Enjoying The New Ride

Odometer: 1596 Avg. MPG: 27.0
I've been racking up the miles pretty good. This weekend I was able to take it up to the Marin Headlands. I had no problems scooting up those hills to check out the marvelous views of the Golden Gate Bridge and SF. Very nice. Even ran into "Flat Stanley" while I was up there.

Also headed into touristy Sausalito where I saw Bill Dan doing his rock balancing thing. If you have never seen this, you will be amazed. It is not an illusion. While he is limited to the minute balancing point of each rock and so he can't really compose as freely as a sculptor or painter, what emerges is usually very artistic looking.

Today I needed to run a quick errand down to Redwood City along the wide open lanes Hwy 280 and up and down the rolling hills of Farm Hill Road. Was in a hurry so I was pushing it a little. Acceration and passing was confident. Even though I was going at a nice clip, the ride was super quiet, except on hard unfinished sections where the blacktop was scraped away. Tire noise was high on those sections. Finished off the ride going down the steep windy hills of Millbrae Avenue, which could be a good way to test the brakes and cornering of this car, except that if you screw up you can easily end up crashing into a $2M home or worse some pedestrian. Quite enjoyable, even though I was in a hurry.

Geo Prizm is Sold!

Today(well Oct. 26 actually) was the last day I was going to strap my bicycle onto my Geo. The back of the car bears the scars of when I didn't know where to position the steel pedals during transport. Took it to the smog test station in the morning-- passed easily. Went to work. The guy came by the office late in the afternoon and we filled out the bill of sales and transferred the title. Exchanged cash for keys. Final selling price was $1850. The final odometer reading was 152,110 or something like that. Rode my bicycle home. Funny, on my way home, he called me from the freeway afterwards saying the temp gauge seemed to be going up as high as he thought it should. It was working fine in this morning. I think the weather was just kind of chilly. He didn't call back so I hope it that means it started to act normal further along on his trip back home.

Glad to finally sell it. Glad that it went to someone who appreciates the Prizm as a nice little car. (The guy used to have a '94 Prizm.)

So now with only driving the one car...hopefully I can acclimate to it faster. I think going back and forth between two cars made it hard to get to know the new car. Take parallel parking for example. This should be an easy task for this car, because of the lighter steering. It is freakin' easy to turn the wheel when parking. Right now I seem to end up backing in pretty sharply and I think I am going to hit the curb, but when I "return" I end up kind of far from the curb. With the Geo I was a pretty decent parallel parker. Living in S.F., you can't help but develop those skills. I intend to be a decent parallel parker again.

Ownership Update #3

Just hit the 1400 mile mark. I still have the old Geo Prizm, so let's make some comparisons with the new Hyotness.
These are things that you don't really notice until putting a few hundred miles on the cars.

From the driver seat:
- The Geo Prizm fits me a little better. When I put my arm on the arm rest or out the open window, it feels pretty good.
On the Elantra, because it is a more spacious vehicle, I cannot really put my arm on the armrest w/o consciously leaning to the left. Also the seat of the Prizm, while it doesn't hug quite like a racier seat, the raised sides/bolsters do actually touch my body, while on the Elantra, they are practically useless for me. The car was built for a larger person than I (5'7" and slim). What will I do to brace myself when I want to dive into a tight corner? Especially when the dead pedal is plastic.

- I think I like the steering wheel of the Geo a little better from an ergonomic standpoint. It had the finger grooves on the back of the wheel and was wrapped in vinyl. Also the 6 o'clock area is free, and I like to drive one handed with my hand there when there isn't much traffic. The leather wrapped steering wheel of the Elantra has no grooves; it has yet to prove slippery, but it could be if you were eating KFC before driving. But it also has steering wheel mounted stereo controls. And I think I am already getting used to the Elantra's wheel, so I don't think it will be an issue, unlike the arm rest. (I can't grow longer arms.)

- The aftermarket sunroof I installed is a little further back than on the one in the Geo. On the Geo, I could look straight up and have a decent view of the sky and trees. On the new car this is harder to do. It was just a restriction of where the buttons could go. Also I do not like how the new roof automatically closes when I shut off the engine. I like to leave the sunroof tilted open on hot days. If I push the open button on the sunroof while turning the ignition off, the roof will stay open, but so far I forget half the time. It is frustrating.

