The New Mom-Mobile

[sam o nela]

After extensive research and visits to dealers (in between staying with the baby in the hospital every day for three weeks!) our new mommy-mobile search came down to two candidates. The Honda CRV and the Hyundai Tucson.

And the winner is:










2011 Hyundai Tucson GLS (midrange trim)












Now I know what some of you are thinking...........""

But I have made it no secret that I have been increasingly more and more impressed by Hyundai's offerings and reliability over the past few model years (especially after having driven a few as rentals). I was seriously thinking about getting a Sonata V6 as a daily, then started looking at the Genesis, then, once this baby came along and it was obvious we'd have to move into a small SUV, the Tucson.

I would have much preferred an RDX or EX35, but at this point the used ones in the model years I wanted were still just a bit too far out of reach price wise (and the Used Car market having inflated prices due to the slow economy certainly doesn't help!).

Then we looked at CRVs, Elements, Rouges (yawn!), and the like. Then after test driving, it came down to the Tucson vs the CRV.

What it ultimately came down to, was this: I could get a 1-2 year old Tuscon for around the same price range as a 3 year old CRV...and the Tucson has a six speed auto (with shift-tronic), and a ton of nice standard features at every trim level whereas the CRV with the features I wanted would have required quite a search on my part. Thus far I am very happy with the choice.

So far, since we picked her up, we've averaged about 23 mpg with 80% city driving...so far so good! When I had the corporate cousin Kia Sportage as a work rental a few months back, I got 30 mpg on a day trip to and from Riverside, CA (about 4.5 hours total driving time) after spending about half of that time creeping in 10-20mph traffic. Not bad for a small SUV...

So standard this thing has Bluetooth (streaming music and making/receiving calls), Satellite radio, MP3/WMA compatible CD player, USB interface that can read flashdrives with music, with ipod interface ability, line in, black leatherette and cloth inserts, 4 wheel discs with ABS, 17" rims, ESC, airbags all over the damned place, and some other shit I'm probably not thinking of, don't really care for, or haven't yet discovered.

To boot, I've still got 3 years/30k miles left on the factory warranty. Reliability on these cars and the electronics seems to be pretty solid from what I have read though.

Regardless, its a car that is a perfect fit for my wife and daughter. Great MPG for errands, reliable, utilitarian, and safe.

I have few plans for this one aside from the usual tint up front, maybe upgrade to touchscreen entertainment center and a rear back up camera, and throw on some projectors and HIDs. Also, apparently Iggees makes a full set of seat covers for this car so I may go that direction to save the current seats. The drive is definitely a lot more engaging than the 97 Ford Explorer I grew up with.

Overall, I'm happy with the purchase.

[cakes]

It's practical, gets the job done, and has the features you want so there's nothing wrong in my book. The gas mileage sounds great for a car of that size and utility. The CRV has the slowest depreciation rates in the industry do you would have really had to pay for one if you wanted it.

I haven't been happy with honda's offerings lately, and the worst thing to do would be to buy one, which encourages them to keep on producing mediocre products.

[BluBrett]

Hyundai is doing a great job with interior design, but exterior design is still borrowed heavily from other manufacturers. This one looks a lot like an RX350. Hope the best for your reliability! Not sure if I would trust them yet, but maybe they really have changed their ways.

[sam o nela]

Seems to me that the Koreans today are where the Japanese were back in the 80s. They have made leaps and bounds in reliability, innovation, and styling, and offer a great packaged value when compared to the current market leaders.

I've been saying it for a few years now:

Honda, Nissan, and Toyota need to stay on top of Hyundai and Kia...or they'll make the same mistake Ford/GM/Chrysler did 30-40 years ago by thinking "Japanese cars? LOL! Those will never catch on!"

