Topic: First Drive: 2011 Hyundai Elantra

[carcrazy]

Wasn't Suzuki a two car company for the longest time? A subcompact (supersubcompact?) and a subcompact SUV.

And remember Mitsubishi has the RVR now as well and hopefully soon the iMiEV, though I think they should bring back the Colt as well. Nothing like crowding the subcompact area even more.

In Canada at least, Suzuki only has the SX4 and Grand Vitara that are competitive in their segments. I really believe that lack of competitive offerings in other segments is hurting them overall.

They also have Kisashi which is a good car too.

Should Subaru (FHI) stop making cars too? They only sold 457,301 units globally for the FY2010 (ending March 31, 2010) and lost money in the process. I don't think so and I hope not.

Suzuki sold some 2.3 million vehicles world-wide in the same FY and Mitsu 960,000 units.

[Shnak]

Wasn't Suzuki a two car company for the longest time? A subcompact (supersubcompact?) and a subcompact SUV.

And remember Mitsubishi has the RVR now as well and hopefully soon the iMiEV, though I think they should bring back the Colt as well. Nothing like crowding the subcompact area even more.

In Canada at least, Suzuki only has the SX4 and Grand Vitara that are competitive in their segments. I really believe that lack of competitive offerings in other segments is hurting them overall.

They have Kisashi too which is a good car too.

Should Subaru (FHI) stop making cars too? They only sold 457,301 units globally for the FY2010 (ending March 31, 2010) and lost money in the process. I don't think so and I hope not.

Suzuki sold some 2.3 million vehicles world-wide in the same FY and Mitsu 960,000 units.

Ha! I completely forgot about the Kizashi. Not surprising considering I still haven't seen a single one of the roads so far.

In North America, Subaru has a much more complete lineup of very competitive vehicles than Suzuki or Mitsubishi. They're missing a subcompact and minivan. Nothing wrong with being somewhat of a specialized brand where you concentrate on 3-4 models, as long as you do them extremely well and offer great values compared to your competitors. For Subaru, their drivetrain is what's seperating them from their competitors. What seperates Mitsubishi from its competitors? Why should I buy one of its model instead of the 5-6 other offerings in the segments?

[guest]

Mitsu doesn't have the financial power to rollout cars at the same speed as Hyundai does, but they'll get there.
Their focus is on small cars now and most likely we'll see the iCar and the new Colt long before the Galant, Endeavor or Eclipse replacements.

since mitsu is a huge conglomerate, if their auto sector fails, then their soy sauce, glass manufacturing, etc... can bail them out.  mitsu does have the finances to improve their cars, but it will come at the expense of neglecting other, more profitable parts of their conglomerate.  remember, mitsu and hyundai are very similar; both are huge conglomerates.  hyundai also has divisions that deal with tourism, shipping freight, department stores and heavy industries.

as others have mentioned, mitsu is not on the radar of anyone.  mitsu does not have a single offering that makes it into the top 3 of any segment....unless AWD, turbocharged, rally-inspired sport compact is a segment.  seriously, would anyone speak of a lancer in the same breath as a civic, corolla or 3?

[Shnak]

Should Subaru (FHI) stop making cars too? They only sold 457,301 units globally for the FY2010 (ending March 31, 2010) and lost money in the process. I don't think so and I hope not.

Suzuki sold some 2.3 million vehicles world-wide in the same FY and Mitsu 960,000 units.

Subaru will sell around 300k cars in North America in 2010. Compare that to 30k for Suzuki and 68k for Mitsubishi. Why are the last two even trying anymore? They should give up already and concentrate on the markets where they're successful. No point in dragging their failure any longer, IMO.

[carcrazy]

Wasn't Suzuki a two car company for the longest time? A subcompact (supersubcompact?) and a subcompact SUV.

And remember Mitsubishi has the RVR now as well and hopefully soon the iMiEV, though I think they should bring back the Colt as well. Nothing like crowding the subcompact area even more.

In Canada at least, Suzuki only has the SX4 and Grand Vitara that are competitive in their segments. I really believe that lack of competitive offerings in other segments is hurting them overall.

They have Kisashi too which is a good car too.

Should Subaru (FHI) stop making cars too? They only sold 457,301 units globally for the FY2010 (ending March 31, 2010) and lost money in the process. I don't think so and I hope not.

Suzuki sold some 2.3 million vehicles world-wide in the same FY and Mitsu 960,000 units.

Ha! I completely forgot about the Kizashi. Not surprising considering I still haven't seen a single one of the roads so far.

In North America, Subaru has a much more complete lineup of very competitive vehicles than Suzuki or Mitsubishi. They're missing a subcompact and minivan. Nothing wrong with being somewhat of a specialized brand where you concentrate on 3-4 models, as long as you do them extremely well and offer great values compared to your competitors. For Subaru, their drivetrain is what's seperating them from their competitors. What seperates Mitsubishi from its competitors? Why should I buy one of its model instead of the 5-6 other offerings in the segments?

