steve c

There was a time in the U.S. when Honda had a name that was more synonymous with cheap, affordable and rust than reliable and great value. During the 80

FO2K

I believe the Korean car industry will comprise a larger and larger portion of the world-wide market. As Japanese cars become more and more expensive, the Korean cars will fill a much needed segment.

I also believe the Japanese high end automobiles will continue to hammer away at Mercedes, BMW, and Audi. It wasn't that long ago that Porshe was in a financial bind and bailed themselves out with an SUV.

Twenty years (or less) from now we will see entry level cars and trucks from China.

hpark

I AGREE....hyundai's in the last 10 years have gone from 'laughing stock" to *gasp* "competitive"
nice warranty too and the new sonata looks pretty decent

Optikal

I have thought the same thing. My perceptions of Hyundia from 10 years ago has vastly improved with their cars. Even JD Powers have given them higher ratings of recent.

Hyundia is certainly doing something right to afford a Motorsports division as well as increasing their prices within the past few years. I have even read a few car articles of journalists being surprised in the fit and finish compared to a Benz. (though it is no secret Benz is going downhill)

Pay attention to Kia in the next few years. I saw some Kia compact cars at SEMA in November. Looks like they are trying to break into the tuner market. Can you see yourself driving this?

Ubetit

My mother bought a Sonata for 21k and that sucker is loaded. It is a hell of a car for the money.

mikecl713

i think the koreans will fall into the steps of the japanese.....
korea was considered one of the "economic phenemenon" of the 20th centuries....just as the same as japanese.. where both war torn countries at an amazing rate built up respectable economies..

of course we all know the jay leno jokes on the hyundai...
"how do u double the value of a hyundai ? Fill it up with premium gas"

Lice Locket

Hm, the Japanese cars success was due to their fuel efficiency. Ever see those old classic cars? Some of the convertibles are like 20 feet long! The new Tacomas are 17 feet long! Of course, American cars remain the heaviest and most muscular, and Japanese cars still are known to be cleaner and more fuel efficient (how well do you think a Japanese muscle car is going to sell compared to American muscle cars?). Korean cars, in my opinion, are going to keep the status of "cheap entry level cars." Even as bad as how the economy is now, Americans are still making tons of bank, so the only way I see Korean cars taking over the automotive world is if the economy gets so bad, they can't even afford a Civic (under 20k new). Or if Americans stop caring about cars as a status symbol.

I think Korean cars are going to keep their niche; cheap cars, somewhat good gas economy. Get what you paid for. However, it takes time and resources to make "engines of the years." The best engineers are going to cost a lot, so the cars are going to cost a lot as well. I'm not saying Korean cars are bad, they just, um... I want a car that can catch the attention of chicks! jk

JettaGT

i would tend to disagree and venture to state mercedes is improving based on new models...of course their reliability has been an issue in the past but i think that will be improving.

i wil state that i think the koreans will erode the market share of japanese cars and amercinas...i think it will be somet ime before someone cross shops korean and european cars (well excluding vw)...

Optikal

I'll take that back... That was a blanket statement that may exclude particular models.

GotS?

With many awards that they recieved recently, I wouldn't doubt it. i.e. JD Powers, etc.
But I'm not too sure about buying one myself. Maybe in 5-10 years for my kid.
Oh, and they already have $40k plus Korean cars out there. I'm not sure about us in US though.