The FWD GM X-cars and Chrysler’s F-bodies. In any case I did think Hyundai did a good job with the styling. I think that’s the only time I’ve ever seen “(I) had one of those, but the front wheel fell off and (I) had to get rid of it” used in a completely serious fashion rather than as a non-sequitur. lol. In 1987, my Mom bought a brand new Mitsubishi Precis, which is a re-branded Hyundai Excel for $7,000. It’s not the media who’s enriching Hyundai and Kia; it’s their customers. Were I to have given up on the web ten years ago based on that one bad experience, I would be currently living in the stone age. I can vouch for its Mitsubishi based heritage. Advance Auto carries over 735 aftermarket parts for your 1987 Hyundai Excel, along with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. They should be importing a pickup. 1987 Hyundai Excel Pictures: See 1 pics for 1987 Hyundai Excel. I was living in Denver and one of my roommates decided to buy a new car.She was always a bit-well, strange but for whatever reason and it must have been cost she was limiting herself to either a new Yugo or a new Hyandai . CV joints, if available in bulk, were a good thing to keep around. Fortunately, by the 3 year mark they’ve got another “the one” really to give to the press. And back in the late 80’s and 90’s, they weren’t uncommon cars either. I remember well the garbage they produced for many years, but it didn’t stop me from buying my second Hyundai in ’08. I happily complied and received a check for $1200. And the Yugo’s reliability record was horrible from the first year, with many major trouble spots. Don’t forget that the Chairman of Hyundai/KIA was released from PRISON (embezzlement and bribery no less) because he and the company were too important to the Korean economy. Tell that to Kaiser, AMC, Studebaker, Packard, Tucker, and many others. Not one of these could ever be put on the front line without visiting the repair shop. Get both manufacturer and user submitted pics. Well we figured out that with interest he was going to pay close to $16K, this for a car that was advertised for $4999. Shame. But we were pleased witht he average 30MOG with the V6. You don’t have to get them to sign on the dotted line, their word is their honor. It lasted about six months. It drove poorly , things kept breaking, the clutch and transmission burned out early on. I think the importer was one the first out here to offer a three year 100,000 kilometer warranty, so maybe that is why their reputation didn’t suffer as much here. I’m not sure you actually drove a Hyundai. Of course I don’t know the details as the girls, ahem, ladies didn’t either. Plus, our selection of 1987 Transmission & Drivetrain parts for your Excel are some of the lowest in the market. Some markets, including Europe, had the Excel branded as the Hyundai Pony, although it is not directly related to its rear wheel drive predecessor of the same name. “Detroit never took crap to the level that Hyundai did”, Chevrolet Vega 1987 Hyundai Excel Repair Manual Online. NY298-11 OEM WARRANTY 93 94 HYUNDAI EXCEL ENGINE CONTROL COMPUTER BRAIN ECM ECU. While I have no doubt that you, personally, could juice an Excel to go that fast, at the time it seemed like just one more dubious detail in the official story about the incident. Of course, that may be the BEST example of badge engineering…putting Chevrolet labels (and later Pontiac) on Toyotas. Blew my mind. Kevin I thought these Hyundais had Mitsubishi powertrains. However all this took months as there weren’t any available. Ok, I had a blue 4-door 1988 with a 5-speed, A/C and a sunroof. I had a 1986 Excel GLS and like NoChryslers had mentioned earlier that the car was very easy to get into, if fact I forgot my keys in the ignition and I did not need a shim to get into the car all I needed was a Popsicle stick. I thought she had sworn off Hyundai for life, but when I asked her why she bought another one she said “Hyundais are good now.” Wow, is the American public fickle! In another thread, the first vehicle offered up as the worst badge engineered car of all time was the Cimarron. Agree 100%. I knew I was rolling the dice when I bought it, and was overjoyed when it turned out to be so reliable. I remember a few other 80’s ride having those knee bars. I bought a used ’86 RX7. It had the HEAVIEST manual steering I’ve ever encountered! Hot (no A/C), loud, uncomfortable. That same year I bought a Yugo. I’d have to say it was Hyundai’s deadly sin – they disappeared from the US market for several years, didn’t they, before licking their wounds and returning