Used cars running costs: Hyundai

With a well-deserved reputation as affordable, durable cars, Hyundai has nonetheless also made some cars which may cost you a packet to keep on the road. We look at some of their older models to determine which ones have higher running costs.

 

If you're after an inexpensive used car which won't cost too much to keep on the road, Hyundai may have made just the car you need at some point in their history. But, while most of them are blessed with low running costs, some of them could be surprisingly expensive to maintain. We investigate some older Hyundais, and highlight the ones high running costs.

Hyundai Terracan

Being based on the second-generation Mitsubishi Pajero, reliability and off-road competence are pretty much a given for this almost-forgotten SUV. Those same Pajero underpinnings unfortunately also means that the Terracan is quite a glutton for fuel, so it's probably not a great choice as a daily driver.

Their running costs are further increased due to the fact that they never sold in huge numbers, which makes used spares difficult and expensive to find even at breaker's yards. Accident damage is also sure to be ruinously expensive to repair, because literally everything you may need will have to be specially imported.

Hyundai Santa Fé (first generation)

One of their first completely home-grown SUVs, the first Santa Fé was a smash hit in the USA. Durable mechanical components and a fairly sturdy build gave these soft-roaders a pretty good reputation for durability, but because they were never very popular in South Africa, used spares will be difficult and expensive to source.

Added to that, the early V6 engine was known more for its prodigious fuel thirst than for its power output, which means that the fuel bills alone will bump running costs into the realm of unaffordability. 

Hyundai Elantra (first generation)

With its oily bits once again derived from compact Mitsubishis, the first-generation Elantra was mechanically quite robust, apart from some gearbox issues. However, because they're at least 25 years old by now, peripheral components may have reached the end of their lives by now, which could mean significant repair- and maintenance costs in the long run.

Accident repair parts aren't exactly freely available either, which may make repairs economically unviable. They're also not particularly frugal, so their overall running costs take another step upwards.

Hyundai Sonata

These large saloons were quite popular in South Africa, thanks to the combined virtues of a smooth ride quality and acres of cabin space. However, earlier 4-cylinder (Mitsubishi-engined) models were known to be quite thirsty, and the top-spec V6 variants were even more so. This obviously doesn't bode well for running costs, and when relatively expensive service- and repair parts are brought into the equation, these cars may simply be unaffordable to keep on the road in the long run. This is probably why we see so few old Sonatas still trundling along...

Hyundai Scoupe

There's a special place on this list for Hyundai's first small coupé. Not only was it saddled with one of the most awkward names in automotive history, but their rarity makes for a budget car with exceedingly high maintenance costs. Because they were based on the Excel (predecessor the first Accent), the Scoupe shared almost no parts with the other Hyundais then on offer in our market, which made its parts surprisingly expensive.

Add to that the general fragility associated with very old Hyundais, and it becomes clear that, while an Scoupe might be very, very cheap to buy on the used-car market, its running costs will be disproportionate to the amount of driving enjoyment on offer.

Hyundai Tiburon

Hyundai's second attempt at a compact coupé was a lot more successful than the Scoupe, and, while its Elantra-based underpinnings were generally durable (except for known gearbox troubles), it was never very economical to run. A rather hefty fuel thirst (especially in the later V6-engined examples) and large number of special body parts means that the Tiburon may be a (fairly) stylish bargain in the pre-owned market, but its upkeep may scare off potential buyers. Best to stick to a basic 2.0-litre variant, and enjoy the Porsche-honed chassis without posing too much of a risk to your bank balance.