Back in the Hyundai boardroom some 25+ years ago, it must have taken some bravado for the suits to come up with the name ‘Sonata’ for their new sedan.  And even more to stick with it.  With its musically-inspired name, the Sonata was bound to draw comparisons to our ideals of the medium: beauty, fluidity, complexity.  Instead, that first Sonata and the ones that came right after it, with their sharp angles and clumsy looks, seemed more like the equivalent of someone banging a trashcan lid with drumsticks.  No surprise, then, that a common refrain for a good long time has been “used Hyundai Sonata.”  Bloomington dealers almost certainly have had that song stuck in their heads at one time or another.

But if the first generation Sonata wasn’t worthy of its lofty name, with each generation that has passed it becomes more and more befitting.  The 2011 Sonata is no exception.  To start with, the sloping roofline and aerodynamic body of the 2011 Sonata have the look of a sedan that isn’t simply a people mover but a melody of movement.  And along with its race-ready shape, the 2011 Sonata comes with a 2.4 liter in-line four cylinder engine that gets around 200 hp and 185 lb.-ft of torque, while offering a terrific 22 city/35 highway mpg.  Much has been made of Hyundai’s decision to bypass a V6, but the Sonata 2.0T comes with twin-scroll turbochargers that up the vehicle’s power, a Bloomington Hyundai dealer might tell you…uh, just a tad.

Just in case the upgrades to the design and engine still aren’t reeling in potential buyers to go have a word with their Bloomington Hyundai dealer (although they probably should be), the 2011 Sonata does offer up some very solid extras to make the decision that much easier.  It comes with XM Satellite Radio, iPod control, Bluetooth phone connectivity.  It’s a contemporary vehicle for a car company that finally looks as though it has arrived.  And like a good Hyundai, the 2011 Sonata comes in at a very affordable price for its class, here in the $20,000-25,000 range.  It’s probably a safe bet you won’t be hearing that same old song anytime soon, you know, the one about the used Hyundai Sonata.  Bloomington dealers should be waking up to a brand new tune these days.

Hyundai is not slowing down for the 2011 model year and will debut comfortable, intriguing new cars to the public. Inside and out the new 2011 automobiles will exlude luxury and style from roof to tires. Hyundai offers a wide variety of vehicle at a wide range of price points to entice every car buyer to look into purchasing a Hyundai. This model year promises not to disappoint for those interested in Hyundai, specifically with the debut of both the 2011 Equus and the 2011 Sonata.

The 2011 Hyundai Equus is one of Hyundai’s best luxury sedan options. This automobile is extraordinarily good looking both inside and out with comfortable interior and striking exterior features.

Used Hyundai Veracruz Bloomington drivers are enthusiastic about the look of this great new sedan. For less than $60,000 Hyundai offers the 2011 Equus equipped with a V8 engine with 420 horsepower. The Equus will be longer and wider that the Hyundai Genesis which should add to the luxurious air of this automobile.

The always popular Hyundai Sonata has also undergone some changes for the 2011 model year. The 2011 Sonata comes with a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine and reaches 198 horsepower. Drivers have a choice between a manual 6 speed transmission or a 6 speed automatic transmission. While these are the stats currently available with the Sonata, Hyundai plans on releasing both a hybrid as well as a turbocharged 2.0 liter engine options.  Used Hyundai Elantra Bloomington dealers are confident the Sonata will continue to do well and these changes will compel further sales for this model. The Sonata is currently on sale starting at $19,195.

Both Hyundai’s new vehicles for the 2011 model year are promising. Hyundai has focused in on the popular car models and pushed them to the height of their potential. Whether drivers are looking for fuel efficiency, safety, comfort, or performance, these two Hyundai vehicles have it all. These cars retain the quality car buyers have come to expect from Hyundai vehicles. For more information on the Equus, the Sonata or any other Hyundai visit your local Hyundai dealership.

