The automobile industry is not all about sales and showing off the classy new cars we see today. Apparently, Hyundai Motors has gone beyond that and it includes giving back in a charitable way. The 2009 Hyundai Hope on Wheels Tour will visit 30 children’s hospitals across the country to donate $1.3 million to support pediatric cancer research.

On Tuesday, April 7th, representatives from Hyundai and Hope on Wheels gathered at Hyundai’s U.S. manufacturing plant in Montgomery, Alabama to greet the 2009 Hyundai Hope on Wheels Santa Fe vehicle as it rolled off the assembly line.

In addition to speeches and a ceremonial check presentation of the $1.3 million donation to pediatric cancer research, 11-year-old Samantha Heim, the Hyundai Hope on Wheels national youth ambassador, led children from the local chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in a special Handprint Ceremony.

During the Handprint Ceremony, which Hope on Wheels conducts at each hospital it visits, children place their handprints in colorful paint on the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe, the official vehicle of the Hope on Wheels Tour, to commemorate their brave battles with pediatric cancer.

(Source) Press

Tags: automobile industry, handprints, hospitals, Hyundai, hyundai motors, hyundai santa fe, leukemia, leukemia lymphoma society, lymphoma, manufacturing plant, new cars, pediatric cancer research, speeches, wheels

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Hyundai Ireland has announced a big price cut on all SUVs in the market to cater to the governing market conditions. To avail of the special scheme however, these offers are only valid from February 19 to March 31. Hyundai says that for this period it is offering substantial price savings across the Hyundai Tucson and the Hyundai Santa Fe ranges.

The 2.0 litre Hyundai Tucson range will now start from €24,995, and Hyundai says that gives savings of up to €5,000 available across the entire Tucson range.

It adds that the 2.2 litre Hyundai Santa Fe range will now start from € 34,995 – with claimed savings of up to €7,000 available across the Santa Fe range.

Also announced by Hyundai were discounts for those who register register an i10 , 120, or 130 in a similar period to the SUV offer. It is offering discounts from €1,000 for the i10 up to €3,000 for the i30 on the recommended retail price.

(Source) Galway Advertiser

Tags: Hyundai, hyundai santa fe, hyundai tucson, ireland, price source, recommended retail price, suvs

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Purchasing used cars is the trend these days as consumers try to save on spending for high-cost new cars. And Consumer Reports breaks down the wise used car investments per category as it identifies the most and least reliable used cars for 10 years – from model years 1999 to 2008 – in the magazine’s 2009 Annual Auto Issue.

Reliability data was compiled from the magazine’s Annual Auto Survey, which generated responses about more than 1.4 million new and used vehicles.

Below are Consumer Reports’ picks in five categories:

Small Cars: Honda Civic, Toyota Echo, Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, Mazda 3, Mazda Protege, Subaru Impreza

Family Cars: Honda Accord, Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Toyota Camry (except ‘08 V6), Subaru Outback (6-cyl.), Nissan Altima

Minivans: Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey

Small SUVs: Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, Mitsubishi Outlander

Midsized and large SUVs: Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota 4Runner, Infiniti FX35, Acura MDX, Infiniti QX4, Lexus GX, Hyundai Santa Fe, Subaru Tribeca, Nissan Xterra (’05 – ‘08), Toyota Sequoia

To help consumers identify cars within their budget, Consumer Reports’ Annual Auto Issue also contains a “Models to Look For” list, which is categorized by price. It features a variety of used vehicles which all have above-average reliability and are priced from less than $4,000 to $30,000 and up. CR found 19 cars that can be purchased for $6,000 or less including the 1999 Acura CL and the 2003 Buick Century.

(Source) Press

Tags: acura mdx, corolla toyota, honda cr v, honda odyssey, hyundai santa fe, infiniti fx35, infiniti qx4, land cruiser toyota, lexus rx, nissan altima, nissan xterra, pontiac vibe, subaru forester, subaru impreza, subaru outback, subaru tribeca, toyota land cruiser, toyota sequoia

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If you are among the SUV buffs, here is a great guide you can bank on before making any purchase. Consumer Reports has named the top picks for 2009 that included two new models–the Toyota Highlander and the Chevrolet Avalanche, as top choices for midsized SUVs and pickups.

Having proven reliable in its first year since a major redesign, the top-rated Toyota Highlander dethroned the Hyundai Santa Fe, last year’s winner in the midsized SUVs category, while the improved reliability of the new Chevrolet Avalanche helped it to replace the Chevrolet Silverado as top pickup.

Despite the arrival of more gas/electric hybrids, the Toyota Prius remains Top Pick in the “green” car category for the sixth straight year. The Prius’s 44 overall mpg is the best Consumer Reports measured in any five-passenger car.

Here, by category, are the 2009 Top Picks.

