ATH Presents: 2012 Accent 4 door...The cheap seats...

But by all means not cheap on value. I have been meaning to get into an Accent since they came out some months ago. The thing about it is that they were selling faster than they could make them. It was almost impossible to get my hands on one. That is until yesterday when one joined our family. My dad threw me the key this morning as I was on my way out the door. "Take it for a spin...let me know what you think." I took him up on the offer. The full tank of gas was a gift from the dealership anyway. So off we went.


First things first...


When I first saw this car unveiled, I thought it was OK in the looks department.  Then I saw it in person. It looked much better. The fluidic design on the front is a nice touch and the lines on the front of the car carry the design all the way to the rear of the vehicle. Raked windshield and a high belt line are the trends now and the Accent pulls it off very well. Needless to say, I'm a fan of the new design. Although I do prefer the hatch or the sedan, they did not have a hatch available when we bought it. My dad likes it and that is what is important. The interior will also look familiar. It carries much of the same lines as the Tuscon and Elantra. While it is hard plastic on the inside, it would not appear to be cheap. The different textures on the dash and silver accents are placed strategically around the cockpit. Build quality also seems to be top notch.

When I first sat in the seat, I was able to find a comfortable position rather quickly. The steering wheel has a nice feel to it as does the shifter. The seat itself does not have lumbar support, but feels rather comfortable for a car in this price point. It is not particularly bolstered, but I do not suspect that the owner will be carving up the local mountain roads. The Accent uses the same Gamma 1.6 GDI motor as the new Veloster. It is rated for 138hp and 123ft/lbs of torque. Though I must say that in this car it feels much stronger than in the Veloster. I'm not sure why, but its feels much better in the Accent. The transmissions are the same but the shifter throws in the Accent are longer than in the Veloster. Pedal position is a little awkward. The brake pedal seems to be quite high in comparison to the clutch and accelerator. Heel toe? AH! I do not think so. Same goes for the pedals in the Veloster for that matter. On a side note, the pedals in the Coupe are just right.


Skimps on the ride?...


I found the ride to be comfortable while tooting around town, especially on the rough and uneven surfaces of NJ. Perhaps I was spoiled by Florida's smooth roads? Maybe. This car also has a sold torsion beam rear suspension which did not seem to be too upset with the rough roads. Body lean is at a minimum, unlike Accents of the past. Even the little 14" steel wheels with 175/70 tires it hold their own while driving on some of my favorite PA back roads. While route 191 south of Stroudsburg, PA has disappointingly changed from a 55mph zone to a 45mph zone, it is not the speed I was looking for admittedly, I was more concerned if I could maintain speed. Being that this car is about fuel mileage I wanted to see if I could keep my speed up and minimize downshifts and throttle movements. Happy to say that I could easily maintain the speed limit in 5th gear till the top. The sharp switch backs make it hard to keep speed, but a downshift or two and some throttle, and the 1.6 has plenty to give and will easily move you up the hill. I found the brakes to be of appropriate size and feel. This car is also equipped with ESC with traction control along with ABS and Electronic Brake Distribution. Both systems appeared to work well. Except for the dreaded 0-60 mph run. The best way again is with the ESC off. If not it will fall on its face, just like the other models, and takes a second or two to catch up. I must say that all is not bad with traction control. While on the on ramp back to Rt 80 the ESC kick in and it did not feel too invasive. It slowed the car down just a touch to keep it in line. So while it may be a nuisance at times. It better to just leave it on, especially in the wet.  I think I forgot to mention that this chassis is 22% stiffer than the outgoing model. The entire package seems to be on par with, if not, better then some of the it's competition.


There are some things though....

