Why Hate Hyundai?

furious_driver · May 12, 2015

This thread was a result after the discussion in some thread regarding Hyundai handling and my reply got deleted. So I thought I will be better off starting a new thread. I am not insulting/defaming anyone by posting their quotes. It is just an discussion to keep the sanity of the forum, else I will be spamming all over the place. [:D]

Mods please move it to appropriate place if needed!

Why I started this thread?

Because I was fed up of posts like this :

You can come up with tons of posts like this all over TAI.

My question to those who just post for sake of it(or any other reason)

1. Why you are driving such insane speeds at our roads?
2. While TD, make sure the car fits your needs. If you want high speed cruiser, get other car.
3. If someone ask for car recommendation inside city, Hyundai is more than enough. But why spam the thread stating Hyundai steering is lifeless, when all the OP want was a car for city commute.

I simply don't blame any car for what it offers. I knew what I was getting and I happily accept and move on. I am not writing this just because I own a Hyundai. In my family, we have MS, M&M, Ford, Renault, HM, and a lot more in extended family. I drive Figo one day and next day I drive my Xcent. But I never complain Xcent, but I adore and enjoy the drive, for what it offers.

Every car has something unique. You are free to choose the car you drive. I like the light steering of Hyundai much better in B2B traffic, rather than Figo's unit. But I never go to the extent to say Figo is crappy in B2B traffic. I guess you get my point.

What I am trying to say?

I get it, Hyundai's not a good handler at high speeds, but then it is good at low speeds, Right? What will be the average joe's speed at our indian roads? 90-100 max. And for that speed, Hyundai's are just doing fine, and in fact, it has been improved a lot lately. If you want to cruise at insane speeds, get Germans or whatever and don't simply hate Hyundai's.

If user1, who is not an enthu and newbie driver, want a simple no-frills hatch and loaded one for city commute with tight budget, suggest him cheaper G-i10 rather than expensive Polo, just because Polo is good at handling.

I am open to any suggestion and discussion regarding this. I went to a point, where I see someone say Hyundai & bad handling, I stopped replying to those posts, thinking that will not change anything. But now, after sobering up, I write this!

nishant5858 · May 12, 2015

I for one have liked some Hyundai's and hated some. There are several factors for both liking & hating. The reasons I'll be mentioning here,

Lets start with Positives of Most Hyundai's
1. Good Styled Cars
2. Very well balanced Stance
3. Good Interiors
4. Very well Equipped
5. Some 'Unique' Features in each car
6. Very good After Sales Network

If there are some other points I'll mention them later.

Now, Negatives
1. Not always good in most departments
2. Some design bits don't look special
3. Always compromised somewhere else
4. Similar equipment list but higher price tag between the cars
5. Some essential features missing.

If there are some other points I'll mention them later.

Now, coming back to why I hate Hyundai despite having 2 in family is that they both are good but they don't that feel which spells Best in Class. To be Best in Class, you have to have some unique quantities. Take for example, the Old Verna was the most all round product from Hyundai. It had everything - Diesel, Petrol, Automatic, Manual, Multiple Versions, etc. The new Verna also has these, but where the Old Verna was clearly better was in terms of Rear seat comfort and good handling along with good ride. The new one is neither spacious/comfortable in the back nor is it as good handler as old one. The only weak link of Old Verna was the looks. Apart from that i don't feel there were any negatives/hating thing in that. But, that car failed despite being so good in many areas.

Take the latest Elite i20, it was off to a flying start. So many bookings flooded within days of launch. This is because people look at just Features & Looks in cars, other things don't matter to them. Here in these 2 parameters, the i20 scores. But what about the others ? Who look at Space, Comfort, Engines, Ergonomics, Dynamics ? Only the person who knows what it is & what it makes difference in real world will look at them. I forcefully told my brother to buy i20 because the car he had finalized (Polo) was to similar to the car I own (Rapid).
I differences between two are there, but it all came down to similar interiors & equipment list. But i wanted him to have a fresh car instead of old car, so its been 5 months since he has bought one. Car is again very striking to look at and is well equipped. But the Space isn't that great at rear even for a 5ft 7in like my mom, leave about me & my siblings. Then there is the engine noise which is refined compared to rivals, but you can still hear the engine inside (even with AC & windows closed), so where is that refinement thing mentioned by so many gone ? Then there are some useful things (FE Consumption, DTE, Automatic Wipers) not provided and useless things like (Smart Pedal, Push Button Start, 1 GB Hard disk) which are there just to pull people into the showroom. These are the things which I absolutely hate & only Hyundai does this type of useless things. There might be some other brands , but they are not up to Hyundai level.
Paint quality was appreciated by many but within months, swirls have appeared and there is difference in color between some parts(Bonnet & Grille). I am not at all impressed by paint quality, my 2yr old Brio & Rapid don't have any swirl marks which have superior paint quality

