2003 Hyundai Atoz GLA 1.0

Summary:

A tortoise pace gas guzzler

Faults:

Front brake shudders after 3 months. Rectified under warranty.

Back brake having "knocking sound" when brakes applied. Rectified under warranty.

Overall brake still felt spongy.

Door rubber gasket badly fitted. Service Center can't do anything about this problem.

Most serious defect. Rear axle alignment out, causing uneven wear to tires. Apparently rear axle is fixed and cannot be adjusted.

General Comments:

I find the car badly underpowered.

Fuel consumption is very high for 1.0 liter engine. Getting 9.0 to 10.0 liter / 100km.

Driver seat not comfortable. Designed for those with long hands and short legs!

Probably accelerator pedal fitted too high.

Serious manufacturer defect. rear axle alignment is out and there is no way I can adjust it.

Engine noisy at speed.

On the plus side cabin space is great.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 2nd April, 2004

2002 Hyundai Atoz GLM 999cc

Summary:

Good looking, but less reliable

Faults:

Creaks in front wheel appeared when drive on uneven roads or hit bumps. This happened few days after picking up the car from dealer. Mechanics tightened up the bolts, but problem remains unsolved.

Clutch cable loosened up completely at around 10,000km, and unable to shift gear. Called Hyundai mechanic to manually fix the problem, free of charge.

Irritating noise at rear wheel drum brakes, caused by uneven brake pads, according to mechanic. Problems were immediately solved after sanding the brake pads, but recurred not long thereafter. Free of charge cause still under warranty.

Vibration at doors.

General Comments:

Economical to drive and easy parking. But front seats less comfortable because of big center console.

Good acceleration after re-programming the engine control unit.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th February, 2004

2003 Hyundai Atoz GLA 999

Summary:

Low performance, but comfortable riding

Faults:

1. Extremely high fuel consumption

2. Seriously underpower due to heavy chassis. If 1.3 Engine fited, it will be better than 1.0 Engine.

3. The material no really reliable. Easily get scratch.

4. Interior too simple.

General Comments:

Although the car is not really good in performance and fuel economy, but I still love it. Handling for this car is easier and quite good path holder. Comfortable K-Car, nice ride. Tough Chassis, it save me and my girl friends life when accident happen. MY car totally damage, but we still alive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 31st October, 2003

10th Nov 2004, 11:47

The Hyundai Atos is commercialized in Mexico under the Dodge brand. Daimler-Chrysler Mexico has the exclusive right in Mexico to sell these, the H100 and the Accent (Called Verna here). Hyundai is not a known brand in Mexico.

The Atos has gained popularity here although the car's appearance might be found ugly by most of the people. This car is cheap to maintain, although the spare parts are quite expensive at the Daimler-Chrysler dealers.

I own two Atos, and I must say that I bought them to work as taxis. So far they have not broken down and I have not spent much money on them. They are completely utilitary city vehicles. I like to drive them now and then, since the visibility is good (they are higher than average cars) and the power is just what you need to move around the city, nothing to feel bad about.

They comply with the requirement of transportation, and as far as I can tell, they are simple and work all day without any complaint. The consumption of gasoline is frugal (20 km/liter!!)

I am currently buying a new 2005 version. They look prettier and the motor is 1.1 liters instead of 1.0. I am sure I will obtain a good profit from this new one.

I look forward to buying other Atos in the near future.