It has been ten years since the first release of what has remained the most popular computer game of all time. Starcraft was a phenomenal success in this country and for some bizarre reason is a national past time in others. Now with the release of the decade awaited sequel, one has to wonder can it live up to the hype?

The correct answer is very seriously affirmative. The newest release of Starcraft II has been like reliving my early gaming youth with advanced looks at what computer gaming has become in that time. The really crazy part of it all I learned about during the press release. Apparently in South Korea, Starcraft is a national sport. The fancy man on the news the other day filled me in on the weirdest fact on the planet. South Korea has four national news channels and annual nationwide tournaments all dedicated to the decade old computer game.

That country has to be going nuts over the release of the new one. Ten years of playing the same game and growing in popularity. That is a fanatical notion of loyalty. Getting the sequel will be like the first time they learned there was more than just white bread. Ok, bad example.

In the news besides computer games, South Korea continues to be the happiest country on the globe. The South Korean based Hyundai, has received the numbers for the past month to learn they had the top selling automobile in the country that gave them these two beautiful computer marvels. I was at the box store for computer games and I realized all I saw was Hyundai on the road.

The boys over at Extreme must be loving it. Anyone I know who owns a used Hyundai Elantra, Bloomington is a great place for them to live. There are others who own a used Hyundai Veracruz, Bloomington for them is most likely in the not too shabby category as well. Excellent gas mileage accompanied by a revolution in the midsize sedan market completes these models. Owners can ride down Veterans with confidence knowing they made the right choice.

When consumers go out to spend money in the high end luxury category of cars this year they will have a new car to add to the mix: the Hyundai Equus sedan. Tough decisions will have to be made, color not being the most important anymore.  Considering the Equus sedan features being presented by Hyundai, the decisions will be difficult to make.

At your Hyundai Bloomington dealer, the Equus will be offered in the Ultimate model and the Signature model. Some of the features that your Bloomington Hyundai dealer will help you pick for your specific needs, are  cooled seats, massaging driver seat, and heated wood-trimmed steering wheel to name a few. Some may not expect these features in the base model, yes I said it, the base model, which will start in the mid-$50,000 range.

You’re probably asking yourself  if the base model has all of this, what could the premium model of the Equus have? Well for one, a rear seat refrigerator.  Stop by your  Hyundai Bloomington dealer on a hot day (and we all know Bloomington gets hot) and check it out.

Some other perks are the eight inch LCD screen and who could forget the entertainment system in the back. The powerful V-8 engine with 385-horsepower comes in both the Ultimate and the Signature versions, making part of your decision that much easier. It is apparent that Hyundai is stepping up its game in the realm of luxury vehicles.

According to John Krafcick, Hyundai’s chief executive in North America, owners who need their car serviced will have a loaner dropped off to them at their home and then after the car is serviced it will be brought back to their home.  Most consumers will be pleasantly surprised by this flagship sedan who may have not considered Hyundai in the past. For Hyundai, this is something that consumers in the U.S. haven’t seen from them before. The only way consumers can get a real feel for the luxury and exquisiteness of this vehicle is to go see it at a Bloomington Hyundai dealer. Who knows? You might just drive home in one.

35 mpg highway fuel economy rating, which is best in it’s class has the best in-class power-to-weight ratio of 12. 2 horsepower per pound, which is a lot better than any mid-size competitor. It’s fitted with Hyundai’s first four-cylinder 2.o-liter turbocharged gasoline direct-injection engine that delivers 274 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque across a broad range, which is 1,000 rpm-4,500 rpm that is also the best in it’s class. It’s engine also has more power than other V6 engines. Sound too good to be true? Well, it’s not, I was describing Hyundai’s new Sonata 2.0T. The Sonata 2.0t is has the same look and feel of previous Sonata’s but is now even better for the environment and features Hyundai’s newest technology.