Still there are some more things which will be highlighted as they are detected. Till then, these are issues I have found on the 5 month old Elite i20.

Note: This thread mentions things that makes one Hate Hyundai, I have mentioned that along with what issues I am facing in the cars that I/Family owns.

Akash1886 · May 12, 2015

furious_driver said:

FD, Rest Assured this would have been done as per protocol.

Certainly, Me, You or any member certainly looks up to TAI for gaining information only which shall help in our as well as other's best of interest. Spamming/trolling can't ever be expected from the whole lot of dignified members we have here.

FD, I feel, none of us here are veterans in the field of automobiles. Even the most appreciated/respected/knowledgeable member certainly needs info on some aspects no matter how novice/amateur the query may be. That's not just a mere difference but a big difference between TAI and other massive automotive boards that are running on internet these days. If a person is well versed with all aspects then why would he/she shall ever turn to see our/ or any other forum? So with due respect to the query, we must acknowledge the concern. Our collective efforts is only to make TAI board the most easiest board to sought info on aspects related to automobiles. We in no way can rant on any sort of query raised as the query which we find amateur might be of great concern to the poster.

What's the harm in asking a simple question? Lets not turn our board into selective one. There are others who do this. Without going much in details. I would suggest, lets increase our info bank even for the novice query makers. Not everyone maybe as well versed.

Knowingly many people do many such things and its only once when they run out of their luck and land up in a mess. Such people learn only when circumstances teach them.

Absolutely. But that does not mean one can't test drive a car which he/she finds may "probably" fit in their budget/need.

Maybe but others too have the right to share their opinions and experience. A discussion/forum is based for open ended question and not one-point close ended question. As much as you feel that Hyundai is best for City use, may be someone find's a diesel Vento or a Petrol Honda City good enough for the same purpose.

Certainly, and the person/member who raised the query for a good city car also wants to be content with his purchase and move on. Car buying is a major decision for people but not the only decision in life.

When 5 fingers in our hand are not equal how do expect 5 different people to be same in their opinions?

To each his own. Every car is there for a purpose. If that car suits and fulfills the purpose buy it or else look for better option. As I quoted above, every person has different take on a particular situation.

Exactly, as you yourself said, every car is unique hence you voiced your views based on your experience. Same way, others also share their views. That's the beauty of it buddy. In Indian traffic scene, even best of the driver wont be able to go beyond 60-70 no matter how well he/she might try and no car be it German or Swiss or Indian will ever be able to show its full-potential on Indian roads.

This point by you clearly shows a certain bent towards Hyundai. A No frill Nano, Alto K10 or Datsun GO hatch would be as good for a newbie driver and not necessarily a Polo or Grand i10.

Every opinion is equally important in a decision making. Be it yours or anyone else. All one has to take note of is that not everyone is a expert and knows the car in and out. When we humans are not perfect 100% then how can our creations like cars can be 100% perfect. No car in today's time can be error free be it S-600 Benz or Swift et al.

I hope we'll have a positive and good discussion on the topic. Thanks for sharing your views buddy.

Ragards

Akash

VISHNUCARCRAZY · May 12, 2015

Guys,
I am not a speed fan,i always prefer safe driving,but when we are getting a plane stretch of highway of about 10 km length and again it lengthens up,won't anyone of you take speeds,am sure every one might have crossed 100 in one's riding experience.
I post mostly on my riding experiences,if at all i am saying from my hearing knowledge i will mention that also.

Mr.Furious driver ,You told ,are you insane in driving in higher speeds.

Its not sane or insane yaar, take it in positive note,you will be shocked,i drove my cousin's scala in 140 kmph(More than that it won't take up,1.5L max power band -just above 4.5k rpm)
In this speed 2 cars overtook me- Innova and Audi A8
[:D]

Its not about racing in highways,its rather enjoying the revving in highways.
No offence mend to anyone in this forum.