That I do not like. First and foremost how can you have a comfort package that does not include cruise control? It boggles me, that is the ultimate in comfort features. Another thing that bothers me is that this car has power locks, but it is only power from the driver side. What? So when you it the lock button on the door form the driver side, it will lock all doors, but hit it from the passenger side and it simply locks the passenger door. That is kinda weak. I had groceries in the front seat, so I went to lock the door and I could not. I had to walk around to the driver side and either open the door and push the lock or put the key in the door and lock the doors. The arm rest on the comfort package is not exactly comfortable. It pulls down form the right of the drive side seat like Accents of old. One more step up in trim and you get a real center console. Why not just put it all of the cars? Can't be that much more expensive. It also gets in the way while shifting. I just put it up and forgot about it. One more thing is the clutch pedal. It is extremely light. The let out point is very vague. Although you can kind of guess where it is and be successful but it does not give you much feedback at all. Would these things keep me from buying this car? Nope. Although I would have gone with an SE hatch. Some of the upgrades include leather steering wheel and shift knob, larger 16" wheels with 205/50 tires, sliding armrest and storage box. It also gives you chrome accents and remote for the locks with an alarm. With that  being said this is probably the best car in it's class when you weigh features vs price. Lets not forget the warranty...it alone attracts people to Hyundai.

Out with the old and in with the new!

03 Elantra GT...


Nope not mine. My dad's. It needs a ton of work. Now that I'm here I can fix it right? Well, not really, I think its beyond repair. With the car acting up this morning while dropping my nieces off at school, my dad's thoughts went elsewhere. "Should I just replace it?" my response has always been neutral. It is his car and he alone needs to make the decision. I think this morning pushed him over the edge though. Metal clanking, and burning belts was the last straw. The car needs four struts, brakes all the way around, and a long list of other tidbits. So his 03 Elantra GT with 175k met its fate today...it was let go.


In with the new...


So after I picked my niece up and drove her to school, I came back to the house and we started looking for cars. At first, he was just interested in used cars. After looking around for a little bit, the only used cars worth getting were really pricey. Does a 2009 Elantra manual with 34k really go for $14,000??? Has the resale value of Hyundai come up that much in the last couple of years? I guess so. So we headed out to our local Hyundai dealership. I saw a white Veloster. I instantly went to go look at it. I knew from the rims that it was a base model. It was also a DCT. So we went inside and asked for the keys. My dad loved the car! So we went inside to work on some numbers. Too bad the guys at Hackettstown Hyundai were trying to play games. Its a  shame really. I know how to shop for cars and the process that goes behind it. Please do not tell me you have zero wiggle room on a car. There is ALWAYS wiggle room. It is whether or not you want to wiggle it.Then they suggested that we do a lease to buy...are you crazy! No dice. I suggested we call our go to guy Joe Ippolitto at Towne Hyundai in Denville, NJ.

Sure enough, we were greeted with a big smile and a firm hand shake. I simply asked him if he had any Velosters on the lot?...nope. Any manual Elantras?...nope Any manual Accents?...one, it came on the truck last night! The car was automatically brought around, I think his assistant was listening and a signal was given, with a dealer tag in the window. How did he do that so fast? We hopped in the car and went. The Accent has the same motor as in the Veloster. The 1.6 GDI with 138 hp and 123 ft/lbs of torque. It also has the comfort package. Everything that my dad was looking for. No joke, 30 minutes we were done. Joe had worked out the numbers while we were on our test drive. Not only was it quick it was cheaper by almost $100 a month! Moral of the story, if you need a Hyundai and your in NJ,  go see Joe Ippolito at Towne Hyundai!

I feel a new dealership partnership may have been found. He even offered me a job there if Sonography does not work out. I politely told him "It has to workout, or my wife will kill me!" I also feel another ATH review in the woodworks.

I have also been looking at cameras. So if anybody out there has an idea for a good camera without being too outrageously expensive, let me know!

so goodbye 03 Elantra GT hatch and hello to the 2012 Accent 4 door.

A good time...

In the beginning...