- The seats on the Geo Prizm though it is 14 years old are actually FIRMER than on the Elantra. This is a testament to the quality materials used for the seat foam. I don't know if this is saying that the Elantra seats are poor quality. It feels supportive enough now, and if it ages as well as the seat foam of the Prizm, it will stay supportive for a long time.

- I am still not 100% comfortable with the light steering of the Elantra. I prefer the "spring back" feel of old hydraulic power steering. But in a hairy situation, where the old power steering may "spring back" too much, I probably would welcome the light steering then. Supposedly the original Korean version of the Elantra has even lighter steering (almost effortless at parking lot speeds). The Hyundai Irvine team, along with TRW, re-tuned the steering for the American market.

- But before someone cries "Buyer's remorse," I must share that sitting in the driver seat of the Elantra is more relaxing than sitting in the Geo. It is the spaciousness, the breathing room. The Geo was not claustrophobic, but it was hard to stretch out in it and it doesn't give you the feeling of well being the Elantra seems to give. The seats are higher and more adjustable, so it feels more natural. Going back to sit in the Geo now feels kind of like sitting in a kid's seat now. And I have a bigger glove box(lit), 2 extra cubby holes up front, and nicely sized center console. The bottle holders fit my cycling water bottles, which I use everyday. The Prizm's only fit tapered cups and mugs. The climate controls knobs are big and easy to use, though I question the placement of the "off" setting with the functions knob instead of on the fan strength knob. Also I am going to appreciate the climate control's air filter when allergy season rolls along.

From the driver's seat the Elantra has much going for it that a 14 year old economy car cannot begin to address.

Did I Deprive Myself By Buying A Hyundai?

One acquaintance of mine thought that by choosing an Elantra SE, I was unnecessarily depriving myself, because I could afford a nicer new car. I think I was telling him I don't really need leather seats and he called me on it.
In The Divine Comedy: Inferno by Dante Alighieri, Circle No. 4 of Hell is reserved for the Wasters and the Hoarders. So some folk think being wasteful (living in excess) is bad – a sin. I agree, but as seen in this famous literary work "hoarding" (being a miser, being impractically stingy) can also be considered a "sin."
Both my parents were great savers, compulsive almost. So I have picked up their miserly ways, but sometimes I need to rethink my actions. Am I saving just for saving's sake or do I save for a purpose? A greater purpose? I sometimes need to remind myself that saving money in itself is not necessarily a VIRTUE.

What can I do with the roughly $3000* I saved by buying an Elantra SE over a Civic EX (which is similarly equipped with a 6-speaker stereo system and 16" alloy wheels) besides hoarding it in an Orange Savings Account?
Here is one possible plan:
1. A week's vacation in Cancun ($1200)
2. Buy some stuff for the car---like the IPod Nono I already bought and a then download acouple hundred songs for it. Custom seat covers. $500
3. Get six Ayurveda stress-reduction massages to get the knots out of my shoulder. $200
4. Treat friends to a nice dinner ( $100)
5. I can donate the remaining $700 to worthy charities like IJM and World Vision.

That sounds like pretty balanced way to spend it. There could be more practical ways, more noble and more grandiose ways to spend it, too. The point is $3000 can do a lot. And I relish in the freedom that I have $3000 to spend or invest anyway I want, which otherwise could be tied up in a car. I honestly don't feel deprived.

But then again... if I had to buy the car over again, I think I would have opted for the Limited with its heated leather seats, because these cloth seats are showing dirt already. Ugh... maybe my friend was a little right.
[Based on Car's Direct Low price: Civic EX automatic: $18,661 Hyundai Elantra SE: $15,300]

Geo Prizm LSi For Sale (SOLD 10/26)

I've had this car for 11 years of its 14 years and I still drive it on most weekdays, even though I have the new Elantra.
A great choice if you need reliable basic transportation. Consumer Guide - Auto remarks "Few small cars are more polished than a Prizm, or as well-constructed. We rank it right alongside the Toyota Corolla and Honda's Civic as top subcompacts."
I will be selling this soon I just have to change the title to my name, since I neglected to do it after I paid off the car. When the title comes, I will be accepting offers. Asking price: $2100. CLICK on IMAGES for better view.