II did not intend to convince you or anyone else that Mitsu is better then Subaru. This was not the point of my posts.
The thing is "Guest" promoted the idea that since Mitsu is a small volume manufacturer, it is irrelevant and it should stop making cars. I provided numbers to show that Subaru is even smaller globally and, by the same token, they should do the same.
I don't think any of them, including Suzuki, should disappear and I'm sure they will not.
If you don’t see anything interesting in their showroom it’s fine, but 1500+ people (give or take) do every month in Canada and thousands more around the world.

[sailor723]

Sorry to hijack a Hyundai thread but all the Mitsu comments reminded me of this......

I have a friend who bought a Mitsu Lancer for his daughter. She was involved on a fender bender last Spring and the car was in the shop for 2 1/2-3 months waiting for parts.  

Parts availability......Another reason not to buy a car from a manufacturer that is just a marginal player in your market.

[carcrazy]

Should Subaru (FHI) stop making cars too? They only sold 457,301 units globally for the FY2010 (ending March 31, 2010) and lost money in the process. I don't think so and I hope not.

Suzuki sold some 2.3 million vehicles world-wide in the same FY and Mitsu 960,000 units.

Subaru will sell around 300k cars in North America in 2010. Compare that to 30k for Suzuki and 68k for Mitsubishi. Why are the last two even trying anymore? They should give up already and concentrate on the markets where they're successful. No point in dragging their failure any longer, IMO.

I guess this is why you are not a business decision maker for a major global  corporation. 

[Shnak]

Wasn't Suzuki a two car company for the longest time? A subcompact (supersubcompact?) and a subcompact SUV.

And remember Mitsubishi has the RVR now as well and hopefully soon the iMiEV, though I think they should bring back the Colt as well. Nothing like crowding the subcompact area even more.

In Canada at least, Suzuki only has the SX4 and Grand Vitara that are competitive in their segments. I really believe that lack of competitive offerings in other segments is hurting them overall.

They have Kisashi too which is a good car too.

Should Subaru (FHI) stop making cars too? They only sold 457,301 units globally for the FY2010 (ending March 31, 2010) and lost money in the process. I don't think so and I hope not.

Suzuki sold some 2.3 million vehicles world-wide in the same FY and Mitsu 960,000 units.

Ha! I completely forgot about the Kizashi. Not surprising considering I still haven't seen a single one of the roads so far.

In North America, Subaru has a much more complete lineup of very competitive vehicles than Suzuki or Mitsubishi. They're missing a subcompact and minivan. Nothing wrong with being somewhat of a specialized brand where you concentrate on 3-4 models, as long as you do them extremely well and offer great values compared to your competitors. For Subaru, their drivetrain is what's seperating them from their competitors. What seperates Mitsubishi from its competitors? Why should I buy one of its model instead of the 5-6 other offerings in the segments?

II did not intend to convince you or anyone else that Mitsu is better then Subaru. This was not the point of my posts.
The thing is "Guest" promoted the idea that since Mitsu is a small volume manufacturer, it is irrelevant and it should stop making cars. I provided numbers to show that Subaru is even smaller globally and, by the same token, they should do the same.
I don't think any of them, including Suzuki, should disappear and I'm sure they will not.
If you don’t see anything interesting in their showroom it’s fine, but 1500+ people (give or take) do every month in Canada and thousands more around the world.

I couldn't care less about which brand sells more globally... Why would I care if Mitsubishi sells a gazillion cars elsewhere when here, they only have the Lancer and Outlander/RVR that are somewhat competitive? It shouldn't stop selling cars completely, but it should either step up and start offering more and better cars here, or should just leave completely from this market.

[carcrazy]

since mitsu is a huge conglomerate, if their auto sector fails, then their soy sauce, glass manufacturing, etc... can bail them out.  mitsu does have the finances to improve their cars, but it will come at the expense of neglecting other, more profitable parts of their conglomerate. 

Mitsubishi Motors is a stand-alone business owned by Mitsubishi Corporation. Your view about how things work is very simplistic and has nothing to do with the reality.

as others have mentioned, mitsu is not on the radar of anyone. 

Really? What a strong statement! There are people every day buying their cars, but I guess if it's not you then it wouldn't matter.  

[guest]

as others have mentioned, mitsu is not on the radar of anyone. 

Really? What a strong statement! There are people every day buying their cars, but I guess if it's not you then it wouldn't matter.  

i stand by my statement.  mitsubishi is uncompetitive. period.  if they were a NHL team, they would be the pheonix coyotes...in need of relocation.

they should go the way of daihatsu and isuzu.  not out of business, but retract from north america and focus on the markets where they already have a presence and stand a fighting chance.  i don't speak for others, but there is NO mitsu product that interests me.  period.  from my point of view, the only people buying mitsu products are immigrants from asian countries where mitsubishi is better known.  those and fanboys of the evo.