Hyundai headquarters tells the used Hyundai Veracruz Bloomington dealer that the Sonata 2.oT is the first vehicle from Hyundai that will have both the GDI technology and a twin-scroll turbocharger. The combination of the GDI technology and twin-scroll turbocharger gives the 2.0t instant power delivery. Hyundai headquarters tells the Bloomington new Hyundai dealer that you normally see twin-scroll turbochargers and GDI on expensive high performance engines and the fact that the 2.0T has both these things it makes it completely different from any other car in it’s segment.

The Sonata 2.0 is apart of Hyundai’s 24/7 version 2.0 product initaitive, which is the plan on creating seven new models in the next 24 months. Hyundai headquarters tells the used Hyundai Veracruz Bloomington dealer that four of these new models will have GDI or both the GDI and a Turbocharger. These are a part of “Hyundai Blue Drive,” their environmental initiative to continue leading the industry in fuel efficiency and sustainability. Hyundai Motor America President and CEO, John Krafcik had this to say about the Sonata 2.o, “The Sonata 2.0T is a great example of what our Blue Drive product strategy is doing for consumers. Think about it– more horsepower than any of our V6 competitors, with better gas mileage than any competitive 4-cylinder model. We’re not fans of compromising at Hyundai and the Sonata really demonstrates this aspect of our business approach.”

You will be able to experience the Sonata 2.0T newest technology this Fall when it  will be available at the Bloomington new Hyundai dealer.

Given Hyundai’s status as the world’s fastest growing automaker and its $1.37 billion profit for the first quarter of this year, it’s a little surprising the 2011 Sonata and the 2010 Genesis are showing up on Edmund’s “Top Ten Best Dark-Horse Cars” list.  But perhaps this is because even though Hyundai overall is flourishing—winning awards, earning the #1 brand loyalty rating from Kelley Blue Book—sedans like the Sonata, in Edmund’s definition of their list, still “fly just below the radar when it comes to consumer awareness” despite their “quality and value.”  The Sonata consistently finishes behind the Camry, the Corolla, the Civic, and the Accord in sales figures for sedans, while the Genesis, that rare breed of exceptional and affordable, struggles to keep pace in the luxury sedan class as well.  The press, critics, and loyal Hyundai owners are aware of its “quality and value,” so when will the general car-buying public catch up? 

That is the question dealerships in Bloomington, IL, and around the country are eager to find the answer to.  Sales on new and used Hyundai Elantras, Bloomington dealers will tell you, are doing well enough, but with vehicles like the Sonata and Genesis under-performing by any reasonable measure given their critical performance and ratings, it would seem time for a new wave of interest to overtake the market, leaving the dark-horse category for what really should be the dark-horses.

Seriously, when you look at some of the other vehicles rounding out Edmund’s dark-horse list— 2010 Kia Sedona, 2010 Mazda Minivan 5, 2010 Suzuki Kizashi, 2010 Suzuki SX4—it begins to read almost like an SAT question: Pick the item(s) here that doesn’t belong.  The 2011 Sonata recently won AutoPacific’s President’s Award, the first ever given out, conceivably created specifically for the 2011 Sonata because of its performance in AutoPacific’s vehicle satisfaction research.  975 drivers took it out for a spin and rated it in 48 categories from comfort to convenience and the 2011 Sonata earned the all-time high score of 775 out of 1,000.

With these kinds of accolades piling up like the miles on a Route 66-traveling used Hyundai Elantra through Bloomington, don’t bet on seeing the Sonata or Genesis on any dark-horse lists come next year.  Those dealerships in Bloomington, IL, and elsewhere are expecting continued growth and excellence, and by any reasonable measure they should see that happen.

The newly redesigned 2010 Hyundai Tucson crossover has been well received by both consumers and reviewers since its release in December 2009.

The Tucson, sold at used Hyundai Elantra Bloomington dealers, was recently awarded the highest rating entitled “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The 2010 Hyundai Tucson, sold at dealerships in Bloomington Il, received “Good” in all crash test categories. It tested well in frontal offset crash test, side impact test, rear crash protection/head restraint rating and rollover roof strength test.

