Walking Dead & Hyundai

Any fans of The Walking Dead out there? If you've been watching lately or you follow us on Twitter, you'll notice everyone is talking about the Hyundai Tucson product placement in the show (notice above photos).  The show follows a small group of survivors who are living in the aftermath of a Zombie Apocalypse and are in search of a safe place to live amidst a completely crashed society. 
For those of you who are not only Walking Dead fans but also Hyundai Tucson fans, your two worlds have collided! Lucky you.  The show is full of Hyundai Tucsons, it seems they are the only car that has survived the Apocalypse and they have Zombie dent resistant hoods.  Makes you think twice about what kind of car you buy next, huh?

2013 Santa Fe

I'm going to assume you are just like me and have been wondering when they were going to redesign the Santa Fe.  In 2007 the Santa Fe was updated and has remained relatively the same since then.  But BAM! 2013 promises a new sort of Santa Fe and will actually be available in the Fall of 2012.  Who is excited?

For more information, you can look here or here. 

Coming to Your Neighborhood.

Someday I want to talk a walk around my neighborhood and take a picture of all of the Hyundais that are parked in my neighbor's driveways (it must be said, the above picture is not a photo of my neighborhood).  It is truly astounding.  Auto123 recently wrote this impressive article boasting about Hyundai's up & coming name. 

For a long while Hyundai built an empire on value, but slowly that has dissipated, "Hyundais were rarely bought because they turned heads.  As you well know, those days are far behind Hyundai...design is now essential to what defines Hyundai.  The effects of styling are evident given Hyundai's soaring success of the last few years."  With all of the most recent awards, "Hyundai are in the big leagues and one or one more will show up in your neighborhood sooner rather than later." 

• AJAC's Best New Design - Hyundai Veloster  
• Kelley Blue Book's Best Resale Value - Hyundai Tucson 
• 2011 IIHS Top Safety Pick - Hyundai Genesis, Sonata, Equus, Elantra, Tucson & Santa Fe
• 2011 North American Car of the Year - Hyundai Elantra
• Oh my, and so many MORE

Secret Shots

2013 Hyundai Elantra GT...what do you think?

Spring Car Maintenance Checklist.

It's March THIS WEEK!  I cannot believe that it is springtime but we will really start feeling it here soon.  

Just like your lawn and your wardrobe, your car needs some spring time upgrades.  I got a lot of tips from this website and our handy service department.  

• Remove Winter Tires.  I'm sorry, this made me laugh, but in some states they're a must.  At Eckert Hyundai, we are based in North Texas, winter tires are foreign.  And even where I grew up in Chicago, we just depended on public services like plowing and salt to get around.  I guess if you live in Idaho, Alaska or Northern Washington state, you might consider those.  
• Check the Tread on Your Non-Winter Tires.  Did you know you can do this at home with some spare change?  Go ahead, read the link and feel like a service tech-y.  You'll thank us later.
• Rotate tires.  I just called our service department because I don't understand why this is important.  Well, a majority of the cars we drive had Front Wheel Drive (FWD).  With FWD, we put all of the stress on the front two tires and the back tires just hold up the car.  Well, leave those un-rotated and you'll see, you'll be buying new tires every few months.  And after driving through the winter, you can imagine the two front tires are exhausted.  Rotate those guys. 
• Change those Wiper Blades.  Unfortunately, the wiper blades get the brunt of the weather and with all of the muck, ice & snow coming at you, you could understand why you might want new ones.  Plus, with April Showers bring May Flowers.  So expect some rain this spring.  We need it! 
• Brakes.  Drive around with your stereo turned down so you can tune into your car.  I know, it's hard.  And listen for squeaking, squealing or grinding (oh, my!) bring it in to get the brakes changed.  Unless you are really handy and can swing that by yourself.  
• Oil change.  You definitely want to change your oil every season or more.  Watch your mileage, if you are a heavy driver, more often!  Lots of gunk can build up every winter. And! Bonus.  If you bring your car to Eckert Hyundai you get every 5th oil change is free, so buy 4 get one free.  It's a pretty great deal.  And we have free wi-fi. 
• Fluid Top-offs.  If you're getting the oil changed ask the mechanic to check and top off transmission, coolant, windshield wiper, brake and power steering fluids.  They can get depleted during winter, too. 
• Clean Undercarriage.  I grew up in Chicago and graduated from college in Texas.  Whenever a mechanic got under my car, they said, "Are you from the North?" because the undercarriage of my car was so ripped up.  The salt and dirt from the winter can really hurt your car so, be nice to it.  
• Clean & Protect the Exterior.  Now is the perfect time to do a good old fashioned car wash outside the garage.  Or pay your kids to do it!  You want to clean off all of that winter scum.  