So my journey from the deep south was quite a trip. 1141 miles and 16 3/4 hours later I made it to my home town in NJ. The trip was relatively uneventful, save one event, but we will get to that a little later.  I had some repairs to do to the car before making my journey. I spent the Wednesday prior in the garage doing a laundry list of repairs including replacing a cv axle, changing out the manual gear oil, tire rotation and balance, an induction service using Wynns products (check out the video...I through it together real quick before leaving), fixing my passengerside air bag (the light has been on and off for the last couple of months), and I also replaced the TCS/ABS sensor on the driverside (having traction control and ABS might come in useful in the snow). It was essentially destroyed a year and half ago when I converted the car over to 5 lug. You have to pull the sensors out to get the bearing out, and well lets just say that after 5 years of being in its home, it was not coming out!  The car was much smoother and virtually all of the vibrations in the car were gone. Dare I say that my 03 with now 211k on it feels like new?

Whoop, Whoop....

Thats the sound of the police!! Thats the sound of the Beast! While these are lyrics from a song  of one of my favorite hip hop artist KRS-ONE, it was also true in my case. I did not intend to be pulled over and I'm not sure anybody really does, but this is my story. I had been traveling on Rt 95 for sometime through Florida, Georgia, and I was in South Carolina when I was travelling with the flow of traffic. We were all doing about 80mph in a 70mph. Well the road opened up and I think my foot went down to accommodate its soreness. I  had cruise control on for quite sometime (which is why I have beef with the R-Spec Coupe!!!) but the last couple hundred miles or so it was jut not safe to do so. So while my ears were soaking up the wonderful sounds of Metallica's "And Justice for All" album, my foot got comfortable and without realizing it, I was  going a tick quicker then I really wanted to be. Then of course you see the Sheriff in the middle of the highway...look down and say "Shit!" and sure enough he came out. I was a lone sheep in the middle of two travelling groups. I was perfect prey for the wolf. The officer was nice about it and knocked it down quite a bit and the fine is, dare I say cheap, in comparison to Florida fees.


Idiot free?...

I also hit some traffic as well. Which should be expected on such a long trip. This time it was just north of Fredicksburg, VA. There must have been an accident of some sort. So for 45 minutes I sat in bumper to bumper traffic. I traveled a whopping 5 miles. All I could think about was "This is killing my time!", but I guess that is what happens when people follow to close. Even when the flow first slowed down I heard at least two separate crashes around me. I had the correct distance and did not smack the guy in front of me and because I knew the person behind was riding my butt, I purposely put more room in between us. Thank goodness, because if I had stopped any faster, the mini van behind me would have kissed my rear bumper.   The picture was taken Florida at about 80mph with a really old lady behind the wheel of the Lincoln. You can clearly see that I'm at the proper 3-4 car lengths and they are obviously not.  This was also the case, at night even, when I hit that traffic...idiots.

I must say that my MPG's were getting better and better with every fill up. My first fill up was an average of 28 mpg's. While my second fill up was 30 mpg's (that is even with the going "plaid" moment) Third was higher still at 32.9 mpg's. I was thinking about this while I was driving. What is changing? The gas? Maybe it was my Cold Air Intake sucking up cooler air? The car definitely came out of the toll booths a little quicker. Maybe the car just need to clean some crap out? I'm not sure, but I'll take it!

One last thing, I thought for sure that I was going to be sore and beat up after this trip. It simply is not the case. The Tiburon seat I installed some years back is till quite supportive and comfortable. I feel great this morning.


So while I do say goodbye to others and beautiful sunsets, I will be saying hello to others. A new chapter has opened up and I am ready to read it!










One of my favorite Foo Fights songs...Everlong.

A fine example!!!

JM Dug over at Gencoupe.com posted up his video for all to see! I think he did a fantastic job! take a peek for yourself. I'm hoping in the near future I can get some good camera's and start making my own video's like this. Especially of review cars and of meets. Enjoy.

A pair of Gen Coupes...and a farewell.

