Ezra Dyer – my favorite magazine writer

Every month I look forward to reading an article in my Car and Driver magazine when it arrives, the editorial that Ezra Dyer writes. He is also an automotive editor for Popular Mechanics. And writes some hilarious articles for the Improper Bostonian.

 

Ezra Dyer is an often hilarious writer, and is always at least entertaining to read. In one article when he wrote for automobile magazine, he offered free advice to various manufacturers. The advice he gave Honda? Hire a guy with a mullet. What? Here’s the article so you can read it for yourself (besides, my delivery isn’t nearly as funny). And trust me, you want to read it.

 

Ezra’s always tinkering with his own personal vehicles. He bought a big Ford Bronco and then converted it to run on bio-diesel. He writes about his experience of what it is like to get the actual fuel instead of his journey in the conversion. You can view the article here. He says that while running biodiesel may be good for the environment, the real payoff is looking down on Prius drivers and their “dirty war fuel” and being able to “get real judgy”. The fact that the fuel smells like “grease fire at Arby’s” is just icing on the cake!

 

His Improper Bostonian articles are not Automotive, but there is fun to be had there as well. Here is an article on how to have fun with the winter weather.

 

These articles are just two examples but I suggest you Google more. Laughing is good for you.

Genesis is Here!

As I write this we have had the Genesis G80 for about a month now and our first G90 is on its way. But before we get to that, let’s review how we got here.

 

I have been with Hyundai since November of 1999 and have seen a tremendous change in their product:

1. Over the last several years quality has improved to the point where Hyundai is mentioned alongside Honda and Toyota when it comes to long-term dependability (in case there is still an unbeliever among you, check out this article from CarMD) and has even overtaken Honda and Toyota on new car quality (according to JD Power in this article – Hyundai as a manufacturer has held the number one spot for three years now).
2. Design has taken a giant leap forward. Peter Schreyer is now head of design for Hyundai/Kia. He came from Audi/VW and was responsible for the Audi TT. Chris Chapman is head of design in Hyundai’s Irvine, California center and he was recently of BMW helping to bring about the X5, X3, and Z4. (More on that here)
3. Technology has caught up and arguably surpassed the competition. Hyundai was the first manufacturer to offer Android Auto. Now Android Auto and Apple Car Play are available on many of their models. Advanced safety features are widely available including Forward Collision Warning with Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection and Lane Departure Warning with Lane Keep Assist even on the compact Elantra. And now Hyundai is recognized as having among the most user friendly technology in the industry according to these Consumer Reports and JD Power articles.
4. A partnership with Lotus on the Hyundai Genesis enhanced Hyundai’s efforts at improvements to ride refinement across their lineup which can be seen in reviews from many automotive journalists as they review the Elantra, Sonata, Tucson, and Genesis redesigns, and more.
5. Powertrain technologies keep moving forward as Hyundai is moving at “Hyundai Speed” on in-house engine and transmission development and manufacturing… adding such technologies as direct injection, dual-clutch transmissions and more.

 

So now that Hyundai has earned an excellent reputation of late among automotive industry insiders, and as that reputation works its way into the general public, Hyundai is looking to take the next step in its product offerings.

 

That next step is the Hyundai Genesis luxury division, and it is here.

 

Much like Toyota has Lexus, Nissan has Infinity, and Honda has Acura, Hyundai knew that to take the next step in volume in the luxury segment, to have a chance at reaching the traditional luxury buyer, it needed a luxury brand. Thus Genesis became a brand instead of a model.

 

But after several years brands like Infinity and Acura are still having trouble gaining a solid footing in the US luxury market. So what does a new luxury brand do to stand out in a field of established Germans and Japanese, especially when some of those excellent Japanese brands have had such a hard time truly gaining traction?

 

First, you hire a who’s who in the automotive world to lead and define the brand. Early on the Genesis team knew they would be working with some fantastic product, but the rest of the product in the luxury segment is pretty fantastic, too. So great product alone won’t get it done.That’s where they realized the difference has to come from the ownership experience. And what defines that experience for Genesis is respect, especially a respect for your time, as you will see with the ownership experience explained below.

 

First, who are these people leading the brand?

Chung Eui-sun, son of Hyundai Chairman Chung Mong-koo.

Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis Brand Chief Designer, most recently designer with Bentley.

Manfred Fitzgerald, Genesis Global Brand Chief, most recently automotive consultant.

But Luc and Manfred worked together most recently with Lamborghini when they were tasked with turning the brand around 20 years ago. When they accomplished their mission, they moved on. Now they are back together leading the Genesis brand, with other automotive superstars. More on their partnership here.

Among those other superstars are Albert Biermann, who was most recently lead engineer at BMW’s M performance division. He will be responsible for Hyundai’s performance N sub-brand as well as Genesis’ testing and tuning. See more here.

 

Second, what about that ownership experience?