I don't really see RX350 when I look at it, but I know what you mean about the knock off styling cues...and I think that Kia has really done a great job with their current generation lineup of moving away from that...I think Hyundai is watering it down some but I can still see the immediate competitor in almost all of their cars if I squint my eyes and stare

I forgot to mention too that depreciation for Japanese and Korean cars is a wonderful thing. I know that the domestic makers are getting better, but it is sad to see the going price for domestic cars from the early 2000's that are around the price of 15+ year old imports. Go figure

[Classico]

Originally Posted by cakes

It's practical, gets the job done, and has the features you want so there's nothing wrong in my book. The gas mileage sounds great for a car of that size and utility. The CRV has the slowest depreciation rates in the industry do you would have really had to pay for one if you wanted it.

I haven't been happy with honda's offerings lately, and the worst thing to do would be to buy one, which encourages them to keep on producing mediocre products.

Well said !! i like the one that come with the terra seats...

[Nino418]

As a previous CR-V owner and fan of the CR-V and RDX( my family currently has a 2006 CR-V EX, a 2010 CR-V EX and a 2011 RDX w/ Tech package) I am slightly dissapointed to see you chose the hyundai over the Honda. However, I can completely understand you decision to do so. My family members are Honda loyalists, we have puchased Honda vehicles since before I was born and continue to do so to this day. We switched from accords to CR-Vs in 2002 ( we needed more room when my brother and I started playing hockey and the 4wd snow performance is a must in the north east) and have loved them ever since. The newest addition was the 2011 RDX which is my favorite so far besides my previous legend and current TL (the 2.3L turbo is quite the torque monster). However, the RDX is kind of a gas hog (avg mpg is only 22mpg on premium) and the CR-V's price tag has increased substantially in the past few years since we bought the first one in 2002 (the EX model in 02 was around 23,000 while the 10 EX was close to 26,000). That being said, the Hyundai allows you the same and more features over the CR-V, at significantly less the price. In my opinion it is a better buy and I also (as much as I hate to say it) Hyundai is doing what made all the japanese brands so successful in the 80s, and giving consumers what they want and need at a near unbeatable price. (good styling, tons of features and fancy gizmos, proper powertrain options, multiple sizes to fit ones needs, good fuel economy, good reliablity, and a level of quality that is expected of a much more expensive vehicle). However, I still have not been completely sold on buying a Hyundai or Kia as my own vehicle. While they offer a lot for the money, they still have a "cheep" feel to them which doesn't sit well with me. When looking at the understructure and suspension components of these vehicles on a lift, you can physically see where the money was saved. And finally (this matters more in the north east where winter weather, salt, sand and highly corrosive mag chloride are used on roads) their rust resistance is no where near the level of current offerings from the Japanese, Germans, or even American vehicles. I also have never gotten the same "fun to drive" factor from my friend's 2009 Elantra that I do from my girlfriends 2010 civic LX. (both auto). I know that I am bias towards Honda products, but if I was car shopping I would still choose a Honda that was 3-4 years or older over the equivalent Hyundai offering of the price was the same. I just haven't been sold on them completely. They definitely offer you what you want at a price you can afford, but at what cost? ( another small closing tidbit: the same friend with the 2009 Elantra lost her keyless remote and needed to get a new one. I suggested she should just get one on eBay ad program it herself because it would be cheeper. If she was driving a newer Honda this would be fine as you can look up the programming procedure and do it yourself, however, Hyundai and Kia require you to take your vehicle to them and pay a fee to have your remote programmed because it can only be done with the vehicle hooked up to a special computer at the dealer.) Things like this situation irritate me and steer me away from certain types of vehicles. (VW and Audi comes to mind) unlike those unfortunate car owners, my Hyundai friend has not had any major mechanical mishaps or falures to report, which is very good in my book. The car has fairly low mileage (60k last time I checked) but it still runs very well and has no signs of imminent failure. To sum this giant book of a post up, I'm sure you will be very happy with your purchase and should expect many miles of trouble free service out of it. You definatley got a good buy and tons of features for your money as well as a vehicle that gives you all the important qualities (good mpg, safety features, style) you want. I just wish Honda corporate execs would take notice and stop relying so heavily on people like my family and I who will stay extremely brand loyal to them because of many years of previous purchases and focus more on creating vehicles that not only are practical, extremely safe, and reliable but also to design and produce vehicles that have that special "Honda magic" fun to drive character and charm that many of their new vehicles lack. They need to realize that if their product is good enough, people WILL pay a premium to get it; they don't have to cheepen themselves down to compete with the lower cost "best bang for your buck" brand. Until they figure that out, they will continue to lose more and more of their loyal consumers to other brands such as Hyundai who are figuring out how to make their own image and offer everything you want in an affordable package. They even make a car for driving enthusiasts ( the genisis sedan and coupe) Hell, even Toyota and Subaru figured out how to make a car to please the driving enthusiast at a awesome price (the FR-S and BR-Z). Come on Honda, where the hell is the rebuttal that squashed the competition like old times? Where is the Integra?, the Legend?, the NSX?, the S2000?, the CRX si?, The Prelude? Gone... And if they continue on the path they currently travel on, so will be the loyal customers and enthusiasts that once would defend and purchase their products till the very end. sorry for the rant, Sam I wish you and your family the best of luck with your newest vehicle. Please keep us updated on future mods and progress.