These rating deem the Tucson capable of withstanding a force equal to at least four times the vehicle’s weight, which is far superior to the federal standard weight which is 1.5 times the weight of the car.

For any car to receive a “TOP SAFETY PICK” a vehicle must have an Electronic Stability Control which has been standard on the Hyundai Tucson since 2004 and was the first compact crossover to offer the lifesaving technology as a standard.  The ESC has been proven to decrease the risk of fatal collisions by 49 percent and the risk of a fatal single-vehicle rollover of SUVs by 75 percent.

This year Hyundai debuted new standard safety technologies including the Downhill Brake Control and Hillstart Assist Control on the 2010 models.

The 2010 Tucson is affordable priced at $18,995 and has even more safety features in addition to the aforementioned ones. Standard in the Hyundai Tucson crossover is six airbags, active front head restraints, four-wheel disc brakes controlled by an advanced four-channel ABC with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Traction Control.

In addition to the aforementioned safety features the Tucson has a steel uni-body that has integrated crumple zones and high-tensile steel front sub-frame built to decrease the forces that would normally impact the passenger compartment. The front side members have been enlarged and straightened to increase their impact absorption properties. The Tucson doors have an internal guard and beams to protect passengers in side-impact collisions.
Aside from the Tucson’s impressive safety features it has been reviewed as a reliable ride with enough power under the hood and user friendly features on the inside.

Two thoughts come to mind when people start talking about long waits and being satisfied. Though it only be twelve hours from when between Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning, it always feels like an eternity. An unfair and cruel punishment in knowing that sweet childhood memories, not to mention the brand new action figure with the kung fu grip, are so close and yet hang just out of reach. Then I think of being satisfied and all that comes to mind is that obnoxious Rolling Stones tune, but that doesn’t really matter right now.

The internet is alive with the sound of reviews over the new 2011 Hyundai Sonata. It seems torturous to get excited about something that’s so far away. You couldn’t walk into any of the dealerships in Bloomington, IL and say I want to see the 2011 model. Critics talk and talk and talk about the presents that are not even close to being twelve hours away. Getting the consumer’s hopes way up and then hoping they can keep them that high for a full year. The only thing that will breed is over hype and disappointment.

Or will it? The pursuit or joy of knowing there is something on the horizon does give hope to people. I’ve been waiting for the iPhone to come to Verizon now for years, and every year they tell me January. January comes around every year as the calendar promises and yet, no iPhone for me! The point is I’m still excited at the prospect no matter how far away it may be that someday I could have the coolest gadget with far better service than my suffering AT&T counterparts. My point is while waiting and learning more about the new gadget, whether an iPhone on Verizon or a new Sonata that’s a year away, it’s important to focus on the now.

Take advantage of the opportunities at hand like a used Hyundai Veracruz. Bloomington dealers have them in stock and can’t wait to get you driving one while you wait to come back in 2011. Enjoy the now, even though kung fu grip is just a button that makes Duke’s arm go up and down, the buttons in the new 2011 Sonata will bring much more satisfaction after the long wait.

“I can’t get no satisfaction, I can’t get no satisfaction. When I’m drivin’ in my car,” Do you feel just like this old Rolling Stones song says, you aren’t satisfied with the car you are driving? If you aren’t you should be driving a Hyundai Genesis or Tucson because according to both these cars took home the top awards in each of their categories in the 2010 AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Awards. Hyundai headquarters tells the Bloomington Hyundai dealership that the Genesis was number 1 in the “Aspirational Luxury Car Class” and the Tucson was number 1 in the “Compact Crossover SUV Class.”