1. The experience actually starts even before you take ownership. You can schedule a test drive at your home or office if you prefer to do that as opposed to visiting the dealership.
2. Once you take ownership, scheduled service visits bring a valet and Genesis loaner to your house or work when they pick up your car for service. When completed they return your car and pick the loaner up.
3. Basically you visit the dealership once during the ownership cycle, and that is to complete the paperwork.
4. Scheduled maintenance is covered for 3-years / 36,000 miles.
5. Multimedia and navigation updates are covered for three years.
6. Roadside assistance is provided for three years.
7. Genesis Connected Services suite, such as remote start / remote lock / remote unlock / remote horn and light activation, etc, all from your phone or other applicable connected devices, are provided for three years.
8. And SiriusXM traffic and data are provided for three years as well.

 

But, as mentioned, excellent product is a must as well. So far the Genesis G90 and Genesis G80 have been very favorably reviewed. Not just as a value, but in comparison to its competitive set aside from price.

Read more about the Genesis G80 here and about the G90 here. The G80, for example, is currently ranked highest among its set on thecarconnection.com.

 

Hyundai decided to truly offer the Genesis experience in every aspect possible, it would even open a separate finance arm, Genesis Finance. How will Genesis Finance express that respect for the owner’s time? One representative can help with any reason for your call, from payment questions, titling questions, or any other question. No bouncing from person to person.

 

So hiring the right leaders, having a great product, and providing a tremendous experience is a recipe for success but it doesn’t mean much if people don’t know about it. In addition to traditional luxury automotive marketing, Genesis signed a four year deal to be the official luxury vehicle of the NFL and the title sponsor of the 2017 Genesis Open, the Los Angeles stop of the PGA Tour.

 

You’ll be hearing a lot more about Genesis in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

Hyundai’s Dual Clutch Transmission: Weird but Good

The fact is all dual-clutch transmissions are a little weird. They don’t work like a “regular”, or “slush box” automatic transmission like we’re used to. Essentially, they are automatically controlled manual transmissions… okay, more like two synchronized automatically controlled manual transmissions. But I don’t want to get too deeply into the mechanicals, mainly because I don’t fully understand them.

 

But I do understand the positives I have read about dual-clutch transmissions: faster shifts, more efficient transfer of power, and better fuel efficiency. Shifts that snap off faster can lead to better acceleration. Getting a more efficient transfer of power means less power loss from engine to drive wheel than a “normal” automatic transmission. And better fuel economy results from that more efficient transfer of power.

 

But I have also read the complaints: a delay when pulling out from a stop, and another delay that can happen when the transmission gets “confused”, and it makes funny noises. Since it is a manual-style of transmission, there can be a slower launch and it can be a little jerky at very slow speed driving. Since there is a computer readying your next gear shift, if you do something that confuses the computer, there can be a delayed shift (like if you slowed down then suddenly accelerated) Funny noises are inherent due to the manual-shift operation of the dual clutch (more on that below).

 

Here in the U.S. we aren’t warming up to the dual-clutch transmission too quickly as opposed to Europe taking to it much more quickly (according to Automotive News). Why? They are used to manual transmissions. Most of us Americans aren’t used to them. And we’re used to the regular kind of automatic transmission and how that behaves. The dual-clutch transmission is just different, and we don’t like it.

 

The good news for those of us that like the dual clutch transmission is that it wasn’t too long ago that the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) wasn’t liked, either. It, too, was different. That automatic transmission doesn’t even shift. That feels weird, too. But due to improvements to the CVT, and the public getting used to it, it is now far more accepted than it used to be. We may even see Hyundai using a CVT before long. They, too, have fuel economy benefits, as well as the CVT tends to be a smooth operator overall. So as the dual-clutch transmission becomes more common, and as it gets improved, we can expect acceptance to grow.

 

Hyundai is what I sell, and they had a great release to explain in general what a dual-clutch transmission is and what kind of noises they make, so if you have a Hyundai dual-clutch transmission, don’t be afraid if you hear them. Hyundai employs a “dry-type dual clutch”. Hyundai explains that:

1. Because the Duel Clutch Transmission is an automated manual transmission:
   1. Launch may be a little bit slower
   2. You may feel the shifts more
   3. The driver may notice an appreciable difference in shift style
2. Dual Clutch transmissions make different noises
   1. Clicking noises after the car is turned off is due to a cycling of the clutches in preparation for a safe restart.
   2. Mechanical double clicking noises happen at every shift but are more noticable at low speeds with windows down. They have to do with clutch and gear change.
   3. A slight gear whine while coasting may be able to be heard (like on a manual transmission)
   4. Low speed grinding such as around 2 MPH is normal and is not causing harm.
   5. Reverse gear whine like in a manual transmission.

Note that I have been driving dual clutch transmissions since Hyundai started using them in 2011 for the 2012 Veloster and the noises they describe are slight and I normally don’t even hear them.

 

Further, I do several test drives with potential buyers and essentially everyone is happy with the dual clutch transmission operation. I believe that if people know what to expect from a dual clutch transmission, and I usually prepare the driver on the test drive, then almost everyone is as happy with it as I am.