Its hard to find good car guys, never mind Hyundai car guys. When I moved to Florida I found a whole handful, but two in particular have been there time and time again.Whether it was just hanging out, or going to car shows they were there and showed their Hyundai support. Justin owned a GK Tiburon when I first met him some four and half years ago. It wasn't anything special and the modes were light. The 2.0 Beta motor (140hp and 133 ft/lbs) mated up to an automatic transmission was definitely not awe inspiring. Hayden was driving a turbo'd Elantra GT sedan when I first met him (claimed 240whp and about 230 ft/lbs from a Garrett t28 turbo pushing 14 psi). Although I never got the chance to drive or even go for a ride in it....it moved! While the Genesis coupe may not be my next car to own, I sure do love the look and something keeps drawing my back to them regardless of its faults. What a I can say is that these faults can and have been corrected with this pair of 2.0T Gen coupes. So now that both of my buddies have upgraded to Gen coupes what have they done to them? 


Doing it right!...


Justin just bought his coupe some months ago, but he has already started to upgrade it. While it looks OEM from the outside, save the quad tips. Once you pop the hood and dig a little deeper, its anything but OEM. While he hasnt gone all out, well not yet anyway. He was not looking to spend a ton of money on a brand new car. So he did his research and found the best bang for the buck. He contacted the guys at Beyond Redline and they hooked him up with their Stage 1 Exceladyne kit. What this kit includes is an Exceladyne axle back exhaust. Its T304 stainless steel will last for a long time and has a nice deep growl. Next it comes with an AEM cold air intake system. Lastly, but definitely not least, and what makes this kit so worth the $1300 price tag is the tune. The guys over at Beyond Redline have used Poweraxel's ecu module and tuned the coupe to make an extra 45 rwhp and an extra 64 rwft/lbs of torque.

 The tune also ups the boost pressure from the OEM 14psi up to 18psi and holds it there out to the extended rev limit of 7000 rpms. the throttle response is also quicker and it no longer falls flat (unlike my OEM coupe I drove some weeks ago) Its a dramatic upgrade that will catch people if they try to sleep on Gen coupe. Justin is not done by an means and I do wish him the best of luck with all of his endeavors not just his current car project. Though I had to say good bye to him we are both moving on to better things and more importantly getting out of Florida.

You did what?...

Over the years I would get random text messages and phone calls from Hayden about car stuff.What do you think about these injectors? What if I do internals? Can you find out about rod bearings?  Ever since I met him, he has been serious about making power and taking down the Hyundai non-believers. While he did a good job with his Elantra GT, his Coupe takes it to the next level. He started it the suspension and added a set of Eibach Pro Sport springs along with Eibachs adjustable sway bars. Moving inside I automatically saw the custom gauge pod sitting on top of the dash with AFR and boost pressure readings. Next I noticed the short shifter and heavy clutch pedal. He also has a Greddy boost controller to keep tabs on boost pressure. I popped the hood and final got a chance to see what he had done with his coupe. Custom turbo manifold and attached to it was a 19g twin scroll turbo from an Mitsubishi Evo 9. From the turbo back its all custom with cat deletes. Larger injectors help feed the motor. The Intercooler pipes are all custom made and uses a Forge intercooler (3in thick).  He then had the guys at Beyond Redline tune the car with a custom map using Poweraxel's ecu module. His number are quite impressive as he put down about 340rwhp and 320ft/lbs of torque with 20psi of boost. (I just texted him to get the correct stats...keep reading, you'll find out why I can not remember!)

I hopped out of the car and was like "Man this must be a beast to drive.?" Hayden then gave me the keys and said "I told you, you could drive it next time we met up." Sweet!!! So we left the parking lot while on lookers gawked. I tried my best not to stall the car out. The clutch is much heavier then my Elantra.  Taking the traction control off I punched it! 0-60 went by rather quickly especially with the rush of power coming on at about 3000 rpms. This is addicting! I do apologize for the lack of information, he was rattling off the specs as I was driving. While I was trying to pay attention to what he was saying, the surging boost had more of my attention. I really did not care at the moment how it was moving the car, all I knew is that it was MOVING! shifting into fifth though, I was greeted with a familiar "clunk" from the fifth gear syncro.