SMALL SEDAN: Hyundai Elantra SE. The Elantra SE ($18,695) is a comfortable, roomy small car that provides good fuel economy, a quiet and nicely finished interior, and plenty of features for the money. Only the SE version comes with standard electronic stability control, which is absent on many other small cars.

MIDSIZED SUV: Toyota Highlander. The Highlander ($26,000 to $41,000) is a very refined and versatile vehicle. It provides a comfortable and quiet ride, a nicely finished interior, three rows of seats, and decent fuel economy for its class. The Highlander Hybrid’s fuel economy, 24 mpg overall, is among the best of any SUV in Consumer Report’s Ratings. First-year reliability has been excellent.

PICKUP TRUCK: Chevrolet Avalanche. The Chevrolet Avalanche full-sized crew cab ($36,000 to $47,000) is one of the most versatile and comfortable pickups that Consumer Reports has tested. Its unified bed and cab helps give it a solid feel and a comfortable, quiet ride. Its innovative partition, between the cab and the bed, can be folded to allow longer cargo to extend into the back of the cab.

BEST OVERALL VEHICLE: Lexus LS 460. With a road test score of 99 out of 100, the Lexus LS 460 ($64,000 to $77,000) is Consumer Reports’ highest-scoring vehicle. It provides a luxurious, uncompromising driving environment, with a supremely comfortable ride and a roomy, well-finished, and exceptionally quiet interior. The LS is brimming with electronic amenities, yet the controls are easy to use. Its 380-hp, 4.6-liter V8 and eight-speed automatic transmission deliver smooth, quick acceleration and relatively good fuel economy.

FAMILY SEDAN: Honda Accord. The Honda Accord ($21,000 to $31,000) is a roomy, well-rounded sedan that’s easy to live with and enjoyable to drive. It offers a comfortable ride, agile handling, and efficient, refined four- and six-cylinder powertrains. Electronic stability control is standard, and crash-test results are impressive.

UPSCALE SEDAN: Infiniti G37. One of the highest-rated sedans tested, the G37 (33,000 to $36,000, formerly G35) combines sportiness and luxury in a very appealing package. It has a very lively powertrain, agile handling, a comfortable ride, and a nicely appointed interior. For 2009, it also has a larger, 328-hp, 3.7-liter engine and a seven-speed automatic transmission, which improves fuel economy.

FUN TO DRIVE: Mazda MX-5 Miata. The Miata ($22,000 to $29,000) is a true sports car at a reasonable price. With quick, precise steering, a crisp-shifting manual transmission, and balanced handling, it virtually tied the Porsche Boxster in test scoring, but it costs about half the price.

SMALL SUV: Toyota RAV4. Thanks to a larger and more powerful four-cylinder engine and other upgrades for 2009, the RAV4 ($23,000 to $30,000) narrowly outscored the Subaru Forester to remain our Top Pick for the third straight year. It provides agile handling, a roomy and quiet interior, a comfortable ride, and an optional third-row seat. The four-cylinder version gets the best fuel economy of any automatic, nonhybrid SUV CR has tested.

MINIVAN: Toyota Sienna. The Sienna ($26,000 to $38,000) offers a spacious, versatile, and comfortable way to carry up to eight people. Consumer Reports found that the quiet, well-finished interior rivals that of some luxury sedans. Electronic stability control is standard. This is the only minivan available with all-wheel drive.

GREEN CAR: Toyota Prius. Despite the arrival of more gas/electric hybrids, the Prius ($22,000 to $24,000) leads this category for the sixth straight year. The base model’s 44 overall mpg is the best Consumer Reports has measured in any five-passenger car. The interior is roomy and versatile, and reliability remains excellent. A redesigned Prius will arrive in early summer.

(Source) Press

Tags: chevrolet avalanche, chevrolet silverado, electric hybrids, electronic stability control, fuel economy, green car, hyundai elantra, hyundai santa fe, lexus ls 460, small cars, top choices, toyota highlander, toyota prius, versatile vehicle

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Hyundai will be unveiling its Hyundai Santa Fe, a mid-sized SUV similar to the Honda CRV. The Hyundai Santa Fe is a mid-size crossover SUV based on the Hyundai Sonata platform. It was introduced for the 2001 model year as Hyundai’s first SUV, released at the same time as the Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute and Pontiac Aztek.

The Hyundai Santa Fe was a milestone in the company’s restructuring program of the late 1990s because, despite receiving criticism from journalists for its obscure looks, the car was a hit with the American buyers. The car was so popular that at times, Hyundai had trouble supplying the demand.

The rugged SUV Santa Fe seems to borrow its style and design from coupe and promises to quench the thirst of a buyer for sportiness as well as style. It will possess the ground clearance and power of a SUV but the visual appeal of a stylish coupe.

(Source) Khabrein

Tags: Crossover, ford escape, honda crv, Hyundai, hyundai santa fe, hyundai sonata, Mazda, mazda tribute, Pontiac

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