Zum Zamim No comparasion. Hyundai was a massive company then and now. They just use to worry about industrial stuff back then. Thats why they couldn't kill and still can't kill Hyundai. Hyundai has deep pockets.
@@juanmanuelpenaloza9264 Its an Old Serbian joke because we don't invade Middle east and get Cheap oil. 32 liters of fuel would be around 50% of the cars value. And the fact you could fill it to the brim and it would stay in the tank was extra 50% value. Early tanks are known to rust fast. Many Yugos were driving around without filling more than half for decades.
No joke, when I was a kid, my dad bought a Yugo for $20. We took it out and hammered on it, eventually jumping it a few feet and breaking the front end. He cut the back out of it and made it into a motorcycle trailer.
The first brand new car my mom ever bought was a Yugo. I remember when she bought it. She was so proud of that little car. It served as our primary transportation for almost 6 years. It never left us stranded anywhere. The radio quit and the aftermarket sunroof leaked, but other than that, it wasn't a terrible car.
@@retrox684 LOL... no they were total crap. I worked at a Ford dealership who also sold Yugos and everyone there hated selling them because you were 99% guaranteed to have your customer come back and complain about something breaking or not working. I did my best to talk people out of buying one. Ford small cars weren't great in the 80s but compared to the Yugo they sure were.
“Only the radio failed to work as advertised.” Nothing should fail to work as advertised! It’s a brand new car! The 80s were a great time for car quality...
My parents bought a Hyundai in the mid 80's. I was still driving it 10 years later, the radio always worked. In fact it was incredibally reliable, needed very little maintenance.
$4000 was a ridiculously low price at that time. but what's really sad is that for the same price, you could have bought fairly nice 60s/70s muscle cars which now go for $100K +.
The fact that Yugo's are still on roads all over eastern Europe says all you need to know about them. Most cars from that era fell apart a long time ago, regardless of rustproofing or undercoating.
No it wasn't. haha I was in the service in 1987 and a buddy bought one of these pieces of crap brand new. Worst car I've ever been in. There was nothing cutting edge about its design, inside or out. It didn't even have door handles on the inside - just a latch strap. Junk. Ugly junk. Now ya know.
This car was never "cutting edge" and it was never cool. I had been driving for five years in 1987 and test drove one new for giggles at the dealership. It made my Honda Accord look like a freakin' Bentley in comparison. It was so "cool" that when the last dealership where I lived closed it operations (and stuck around as a Buick dealer), they had brand new '91 Yugos still on the lot in 1994. The last one was a GV priced at 50% off and it still stuck around over a month at that price.
I saw one of these Yugos driving on I-25 in Denver a few years ago. It was blue, and whoever owned it obviously took very good care of it. I was honestly more exciting to see it than I ever thought I would be, simply due to how rare these are nowadays.
My buddies girlfriend had an '89 Hyundai Excel in 1993 when we were in highschool. We thought it was such a weird car because nobody had Hyundai's back then. It was virtually unheard of at the time, especially in rural upstate New York. It really wasn't a bad little car though.
When I was in high school I drove a little Honda 600 Coupe (yes, THAT one). One day I got my ass HANDED to me in a race against a Yugo GT. But it had a hood scoop, so....
A hallmark of MotorWeek is that they always try to put a positive, happy spin on things. Few other reviews of these cars at the time had even HALF of the positive things to say that they did. They likely said about the Pontiac Aztek, "we find it to be a uniquely styled vehicle that turns heads wherever it goes!". Yeah, but turning their heads and laughing is not what you want.
I appreciate the lenghts that Hyunda/Kia have made in their existance in the USA. From basic transportation to affordable luxury sedans, all I can say is wow.
A good friend of mine had an ‘88 Excel Just like the test car. We took it to the NC mountains and had a blast exploring its very modest handling limits on mountain roads. I don’t think we ever exceeded the speed limit but the howling tires made it seem like we were going fast! Like many small cars of the time, it seemed to gain about 10 h.p. By turning the a/c off.
