“Vehicle owners typically associate GT with above-average performance…”
That’s the lead-in to several Elantra GT reviews. Lets be honest, GT is the automotive equivalent of quartz movement – a vague marque designed to generate desire. No one really knows or cares what it actually means.
While the GT handles better than any other front-wheel-drive car in Hyundai’s lineup, the car is plagued by a lack of torque, an overly-engineered rear-view camera and a loud panoramic roof. [Read more...]
When watching TV automakers have two chances to put product & messaging in front of your eyeballs: the traditional 30-60 second ad or in-show product placement.
The advent of the digital video recorder has given users the ability to skip past commercials pushing automakers towards product placement as the operative eyeball grabbing media buy.
In case you aren’t familiar with what automotive product placement looks like - I’ll describe it for you. During a television show it typically comes in the form of a long akward shot of a vehicle or its navigation system. It can also present itself as an out-of-place comment about a vehicle’s fuel economy while doing something unrelated, like speeding to catch a murderer. That is product placement.
The most recent Nielsen Cross-Platform Report showed that viewers who watched Live [Read more...]
Hyundai launched an ad campaign last week titled “Don’t Tell” to showcase the 2013 Santa Fe (video below). The ads showcase children taking part in various risky activities with one parent, who reminds them not to tell the other parent.
Because it’s never to earlier to teach your child the art of deception.
In one scene a dad sits in the back of the new Santa Fe with his kids watching a scary movie at the [Read more...]
The Veloster is a small, funky, afforable fuel-efficient car from Hyundai. At first glance you might assume the average buyer is in their early-20′s, a fan of dubstep and loves American Idol. You would be incredbly wrong.
Much like Scion when it launched, the Veloster is also drawing an older buyer. After seeing a few locally being piloted by a more mature driver, I decided to do some research of my own. I reached out to over 250 Hyundai Veloster owners to find out – who really is buying the Veloster.
The results were interesting. Many buyers claimed [Read more...]
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Its 5 a.m. and a chilly morning here in Virginia. The Elantra Limited is parked in the driveway warming up, with both front seat heaters on high. Because Baby travels in a plastic bucket, the rear seat heaters won’t get much use this trip. And yes. You heard that right. This car has heated rear seats.
As the wife runs through the house for last minute items – I entertain the cats with an old shoelace. We finally make our way out the door, Baby and stuff in tow.
Loading the trunk I marveled at how something so small could hold so much. It was like watching Baby eat. Our four-day trip required the following: 1 stroller, 3 large bags, 1 baby bath chair, 1 Pack n Play, 1 laptop bag and countless toys. Starting a family does come with baggage, literally. The Elantra holds its own in rear cargo space, besting the Honda Civic in total cargo volume by over 2 cubic feet (14.8 vs. 12.5).
Looks [Read more...]
Happy Friday the 13th! If you are….(beep, beep, beep): We interrupt your regularly scheduled CarsNCoffee to bring you this special announcement: ROAD TRIP!
By the time you read this we’ll be deep into West Virginia behind the wheel of our Limited Hyundai Elantra. The occasion? Visiting family to show off the heir to DCAutoGeek – my new rug rat. We are officially Cincinnati-bound.
Given that we have a 4 month-old on board, we’ll likely get some great scenic shots throughout our many stops along the way.
Must see places along the way? Fan from Ohio? Interested in my fuel mileage? Send all your questions and comments to juan@dcautogeek.com
Have a great weekend, from the whole DCAutoGeek Family -
Happy Motoring,
Juan Barnett
What expectations do you have when you read a news article? Do you anticipate a well written piece that informs you? Maybe you expect the writer to provide you with a laugh or a story that moves you? What if you found out what you were reading wasn’t even written by a journalist, but rather a corporate public affairs staff? That is exactly what appears to have happened here.
Over the weekend I came across an article in the Cars Section of the Washington Times ;“Elantra GT for 2013 makes North American debut”. I wasn’t aware The Washington Times had a Car Section. Needless to say I was intrigued and excited. I never pass up an opportunity to connect with people who write about car stuff.
Unfortunately the article’s credit line listed The Washington Times as the sole author. My date with this local mystery auto writer would be put on hold. But as I read further, something very déjà vu came over me – what I was reading seemed very familiar to me. It was as if I had already read this somewhere. [Read more...]
It’s 8 p.m. and you are parked across from your treasured 55-inch TV to watch the new season of Top Gear. An ad for the latest sports car runs. The commercial ends with the message, Visit our website for more information.
This ad assumes you are near computer and are willing to get up from the couch or that you’re a second-screen person and have a media device at your side. While Gen-Y may watch TV with a controller in one hand and an iPad in the other; the proliferation of the second device hasn’t reached critical mass. Furthermore, if you’re selling cars priced higher than $25,000, Gen-Y and their minimal buying power are not your target audience.
It’s time to think outside of the box…or rather inside the box.
Push to Start Watch [Read more...]
A DC-based automotive writer who loves cars and the communities they create. Send me a note! I'm always up for a coffee. juan@dcautogeek.com