In the back of my head I was thinking "This drives so much better then the 3.8 R-spec!". The 2.0 turbo would definitely be my choice if I were to buy one and for this exact reason. It was memorizing. I wish I had more time to drive, but like all good things it must come to an end. Goosing it one last  time just to hear that turbo spool and the blow off valve purge the excessive pressure. Everybody was looking as I pulled in...only to have the fail of the day...I stalled it. Not once, but twice. It was more embarrassing then the iced tea I spilt on myself a couple of hours prior. We laughed it off and pulled into the parking lot. Needless to say his car was getting quite a bit more attention from all of the the "other" car guys there. Maybe they did not realize that a Hyundai could be that fast while also being reliable. I don't know, but what I do know is that if they pulled on Hayden they would soon find out. If I know him, he is not done by any stretch and his quest for more power will continue. I'm looking forward to the text messages. It will be nice to hear from him again.

Though I have two cars featured here, this is not even close to the friends that I have met while here in Florida. I wish them all luck and farewell...its been a hell of a ride!


Ryan...06 Elantra GT. Met sometime ago and as we are both members of ElantraXD.com. We obviously had things in common. I have worked on his car multiple times including doing his timing belt, helping with his five lug swap and helping withe his suspension upgrades. Good luck in the world of pysch. Keep looking, it will work out. Nothing better then hard work and perseverance.

Tara...03 Tiburon. We met at a local Hyundai meet  that I organized at Coastal Hyundai when I used to work there. Her funky red hear set her apart and the fact that she knew about cars was definitely a wow factor. I have worked on her car on multiple occasions aswell. Even though it still needs more work, she is proud of it. If I must say....get the Veloster over the Coupe...it suits you better.

Dave...06 Elantra GT Just met him, but he seems like a straight up guy. Too bad I didnt get a chance to hang more.

 

Andy...03 Tiburon GT We met at the first dealership meet I put together. I have also worked on his car multiple times. He has been a good friend and has given me the hook ups to all things NASA! We were able to see a shuttle launch up close and personal and the roll out of other shuttles. My son enjoyed all that you have done for us. Don't worry I'll pick my pictures eventually! Did I mention that he is an awesome photographer in his spare time? Yup, He is the one that took the pic at the top of the page. He also has his own website (Turbofox Photography...check out the link in the links section!) Good luck with the future and all of your personal and professional endeavors. The universe has a way of working things out! 

 

To the others...JC, Phil, Jason, Casey...I'm sure I'm forgetting a whole handful of people...its been fun. While this is my last post from Florida, its not my last article by any stretch! I will have more articles, more reviews and definitely will be organizing another meet!!! Here are some pics of meets that I have attended over the years.

 

 

 

 Farewell Melbourne, FL...its been real! 

An insult to MPG's...

Insult...


So I was over at my friendly dealership, Coastal Hyundai, when I saw a Sonata Hybrid on a flat bed tow truck. I walk up to whom I thought was the truck drivers co-worker and asked "why?" The guy replied "A blown tire." So I walk from the front of the truck to the side and it had 22"'s!!! Big huge chrome rims on a Hybrid. So, of course, I  spoke up and said "Are those really 22"s on a Hybrid???". The guy replied "Yeah....why?". So in my stupefied trance I started to rattle off everything that is wrong with HUGE chrome wheels on a Hybrid. They are heavy, tires are much wider the OEM ones, and they will kill the MPG's. In his infinite wisdom the guy replies "I put them on for show, not go." I think I just insulted the owner, whoops! While yes the Sonata Hybrid is NOT about how fast you go, it is about how far you go. So while it might look good (maybe), you have just killed what the car was built for...I walked away slowly shaking my head.


MPG's


With this being said, lets take a very quick look at MPG's Miles Per Gallon (here in the USA) has become the new gold standard for vehicles. Everybody is striving to get the most with the least amount of fuel. Vehicles are coming out with new technology almost daily. For Hyundai it has been the introduction of Gas Direct Injection or GDI. What this does is it sprays high pressure fuel into the combustion chamber rather then  the intake runners. This means that the fuel can be sprayed in at the very last second, using very little fuel. You can also increase the compression ratio of the motor increasing volumetric efficiency. This increase allows for more power and better fuel economy. Along with other technology like variable intake runners and Continuous Variable Valve Timing is why, for example, the new 2012 Veloster is able to achieve 40 mpg's on the highway. Hybrids are also a thing too...(can read about the Sonata Hybrid below "ATH Presents:..."). Here is a short film on the new 1.6 gamma GDI motor.