.I have a 1986 Yugo GV. The car is registered under my name since 1999 and I never had any problems with it. All the parts are original (except your usual tune up parts) and I get plenty of attention with it from people wanting to take pictures of the car, while talking about classic and rare automobiles throughout history! Contrary to popular belief, the Yugo never went out of business! In the United States, the car lasted from 1985-1993 and the last consumer purchasing year was 1991. Yugo America left the U.S. not because of bad sales, but due to the embargo that was placed on Yugoslavia during their civil war in the mid-late 1990's. In 1999, NATO bomb half of the factory, but were able to rebuilt the building and continue on manufacturing the cars! Did you know in the UK, the Yugo was voted one of the best cars ever made and the Zastava factory (which made the Yugo) won many awards! Yugo-mania seized the United States and lines actually formed at dealerships to purchase the car. At one point, Chrysler even offered to buy the company. The Yugo actually became the “fastest-selling first-year European import in US history.” In Serbia, Zastava continued to make the Yugo all the way up to 2008 and now the manufacturer makes Fiat's (which they made at one time). Many in Serbia and former Yugoslavian states have been customizing them for street racing and rally events for competition. The Fiat 500L that are being imported to the United States is currently manufactured in the same car plant that made the Yugo in Serbia. So don't listen to a reporter that has no idea about it, but can only gave a few sentences about the car without giving you a rational look at it. As a Yugo owner, its a great little automobile that has a cult following on the Yahoo Groups and have access to parts, memorabilia, and give the proper wisdom on these little cars of history!
Basically, Consumer Reports named the Fiat 500L as the most unreliable car in America, and the 500L is basically the Yugo of 2018. Both are built in Kragjuavec, Serbia.
Fast-forward 30 years, and Hyundai is definitely in the mainstream price range for the classes it competes in, while many people don't even remember Yugo and Mitsubishi is barely hanging on.
Other countries use different radio frequencies than the USA does. Considering they didn't outright say, "The radio was broken" I'm inclined to believe that the manufacturer stuck a radio intended for a different market into their test car.
Actually the land where the Zastava (Yugo's manufacturer) were built is in the same place where Fiat (who bought the factory in Serbia's equivalent of bankruptcy) builds today the 500L's sold in US. So they're in a way still building cars for USDM far beyond the country of Yugoslavia existed.
It did, but only after Fiat bought it in 2008. The Zastava Florida IN was still in production all the way up until the day Zastava moved out of the factory!
@@realgroovy24 Oh yeah. They went bankrupt in 2008. Then Zastava Trucks went bankrupt in 2017. Then the government replaced it with "Zastava TERVO" which continues to make the Zastava NTV, some piece of shit rebadged IVECO military vehicle. So Zastava has well outlived Yugoslavia.
I test drove a yugo back in 1987 with a friend, and even then, we new it was crap. During the the test drive, it would not shift into reverse and my friend and the dealer had to get out and push the car backwards to get it out of a parking spot. My favorite test drive of all time! The dealer was quite embarrassed 😳
Yugo failed because made crapy cars, needed to recall all cars in America. And you need much more than a factory to make cars, thing that communists never understood
Yugoslavia was not communist country, it was a socialist country, pretty much like political system in Sweden today, if it were a communist country you would not even see the Yugo, do your history. Yugo factory did loose money on every piece of Yugo that have been sold in America, it was real damping price, and political desicion to sell those cars in USA. It was something like a free comercial for a Yugoslavia. Unfortuantely, the same USA decided only 4 years after in 1991. to break Yugoslavia apart into new small defenseless countries that we have today. Yugoslavia was the fourth biggest military power in Europe before breakup.
it's even worse, Yugoslavian people doesn't understand how to do cars, at least Romanians and Russians have the communist excuse. And wasting a ton of money on defense is not something to be proud about.
''was a political desicion to sell those cars in USA'', this is the proof that politicians should not be ahead of state-owned companies, they don't know nothing about, they made bad decision, lost a ton of money, and the only way to stop losing money was to sell the company. And you are telling that for the same price of the Hyundai they weren't able to make a car that was 10 years older and much smaller? are you kidding me? With the money of 10 fighter they could develop a new car instead of buying a 10 years old fiat project, and with the money of a tank they could train the workers
I last saw a running first-gen Excel on the road in late 2006 and saw my final running Yugo about a year later. The Excel was remarkably clean whereas the Yugo was red and ran on four different wheel and tire sizes. It looked very odd going down the road.
I had a Yugo is college. The clip of the guys picking up the rear end made me laugh. I changed the rear tire without a jack doing this. Undid the lugs, lifted up by the wheel well with one hand and swapped tires with the other. Lol Seven gallon tank that got 33mpg no matter how you drove it. Had for two years, zero issues and only cost me $600…..still makes me smile in it’s ridiculousness
The back up lights were an aftermarket kmart special reversed fog light kit. The wire was run thru the passenger compartment, and crimped to a little switch. After a few test drivers kept tripping on the wire, Yugo threw in carpeting at no extra cost.