Winners of the AutoPacific’s vehicle Satisfaction Award are based on a study done by the Southern California-based automotive research firm that looks at how satisfied 42,000 new vehicle owners are with their 2010 model year cars and trucks. Those who participate in the survey rate 48 qualities for importance in the purchase decision and satisfaction after purchase.

The used Hyundai Elantra Bloomington dealer thinks that one of the reasons consumers are satisfied with the Genesis is because it comes with features and technology that other luxury sedans don’t have. These features and technologies include XM NaV/Traffic, Adaptive Front lighting System, Lexicon audio systems, and electronic active head restraints.The Tucson is the first vehicle in Hyundai’s 24/7 version 2.0 product initiative, which means Hyundai plans to release seven all-new models by the end of 2011. The Bloomington Hyundai dealership says what makes the new Tucson stand out is it’s roomier cabin, “Fluidic Sculpture” design language and it’s extra cargo space, and it’s great fuel economy and new technology.

Director of product planning, Hyundai Motor America, Scott Margason, said of the Genesis and Tucson and their recent AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Awards, “Hyundai is revamping it’s entire fleet with exciting products like the Genesis and Tucson leading a wave of new model introductions from Hyundai and customers are taking notice.” “The AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Awards are an important indicator that we’ve hit the mark when it comes to pleasing our buyers–a very encouraging sign as we bring new models like the all-new 2011 Sonata to the market this year, and prepare for more to come.” The used Hyundai Elantra Bloomington dealer agree with what Margason had to say and thinks that these recent awards also show that when it comes to satisfying their customers Hyundai is number 1!

Hyundai sure has come a long way (though haven’t we all?).  But back in the mid-80s it began selling vehicles in the United States, and its main product at the time, the now extinct Excel, was notable only for its affordability.  A widely held perception was that the Korean-based automaker was producing cheap knockoffs of the real thing.  Hyundai only began producing vehicles with its own technology a few years later, beginning with the stalwart Sonata.  Perhaps you’ve heard of it? 

Flash forward 25 short years, and Hyundai is poised to become possibly the #1 car brand in the world.  It is the fastest growing automaker in the world and keeps earning accolade after accolade, the latest being it has jumped ahead of Toyota and Honda in brand loyalty.  There is a high demand for any and all new Hyundai Accent and used Hyundai Elantra.  Bloomington and Carbondale dealers are fielding new requests every day.

And now Hyundai is gearing up to play with the big boys by adding a large luxury sedan to its fleet: the 2011 Equus.  It’s a long ways from the used Hyundai Elantra Bloomington dealers are used to selling.  With its introduction at the 2010 New York International Auto Show earlier this year, folks began to take notice.  Those who still harbored the notion that Hyundai was producing cheap knockoffs were forced to reconsider their position.

The Equus has a longer wheelbase than the Lexus LS460 and it’ll be cheaper than the LS460 and the Mercedes S-Class, coming in around the mid-$50,000 price range.  In addition to the technological comforts and stylings that the Equus will come equipped with (heated, cooled driver seat; reclining rear heated and cooled seats with a footrest; rear and optional front-view cameras for parking and blind spots), Hyundai will be offering an iPad with each purchase that will contain the owner’s manual on it along with all of the other standard, cool functions from Steve Jobs and co.

Will the Equus have what it takes to compete in this arena that is truly only for the big hitters, or will it have to be satisfied selling its Sonata and Genesis and a used Hyundai Accent in Bloomington?  Some critics are pointing to its smaller engine as a potential downside.  The 2011 Equus will have a 4.6-liter Tau V8 with a six-speed automatic transmission and 385 horsepower.  Instead of bumping up to a 5-liter engine, Hyundai is using this smaller engine to maintain the basic powertrain from the Genesis platform on which the Equus is based.  It’s a slightly risky strategy as luxury car-buyers seem to want more power for their bucks, but if anything Hyundai has earned the right to say it knows what it’s doing, and critics should probably know by now to take their word for it.  New and used Hyundai Accent Bloomington dealers have known it for years.