I'm in love!

We bought a cross-over SUV today, a Hyundai Santa Fe SE. We couldn't
find a bad report about it and it's one sweet vehicle. Four wheel
drive, traction control, stability control... only problem is we
can't take possession for maybe a week or a little longer. The dealer
didn't have the model we wanted so it is being driven here from about
300 miles away and then as soon as it arrives off it goes to be rust
proofed and paint protected.

**Lin**...

There is a 10 year warranty on the drive train and a bumper to bumper
warranty on everything for either five years or seven, I've forgotten
which, but we keep our vehicles for about 10 years. But you have a
point. If rust is covered for five years then maybe the time to get
rust proofing is then.

**Lin**...

Ack! I just talked to David. You can't get rustproofing warranty on
a car five years old. You can get an extension of the warranty you
bought when you got the car. Also - car is warranted against rust-
thru, but not surface rust. What we buy is not rust proofing but
surface corrosion rust which apparently is part of the paint
protection program. (I think) David will probably read this and tell
me I am wrong again.

Mick Fanner...

If you are *not* wrong (and it sounds like you're not) then forgive me for
butting in.

I've always assumed that a rust warranty covered *any* rust. Having never
bought a brand new car, I've never read the warranty document - and
probably wouldn't have if I *had* owned a new car.

We generally keep our cars 10 years as we have such low mileage on
them. And the amount of salt they use up here in the winter is
probably more than anywhere else in the U.S.

Mick Fanner...

The high amounts of salt that was used on our roads in winter was the main
reason that our cars rotted so badly. When the Japanese manufacturers
first came to these shores, they (allegedly) used poor quality steel and
their cars rotted faster than even the Brit rust buckets that we were used
to.

The Japs and Koreans were the first to introduce serious rust warranties
and now you won't sell a new car in this country without such a thing in
place. It was one of the Korean companies who first offered a *three* year
warranty, and that had all the other manufacturers howling. Look where we
are now.

**Lin**...

In all honesty we really didn't read the rust warranty either. Since
we haven't finalized the deal it is something that David will check
into. He had done a lot of research on the web looking at all the
cross-over SUVs and decided this was the best safetywise and for the
money. So we test drove it, loved it, read all the gov. tests on it
and independent car tests and decided on it without even seeing all
the features or warranty material. But we will before we sign on the
dotted line. It worried me too that it is a S. Korean car with all
the problems with N. Korea now and the two countries being so close,
but we found out the manufacturing plant is in Alabama.

Of course if you sell a car in ten years you probably won't get much
more if it is low mileage in good condition, it's still ten years old.

I sold my ten year old Toyota Corona to the teen kid down the street
and it only had 36,000 miles on it. But it had a lot of rust. Were

**Lin**...

It is if you want to keep the car. A lot of people trade in every
three or four years so they don't bother with it. You can buy a nice
used car that is four years old and within a year you will start to
see rust because the previous owner didn't rust proof it.

it not for the rust I could have kept it 20 years I bet. But it
wouldn't have had any of the safety features the newer cars have
either. If you've ever driven in an ice storm you want all the safety
features you can get.

I am amazed at the things that come standard now on foreign cars.
Heated side mirrors, automatic headlights, solid tinted windows, five
speed auto transmission, the audio controls are on the steering wheel
(I think they are on the CD/radio too) the night lights on the dash
are neon blue and just so many standard things I can't remember them
all. Supposed to be easier on the eyes.

**Lin**...

I'll get to drive it, but I don't like driving bigger vehicles really.
Too hard for me to park. You've seen women who go back and forth and
back and forth and back and forth trying to back out of a parking spot
because they don't know how much room they have behind them? Well
that's me. :-( I have no ability to judge distances.

All the camping places close around Oct. 15th here except a couple up
in the mountains where the snowmobilers camp. And they rent cabins.
So we put it up for the winter. :-( We've had some beautiful days
since then and I would have loved to go camping in the woods but there
was just no place to take it.

Only problem is David gets to drive it and I get my little Subaru
back. I want it! LOL!

Jean B....

Wow! That sounds like a beauty, Lin. I bet David would let

mmj1...

How exciting!!!!! I'm sure he'll let you drive it sometimes. Won't he???

you drive it if you asked real purty like.

**Lin**...

Yes he will. It's our car, but what if I crack it up? I'm not the
world's best driver. LOL!

Jean B....

Well, between your insurance and the fact that you are the
love of David's life, I think he just might forgive you.

**Lin**...

Norma...

So it gets a dent or two, so what? Keep the insurance paid up. LOL
White in snow country wouldn't have been my first choice but my 12 yr.
old Blazer is two tone brown which was the only color choice at the
time (they were having a lot sale) and I'm really tired of the 8 yr.
gold Cavalier but it runs well and nothing is wrong with it so....it
looks like no new car for a long time to come.
Norma

**Lin**...

I expect I'll keep my Subaru for a long time. It's five years old and
only has 28,000 miles on it. The new one replaces David's 1995 Olds.
We bought that used and I never could drive it because the seat back
was broken (when we bought it) and you leaned way back. But it fit
David perfectly. When we ended up with just the one car David had no
leg room and it was really cramped for him on the long trips we take
to see his Mom as he does all the driving. That poor guy made many
2400 mile round trips with his knees against his chest. He's a happy
camper now. :-)

Ohmigosh! Insurance! I forgot all about that. We need to call our
agent. I know he would forgive but you never know what he is
muttering under his breath.

Btw, are you happy with a hybrid?

Jean B....

Yes. That's the best part of my car.

I have seen that Santa Fe, and it is very appealing.

Beth...

Congratulations on the new addition to your family....enjoy and be nice to
david so he lets you borrow it some.
Beth