Hello, I'm E L M E R they had “climate control” which were some colored levers on the center stack. They must not have thought that as air conditioning
@@risingembersgaming7740 No, they could be optioned with actual air conditioning. My 1988 GV has it. They blow from separate vents in front of the gear lever and have their own switches for blower speed and temperature. OFF * * HI and COLD --- WARM It does actually run the compressor, and the temperature lever adjusts the duty cycle.
I have one Yugo 55 from 2002. and is very very good! I can start and drive that car when is -15℃! I don't have garage my Yugo is covered with snow and ice every day and I'm still driving withot any problems! :)
Update? Also, I have a soft spot for Yugos, as I am half Slovenian (and half Russian), and I like small hatchbacks and unusual cars. I'm planning on buying a Yugo when I get my D/L.
@@StopTeoriomSpiskowym there was a version with a peugeot 1.3l inline 4 that was much more modern (besides having only single point efi), still made barely any power
I had a neighbor who had a Yugo. He only had it for three years, and hated it. On the other hand, I had a friend whose mom owned an Excel, and that thing lasted over ten years, to the point where his mom eventually gave him the car for a high school commuter vehicle. My friend tried to run the thing into the ground, but we were never really able to do it. Those Hyundais of the time were cheap looking, but built reasonably well.
Guy I knew about 2000 had a 1988 pony 3-door as a winter beater. Ugly? yes, but manual shift, rear drive and seemingly indestructible, and I think he really tried too!
I had a 1987 Excel GL sedan. Bought it brand new from a new dealership here in Georgia. It was great for going back and forth to work (about 15 miles for me). Never had a bit of trouble with it. It had A/C (of course) and a manual transmission. Not much power, but I understood that when I bought it, and knew to be careful when passing or merging on to a highway. Only had it about 3 years though. Got married in '89 and my wife couldn't drive a stick. Ended up trading it in for a '89 S10 Blazer 4x4 with a 4.3L V6. Wish I still had that too. Yugo came out around the same time and I seriously considered it before buying the Hyundai. Glad I didn't.
Yugo did not make it 'cause Yugoslavia did not make it. When Korea re-unites and political/social/economical/military crash happens on peninsula, we will see what would remain from Hyundai.
I've heard it said from yugo owners, the engines developed knocks after 2000 miles, the seats would rattle right off the showroom floor. headliners fell off after 6 months. crappolla doesn't even begin to describe this car
Rebranded fiats, they produced car until mid 2000's, puntos, that is Vw in bosnia on the other hand had a great future but the war destroyed the factory, it couldve actually help with the rebuilding of economy and industry post war, but it was too damaged, i would now surely drive a bosnian made vw, for i am from croatia
Maybe Yugos would've improved if the their factory wasn't bombed during the Yugoslavian civil war. Their last car, the Sana, showed promise, but their was no time to improve it as the country began to tear itself apart.
Antwon Jenkins Not civil war my friend, it was bombed during NATO agression on Yugoslavia.That operation was called "noble angel". It was hit on Aprile 12. 1999. Sad day for my country and all petrolheads here! :(
Totally agree, Slobodan Milosevic was a Hero who stuck for his country, US & NATO had no right to bomb Belgrade, Look at the fuckin mess Europes in Now! Europe is fucked now, due to failure to identify enemies.
Ah yes, can't have a discussion about anything Yugoslavian without some people defending the genocidal maniac that was Milosevic. Say what you want about the bombings, but they stopped this criminal.
I'm just old enough to remember when cloth was a luxury upgrade over standard vinyl. Somewhere along the line the automakers figured out that they could start calling vinyl "leatherette" and get people to pay extra for it.
I was really amused at the fact they could pick up the Yugo and push it themselves. Kind of predicted how one would most likely be seen on the road.Also, seeing a review of the original Excel really shows how far Hyundai has come since then.
I had an ‘88 Yugo GVS and it had a/c. Bought it used with 23k mikes on it, sold it 5 yrs later with 97k miles on it. Only problem it ever had was the catalytic converter went out at around 60k miles and was covered under warranty. Other than that it was just oil changes. Had a fantastically smooth 4 cyl engine, ice cold air, and a decent ride for a small car. Sure wish I had it back!
My dad had a 93 Excel three door 4-speed. Gave it away at 137k and last time I saw it years ago it had about 200k. Rusted to hell and the electronics were iffy but the engine was damn tough.
Yes, the engine was tough because it was the same design, I believe, as a 4 cylinder Mitsubishi from the early 80's. Hyundai automatic transmissions were garbage.