 

So, yes, the dual clutch transmission is a little weird, or different, but I think it is a great transmission! I’ll gladly accept a little delay on launch and some funny noises that I usually don’t even hear so that I get a quicker shift for quicker acceleration and better efficiency. If you are considering a Hyundai with a dual clutch transmission, there’s no need to be concerned. Now that you know what to expect, give it a try and I think you’ll like it too!

How you can save time buying a car

There are two main consistent pain points when buying a car: the amount of time it takes and trade value. I wrote a previous blog to address the trade value, and what can be done to keep it as high as possible. This blog entry addresses steps you can take to save time when buying a car.

 

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You’ve probably been there. You’ve done your research and now you are ready for the new ride! You excitedly drive to the dealership on a sunny Saturday afternoon after the soccer game and expect to get assaulted by a salesperson… but no one approaches you. So you walk around the lot a while, and still no one approaches you. Your enthusiasm is draining a little but hey, you’re getting a new car! So you venture inside. The waiting area is overrun and every salesperson is with at least one customer. But that’s okay. You understand and you wait. An hour passes and someone frees up. They talk with you a little about what you are looking for. And they have it! But it is at their satellite lot (the state of dealership lots in the Northeast is that we can’t fit all of our inventory on one lot – not enough room). No problem, the salesman grabs the keys and goes to get it. 15 minutes later you see him as he walks up to you.

“Sorry, the car is parked in. I’ll need a little more time.”

Okay, it is the car you want after all. 20 minutes later he’s back.

“It’s almost out of gas. Let me grab a gas slip and we’ll head to the gas station. You can drive out from there.”

So two hours or so after you arrive at the dealership you finally get to drive the car you are interested in.

 

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Why did that happen?  Shouldn’t the dealership be prepared for Saturday afternoons?

There are two factors in answering that question:

First is staffing levels. Saturday afternoon is the busiest time of the week. Staffing as if all week were Saturday afternoon means guys standing around the rest of the week not earning money. If you can’t earn a living at your job, you probably won’t stay long, so staffing as if every day were Saturday afternoon would make it difficult to keep a good sales staff. And even finding a good sales staff for normal staffing levels can be difficult. For example, we at Fred Beans Hyundai are currently looking for salespeople and we have a pretty good organization.

Second is the state of lot size and inventory size in the Northeast. When the economy contracted in 2008-2009 and sales levels fell to 10-12 million new cars in the US, dealers responded by tightening the belt. Now sales have rebounded to 17 million new units and used cars continue to increase in volume as well. Satellite lots are needed to house the extra inventory because keeping 45-90 days’s supply means keeping more cars than back then. Of course in our case we try to keep representative models to test drive on our main lot to ease that issue.

Dealerships are also busier at the end of the month. At Fred Beans Hyundai, we often do close to two thirds of our business in the last one third of the month. Coming in during those first two thirds of the month will make things go quicker and more efficiently.

We all want a quicker, more efficient car transaction. How is that achieved in today’s car market?

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Here are the typical steps for the commonly efficient visit.

 

Step 1: Research

There is a plethora of information available to research what car might be right for your needs. Where to start:

• Be sure to list what features and criteria are musts for you. Are you tall and need leg room? Is a sunroof a must-have for you? Think about what is important to you and make a list.
• I’ve been in the automotive business now for over 27 years so feel free to contact me to discuss your situation and the list you made and see what car(s) might work best for you. I stay well-versed on the Hyundai product, and at least useful in the brands we compete against. And I am not limited to just Hyundai as Fred Beans carries several brands I can help with. There have been several times I have recommended Subaru or Ford or other brands we carry instead.
• If there is a list of possible vehicles, narrow it to 1 to 3 choices. Again I can help here. Considering a compact car and are prioritizing fun-to-drive? The Hyundai Veloster is a solid option but so is the Ford Focus and VW Golf.
• Read the buying advice page of my website as there are a lot of great tips there.

 

Step 2: Schedule a test drive

But it’s not just a test drive. We want to accomplish a lot while you are here, and we want to do it efficiently.

