$60,000 Hyundai anyone?
- Thread starter T4Fun
- Start date
Thai
Elite Member
Jed, Toyota is selling a $70k+ vehicle (Land Cruiser) and a $40k car (Avalon). Not sure if it's true, but Hyundai states that the Genesis ($40k+) is the best selling luxury midsize sedan or something like that. So, unlike Toyota in 1990, Hyundai is ALREADY selling a pricey sedan...so, although i agree with you that it is a stretch to sell a $60k car, things may work well for Hyundai...who knows?! Americans have such short term memory that they may not even remember the days when Hyundai was selling $9000 car...this is why i think that Hyundai will trash (or demote) the cheaper cars to Kia over the next year or two.
I am sure that you're right. Of course, i did spend $70k + on a SUV just to trash it off-road.
That's because you're nuts.:lol:
I think they sell like 3 of them per year. LOL. An interesting comparison would be a Toyota Land Cruiser and the Lexus GX. My guess is that the Lexus far outsells the Toyota, but I haven't looked up the sales numbers.
Exactly. And the VW still failed miserably.
I wouldn't say it's widespread....the car made its debut in 2009 (yes, in Korea) so it's not exactly common from what I've read. There's an interesting blog about it on the Hyundai-Blog website where a few Koreans chime in and claim that affluent Koreans tend to prefer German luxury vehicles. Apparently the Equus is a rare car even in Korea.
BTW, in Korea the Equus has a price tag that is the equivalent of $96K in U.S. dollars!
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Maritimer
New member
OK, this is the second generation one now. I missed it as I was leaving Korea last summer when it would have started to hit the roads. The first generation is all over the place, but I get the feeling it is die-hard older men who prefer it. The new rich (30 and 40 something professionals) do seem to enjoy their German cars and other pricey foreign cars. They have to pay the import duties as well, which makes the vehicle even more luxurious--they have "money to burn" so to speak.
Of course....I thought you were talking about the new one...you know, the one that costs big $$$
I believe it was significantly less expensive. Only now are they trying to move up into such a high price point.
Uneek
Super Moderator
Yes, that is very true.
But I can't tell you the number of people who've heard me say "I want to get a Lexus" and their response was "What? A Toyota with leather seats."
So while Lexus has certainly earned its place as top tier luxury name plate, there are still plenty of people who don't think much of them.
IMO, history will repeat itself in a few decades. Hyundai is going to be the new Toyota and Toyota will be GM.
I'm not hating on Toyota. As much as I want my next purchase to be a Toyota, they need to earn it. In my book, they've been slacking and others have caught up.
Uneek
Super Moderator
And you know what's hilarious about it...
I saw one on the road yesterday or the day before, it was cheap looking. The windows were nearly clear with little or no tint. This is glass behind the driver, the entire cabin is see through like those cheap Tundra work trucks. I'd expect it to have privacy glass for $70k.
rook
New member
I would have agreed with you up until 6-months ago. Somehow I think Toyota has changed its focus and will move back to earning sales through quality as opposed to volume incentive.
Toyota did rest on its laurels for far too long.
Hyundai is a big company with deep pockets as well. The difference is that Hyundai prefers to play copycat with their styling and implementation of technology. I doubt you'll ever see a Hyundai be the first to offer a feature. They simply sit back, allow the suppliers to develop less expensive methods of manufacturing and then package options together to achieve a lower price. Why bother spending money on styling when you can take elements from the luxury cars and undercut the price.. call it a cheap Benz, BMW or Lexus for that matter.
Yeah, I've heard similar comments. No matter what Toyota/Lexus does to separate the brands, there will always be people who think of Lexus and nothing but a fancy Toyota. And to some extent, that's completely true. I believe it's more of a marketing thing than anything else. I've always thought Toyota should do a little more to differentiate the ES from the Camry. But hey, what do I know? They seems to be doing well...
Toyota will be GM? In what sense? Do you mean the largest car manufacturer or do you mean bankrupt?
I'm not hating on Toyota either. I've owned a few Toyota vehicles, but I'm not loyal to them. If Toyota doesn't make a vehicle that I really want to buy, I'll definitely look elsewhere.
The Japanese were accused of the same thing for years. It always seemed to be American manufacturers (at first) and then German manufacturers that came out with nice features and then the Japanese would basically copy them soon after. Now we're seeing something similar from the Koreans. And Chinese manufacturers are just now trying to get moving on exporting their vehicles around the world, so expect more of the same.
It has to be difficult these days with the complexity of modern cars....so I don't blame Hyundai for lagging behind. I definitely think they are headed in the right direction. Their styling has definitely been headed way upscale from what it was just a few years ago.
Koz
New member
The fact is; as long as the economy is in the crapper, Hyundai will sell/grow. The majority of buyers since the economy is down are watching every penny they have and many are looking at the BOTTOM LINE, period. Here is a decent vehicle at a better price/value. Is it the better vehicle? Not yet!
As Jed stated, they need to separate themselves from the Hyundai name, to start. They know that. That’s why they don’t have an emblem on the front of the Genesis and that is why they felt they had to copy the Bentley logo. They need to stop coping and start being original. Look at the Snota, it could not be anymore blatant.
Koz
As Jed stated, they need to separate themselves from the Hyundai name, to start. They know that. That’s why they don’t have an emblem on the front of the Genesis and that is why they felt they had to copy the Bentley logo. They need to stop coping and start being original. Look at the Snota, it could not be anymore blatant.
Koz
Thai
Elite Member
You just described Lexus up until a few years ago! Not until maybe 5 years ago, many Lexus look just like a Mercedes. VSC, TRAC, Multi-terrain select, pre-collision system, active headrest, etc.. Only in recent times have you seen Lexus have "breakthroughs" such as hybrid technology, VDIM, 8-speed auto tranny, engine technology (as in building class-leading power), etc.. And out of all of this, hybrid technology is really the only one that you can consider as a first by a long shot over the competition.
Actually, for me, i don't care if they are first or last, i just want the technology to work well and be reliable. So, from that standpoint, i prefer the turtle method of Lexus (and now Hyundai?)...cheaper and more reliable...that is more money in my pocket!
Of course, there is one thing that Hyundai has a long way to go...and that is luxury and refinement. I have sat in the Genesis a few times...it just does not impress me with either design nor materials. The ambience is not there. Materials feel cheap...basically, Hyundai can't hide the "you get what you pay for." Back years ago, Lexus interior was boring but rich in texture and materials. Lexus may have lagged behind in exterior design and performance, but you can always count on an elegant rich interior. You can't say the same about today's Hyundai. Telemetics were also a Lexus strong point...easy to use NAVI and amazing sound system. Hyundai got the sound system already with the Lexicon...a very good system! However, the NAVI part is just still not intuitive. The interface is also not all that great...the steering wheel controls look like a Kia. This is all based on my Genesis experience...so, hopefully, the Equus will be much different.