[pnoye2]

Looking good Gabe

[94LegendaryAcuraGS]

Congrats Sam on the new vehicle! I agree with you COMPLETELY Tom and its why my decision was made to buy my Infiniti over a TL. I actually got MORE for the same price. Honda does need to "wake up" along with the other Japanese auto manufacturers as Korea is doing EXACTLY what they did to the automobile industry in the U.S. Start off with el cheapo cars and then transform into the highly desired people and option friendly vehicles and raise the costs incrementally to their success yet undercut the competition. In ten years you'll be paying a premium for their cars which just might match the Japanese at EVERY level then.

[mellofelow]

CONGRATS!! To the baby first of all. Great to hear everything is going well. Hope to see you soon. The car... is just a bonus.

[sam o nela]

Thanks guys!

Yeah Tom I feel you completely. I felt the same way for a long time. My family has been very brand loyal to Acura since I was like 9 years old, starting with my parents both having G1 Legends in the early 90s. Thus, I grew up always being into Hondas and Acuras…especially Legends (which is how I am here today I guess lol). Then I got really into Nissans (especially Maximas) as a teen and have been a Honda/Nissan loyalist since then. Between my wife and I over the years, we’ve had a Datsun, 3 Legends, and 2 Infinitis (and an old Jag XJ and BMW E23 but we’ll leave them out for now lol).

But…here is what I found.

I, like many here and everywhere, have grown frustrated and displeased with Honda’s offerings over the last few model years (dare I say generations??). They have continually allowed the competition (whether it be Koreans, Domestic, or the other Japanese companies) to catch up or one-up them in package, design, driving experience, or value. That’s not to say that Honda is doing a terrible job, but rather that they don’t stand out so much from the competition anymore…or worse yet….that they are even bested by them in some areas. Unfortunately this leads to their losing repeat or brand loyal customers. I have to say that if the Nissan Rouge were a little bit bigger, had some more gadgets, and offered a NON CVT transmission, it probably would have come down to the Rouge vs the CRV.

I really wanted to get into something by my beloved Nissan and Honda, but their Acura and Infiniti offerings were out of my price range, and their nameplate offerings didn’t have “value” to me. And to put value into context, how many times have you gone out to eat and thought “well, I’m not hungry anymore, but there is no way that meal was worth $10”. Or gone to a movie and felt, “Yeah, I liked it, but I don’t feel that it was worth the full admission price.”

Honda and Nissan had offerings for me, but unfortunately those offerings did not meet what I wanted in a car based on what I was willing to pay. As it turns out, Hyundai (which had already been tempting me over the last few model years as it was) could meet that need and my research revealed that the reliability (very important to me) was sound. And they easily and happily met me right at my price point.

I really hope that Honda figures this out. I was not only in the market for a car that they offered, I was on the lot in the seats looking at this car and WANTING to be impressed. But in the end, logic and need beat out my loyalty to them. Don’t get me wrong, I still have lots of respect for them, but when the time came, they couldn’t fulfill my need. And just like that they had another loyalist sniped right out from under their noses.