• I can have a car ready for you to drive when you get here.
  • I see it often. A customer comes in to test drive a car without calling ahead. Frequently the car they want to drive is at our outside lot so by the time they get to drive the car they want, it is over a half hour or so after they arrive.
  • So let’s discuss what car you want and what you would like to drive ahead of time. Wouldn’t it be nice if you got to the dealership and the car you wanted to see is pulled around and ready to drive without having to wait?
• Have a trade-in? Even if you aren’t sure if you are trading it and it is just a possibility, bring it in. There are articles I have seen that tell you it is a bad idea to let the salesperson know if you have a trade-in, but I have never understood why. We disclose the sale price and the trade value separately so there is nothing to lose.
  • Try to round up all your documentation concerning the trade and bring it with you:
    • Driver’s license – obviously
    • Registration – make sure it is current. If you can’t find the current registration we may be able to work around it, but that takes a little time.
    • Insurance card – make sure it is current. If you can’t find the current card, we can usually call the insurance company with you, but that takes a little time.
      • Big tip: I work with a lot of first time buyers. In virtually every case if you want a car in your name, you will need insurance in your name. If you don’t have that, try to take the initial steps to have insurance ready for when you get a car. Get quotes and get a policy ready so that you can simply call your insurance company to start the policy when you pick up the car.
    • Title – if the car is paid off. Even if you aren’t trading it during the same visit it is good to know where it is and have it with you.
    • Paperwork from when you bought the car – maybe you have a warranty or such that can be cancelled and receive a pro-rated refund on. If you have the window sticker from the car, be sure to bring it so we can double check the equipment list as we write up the appraisal.
    • Payoff information – We will need to know what bank to call for the payoff. It is best if you can provide the account number as well.
• Don’t have a potential trade-in?
  • We’ll still need your driver’s license and insurance card.
• As I mentioned above, we do two thirds of our business in the last one third of the month. If we schedule your appointment in the first two thirds of the month, there is a better chance that:
  • I’ll be available to help.
  • A manager will be readily available to appraise your trade in and work out your figures
  • A business manager will be available to do your paperwork.

Big tip: scheduling during the day during the week during the first two thirds of the month is when we are slowest so that means you receive the most attention and receive the most efficient experience.

 

Step 3: Your visit to the dealership.

Now you are ready to visit. Here’s what your visit to the dealership would look like if we both prepare for your visit:

1. You walk in with your documentation from step 2
2. I get the mileage off of your trade in (if applicable), collect and copy your documentation, and write up the appraisal.
3. I hand the appraisal to the manager for him to appraise your car while we are test driving the car you came to see. Accomplishing two things at once allows us to save time.
4. When we return from the test drive I’ll print a worksheet with the vehicle you want. Since the appraisal was done while we were out driving, we’ll have your pricing and payment information within minutes.
5. Once we work out the terms, since we already have all of the paperwork we need from you, the rest of the process will move more quickly.

 

 

But that is the typical efficient visit. There are some variations.

 

• Know what car you want and don’t have a trade-in?
  • We can work all the terms out before you arrive and have the paperwork ready for you. While this isn’t always ideal for you, the customer, we have had customers on the road in their new car a half hour after their arrival. More typical would be an hour or so, depending on how much time we spend going over controls.
• Completely lost and not even sure where to begin / prefer to start in person?
  • That’s okay, too. We don’t have to zoom through everything. These suggestions are for those whose time is tight or who want to spend as little time at the dealer as possible.

 

Following all these steps aren’t must. I suggest them so that you can have the best experience possible. Dealers are resourceful and can usually work around most things. but work-arounds often take time.

 

When you speak to your salesperson (hopefully me), I may have other suggestions, too. I have spent over 27 years in the automotive business. 10 years as a service adviser and 17 as a salesperson. Lean on my experience to help you have a better car buying experience.

 

Are there steps you can take to get a better value for your trade-in?

We’ve just gotten back from the test drive and you LOVE that new car! But now, too, the worry starts to settle in. How long is this going to take? Will they offer me a value I will be happy with for my trade-in? Can I afford it?

 

In my experience there are two pain points when it comes to buying a car: trade value and time. That third concern, affordability, seems to be less of an issue since so much information is available online. In this post I want to address the trade-in value, and what you can do to help maintain as high a value for your trade-in as possible.

 

1. Don’t let it be an issue:
   1. Lease your car. Rarely do leases ever get traded in. They normally go back to the manufacturer when the lease is over. Occasionally people buy their leases. I haven’t had to deal with a trade value in 10 years since I lease my cars.

 

But if you do own your car, then there are things you can do to make it worth more money:

1. Keep it maintained.
   1. Simple enough, right? Get the oil changes, etc done when they are recommended and address it when something goes wrong with your car. A well maintained car that runs well is worth more money. See more tips for keeping your car maintained on the car care page of my website.
   2. Make CarFax your trade-in’s friend. It’s one thing to have your car maintained right but yet another for it to show on CarFax. If you have your maintenance done at a dealer, or a major chain store, they usually report to CarFax. CarFax even has an icon that points out if a car has been well-maintained. We run a CarFax when we do an appraisal, but when we sell a used car, we include a link to the CarFax for that car. Think like the used car manager appraising your car “when a potential buyer clicks the CarFax link, they’ll see that it was well-maintained.”
   3. Use dealer service. If you were buying a used car, which would make you feel more confident: a car that had all of its services done by the dealer or one that had all its services done by Jiffy Lube. Nothing against Jiffy Lube, but they aren’t experts in your brand of car. They don’t have factory-trained technicians, aren’t up on the latest technical service bulletins, and don’t know whether your car has a recall or an update available. The dealer has all of that and that is why a dealer maintained car is looked upon more favorably. At Fred Beans, you get the added benefit of utilizing your Auto Rewards card bonuses for service.
   4. Just a note about cost of dealer service. At Fred Beans Hyundai it doesn’t cost you more to use our service department. In fact, it may even cost you less. We take competitor coupons. If you are an Auto Rewards member you get 15% of what you spend in service deposited onto your Auto Rewards card. So you can use competitor coupons for the best price AND get 15% back in Auto Rewards for it! So bring those coupons, we take ’em!
2. Get interior and exterior Luxcare protection (or other brands that also work well).
   1. I know, everywhere on the internet tells you not to… except the EPA. They do say that protective coatings may help.
   2. Protective coatings help to keep your car looking better by helping to prevent environmental fallout on the exterior and staining on the interior. If your car looks better, it is worth more.
   3. Just a note about Consumer Reports. Overall I like their car reviews and automotive reporting. One issue I have had with their advice for years, though, is the seeming logical inconsistencies between their reporting and their suggestions when it comes to certain automotive aftermarkets.
      1. I was watching a couple of videos from Consumer Reports as it related to keeping up with the appearance of your car. They pointed out that salt or corrosives used on roadways in the winter can damage your car’s finish, so be sure to wash your car right away. In the spring and summer the acid from the bugs all over the front of your car can damage the finish of your car so be sure to clean it off right away. They pointed out that bird droppings can damage the finish of your car so clean it off right away. Same thing with tree sap. Even the acid from acid rain can damage the finish of your car so be sure to rinse your car after it rains. Seriously? If I followed that advice I would be washing my car or cleaning stuff off of it almost every day. Who has that kind of time? But they recommend against buying automotive paint protection from a dealer. Getting it from a dealer is the only way I know of that will come with a guarantee (the Luxcare product we use at Fred Beans Hyundai comes with a 5-year warranty for new cars or a 3-year warranty for used cars). I would rather have my finish protected with Luxcare than to clean my car every day, and I would want that protection to come with a warranty.
      2. Same goes for extended service contracts but that is a topic for another post.
      3. I will agree with Consumer Reports that if those coverages are outrageously priced, then maybe find an alternative, but at Fred Beans Hyundai we charge a reasonable price for them. It is in both of our best interests for you to have the coverage as we are likely to get your car back at trade-in time. Luxcare will help your car look better when we get it back.
3. DON”T get minor cosmetic damage repaired if it needs a body shop
   1. If your car gets over $500 worth of body or paint work done, then it needs to be disclosed at trade-in time. Also, if you have body or paint work done, chances are it will show up on CarFax. Once body or paint work is done to your car, it lowers its value. If the value will be lowered anyway, and it isn’t serious enough to need to get repaired (and won’t worsen), then it is likely better off to just leave it alone if you plan to trade your car in.
   2. If it’s a scratch that can be touched-up or buffed, then get it done.
   3. If it is a trim piece that needs to be replaced on the exterior or interior, then get it done.
   4. If it is a paintless dent repair that Dent Wizard or even a body shop can do, go ahead and get it done (where no paint work is needed)
   5. If it is something you will be constantly bothered by, then perhaps go ahead and get it done.
   6. If it is major damage like from a collision, then get it done.
   7. If it will get worse like a scratch that could rust, then get it done.
   8. Just know that getting body or paint work done will also lower the value of your car so it may just be better to trade it in as is and take the hit on the trade value rather than paying to fix it and then taking a hit because it had body or paint work done.
   9. Sometimes your insurance company may issue you a check for the value of getting the car repaired. I have had customers keep the check and leave the damage on the car. If this is an option, it may be a better one.
4. Keep it clean.
   1. It is easiest to clean a car that is regularly cleaned. Waxing the car regularly to keep the paint shiny and the water beading nicely also helps.
   2. While you don’t have to detail your car before bringing it in to be appraised, it helps if the car appears to have been kept in a generally clean condition.

 

Follow those tips and you will get more for your trade-in.

Do I really need to replace the oil in my Hyundai every 3750 miles? If so, why?

I worked as a service adviser for Chevrolet from 1986-1996. Circa 1992  I remember a technical service bulletin coming out explaining why Chevrolet engines can go through a quart of oil as often as every 800 miles. I remember the explanation. But first a little technical explanation (a little technical is all I can handle anyway):

Almost all cars running today use an internal combustion engine. Almost all internal combustion engines use a crankshaft to send power to the transmission. The crankshaft gets its power from the pistons that push it. The pistons get their power from the explosion resulting from the spark that ignites the fuel/air mixture when it is under pressure. Those pistons slide up and down in a cylinder wall. The cylinder wall is metal and the pistons are metal, and there is a lot of heat. There has to be something lubricating those cylinder walls or there’s gonna be damage from the metal-on-metal contact. That lubricant is the oil in your engine, and it is only one of the jobs the oil has. Road and Track found a helpful old video showing and explaining oil’s role in your engine (click here to view).

 

But wait, didn’t I say there was an explosion and lots of heat? Yep. I know what you’re thinking and you are right. If oil lubricates the cylinder wall, and there is a lot of heat from an explosion, then doesn’t some of that oil get burned off? Yes it does. Back in 1992 Chevrolet said up to a quart every 800 miles. Today things aren’t much different. BMW says as much as a quart every 750 miles, and Subaru as much as a quart every 1200 miles.