Mr.Akash-
Please don't say Circumstances will teach them,as for this day (2 years since my road driving experience)- I haven't met with Road accident,by god's grace and I usually check the vehicle's condition before taking speeds,if at all its not my rides.

furious_driver · May 12, 2015

Akash1886 said:

Eh! Sorry I am little confused by your words. We have pool of choices to TD and select. So I guess, all budget bracket have enough options to select from.

Akash1886 said:

I am not vouching for Hyundai and nor I am a Hyundai fanboy. I was just trying to break the myth surrounding the Hyundai. I just gave that as a reference and not in a way that I am forcing any opinion. It was just for an example! [:D]

Akash1886 said:

Read my comment above. I made that as a reference, for people, who always suggest Ford/VW/etc and not even include Hyundai, just because they feel the steering is "lifeless"! I am not hell bent towards Hyundai FYI [frustration]

Akash1886 said:

All I am hoping out of this thread is, change in mentality and to clear the misconception surrounding the brand "Hyundai".

I once again make it clear, I am not an Hyundai fan boy and not associated with it. It is bugging me for long time when people say something out of the mouth just for the sake of it. When I bought Hyundai, some neighbour guy told me "Don't go Hyundai. Drive is not good and mileage is like 8-9 only!".I replied to him, "Which car are you talking about and what do you own?". No reply from him. This is what I just wanna change!

VISHNUCARCRAZY said:

I never meant to hurt anyone bro! [:)]

You are bound by your own thoughts and so decision. If you prefer to drive above 100+, you are free to choose any car you like. I drive my car till 120+ but that is just for some overtakes. I mostly limit myself to 90-100 max, even if I drive our XUV. Why? Because I am more comfortable with that speed and our roads are full of surprises which I don't like. In that case, why blame Hyundai which clearly is not for high speed? You buy what suits you and don't blame something which can't satisfy your needs.

Akash1886 · May 12, 2015

furious_driver said:

Appreciate the attempt but buddy, misconceptions/perceptions take a lot of time to change. It can't be done overnight or in a year. All of us can give suggestions only but purchase decision is based on buyer's need/budget and many other personal aspects. When the brands themselves have been striving over the year to change public perception about them and yet its not coming out as they would like to then we all are just enthusiasts. Our opinions may be of help to immediate buyer and based on a certain product. However when we talk of perception/misconception about a brand as an entity then its a different game altogether. A brand's success/failure or recall value is based on certain things for example

* What type of product they design

* Will that product be customer friendly in the market that the brand targets.

* Who are its competitors and how to place the product efficiently among competitors.

* How to maintain the product once it reaches to end customer.

These and many other aspects lead to creation of opinion/perceptions and even misconception about a brand in long run.

Regards

Akash

VISHNUCARCRAZY · May 12, 2015

But Mr.Furious Driver,

Just a thought from me always provokes this question in Hyundai's Handling-
Power is provided more than what its rivals provide,then why not make handling also balanced with that. [:)]

furious_driver · May 12, 2015

VISHNUCARCRAZY said:

This is one area where they need to improve.

@nishant5858

Well said. I for one, agree to your points. You have laid out logical reasons, pros and cons. But not everyone is like you. Some people come to TAI looking for our opinion and help. It is our responsibility(duh! not mandatory) to give them option that suit them rather than based on our needs! Guess you got my point!

VISHNUCARCRAZY · May 12, 2015

Another flaw i feel with Hyundai's new strategies is- Giving a feature,then taking it back in next facelift,Doesn't it hurt the buyers sentiments.

Eg- Verna -DRL-Projectore set up in early 2014,in 4S verna this was stopped
Also Rear disc brakes where ommited.
I 20- DRL discontinued,also 6 airbag set up discontinued when elite i 20 was launched

furious_driver · May 12, 2015

VISHNUCARCRAZY said:

Yes. It kinda sucks! They remove the essentials and give us stupid features. But then until people mindset changes as a whole, it can't be changed.

