Hyundai has made a believer out of me. Bought an XG350 a couple of months ago and it has been great.
One benefit with my job is a company car of my choice. Over the years, I’ve leased a variety of expensive European wheels and still drive one of those to and from work. My second car (which sadly is out of my own bank account), though, has always been the more economical North American makes. But after two consecutive NA lemons that turned temperamental almost instantly upon the expiry of warranty (and a number of suspects prior to them), I decided to go for an import this time around.
In fact, my last NA car (which I’ve ridden in favor of the Hyundai) was a major embarrassment to me – in front of a MP, of all places. I made the mistake of driving it to visit a MP at EBC on a Sunday night. After the session, I went back to the car and accidentally tripped the alarm. The thing went crazy, locked up the ignition and kept honking non-stop for a good 20 minutes until the battery died. I didn’t have the cell phone with me so had to go back to the MP for help. Worst still, it was Sunday night and most garages were closed. In the meantime, a crowd was assembled around the thing wondering who that idiot was making a scene outside of a “health� parlor. Finally and after an hour’s wait, a toll-truck showed up. It boosted the battery, only to find that the damn alarm went off again …., in the middle of an EBC mall with many MP’s. I ended up going home on the truck with the damn thing tolled while honking all the way home. Men, it was embarrassing, leave alone the explaining I had to do to my family!!!
Coming back to Hyundai. After much research, I decided to give the Sonata a test drive. It was great. But the minute I got into the roomier XG350, I knew this was it. This car, being the top-of-the-line Hyundai despite a price tag at LESS THAN HALF of my company car, rides just as well, handles almost as good, comes with almost as many gimmicks – and is considerably roomier at the back. Other than the look, which some may find conservative, this vehicle has tighter finishes than the over-price European brand I’m driving (it rattles slightly over bumps). This Hyundai is so far flawless and is such a fun to drive that I’ve been riding it in every opportunity, including to and from MP’s - with confidence. While it is too early to gauge its reliability, the first impression is impressive. And the 5-year, 100,000 km, bumper- to-bumper warranty and the 7-year power train warranty add credibility.
Hyundai does have a perception problem, as rsalomon rightly pointed out. It is not the vehicle to show for what you can afford, but is indeed a great vehicle to show for what you choose to drive.
