[kraft.wagen]

Originally Posted by georgesraju

Recently I was surprised to see small stretches of rust appearing near the edge of the roof where it meets the rear windshield on my 2009 Altima. Isn't it too ealry for a 2009 car to start rusting, that too on the roof? Please suggest what to do to keep it in check.

Thanks.

If you have warranty (or extended warranty), take it to the dealer and make them fix it.

[bhardwhu]

Would the members have any idea on the reliability of 2004 Sonata manual done about 91k miles. Its a single owner car being quoted at $2500. Is it good for daily commute for atleast 2 years?

Regards

Himanshu

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by bhardwhu

Would the members have any idea on the reliability of 2004 Sonata manual done about 91k miles. Its a single owner car being quoted at $2500. Is it good for daily commute for atleast 2 years?

Regards

Himanshu

Hyundai's and Kia's from 10 years back were reputed to be poorly built and poor quality etc - It maybe entirely untrue, but that was the general impression amongst the car buying population. They started offering the 10 year warranties and guaranteed buyback programs to build confidence in the brand.

That said, it does not necessarily mean that this car you are talking about is crappy and unreliable - take it for a good test drive, have it inspected - if things check out fine, it should be a value for money purchase.

[bhardwhu]

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

Hyundai's and Kia's from 10 years back were reputed to be poorly built and poor quality etc

Thanks.
The car is 4 cyl and I have concerns about spares availability should the car be alright and found worth a purchase as on today. Any pointers?
Himanshu

[prasadee]

Originally Posted by bhardwhu

Thanks.
The car is 4 cyl and I have concerns about spares availability should the car be alright and found worth a purchase as on today. Any pointers?
Himanshu

Himanshu, For a daily beater you will like it. Do a test drive, and make sure you see the smog check certificate. It is illegal to sell a car that will not pass smog. As it is a 2004 car - the 10 year 100k mile hyundai warranty may be about to expire. I think I found the listing on the cincinati CL of the 2004 sonata with 91k, the pics do look decent. See if you can get a smaller Kia/Hyundai that has at least one year of warranty left. Like this -http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/ctd/4402198086.html or http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/4401906093.html

Once you get the car, you can rent a trailer and drive to distant towns to pick up your touring bike

[georgesraju]

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

If you have warranty (or extended warranty), take it to the dealer and make them fix it.

Originally Posted by NinadJoshi

Find Nissan;s customer care number from the user booklet and get a case-ticket started with Nissan to see if they can direct you to a dealer. There is a 60 month corrosion/rust warranty on most Nissan vehicles (which is usually for the first buyer only, but no harm in trying because they will sometimes entertain genuine concerns).

If Nissan refuses (which it might in the first attempt), then your only alternative would be to have it fixed from your own pocket.

Thanks friends. The car is already out if its 5 year corrosion warranty. Even though this is a 2009 model, this was purchased by the first owner sometime in late 2008.

I can try to have it fixed from your own pocket. But what can of fix would be required? Would that area need to be repainted or is there some kind of anti corrosion treatment available?

[bhardwhu]

Originally Posted by prasadee

Once you get the car, you can rent a trailer and drive to distant towns to pick up your touring bike

Thanks Prasad.

The other day I had gone to pick up the 3000 miles run FJR1300, which you had recommended , after driving 300 miles in a borrowed car. I got delayed by five minutes and it was sold right in front of me.

Now, I really need to have something to commute on my own before traveling wide and far to hunt for a motorcycle!

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by georgesraju

Recently I was surprised to see small stretches of rust appearing near the edge of the roof where it meets the rear windshield on my 2009 Altima. Isn't it too ealry for a 2009 car to start rusting, that too on the roof? Please suggest what to do to keep it in check.

Thanks.

The warranty is only against perforation i.e holes by rust. Surface rust won't be covered. Still call , maybe they might do something.

[prasadee]

Originally Posted by bhardwhu

The other day I had gone to pick up the 3000 miles run FJR1300, which you had recommended , after driving 300 miles in a borrowed car. I got delayed by five minutes and it was sold right in front of me.

That sucks big time. It did give you a good idea about how soon you need to act when you find something you like. Usually people who list something that says "OBO/or best offer" want a super fast sale. My typical transaction on Craigslist takes 30 mins. Buyer shows up, starts the bike, couple quick questions, hands the DD/cashiers check, and drives off.

[Activ8]

For all those who're giving compact car buying advice for NA (USA):

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...t/viewall.html

Verdict

7th Place: Dodge Dart A handsome handler, and you'll pay less per pound or per pony, but it costs the most in the long run.

6th Place: Volkswagen Jetta How many bells and whistles must you trade for big turbo fun? Most of them.

5th Place: Hyundai Elantra Jack of all compact virtues, master of none -- a solid-C all-arounder.

4th Place: Toyota Corolla You could do yoga in the back seat -- and have way more fun than driving the car.

3rd Place: Honda Civic Great tranny, brakes, and sticker price, but where's that magic Honda driving joy?

2nd Place: Kia Forte A fantastic little car let down by a dodgy safety rating and high ownership costs.

1st Place: Mazda3 The Big Test report card with the most As wins.

[amitoj]

Interesting! Surprisingly, the car coming in last is the safest!! The Dart, that is. Also, has it been on the roads long enough to decide that it costs more in the longer run? Or was it purely based on mpg figures?

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Interesting! Surprisingly, the car coming in last is the safest!! The Dart, that is. Also, has it been on the roads long enough to decide that it costs more in the longer run? Or was it purely based on mpg figures?

There is a table halfway down the article which splits up the costs.

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Interesting! Surprisingly, the car coming in last is the safest!! The Dart, that is. Also, has it been on the roads long enough to decide that it costs more in the longer run? Or was it purely based on mpg figures?

It's been out a year and half now, correct? Considering how difficult it has been for Dodge to get people to buy the Dart, the depreciation numbers should be spot on. So the rest of the story builds up. It is a prediction, not actual data, however fuel costs, depreciation, insurance etc would be accurate.

[Technocrat]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Interesting! Surprisingly, the car coming in last is the safest!! The Dart, that is. Also, has it been on the roads long enough to decide that it costs more in the longer run? Or was it purely based on mpg figures?

I have my doubts too, the Elantra wins on all counts yet is 4th?

They called Mazda's interface as state of the Art, did they see Dart's LCD interface??

[amitoj]

Well, article ratings aside, nothing will change the fact that Corolla and Civic will continue to sell in way bigger numbers than the rest. But I continue to be amazed by how Kia has turned things around. From being the butt of all car jokes not long back, to beating its long established Japanese and Korean siblings in review after review, you have to admire the distance that company has travelled in a short time.
What do you guys think about the CVTs though? In test drives, I have found CVT to be a big killjoy.