2019 Hyundai Elantra on 2040-cars

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BMW, Hyundai score big in JD Power's first Tech Experience Index

While automakers are quick to brag about winning a JD Power Initial Quality Study award, the reality, as we've pointed out before, is that these ratings are somewhat misleading, since IQS doesn't necessarily distinguish genuine quality issues. JD Power's new Tech Experience Index aims to solve that problem. The new metric takes the same 90-day approach as IQS but focuses exclusively on technology – collision protection, comfort and convenience, driving assistance, entertainment and connectivity, navigation, and smartphone mirroring. It splits the industry up into just seven segments, based loosely on size, which is why the Chevrolet Camaro is in the same division (mid-size) as Kia Sorento and the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class is in the same segment as the Hyundai Genesis (mid-size premium). It makes for some screwy bedfellows, to be sure. Still, splitting tech experience away from initial quality should allow customers to make more informed and intelligent decisions when buying new vehicles. In the inaugural study, respondents listed BMW and Hyundai as the big winners, with two segment awards – the 2 Series for small premium and the 4 Series for compact premium, and the Genesis for mid-size premium and Tucson for small segment. The Chevrolet Camaro (midsize), Kia Forte (compact), and Nissan Maxima (large) scored individual wins. Ford also had a surprising hit with the Lincoln MKC, which ranked third in the compact premium segment behind the 4 Series and Lexus IS. This is a coup for the Blue Oval, whose woeful MyFord Touch systems made the brand a victim of the IQS' flaws in the early 2010s. But Ford and other automakers might not want to celebrate just yet. According to JD Power, there's still a lot of room for improvement – navigation systems were the lowest-rated piece of tech in the study. Instead, customers repeatedly saluted collision-avoidance and safety systems, giving the category the best marks of the study and listing blind-spot monitoring and backup cameras as two must-have features – 96 percent of respondents said they wanted those two systems in their next vehicle. But this isn't really a surprise. Implementation of safety systems from brand to brand is similar, and they don't require any input from users, unlike navigation and infotainment systems which are frustratingly deep.

Hyundai's 2015 Genesis Super Bowl commercial is Dad-approved

Super Bowl commercials allow advertising and marketing execs the opportunity to let their hair down, have a bit of fun and get silly. That's why Audi's ad features a mutant, CGI-animated dog, GoDaddy's spot features a beefcake Danica Patrick and Kia has recruited Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus, from the Matrix films. Hyundai, meanwhile, didn't seem to get the memo.
It's not that its spot is bad, but it does feel a bit boring, playing a lot like Hyundai's non-Super Bowl advertisements - in other words, not something we're going to be talking about next Monday around the water cooler. Called Dad's Sixth Sense, the 30-second clip shows off the 2015 Genesis Sedan and its auto emergency braking system, after showing dad's saving their kids from what we imagine would be fairly painful, and in some cases horrific, accidents (tackling a hot barbecue, anyone?).
We've got the full spot down below. Keep your eye out for it on Super Bowl Sunday.

Woman drove her Hyundai Elantra 1 million miles in five years

Imagine driving 200,000 miles in a year. That's about 14 times more than the average American driver logs in a year, according to federal government statistics, and it adds up to almost 548 miles per day — if you literally drive every day. Now, imagine doing it for five straight years. Not behind the wheel of a semi truck, but a gray 2013 Hyundai Elantra. All on the original powertrain. That's the story of Farrah Haines, of Olathe, Kan., who managed to log 1 million miles on her Elantra — inexplicably fitted with some kind of grille guard — from her job delivering auto parts and products. Her feat is the equivalent of driving from her home outside Kansas City to Milwaukee ... Every. Single. Day. "I figured I love to drive, so I might as well turn it into a career," she says in a video Hyundai made about her. Since the odometer would simply roll back to zero after hitting 999,999 miles, Hyundai replaced it and forged its first-ever 1 Million Mile Emblem to display in the instrument panel. It's now an official Hyundai part. Haines also got a commemorative license-plate frame announcing her membership in the 1 Million Mile Club. But the bigger prize came later, when the automaker surprised her with a brand-new 2019 Elantra, this one in red. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Hyundai says it ran a number of tests to validate the odometer reading on her 2013 Elantra, with engineers poring over engine casting numbers, service records, wire harnesses and motor mounts — even her mileage records for her two jobs, plus Carfax and VIN reports. It determined the achievement is legit. "The key is to prioritize regular maintenance and to have a quality vehicle," Haines says in a statement. According to the above video, she gets her oil changed every two weeks. We admittedly don't know much about Haines or her jobs, but in the video, she says matter-of-factly that she drives 24/7. That's obviously an exaggeration, but still. With two jobs, and the staggering driving requirements outlined above, we can't help but wonder whether this is a cautionary tale about the gig economy buried in a feel-good story. So, Farrah — congrats on the new car? Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.