 

Then why doesn’t my oil look low? Chevrolet said back in 1992 that unburnt fuel and condensation can replace the oil lost, making it look like the oil level is still just fine. But they did say that if there is a lot of longer-distance highway driving, the oil level might just drop as the fuel and condensation is more likely to get burned off as well.

 

Fast forward to today and there are manufacturers suffering from oil loss. This article from Automotive News explains that many of the reasons remain the same. But as manufacturers lengthen the distance between oil changes ,that could result in trouble, especially if the customer doesn’t routinely check their oil level (I don’t and I am in the car business, do you routinely check your oil?).

 

Going 10,000 miles between an oil change is great for convenience (and marketing). It may even save some money in the short term (then again maybe not: Hyundai uses a conventional oil which is less expensive than the synthetics many manufacturers recommend for those longer oil changes). But if you aren’t regularly checking your oil between changes, especially for the vehicles mentioned in the article linked above, then low oil levels, or oil with much unburnt fuel and condensation, can cause big problems for your engine.

 

Additionally, at least at Fred Beans Hyundai, an oil change isn’t just an oil change. We also do a 27-point inspection checking things like your battery, tires, lights, undercarriage to check for any leaks or issues with your exhaust system, and more. That means that your tires are getting checked for uneven wear every oil change – probably not a bad idea here in Pennsylvania where our roads are brutal to our cars’ alignments. And it will be nice to catch a potential battery issue before it fails in the dead of winter. Also, Hyundai recommends a tire rotation every 7500 miles so we’ll be checking your brakes every 7500 miles with that tire rotation as well.

 

Check your manufacturer’s recommendations in the owner’s manual, and be sure to follow the recommendations. For the vehicles that have a 7500 miles recommendation between oil changes, or longer, consider getting your car checked over more frequently.

 

One quick note: there are usually 2 maintenance schedules. Around here, in eastern PA / NJ area, you are almost definitely going to fall into the “severe”, or more frequent, schedule. Hyundai, for example, considers you in severe conditions if you live in an area where salt or other corrosives are used to treat the roads in the winter, if you drive short trips of less than 5 miles, driving on hills or mountains, driving short trips of less than 10 miles in freezing temperatures. In other words, nearly everyone in the US. (And most other manufacturers are similar in how they define severe conditions.)

 

In my case, with my 2015 Sonata turbo that means I get my oil changed every 3000 miles. For my parents and their 2015 Sonata non-turbo, and my brother’s 2011 Elantra, every 3750 miles. But that also means that we get our cars checked more frequently so we are less likely to run into issues.

 

Hyundai hasn’t said this, but I wonder if preventative maintenance isn’t at least part of the reason why they recommend more frequent oil changes, and continue to use conventional oil as a result. If so, I appreciate the peace of mind that comes with getting my car checked over more frequently, and the lower cost of the conventional oil Hyundai continues to recommend.

Hyundai goes faster with N division

Hyundai’s N division will lead to better performance across the brand

I have been with Hyundai now for 16 years. When I started their competitive set was low cost new domestics and pre-owned foreign. They were working on a planned route to success, though, that I read about in an Automotive News article back in circa 2003, while I was on a plane to Atlanta. Their plan:

1. Fix reliability issues: They knew that they stumbled when they entered the states in the mid-eighties. If you are going to make it in the US market you need better reliability, or you need a large group of consumer advocates for the brand, preferably both. Hyundai had neither. The nineties found Hyundai obsessively pursuing fixing their quality issues. They stopped outsourcing their powertrains and brought that in house. Hyundai Mobis supplied most of Hyundai’s parts so they could control and improve their own quality.
2. Get people back in the showroom: By the late nineties, Hyundai had largely fixed their reliability issues. But they had to get people back in the showroom again considering their cars. 1999 brought the warranty that you know from Hyundai now: 10-years or 100,000 miles coverage for the powertrain, 5-years or 60,000 miles for defects in almost everything else, 5-years / unlimited miles roadside assistance. Hyundai’s message was “Hey, you can trust us now. Our cars are more reliable and we stand behind them more than any other brand will. And they’re still inexpensive. We offer more peace of mind than a pre-owned vehicle or low-cost domestic.” And people began returning to the showroom. Hyundai sold a lot more cars… and their warranty costs as a company went down.
3. Fit and finish competitive with what Toyota and Honda were doing at the time: Hyundai was bringing in the especially value conscious, but there is a large set of buyers that want a great vehicle, one that can finish top three in magazine comparisons, One sign of a great car and attention to detail is fit and finish. You could hardly read a car magazine article without mention of it. Plus, if your production can handle great fit and finish, you will more likely need to build a better car to pull that off. Fortunately for Hyundai, they had very modern production capability, so much so that they traded some of their production capability with other manufacturers to gain some of their vehicle technology. That is how Hyundai obtained Mercedes seven step paint process. Starting with the 2001 Elanta and Santa Fe, Hyundai’s fit and finish took a leap forward.
4. Powertrains that would compete with the best in their segment, namely Honda and Toyota: To pull this part off, Hyundai felt that they would need some help. So they joined with engineers from Chrysler and Mitsubishi and went to work. They developed engine series that were highly competitive. Hyundai got variants that suited them, so did Chrysler and Mitsubishi. The 2006 Sonata and Azera were examples of these new engines, and they were great! Now they had cars that had the fit and finish and the powertrains to truly compete with Honda and Toyota. Now our competitive set had become Nissan and class-competitive domestics. Some Honda and Toyota buyers were beginning to peak their heads in the door to see what the buzz was about for Hyundai.
5. The last thing I remember from the article was design: Toyota has built a great brand known for fit and finish and reliability, but they were boring to look at. No matter: they sold in mass quantities. Hyundai didn’t have the reputation for quality that Toyota and Honda did. They’d need a design that people can emotionally connect with. So Hyundai hired a few design guys away from other manufacturers that seemed promising and hired John Krafjik, an MIT grad that worked for Toyota, as CEO of Hyundai Motor America. In 2009, Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture design language was introduced on the 2010 Tucson. The Tucson had tremendous fit and finish, a highly competitive powertrain, and looks that were head-turning, much better than the appearance of any other vehicle in its segment. So, too, when they followed that up with the same design language in 2010 for the 2011 Sonata and Elantra. Hyundai started straight up winning car magazine competitions in those segments. And improvements made to the rest of the line had essentially all of their models finishing near the top in their segments. Sales exploded!