Features:

• Power sunroof with slide and tilt(love it)
  
• Power Windows/Power locks
• AM/FM Radio Cassette Deck
• Denon 10-disc CD player
• Driver side airbag
• Anti-Lock Brakes
  
• 4-door sedan, compact class
• 1.8L 4-cyclinder engine
• Automatic transmission
  
• 151,920 miles
  

Good stuff:

• Same platform and engine as 1993 Corolla. Built in Fremont, Ca at the NUMMI Plant (Very reliable! Quite a few are still on the road in my area.)
• Gas mileage is about 27mpg, but I used to get 30, which was higher than Geo's published figures
• Fairly clean inside, i am a non-smoker.
• Never been in an accident. CARFAX copy available.
• I always accelerate and brake gradually. (not a leadfoot) That's why the transmission lasted 15 years and I got better than stated gas mileage.
• Seats are still very supportive, no holes.
• Tires are 4 years old, but looking OK.
• Small enough to fit in most spaces, but has decent horsepower.
• Slate blue color doesn't attract attention of thieves or cops.

Recent Maintenance and Repairs:
• Just spent $2000 on new rebuilt transmission in April ( I can show you receipt and 1 yr warranty)
•Timing belt was changed 10-25/06 at 145,588. Water pump, crankshaft and cam seal, spark plugs transmission gasket and wiper blades replaced. Tune up was done same week.
• Brake pads, new fluid done at 136,012.
• Oil changed, fluids checked this October.





Minor annoying things you will either need to live with or repair:
I am disclosing these things to be honest and not waste your time and my time.

• Seatbelt in the back seat right side not working (not a big deal if you don’t have a full load of passengers in your car too often)
• Power window squeal sometimes when closing/opening
• Illumination for the clock and radio display is out (Radio/cassette still works fine) (Use a flashlight to view)
• 10-disc CD player in the trunk not perfectly. Doesn’t play CD’s in slots 1,2 and 7 I think.
• Third party Alarm is not working.
• Speedometer does not work (I've been gauging speed using the tach and traffic around me. Quite easy to get used to.)
  
• Various scratches in paint and colored bumpers, but no rust (very strong primer/galvanization I guess). No dents.
• Tiny scratch/crack in front windshield, It has been there since I bought it. Fortunately it has never gotten any bigger.
• Passenger inside door handle is cracked and needs repair. Door can be opened by yanking handle forward. Driver-side door handle has a crack in the surrounding molding, but still works. If you are going to repair one, I suggest you repair both.
• Missing front left wheel cover
• Rear view mirror night switch does not work.
  

Except for the possibly the door handles, none of these issues prevent this car from being a safe, reliable, and economical mode of transportation.

I've Found Courteous Service at a Dealership

I've had to bring my car back to Cammissa Motors (where I bought the car) 3x since I got. Once to put in the sunroof. Second time to fix a draining tube that was loose behind my sunroof. Third time was today....needed to reset the Electronic Control Unit that was misprogrammed on Elantras built before May 28th and was causing slightly inflated speeds and odometer readings. But each time it has been pleasant mainly because of Paul, who is genuinely courteous. Also cool is in the half hour it took to reset the ECU, they also WASHED MY CAR! So it is no longer full of spots from a light rain 3 weeks ago. That is I guess a perk of servicing your car at a dealership that normally takes care of really expensive cars.

"You Bought a What?!" Hyundai’s Battle with its Brand Image

"The only problem I have had so far is that the snobby Yuppies don't approve of Hyundai's. It's not on their list of approved cars. If that doesn't bother you, and I hope it doesn't, they are very good cars."
-from someone on Autoboardz

Korea Is In the Limelight:
Call it Korean Karma: Interest in Korean pop culture is at a all-time high. Chinese in Hong Kong and the US are watching Korean soap operas; they are eating them up. “Lost” has two Korean actors. The first Asian to win on "Survivor" was Korean. And Hyundai is getting noticed more and more in the car industry. Something is up.
Most recently AutoPacific's Image and Consideration Tracking Study selected Hyundai as the most improved car manufacturer of 2007. The 2007 Elantra was also given an award for "most ideal compact car" by AutoPacific.
Now Hyundai was eyeing the luxury market. Is it a coincidence that the current Hyundai “H” badge looks a lot like the Lexus “L” badge? Maybe the luxury market was among Hyundai’s aspirations all along.