Any modification done to a vehicle can change the MPG's. Adding bigger wheels and tires, usually, adds weight and pushes the majority of the weight out towards the outer edge of the circumference. Modifying the motor in anyway can have a detrimental affect on mileage as well. Even something as simple as a Cold Air Intake or an aftermarket exhaust system can lead to more trips to the pumps. While I have personally found that if your not constantly putting your foot down some mods can increase or at least NOT affect mileage. Allowing the motor to breathe better does increase HP and TQ numbers, but sometimes it can yield better MPG's. What I'm trying to convey is just be aware that how you modify your car. Please, do not be ignorant and do some research on the vehicle before adding parts to it.


Also, things to come....


In the last couple of days I have had the opportunity to drive two Genesis coupe's with aftermarket goodies on them. One is mild while the other is touching on the wild side. I'm hoping I can find  time in the next couple of days to post it all up and wrap up my Florida chapter. My Pennsylvania chapter will be opening very shortly! I will also be on the look out for another dealership!


So do not fret "All Things Hyundai" is simply relocating. Come spring I will have more reviews...this time with better cinematography (resolution) and pictures. I'm hoping to pick up some GoPro's and a better camera. Did I mention nice curvy roads?

ATH @ Xtreme Events Cars of Florida!!!

 For the love of cars...


I first met up with the guys at Xtreme Events last year, when I attended their year meet in Orlando, FL. Since then I have been to one other meet hosted by XECOFL.com (Melbourne Beach). Everybody there has always been courteous and respectful toward all makes and models. It is literally a bunch of guys/gals that truly love cars. No matter what you drive you can bring it to an xecofl meet! There was flag football, Barbeque, and a DJ at today's meet! As always this meet was very well thought out and put together. There were all kinds of cars here. Miatas, MS3s, 370zs out the wazoo, Gen coupes, Elantras, Tiburons, Eclipses and there was even a lone Honda Civic Si and Veloster.

This particular yearly meet means a little more to me. It will be the last meet that I will be attending in Florida. I was fortunate to have most of my friends in attendance. I have met some wonderful people over the last 4 and half years. Most have been to my house to have work or modifications done. I have enjoyed my time and am grateful for the friendships I have forged over the years. So to Tara, Justin, Hayden, Dave, Ryan, Andy, JC, Phil, Kirk and many others whom I have met along the way...Thanks for everything! You will be missed but never forgotten. Hopefully with return trips I'll be able to visit. Maybe even catch up with my new found peeps at xecofl. Thanks again guys! It was a blast and a great way to spend my last Saturday in the state. I threw together a small video (after the pics)...Enjoy!

Hatches FTMFW!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

370's representing!

 

 

The very near future...

2013 Azera...


So with the L.A. Auto show about to start, the auto show season is officially up and running. So what is Hyundai up to? Well, I think its going to be quite an exciting show year. Hyundai has five models that they will be unveiling in the very near future. The Azera is the first one to be unveiled at the L.A. Auto show. I pulled some pics from the web. While not 100%, I'm fairly confident that we are looking at the production vehicle. I also know that Hyundai has a 3.3 GDI (293hp and 29 mpg on the highway) that will more then likely find its way into this car. With power and mileage up from the out going model, along with better looks, it should help move some units. The current model is sitting on an old platform and has been around since 2006 (It did have a face lift, but the interior and other tidbits have essentially stayed the same.) The new Azera will also use the SACHS system to adjust for road surfaces. This should improve  the ride quality and handling. Do not expect a canyon runner though, this is still grandpa's car.

