how to condemn with faint praise, don't you?
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The Accent always reminds me a functionality at the extreme. It is a car so it has to do this, but don't factor in anything else, such as longetivity, crashes etc.
Took one of the first ones for a test drive when they came out. Never again.
But saying that, the new Coupe is a step in the right direction...!
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what is so wrong with this car?
why wouldnt it see 150,000 miles and live for 15 years if it was properly maintained?
The old hyundai ponys lasted for around 15 years.
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Living in an area where Hyundais are widely present: their Starex minivan to me is the best of its genre on the market, and
if anything can run 10 years as a Manila taxi it has to be a bit more than just competent, I would say they are damn good.
(sorry about the strangled syntax, got hangover). The derogatory comments I read above are exactly like those that people used to make about Toyotas 25 years ago. These (Kia as well) are formidable highly disciplined companies and are all about continuous improvement. I know because I have spent time in Korea.
Long after Rover junk is a museum curiosity these guys will be in business making good cars with formidable market share. Now then, wait another 20 years and see what rolls out of China.....
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I am shocked and appalled by the quality of the paint work, while it looks great in colour - sb (light blue) met - I normally use a scowl brush to get of hard bits of dirt and its never been a problem on any other car (even Suzuki?s!) However it has just destroyed the paint work even more.
I?m shocked - last time I ever wash it, does more damage than good.
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Not quite sure what a "scowl brush" is, but if it's anything like scowling teenagers then I'm sure you'd agree that it's best avoided! I normally use Redex to get rid of tar spots from the paintwork but if you tempted to try this yourself, I would advise you to try some on a bit of the paintwork that isn't visible (like under the bonnet) in case your Hyundai is more prone to dissolving.
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dissolving? half the paints gone by washing it and pressing hard!
Its really upset me, cuae other wise its a good motor. The paint colour looks great, but the quality is awful. The simplest of sharp objects takes it off.
So much for my keeping this car for a long while, if it needs re-spraying every year will cost a fortune!
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I never use more than car shampoo and a sponge, and then rinse with clean, cold water. O'h, and I wash our cars as little as possible. We have a 10 year old Xantia and the paintwork still looks good.
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wish i had a 10 year old xantia. the hyundai dealer is refusing to admit the gearbox sync needs replacing.
Why are they so bothered? hyundai will pay and its not as if its not common practise that the original gear boxes where faulty.
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>Is my car a one off, or have in fact hyundai really improved their build quality
>I?m shocked - last time I ever wash it, does more damage than good
>wish i had a 10 year old xantia
Can we take it that your love affair with this car is now over?
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my two week romance is not over yet, i had a beautiful hastle free drive i it, and its nice to be back in a car with interior space. If i get the paintwork done, i may as well keep it. Fitted an mp3/cd player which makes journeys even more fun!
Although i feel smug in the mornings when i see all the other commuters with there similar size motors who paid more than double my money and are just as screwed on britians road network as i am.
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