 Happy Springtime!  Hope this helps. 

Handy Tips to Improving Gas Mileage

Budgeting has become a common hobby now a days, with the state of the economy, and we are all biting our fingernails and watch the gas prices tick higher and higher as summer approaches.  We are currently clocked in at $3.43 around Eckert Hyundai.  

A few tips to lower the number of times you fill up?  Some old, some new, some are a good refresher of things we should already be doing.  Ok, get your pencil and paper. 

• Tire Pressure Makes a Difference: They deserve to be inflated properly.
• Did you know that the US Government suggests you can save up to 3.3% on fuel by keeping your tires properly inflated?
• Keep your tires inflated to their recommended levels listed on the label located on the driver side door frame (I didn't know that was there!).
• Maintain Your Vehicle:  Clean out your car, use the correct oil grade & check your engine.
• Extra weight from too much cargo in your vehicle makes your engine work harder and use up gas.  So clean out your trunk (I am so guilty of this, I love leaving things in my car).
• Check out your Owner's Manual to see what oil you should be using, an improper oil weight makes your engine work harder and.....use more gas!
• If your check engine light is on it may reflect a condition that wastes fuel!  Keep that sucker in top working order, you and your wallet will thank me later. Promise. 
• Plan Trips:  Try traveling in off-peak hours, combining errands and carpooling.
• Can you adjust your work hours to get in before rush hour and leave before it?  
• Cold engines can be less efficient so combine your trips and use navigation aids that help you avoid traffic and take short routes.  
• Be a Better Driver:  Do not speed, avoid fast starts, aggressive passing & abrupt breaking.  
• Staying within the speed limit requires less fuel and on long drives switch on cruise control.  
• Fast starts and rough breaking eat up your gas, instead let your car coast from stop to stop.  What's the rush?

Ok, try these four tips and let us know if they work!  Mark your mileage, use the MPG feedback monitoring system on the car.  

All of the tips from this article are from Hyundai USA.  

Hyundai Reveals at the Auto Show

North American International Auto Show is the unveiling place for the Hyundai Veloster Turbo.  

"Enthusiasts have been waiting for the arrival of the Veloster Turbo since we gave it a go … in November," said John Krafcik, CEO of North America for Hyundai.  Hyundai's nifty Veloster sporty hatchback gets a welcome power boost with a 201-horsepower turbocharged model for 2013. The muscular 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine also produces 195 pound-feet of torque from just 1,750 rpm. Six-speed manual and automatic transmissions are available. The Veloster turbo will offer a unique matte gray paint, 18-inch alloy wheels, projector headlights, LED taillights, fog lights and ground effect trim. Interior changes include leather seats with "Turbo" stitched into the backs and a black interior with blue accents.   --USA Today

Read more here!  And, where the unveiling for the Veloster Turbo was awesome and exciting, John Krafcik also announced a lifetime replacement for the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid's battery.  So many people worry about replacing the battery, it being pricey, but Krafcik is secure that Hyundai can afford the cost because their failure rate of the battery is so low. Rest Assured! Krafcik is behind your eco friendly decision.