I think I do. Tell me why I don’t. Before I leave for the used car lot…
(Family of four, live in Chicago but go car camping as often as possible many highway hours away, may be purchasing a popup camper/trailer soon.)
no. Consumer reports has a number of “black dots” on their reliability report for the 2003 Sonata.
ETA: in “Engine Major,” “Engine Minor,” “Electrical System,” “Drive System,” “Fuel System,” and “Paint/Trim.”
Thanks, jz!
I ended up with a 2003 Subaru Forrester. Not quite as pretty as the Hyundai that caught my eye, but a good solid reliable car that will do what I want it to, I think.
Much better choice.
Can I ask what you paid for the forester? I’m thinking of getting one around that year for my scuba/kayaking hobbies.
Well, I didn’t realize until I signed back in that I meant to ask if I wanted a Hyundai Santa Fe, not a Sonata, but the point, it is moot. 
We paid $7195 + tax, title, reg, doc fees. We paid in cash (green stuff, not a check, not a credit card) and we knew it had been sitting on the lot for over two weeks, so that gave us a little leverage in negotiations. We also got a 90 day warranty (third party) out of them and the much newer, better all weather tires that were on the '02 Forester sitting next to the '03 Forester in the lot! Single owner, clear title and Carfax, practically immaculate inside and out.
Missing, oddly enough, the rear seat headrests and the floor mats. I coulda swore they were there during the test drive. I’ll have to check with the guy on Monday to make sure his guy didn’t take them out for the final cleaning and forget to put them back! If not, it’s no big deal - the back seat come up high enough for my (short) kids’ safety without the headrests, and replacement floor mats are cheap.
Since Kelly Blue Book’s website says I should expect to spend $9,530 for it from a dealer in my ZIP, I feel like we did really, really well today!
It’s a solid vehicle. Tons of cargo space, even with the back seat full of passengers. Nice roof rack (which I imagine would be perfect for kayaks.) The seats are a little firmer than I think I’m really crazy about, but for long car rides, a cushion or pillow will take care of that. I can clearly see echoes of the little '81 Subaru that was my very first car. They haven’t changed the climate controls one bit, which made me laugh and feel nostalgic!
I admit, I’m a little disappointed not to have the sexy lush look and feel of the Santa Fe, but I’m just shallow enough to admit that it was the purty purty of that fake wood in the dash and the “leather” accents that really wooed me.
The Forester is sensible. It’s the car Mom wants you to bring home for Sunday dinner.
hyundai/Kia made junk up until about 2006-2007. I consider it a work of marketing genius that they’ve been able to whitewash their image so quickly.
I don’t agree with this at all. My 2005 Elantra has 112K miles with never a problem; it starts and runs and has done so reliably and consistently.
and? one car is not a statistic. I can say the same about my Dodge Neon with 148,000 miles.
I sold tools to my local Hyundai dealers’ service techs. They are DYING due to lack of work. The new Hyundais are incredibly reliable and easy to maintain. Seriously, 7 techs and not one had made more than the contract minimum guarantee in over a year.
If I was to buy a new car, Hyundai and Honda would be at the top of my list. Maybe MAYBE Lexus if I won the lottery.
I have a 2004 Hyundai Elantra (119K miles) and aside from general upkeep and one incident with the thermostat, it’s been a fantastic car. I’d buy another in a second.
We researched Hyundais thoroughly before we bought my 2005 Corolla - they were coming up with solid reviews then. I tried to buy an Elantra, but the dealerships in Calgary suck and they played games with us instead of selling us one, so we ended up with the Corolla.
I’m happy with my 2000 Elantra. The transmission went at about 110k, but I’m pretty sure I had something to do with that.:smack: Other than me wrecking it a bunch of times, it’s in great shape.