Vignesh_k · May 13, 2015

furious_driver said:

Hey Furious Driver. Let me begin by saying a fact. Hyundai is not hated. Indian Masses have loved Hyundai!!! How else can you explain the fact that it is the second most selling car brand in India. i20 + Grand i10 is beating Swift + Ritz for the last couple of months. This is no mean feat. The sample size of this forum (or for that matter any online forum) is too small and also not realistic. Most of us are well-read, have been exposed to a lot of information and thus we are not a realistic sample.

furious_driver said:

This is a public forum and people who visit the forum will have a lot of questions. And we cannot restrict the type of questions they ask.

Coming to the questions themselves, they are valid questions, aren't they? A test drive is always not going to give you a complete picture. How long can you spend on a test drive? 1 hr max?? Can you try all sorts of roads and the car's behavior in a test drive? Not Always, Correct?? Again, you never know what the condition of the test vehicle will be. In spite of getting a first hand experience, any one familiar to a forum like ours will like to get a comprehensive feedback on all the queries in his mind. What better way to get the answers from owners themselves, who have spend much more time with the car.

furious_driver said:

I do not advocate speeding. But what is insane speed? Depends on the road, car and also the driver. Sometimes even on the time of the day and the weather. Correct? There are a lot of highways in India where one can easily do 100-120 kmph consistently.

In India (and around the globe), no one wants a one-trick pony. We want all-rounders, dont we? We need cars which can do well in the city and also crunch miles in the highway comfortably. A test ride will give you a good picture but not a complete one. Hence, nothing wrong in getting your doubts clarified. Again, my primary need may be city. But there will be times when I take the car to the highway or the hills also. Very few have the liberty of buying a city car and a highway car.

furious_driver said:

It is not blaming my friend, it is reality check. You yourself have mentioned that Hyundai has made improvements in steering and suspension and handling. You think they did on their own?? It was all based on customer feedback.If there were no forums like this and the manufacturers did not get any feedback, do you think the manufacturers will have bothered to do R&D and improve on the steering or suspension or handling? No, right?

furious_driver said:

Totally agree. Every car has its own unique selling points. Just like the buyer is free to choose his car, they have the freedom to ask questions and get their doubts clarified. We should respect and appreciate that in this forum rather than restricting them from asking those questions. I am sure the sales of Elite i20 is boosted by the fact that our forum and many other forums have admitted to the improvement in steering and suspension to the questions raised. So, there is always a positive side to the story. Correct?

And it is not only Hyundai. Many hate the way Fiat engines are tuned and the pathetic gearbox they provide. Many hate Skoda for its A.S.S. Many hate VW for the reliability issues of its DSG. Many hate Honda for the recent cost-cutting. Many hate Maruti for not giving safety options and poor build quality. Many hate Tata for their A.S.S and Ford for its poor sales personnel. Every brand has its weak points and as an independent unbiased forum, it is our duty to highlight both the positives and negatives of all brands. It is then the responsibility of the buyer to make an informed decision.

furious_driver said:

Not really FD. Hyundai's handling is an issue at high speeds. But the steering is a problem even in City speeds (at least the older ones). I drove my Bro-in-law's Santro. The steering is not direct or precise. Absolutely no feedback. I would not have noticed it much if it was my first car, but I regularly drive our Dzire and after that the Santro felt like a toy steering. Speeds above 80 was nervous for me but in our Dzire, I will go upto 120 without second thought. I found the same problem in my father-in-law's Bolero. For such a big car, the steering was pathetic. But the problem is very less Bolero users or potential buyers are here to complain or ask questions compared to the huge number of Hyundai users / potential buyers.

furious_driver said:

In my opinion, Enthusiasm is not determined by the car you drive. It depends on what drives you. You can drive a Grand i10 enthusiastically and also a BMW softly. It is not the enthusiasm alone that will make you choose the car, there are many other factors that come in. One of my friends bought a Punto and while I was about to appreciate his choice, he says "everyone buys a Swift, I want to be different and bought a Punto". What will you call him? Enthusiast??

I know many who want to buy a premium hatch which a good handler. They had to go for i20 because Polo would not give back-seat comfort for their family. So, will you call him a non-enthusiast newbie?? It all depends on various factors [:)]

furious_driver said:

Nothing wrong in stating your views. Rather than going defensive, you can state the facts. You can say how the light steering is a boon in City and for parking and how it is a non-issue till 100 kmph. You can say how the Grand i10 and Xcent have improved in the highway behavior compared to previous Hyundais.