with offerings that actually worked? And the worse thing. However, that was not the worst car I’ve had, that would be a 1992 Cavalier, but that’s another story…. They had the sort of automatic shoulder belts that were attached to the door. Should’ve photographed it. There was a clip or some stupid cheap part that would either bend or break on these transmissions, enough to render the shifter useless. The ES300 analogy would work if the ES300 were a rebadged Corolla. I replaced more CV joints on that car than on all the other cars with which I have ever been associated in my entire life. It didn’t inspire in any regard, but neither did it engender loathing. Rodney King outruns multiple LAPD Crown Vics and helicopters in a 100MPH + high speed chase on multiple freeways and surface streets. Hyundai Excel 1987 Alloy wheel fitment guide Choose appropriate trim of Hyundai Excel 1987: Heads up! The first week I owned it, the car died as I attempted to complete a left lane merge onto a busy roadway. The previous year I had changed my policy to a zero dollar deductible. I would think this would make it reliable. Although they must have had a half acre of Ponies stacked 3 high we could not find one with an unbroken switch. Parts were not always easy to come by. I was stunned. But it quickly unraveled. The oil leaks exceeded his ability to pour new oil into the crankcase at which point he seized the motor. It’s no coincidence that Hyundai’s reliability has skyrocketed once they stopped sourcing components from Mitsu. Hyundai actually had to settle a lawsuit over these poorly designed belts. Fortunately, a couple of the guys in the service department held him back and the new car manager, who also was out there by circumstance, got him to calm down. All Rights Reserved. Like it not, the ES-Series is a fine automobile. Their cars were so, so bad in the beginning and through the 90s, I simply can’t forgive them. Some hills, 4th was out of the question, too. However, I would still not buy one. To this day, he says that the Excel was the most comfortable car he’s ever had. Whether Hyundai purposely waited some ten years before it got aggressive with its ten-year 100k mile warranty and a massive product expansion is unclear. For one thing they were half or 3/4 a size larger than other cars of the same price. Someone was able to break into it using a nail, of all things. Neither CR’s first Excel nor their ’88 Precis were perfect, but there weren’t any defects like their Yugo had. It broke down countless times during college, but I always chalked it up to his abusive ownership style. Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. I almost went to look at an ’87 Excel that had AC, however, if I recall the ad (in the paper no less, this WAS, after all, 1992), the AC had been fixed and I forget what all else and I think it was black too if memory serves being mentioned in that ad. Well this example may have been someone similar. Learn more and buy online at Goodyear.com. And Samsung makes the best phone, hands down. I replaced some of the engine seals however a year later they were all shot, The car left a blue cloud behind me were ever I went. Some parts can hard or impossible to find. However, at about 25K, the engine started to have some serious. My cousin bought one of these nightmares in 1987. Well guess what, every generation since the 90’s has been a huge step forward. It leaked oil even after the factory had looked at it. I can’t remember the last time I saw and Excel of this generation, or the next for that matter. They improved as Mitsubishi let them take their 4G engine technology to add to their knowledge base it seems. If I had a choice between driving a new Hyundai or taking the bus, it would be bus for me. He was so happy to trade up from his 67 Corona coupe till the engine scrammed at only 25K. After a few years he traded it in at a used car dealer for a 2nd generation Seville. I have to agree with earlier comments of the Hyundai stigma these cars created, which KIAs and god help you, Diahatsus did nothing to eleviate. The 1.5 L engine teamed with the three-speed automatic was feebler than average, certainly more so than a Sentra and Civics of the times I had experience with. However it was the carb that was more expensive to replace than the car was worth and the fact that when they started going bad they wouldn’t pass emissions tests was what soured many people on the Excel in particular and Hyundai in general. However in the 2nd or 3rd year of ownership -both- cars had engine failures. Here goes: My family had a 1987 Excel