Hyundai achieved a few other things along the way. Hyundai’s plant in Montgomery, Alabama, was the first plant on earth to achieve the International Standards Organization’s ISO TS16949 Certification. Their first step into the premium segment with the first Hyundai Genesis won it 2009 North American Car of the Year and helped raise the status of Hyundai as a maker of quality automobiles. The 2012 Elantra led to Hyundai’s second North American Car of the Year award in 4 years. Hyundai’s partnership with Lotus in the final tuning of the redesigned 2015 Genesis’ suspension, steering, and chassis led to improvements in handling and ride quality across Hyundai’s line-up.

 

Now Hyundai is preparing for a couple more big steps. One of them is a performance division called “N”. Hyundai’s research and development in its home country of South Korea is done in Namyang. The performance models will be tested at the Nurburgring track in Germany. While the N division’s first release is simply a design exercise slated for the virtual world (you can “drive” it in the Gran Turismo racing game), there will be plenty of real-world performance cars to come. (Read more in this Auto Guide article)

 

To lead the performance division, Hyundai tapped BMW’s leader of its performance “M” division, Albert Biermann. Automotive News quotes Biermann as he explains the N division and how it will benefit all Hyundai models.

 

And Biermann narrates this YouTube video of Hyundai’s intention with the N division.

 

With this new performance division, a Genesis luxury brand spinoff, a more focused effort on alternative fuel vehicles, and growth in other niche segments, the whole brand benefits from new technologies and lessons learned. The future of Hyundai continues to get brighter and brighter!

Hyundai births Genesis as a new premium brand

In 2008 Hyundai released its first premium vehicle, the 2009 Hyundai Genesis. It was an impressive entry into the premium segment. So much so that it won the 2009 North American Car of the Year award. Some said its only real drawback was that it carried the name “Hyundai”, a brand known at the time more for economical mainstream compact cars, so didn’t really fit the Premium Large Car image.

 

I remember talk and rumors of a seperate brand channel that was going to launch with the release of the Genesis, essentially Hyundai’s answer to Toyota’s Lexus, Nissan’s Infinity, or Honda’s Acura, years before the Genesis came out. Hyundai had decided that in a down market (remember that it was recession time), spending an estimated $4.2 billion to launch a new brand channel wasn’t a great idea. Therefore the Genesis launched as a Hyundai brand vehicle.

 

Fast forward seven years and the car market is on fire. SUV’s, pick-ups, and the premium car markets are exploding as low gas prices are helping to buoy these segments. 2015 even set a record for new vehicle sales. Conditions are prefect to rethink a new brand channel.

 

And Hyundai has.

 

This year we were introduced to Hyundai’s answer to Lexus, Infinity, and Acura: the Genesis brand. The Genesis model will be renamed the G80 and the redesigned Equus the G90.

 

In order to sell Equus, a Hyundai dealer must be able to provide a higher level of service to the Equus customer. Test drives must be able to take place at an Equus prospect’s home or office, pick-up and delivery must be available to an Equus owner for service, etc. Time-saving luxuries like these are one attribute Hyundai is hoping will help to differentiate the modern premium Genesis brand.

 

To help make sure Genesis is a hit, Hyundai hired a who’s who in the automotive world to help with getting the brand started off right:

Albert Biermann: former lead engineer for BMW’s “M” division now heads up performance engineering for Hyundai’s “N” performance division and the Genesis brand.

Luc Donckerwolke: former designer for Bentley now heads up design for Genesis brand. It is a possibility that when Peter Schreyer retires, he may take over for head of design for Hyundai Group.