VISHNUCARCRAZY said:

Vishnu, It all depends on the demand. Check out how many Asta (O) i20s were sold. Very few, very very few. It does not make sense for Hyundai to maintain inventory for this variant and wait for customers to pick one or two a month. This is the reason why 6-airbags and sunroof were omitted. Other features - COST CUTTING [;)]

VISHNUCARCRAZY · May 13, 2015

I admit with your views Mr.Vignesh
But they could have made it optional atleast or offered as accesories.
[:)]

furious_driver · May 13, 2015

Vignesh_k said:

Nice write up Vignesh. You made some sensible points. We all knew light steering is boon in city as well as parking. And I never mentioned anyone not to ask questions. But be realistic? Is that too much?

Every manufacturer has some unique trait as you mentioned. But people conveniently ignore that. Let's say for ex(this is just an example and don't call me Hyundai fanboy [:D]

):
User A, needs a petrol car(~6L), for only city commute with dense traffic(strictly no highways) with all creature comfort and can easily accommodate 3+1 pax . I suggest him Grand i10/Micra/Micra Active. But someone will jump into and suggest Polo, simply by saying Grand steering is lifeless.

See, this is what I was telling. Let the user decide that by TD the car. I suggest Grand, you suggest Polo. Let the user decide. Instead why throw tantrums on Hyundai and praise VW? I hope you understand my point.

Vignesh, I know this is public forum. We all have liberty to ask questions, reply for them and discuss. But the kind of posts I mentioned in example scenario is what bugging me.

Finally, is there something wrong with opening this thread? All I want to know is how people reply to my view and what general perception is towards this topic.

generalmax · May 13, 2015

Hyundai is a globally appreciated company.Many may hate it or ignore it due to the affiliation towards maruti in India but truth is Hyundai makes good cars.
There are some misconceptions like service charges,spare parts cost are at a higher side for Hyundai,which is not true in the current scenario.Let us look at some of the good things Hyundai had done.
Hyundai Elantra was the same car that was launched in US and in the western countries when it was launched in India.It had ABS +EBD +Traction control .(in 2004)
Hyundai came out with ABS in the small cars in India which our "intelligent" people declined saying "small cars don't require ABS". It is the same with 6 Airbags in i20.People ridiculed them and so it was taken out in the next update. Maruti was busy selling cars without any safety features when Hyundai came up with all these features.When people are only money cautious what can Hyundai do ? One more example is that of the rear disk brakes in Verna,which was removed from the new models.
When we don't appreciate it then why blame the manufacturer? For good market good competition is required.Hyundai is doing good in that matter.

Very miniscule number of people, who are ignorant, can hate a manufacturer like this.

furious_driver · May 13, 2015

generalmax said:

Hyundai is a globally appreciated company.Many may hate it or ignore it due to the affiliation towards maruti in India but truth is Hyundai makes good cars.
There are some misconceptions like service charges,spare parts cost are at a higher side for Hyundai,which is not true in the current scenario.Let us look at some of the good things Hyundai had done.
Hyundai Elantra was the same car that was launched in US and in the western countries when it was launched in India.It had ABS +EBD +Traction control .(in 2004)
Hyundai came out with ABS in the small cars in India which our "intelligent" people declined saying "small cars don't require ABS". It is the same with 6 Airbags in i20.People ridiculed them and so it was taken out in the next update. Maruti was busy selling cars without any safety features when Hyundai came up with all these features.When people are only money cautious what can Hyundai do ? One more example is that of the rear disk brakes in Verna,which was removed from the new models.
When we don't appreciate it then why blame the manufacturer? For good market good competition is required.Hyundai is doing good in that matter.

Very miniscule number of people, who are ignorant, can hate a manufacturer like this.

Wow! Never knew they had ABS in small cars way before. Did you mean i20 or i10?

I agree with you max! It is us, the people, who made them do those changes.

Why Hate Hyundai?

furious_driver

V10

nishant5858

V10

Akash1886

Honoured Member

VISHNUCARCRAZY

V10

furious_driver

V10

Akash1886

Honoured Member

VISHNUCARCRAZY

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furious_driver

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VISHNUCARCRAZY

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furious_driver

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Vignesh_k

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VISHNUCARCRAZY

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furious_driver

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generalmax

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furious_driver

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