[carcrazy]

from my point of view, the only people buying mitsu products are immigrants from asian countries where mitsubishi is better known.  those and fanboys of the evo.

LOL... you forgot the other stereotypes: people who cannot afford a better car and people with bad credit or no credit.


You are very wrong in your perception to say at least. There have been 500-1000 people in Canada every month over the past 3-4 years buying Outlanders and Lancers. Are you saying that all or even most of those people are Asian immigrants? 

[guest]

LOL... you forgot the other stereotypes: people who cannot afford a better car and people with bad credit or no credit.

if you can afford a lancer, you can afford a mazda 3 or civic.  it isn't as if mitsus are cheaper by a whole lot, if at all.

what is your argument for buying a mitsu over anything else?   i can't think of ANY compelling reason that i could use to convince a friend, family member or co-worker to get a mitsu instead of: [insert any other car manufacturer here].  at the end of the day, many people make purchases based on word-of-mouth.... what convincing arguments would you tell them about mitsu.

and this is coming from someone who used to like mitsus.... when the diamante was competitive against the acura legend, when the eclipses and galants had turbo+awd options and when a certain 3000gt-vr4 rivaled exotics in performance and looks.  if only mitsu came into canada in the 1990's.....

[carcrazy]

Do you mind taking this conversation here?

http://www.canadiandriver.com/forum/index.php/topic,50611.0.html


I'll post my answer to your questions in the above thread.

[Leviathan]

Do you mind taking this conversation here?

http://www.canadiandriver.com/forum/index.php/topic,50611.0.html


I'll post my answer to your questions in the above thread.

Phew - I was just about to throw a waffle on the ice   

[AirCanada]

Well I am glad Mitsu is here in Canada, more choice the better.
And the "guest" here you are racist, why say only asians buy Mitsubishi's?
I have two Mitsubishis and I am not asian.
I drove the Civic and Mazda 3 and the Corolla. I prefer the Lancer because of the ride and handling, and it looks better and more aggresive than the rest. And the better warranty too.

[kicker]

 Quote from Michael Vaughan's 2010 Automative Report Card

A +
Hyundai: Just read the newspapers and you'll see how South Koreans can stand up to hostile enemies - just like in the car business. Hyundai's progress to the top of the quality scores is awesome. So is their sales performance with cars like the Sonata; and the Elantra will be bigger still.

[rrocket]

In Canada at least, Suzuki only has the SX4 and Grand Vitara that are competitive in their segments. I really believe that lack of competitive offerings in other segments is hurting them overall.

But some car manufacturers know the score in North America about their chances for success, so they just concentrate on a segment or two.  Back home in Japan, Suzuki dominates the most popular class of car in Japan...the Kei segment.  They've had the number one selling car in that segment for the last several years.  And in Japan, that's a big deal. 

[dirtyjeffer]

i was all set for my next car to be the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Turbo...then, while visiting the dealership to show a colleague the new Elantra, i think i have changed my mind...while i liked the look of the car in the pictures, it looks even better in person...also, when you compare both models (fully loaded), aside from the step down from "Mid-size" to "Compact", it seems the only features you give up are the Turbo engine (which is pretty sweet) and a power seat...the bonus is a savings of $10k...while i REALLY like the Sonata Turbo, i think i like saving $10k more...i can still get all the same toys in the Elantra...i am going to go take one for a test drive this weekend...i will likely drive the Turbo again...i must find out if it is worth $10k more to me.

[Mike]

i was all set for my next car to be the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Turbo...then, while visiting the dealership to show a colleague the new Elantra, i think i have changed my mind...while i liked the look of the car in the pictures, it looks even better in person...also, when you compare both models (fully loaded), aside from the step down from "Mid-size" to "Compact", it seems the only features you give up are the Turbo engine (which is pretty sweet) and a power seat...the bonus is a savings of $10k...while i REALLY like the Sonata Turbo, i think i like saving $10k more...i can still get all the same toys in the Elantra...i am going to go take one for a test drive this weekend...i will likely drive the Turbo again...i must find out if it is worth $10k more to me.

Turbo the Elantra.....I am sure rrocket could help you out for far less then $10K.    Let us know how they drive side by side, it will be interesting to see your observations.

[dirtyjeffer]

Turbo the Elantra.....I am sure rrocket could help you out for far less then $10K.    Let us know how they drive side by side, it will be interesting to see your observations.

i wouldn't be surprised to see the Elantra offered with the 2.0L Turbo engine in the near future, or perhaps their 1.6L Turbo?

that said, found some great new info on the new Accent, which is due to launch in April and May of this year...it looks like Hyundai is going to hit another home run with the Accent...in fact, i might get one of those too. 

check it out here: http://chicagohyundaiblogs.blogspot.com/2011/01/sneak-peak-at-eh-new-hyundai-accent.html