Even though those folk that regularaly read car magazines know Hyundai’s quality and reliability has risen sharply in the last 6 years, the cachet of the brand is still lower than its competition. Even though it ranked No. 3 in JD Power’s initial quality study in 2006, in 2007, it still only has about 2.5% of the American car market. It seems Hyundai still has a lot of work to do to win the respect among the greater car buying public.

Hyundai Still Fighting the Ghost of the Excel

I'll go out on a limb and say there are still large numbers of people who either

• Have been trained to not believe Hyundai can make a desirable car (or even a decent car)
  
• Are afraid to look uncool or poor by driving a Hyundai
• Embarrassed to be perceived as cheap by buying a Hyundai

I really kind of wonder what my friends thought when they heard I was interested in buying a Hyundai Elantra. When your guy friends drive TL’s, CX-7’s, LS400’s, and Tundras, what do you think their first thought is when you utter “Hyun-dai”?

On Yahoo! Answers where you get normal people (like me) playing experts on anything from religion to digital cameras, responses like these still pop up:

“Hyundai is lame all together. I'd go with the Honda or Toyota”

“Hyundai ain't got S......on Toyota.
Hyundais vehicles are like Disposable Cameras, you use them for a while then they are garbage. If any manufacture will come close to Toyota it might be Honda, but Hyundai? Not even close.”

“most people already know Hyundai's and Kia's are junk. those that don't get suckered by the marketing ploys.”

Some people are even embarrassed to drive a Hyundai Sonata as a rental car. Check out this blog article, “Hyundais Don’t Suck, but their brand still stands for suckiness”

Hyundais early embarrassments still haunt them. Even though the Japanese made poor cars when they started, the media was not as strong back then. The media of the 80's poked fun about Hyundai relentlessly. Hyundai might be facing a tougher task than Honda and Toyota.

Hyundai Still Fighting Its 'Value' Image:

To get a beach head in the American market Hyundai made its warranty the star, not the cars. It made getting more features at a lower price its image. It made American car buyers think that Hyundai couldn’t compete with the other brands unless it undercut the competition. Heck I bought the Elantra for exactly for the bang for the buck factor(though its rising reliability was the tipping point).
I see Hyundai gradually trying to wean us off that image. 2008 Elantras with Traction Control standard now cost noticeably more than the 2007's. This is a double-edge sword. People who used to see Hyundais as a way to save money may give up on it, if they see that price difference diminished between it and a "cooler" car. Hyundai needs to rely on "smart value" consumers who recognize though Hyundai may not be cheaper than a Sentra(eventually), it has more features and perhaps more reliability, and thus it is the better value. If not enough consumers pick up on this revamped Hyundai, Hyundai will suffer. But so far I have to give Hyundai an "A" for effort.
Hyundai public perception is gradually moving from just being seen for the excellent value of its cars to being respected for its cars in general.

Time and Brand Strength

Time is key to building a strong brand image. Though Hyundai’s been making cars for 20 years, they only started getting respect here a few years ago. They have a long way to go before a Hyundai Tiburon is talked about with the same familiarity and high regard as the classic Ford Mustang or even a Mitsubishi Eclipse. Hyundai Motors has no marquee model to stand on. All the better established brands have had models that made them stand out as cool or innovative at one time or the other. Hyundai does not have any of this. All of its successful models this year still live in the long shadows of more popular cars. Take their best seller, the Elantra: Civics are still more reliable and cool. Mazda3 are more sexy and fun to drive. Corollas are still phenomenally popular despite not having a redesign in several years. But it was time (and continued exceptional quality) that has made Civics and Corolla the undisputed champs of their class. If Hyundai keeps up their quality, time will be as asset to them as well.