GLS in royal blue for about 7 years and 75,000 miles. One got stuck with a bill for an engine replacement. The Genesis sedan, especially, is more American than most American makes. I’ve gone back to Chrysler products last year and am now driving a PT Cruiser and loving it! $149.99. They copied (stole) some features (brakes, for one…later GM cars I’ve had the displeasure to drive didn’t have that dreaded GM lag in the brake take-up), but largely carried on about their business, even with NUMMI going on. I’m certain my 1990 Honda didn’t have airbags, don’t think they were in most cars until the mid 90’s. It’s more like they all got taken off the road for some reason or another before they really got a chance to rust out. About 1996, my Dad wanted a big car again, but NOBODY wanted it on trade as Hyundai’s reputation was in the toilet. After a ten year run, Hyundai was ready to take the plunge into the FWD world; a tricky transition that had tripped up more than one major manufacturer. It pretty well sums up that CR noted with their first Excel test that there were better Japanese used models whereas with the Yugo they recommended finding a used car. The service manager crawls under the Excel, and in two minutes has the tow truck driver drop the car on the ground. Hyundai Scoupe. Whatever it was, he eventually parked it behind his garage because he was sick and tired of fixing it repeatedly. I test drove one of these at a Hyundai dealership on National City Mile-of-Cars in San Diego shortly after they came out. The ES 300 shares a platform with the Camry, but has a completely different body/interior. A coworker’s daughter bought one of these new (89, I think), and it was a very reliable and economical car. The Pony was basically a restyled A70 Lancer (we knew these as the Colt “Mileage Maker” series in the late 1970’s) with the Saturn family of engines. Me. Hyundai has the (very) deep pockets propped up by the South Korean Government, and finally has excellent (if not class-leading) products. It was his first new car, didn’t cost alot, but also didn’t hold its value well. I’m sure a few thought “Hey it costs more than a Yugo so it has to be better” or “Why buy a used subcompact when I can get a new Hyundai with all of these neat-o safety features”. I drove it to a local Honda dealer and bought a Camry wagon there. She thought the car was a lemon but I can’t remember why. When I was in Korea in 1980, traffic was a sea of these Ponys, including pickup versions. My friend’s blue one ended up with an Lancer Evo engine bolted into it. https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/the-hyundai-origin-myth-revealed-theres-a-ford-in-your-pony/. There were other defects. my ’64 and ’65 Caddys were totalled one after the other just months apart by drunks who hit me. No one had any passion for the Lexus brand but they knew Cadillac was capable of more. You’ve described what most people do: They let one bad car experience sour them forever. Many Excel owners got a few years use out of their cars whereas Yugo owners rarely did, in addition to having a crappier design to begin with. The Yugo GV sold for a hilarious $3,990 in 1987, while the zero-options base Hyundai Excel 3-door hatch cost $4,995 (about $11,520 today, and the exact same price as the Chevy Chevette, which was— shockingly— still being sold new as late as 1987). The Yugo was dated, cramped, and slow out of the gate. !” Never fails with the “buy ‘Murracan” crowd. The SC400 and ES300 followed in 1991. You truly were better off going domestic than Korean then. The worst of all were the motorized ones that jammed and broke constantly. Image Rehab: an American specialty; available to Koreans too. I sometimes use it to haul bags of rocks and lumber. The Pony sold well at first as it was cheap. As for the quality of the early Excels, there were two secretaries working in my office (remember those days?) Learn how your comment data is processed. It is truly amazing that Hyundai somehow managed to recover, shed the Mitsubishi baggage and earn an acceptable and eventually decent reputation in the US. Changed oil every 3,500 miles and did the brakes myself. I was going to say the Ponys around here certainly seemed to out last the Excels. On the other hand, ‘hating’ Korean products has a racist undertone to it that I find troubling. Compare prices of all Hyundai Excel's sold on CarsGuide over the last 6 months. Today, with the joy of DSL and cable internet, I log onto the internet to experience the joys of websites such as TTAC. 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