point taken. i was commenting on how inside, metal door handles, metal button for the shifter, nice leather wrapped steering wheel, stuff like that. i was impressed. and i agree, i think hyundai is where toyota was 10 years ago. which is a great car. as for toyota/honda, i disagree. toyotas are made cheaper than hondas, and more aimed at mass-marketing. for example, my 94 accord has more technology in it than a 2000 camry - variable valve timing, 4-wheel double wishbone (the brand new camry still has 4 wheel struts) electronically controlled, hydraulically-damped engine mounts...pretty cool shit! as for lexus, on the other hand, now THAT is a quality build. i think the gap between toyota and lexus is much farther than the gap between honda/acura. i think lexus and acura are about equal. i've driven a few is300s and they are silky smooth and beautifully built. i would love to own one. as far as which i'd buy, lexus vs. acura, i think it would all depend on the car. i like the rear wheel drive small 4 door sport sedan idea quite a bit.

 

I'd look at a Hyundai, but never a Kia. Actually I don't think I could buy either, I'm too much of a materialistic brand whore. h:

 

I know brand image probably plays a part in this but don't they share platforms? Accent = Rio, Elantra = Spectra.

 

Not sure.

 

i thought kia was GM, and hyundai is something else? i would honestly rather drive a 100k mile honda than a brand new kia.

 

Hyundai owns Kia now.

 

No, I am not. Kia claims that they set their suspensions stiffer for a more responsive driving experience.

 

I remember going to the KIA ( Killed In Action) dealership when we were looking for a car for my little bro. Checking out the RIO. Thing is so cheap inside. I was messing with the cupholder and the piece on the bottom just came off.
We proceeded to leave and here comes the sales manager after us offering it for $8,000. WOW , that is quite a difference from the $13,000 sticker. We still took off and ended up with a Scion XA a few days later.

 

toyota > honda > hyundai > kia.

as for hyundai/kia being "piece of shit" cars... not anymore. sure they arent baller ass cars or have the "cool" rep of toyota/honda, but theyre moving up solidly. the new sonata is actually a pretty decent car and is an awesome bang for the buck mid-size sedan. the only reason i wouldnt buy one is because its not luxurious enough in terms of status h: i cant drive a car that costs less than my clothes h:

"i drive a bimmer"
"i drive a benz"
"i drive a lexus"
"i drive a hyundai".... yeah.

 

what a dumb ****