Rev Up the Fun Factor
Not saying they should abandon the mini-van, but if I were part of Hyundai product development, I would jazz up the sexiness and performance on a couple more models….really attempt wow the driving enthusiast. Right now their image is “value”. And “value” is not sexy to most people.
They have established they can be more reliable than Nissan and Mazda. They know how to craft a refined interior and tight exteriors. But they are still considered bland or “uninspired” by many car enthusiasts. The Sonata and Azera are handsome cars, but far from drool-worthy. With the Mazda3, people have seen "practicality and performance" and "economy and fun-to-drive" can go hand in hand. Hyundai needs a model that gives up the price game and just competes on driveability, horsepower and looks. The new Genesis is a step in the right direction. But I think it might be more important to turn their attention on the more practical, and thus more pivotal Elantra Touring Hatchback. It has decent looks and a sportier suspension than the Elantra sedan, but I think it will have the same tame 138-hp engine. If they offered a sport trim with some kick, something that lures people out of their Mazda3 S‘s, they might move things along faster.



Its Cars Have Caught Up To Its Logo
It is an exciting time for Hyundai. I really took notice of the brand when they redesigned their logo several years ago. I thought and still think the Hyundai head badge is a truly handsome logo. It is sporty, simple, yet expressive. I like it better than Honda’s and Toyota’s surely. But too bad none of the cars at the time looked nice enough to deserve that badge. After the 24/7 redesign, all the vehicles look good enough to bear that badge. There will be a future when Hyundai will not be haunted by the Excel or just shopped for its price. I think it will take a few more years, but Hyundai and car buyers will get there eventually. When Hyundai Motors' 25th birthday rolls around, I think they will be facing a more welcoming consumer base.

Ownership Update #2

Odometer: 1124 miles
On the last tank of gas I averaged 27.2 mpg. Average speed was 29mph.
On my last trip from parent’s house to my apartment, I went 14 miles (8 on surface streets and 6 on the highway). On this trip I averaged 33.1 mpg. (No avg. speed reading since I did not reset it for this particular trip.) This data could be moot, if my speedometer and odometer is out of whack which it could be. I will be taking it into be reset tomorrow. This morning was the coldest it had been since getting the car, and I definitely noticed the engine sounding a little louder on the first couple of miles. I guess that is to be expected. Have resisted washing the car, but it has been very spotty since it encountered a light rain 2 weeks ago. Black cars shows dirt spots very clearly if you didn't know.

2008 Malibu Actin' More Like Its Namesake

The exterior of the previous incarnation of the Chevy Malibu was one ugly car. It was boxy, it had weird proportions and at best it was dull. It had a versatile interior, but (call me shallow), I would not have bought one even if they discounted it down to the price of the Accent. The 2008 Malibu dumps the 70's geekiness for a GQ-sleek sedan that reminds me of a Lexus GS or 2008 Accord from the side. You can get chromed wheels (up to 18"). What is really cool is the interior. The info cluster is kind of old school sporty. You also have a choice of several delicious seat upholstery designs including a two tone option called Cocoa Casmere leather (shown is the Ebony/Brick leather). It's fun and upscale. Sort of like the ritzy beach town where it gets its name from.
One thing puzzling is that it offers a hybrid model that gets not even 3mpg more than the normal 4-cyclinder (24/32 vs 22/30 according to fueleconomy.gov). Is Chevy and Malibu also ditzy like a stereotypical blonde from a beach town?

Hyundai should get into the beach car name thing...the Hyundai Hollister...gnarly, huh?

Look, I got it for my car!

Buying anything big leads you to buying accessories either out of real need or out of temptation.

The first thing I bought for my car was an Ipod Nano, since my "budget econo-box" has a port for an MP3 player. Before buying the car I never seriously considered buying a Ipod -- even though ITunes has transformed my computer into my primary music player at home. Ipods are great, but I just thought they were a little overpriced.
Now I have gone ahead and bought a used one for $100 on Craig's List. Since it was formatted for Windows and I have a Mac, I am unable to load music from my Mac onto it unless I erase all the music the guy left on it. Among the 4GB of his songs, I did find a few dozen that I liked (but didn’t have) so I have postponed erasing it. So instead of listening to my music, I am listening to Snow Patrol, Kanye, and Fergie, courtesy of the previous owner. Truthfully I’m not using the Ipod much, since I have 3 months of free XM radio. Since my Ipod is being underused, I am thinking about buying some portable speakers for it, so I can listen at home or at work.

See how this buying thing sort of builds on itself.

Do I feel guilty? Should I? I figure I'm just spending a tiny bit of the thousands of dollars I saved by buying an Elantra instead of a Civic or Mazda3.