 The interior is far superior then the outgoing model. The older version had hard plastics galore and the seats were not exactly supportive. The trim pieces were also very easy to scratch and could degrade the look of the interior quite quickly. With prices starting in the low 30k's, I'm not sure why somebody would want a near luxury FWD car anymore. The Genesis sedan 3.8 GDI is RWD and starts at essentially the same price. Although I have hear rumors over the years about the Azera getting AWD...and that would make it special!


2013 Elantra Coupe...



My buddies and I over at ElantraXD and Elantraclub have been waiting for this car for quite sometime. We often thought what it would be like to have our favorite cars turn into hot hatches. While CEO John Krafcik says that there is not going to be a sporty model to the Elantra Coupe (probably because of the #4 car on the list...the Veloster Turbo) I'm not going to rule out the possibility of maybe an R-spec E coupe. Perhaps even using the same 1.6 GDI turbo motor from the up and coming Veloster Turbo. My thinking is that some people do not like the third door or the somewhat funky looks of the Veloster (I personally LOVE IT! and will probably be putting on in my personal garage next year) and would prefer the looks of the Elantra. I can appreciate that. The car was set to debut at the L.A. Auto show along with the Azera but it was pushed back to the Chicago Auto show. I guess we have to wait a little longer, be we can use our imaginations for the time being.

2013 Santa Fe...

While I'm not particularly a fan of SUV's, the Santa Fe has always been a curious vehicle for me. Its odd shape and somewhat chunky interior was introduced in 2001. I was not really a fan of it and I thought its two tone body cladding was a bit odd, but over the years I have come to appreciate it. The 2.7 Delta was definitely the motor of choice for this vehicle. It also came with optional 2.4 Sirius and 3.5 Sigma, both were Mitsubishi design and electronics, were
horrible to work on and not very good on fuel. In 2007 the car had a make over and thankfully the interior and exterior were changed for the better. So were the motors. Hyundai used their 3.3 Lambda and a newer version of the 2.7 Delta. If you bought the base 2.7 Delta you could have it with a 5 speed manual. The first time I hopped into one of those, it was quite surreal. I thought it was pretty cool and if I were to buy one that would have been my motor and transmission of choice. While we see spy shots of the up and coming Santa Fe, I haven't read anywhere about where its going to be debut. If I had to take an educated guess...I'm thinking NYC Auto show. Fortunately for me, I'll be in the tri-state area once again and will be going to this show. While speculations have been made about what motors are going into this midsized SUV, I will venture that the 2.0 GDI Turbo motor from the sonata will be the base motor with the new 3.3 GDI making its rounds in the higher end models. This of course just coming from me and not really based in any sort of facts other then the trends that Hyundai has been setting. From the rough shots of the interior and exterior we can see that the outside will continue on with Hyundai's fluidic styling cues and same goes for inside the cabin. Perhaps maybe even a hybrid model (not sure you want to use the turbo motor for that one though.) I do  think that this will be the best one yet!

We have already talked about the last two vehicles. The 2013 Genesis coupe and the 2013 Veloster Turbo.


Far future...


Hyundai has been working on fuel cell technology for quite some time. They recently powered a 2011 Tuscon with a fuel cell and moved it across the USA. While hybrids are nice, I do not see them lasting too long. Please do not get me started on EV's. There lack of range and high sticker tags (even with government rebates as high as $7500 here in the States) do not make them accessible to the masses. Where are all of the charge stations? I would rather put money into Hydrogen fill stations rather  then charging stations. Who knows maybe both will flourish. EV's for around town and Hydrogen for cross country hikes. What I do know is that renewable sources need and should be implemented. Some of you will still be holding out and to be honest so will I, but there comes a point in time when the greater good trumps my need for speed.

This time for conservancy is NOT in my immediate future. I will be attending Xtreme Events Cars of Central Florida (also added them to my list of sites) Orlando meet this Saturday! I will also be driving another Genesis coupe sporting upgrades from Beyond Redline. AND I have trying to get my last test vehicle from great partners over at Coastal Hyundai.