Manfred Fitzgerald; formerly of Lamborghini, he will head up international business operations for Genesis brand.

 

Hyundai is well aware that Honda’s Acura division and Nissan’s Infinity division has had middling success in the premium market. That is not an option for Genesis brand. Hyundai has assembled top talent from within their own and from around the industry, they have studied how to make an impact in the premium market, and now they are ready to launch.

 

This year we will see the Genesis G90, the Genesis G80, and we may even see the G70 as a 3-series / C-Class competitor. In the coming few years we will see a coupe, and two SUV’s as well. And likely “N” performance versions of some of these as well.

 

See what the press has to say:

This Automotive News article explains that Hyundai wants to build the Genesis premium experience using time-saving techniques for the owners of Genesis models, as opposed to making the in-store experience more luxurious. After all, how long does one spend at the dealership compared to with one’s car?

Automobile Magazine lists their top six takeaways about the Genesis brand, including that Genesis models sold in the US will be tuned specifically for US roads.

And Hyundai’s press release.

 

Winter is coming! Time for that all-wheel-drive vehicle, right? Or wrong?

All-wheel-drive H-Trac Genesis

Maybe. But maybe not.

 

The last 2 years I have had more people say something to the effect of “my car is really bad in winter driving. I need an all-wheel-drive” than in my preceding 25 years in the business. I have been in the car business for 27 years, why is it that I haven’t heard that in volume until now? So I started doing research on the subject of winter driving, and you will find a lot of what I learned in the Car Care and Safe Driving tips section of my website.

 

What I learned is that these last couple of winters brought especially cold weather. Especially cold weather makes all-season tire rubber turn hard and lose traction (and tears up our roads). Typically we don’t get weather this cold for this long of stretches in this area. The last two winters were an exception.

 

So do you need an all-wheel-drive? Probably not. But I would definitely consider an all-wheel-drive or 4-wheel-drive vehicle if I had a job where I needed to be at work no matter what the weather: postal service, doctor, nurse, emergency service worker, what have you, or if you have a steep driveway, or steep hills to climb on your daily commute. An all-wheel or 4-wheel drive vehicle can help if you need to get the car moving from a stop especially when going up hill. But, generally speaking, an all-wheel or 4-wheel drive vehicle won’t help you stop or turn in bad weather.

 

Winter tires will.

 

And most of us will be just fine with a front-wheel or even a rear-wheel drive vehicle when that vehicle is shod with winter tires. Even if you have an all-wheel or 4-wheel drive vehicle, Fox News reported that Consumer Reports recommends winter tires since they are what help you stop and steer.

 

KBB has a great article with simple explanations as to whether an all-wheel-drive, snow tires, or both are best for your situation. They conclude that for the budget-conscious, front wheel drive with winter tires offer the best combination of fuel economy, budget, and winter grip. I agree that set up is probably best for most of us in the Eastern PA / NJ area.

 

Again, for emergency personnel and those that need to go out in the really nasty weather, then all-wheel-drive should still be a consideration. Same goes for those with steep inclines in their driveway or commute.

 

If you read my tips section and this article and conclude that front-wheel-drive or even rear-wheel-drive is right from you, Hyundai has an awesome line-up that I can help you with. If you conclude that your needs really do lean toward an all-wheel-drive vehicle, then Hyundai still has several great options including the Tucson, Santa Fe, and Genesis sedan. Not sure, feel free to contact me.

Welcome to my blog

The nature of being in car sales means you speak to a lot of people. The nature of being a car salesperson at the same dealership for 16 years means you have a lot of repeat and referral buyers that grow comfortable with you. The nature of being in the car business for 27 years, with a lot of repeat and referral buyers who are comfortable with you, means that you field a lot of questions. Question topics range from how certain features of a car operate, whether a particular new model is a good one, general service questions, buying advice, vehicle recommendations, and more. Added to my regular duties, it keeps me pretty busy.

 

And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

 

I can’t think of a better compliment as a car salesperson than that your customers have grown to trust your input and opinion, and that you wouldn’t knowingly steer them wrong. I put a lot of work into staying on top of my product, the competition, and the car business in general. Of course I can’t know it all so I focus on what is most relevant to my customers. Ask me about exotic cars or pick-up trucks or commercial vehicles and I won’t know that much; Hyundai doesn’t compete in those markets for the most part.

 

Staying on top of what’s going on in Hyundai, its competition, and the car market in general means I subscribe to several car magazines, car related emails/websites, etc. As a result I often come across information I think is great to share with my customers: safe driving tips, car care advice, reviews on Hyundai products, etc. I wanted to find a way to share that information so timbergey.com was born. There you will find a lot of helpful information as a car owner, especially as a Hyundai owner.

 

But there are times I run across questions, topics, or ideas that require more than just a quick blurb on a website. Those items that need a more verbose treatment will be treated in this blog. Some entries may be long, others very short. Most will be serious but I like to have a little fun, too, so some will be just for fun.

 

Want a more daily dose of the information and fun I have to offer? Follow me on:

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Have a great day!