We need simple, back to basics cars now. Not every one needs infotainment and blue tooth in their cars. I think it only takes one and the others have to compete. What Saturn started as would be a great idea. Cheap is the name of the game. Under $10k base would be a hot seller. 4 cylinders minimum.
They already have them. You can get a base Nissan Versa for $12k. Problem is that people who keep saying their should be cheap cars don't walk the walk; instead they are the exact ones who go out and buy a 3 series BMW.
I wish Subaru would bring back the little Justy. I wish Honda would make a stripper Fit under 13 grand. VW had stripped Golf, or bring back a Fox. I don't need power windows, locks, etc
A Yugo can go 55 MPH? A friend of mine when I lived in New England owned one of these Hyundai Excell. When riding in Boston the right mirror fell off. She "oh, that happens all the time".
I had a 95 Accent and the muffler fell off into the street. Luckily it was late at night so no one noticed the ear shattering exhaust noise. I haven't bought another foreign car since then...lol.
the yugo's reliablilty is unknown at this time, but anyone familiar with fiats shouldn't expect them to last forever..LMAO.. in other words, bring your walking shoes
metvelle people thought that the yugo will break down in the first years of use but there r a lot of yugo´s r still on the streets just because of the good memories people had with it
Fiats, at least the Italian ones, are fine as long as you treat them with European standards of technical culture. Americans expect agricultural level of sophistication so of course they will be disappointed with everything that demands anything more than a hammer to keep it running ;) I've just retired a Yugo-sized Fiat after 25 years of trouble-free daily driving around the city. For that role I wouldn't change it for anything American, or German for that matter, even if they bribed me.
They were being very kind when they said the Yugo dash was "stylish"... I'd say "monochromatic" and "unsettling shade of brown". Loved the jabs they made at Yugo... geez if you and a friend can pick up the back of the car THAT easily, then Yugos wouldn't be too hard to steal... not that anyone would do that anyway! Host John Davis' narration was so bland back then... he's much more energetic today, even with cars that fail.
It is because those goons picked up the car and bent the frame. Heck i think they might have even totaled the car doing what they did. On second thought, those cars were a total loss as soon as they left the factory.
I had a Hyundai Excel as a loaner and I beat on that thing. Doing things like redlining it and the dumping the clutch but that car would not quit! It fired right up and kept on rolling.
Joseph Rogers It's always an ever-rising level of expectations and safety. Back then, the USA government not REQUIRING air bags ("passive restraints"), ABS, stability control, and tire pressure monitoring ALSO kept the price down!
+Joseph Rogers yeah, things are a lot better now. Just look at the Mitsubishi Mirage. Adjusted for inflation, cars on the lower end are CHEAPER today than they were back then!
@@imzjustplayin I would willingly pay a premium to NOT get a lot of the techno-crap in new cars. No touch screens, no keyless start...hell, I don't even want carpet.
"Mr. Lundegaard, we agreed that there wouldn't be any TruCoat! You sat right there and told me there would be no TruCoat! Now you call me to come on down, pick up my car, and you're charging me for the Trucoat!"
MotorWeek stated that both cars had "good fit and finish". Wow, their standards were low in the day. I remember when Consumer Reports called the Yugo a "barely assembled bucket of bolts" and a consumer is better off with a used car. At least Hyundai had a real car to start with. I think if they did not have a 4 door sedan back in 1986 they would have not succeeded in America. Americans see 2 box hatchbacks as toy cars and 4 door sedans as real cars. Hyundai's were junk back then, but the lesser of the 2 evils. That 10 year warranty (enacted in the early 2000s) forced them to make better cars. I think GM should bring back the no-haggle priced Saturn, give them Toyota Corolla quality, and back to the basics content. Make the cars look like 4 door Saturns of the 90s but with updated styling. Unfortunately, automakers would rather sell us $30,000 cars, because suckers are willing to pay a car loan for 8 years.
There are plenty of excellent used Corollas for sale, much better than GM attempting to build some retro Saturn. Management at GM has given up on building small sedans. Did you support GM by buying a Cruze? It is a much better and safer car than a Saturn. 🤔
I owned 3 Yugos and a 1988 Hyundai Excel. I thought the Yugos were fun to drive and my Excel, although well equipped, was a piece of junk. The early Hyundais were of poor quality. I later bought a 2000 Hyundai Accent and it was an excellent car. By the way, if anyone has a Yugo in really nice shape, I'm interested.
Growing up, the family across the street had a Yugo.. one of multiple cars because they were a big family. Of all the cars, the Yugo gave them the least amount of problems, but they said was the hardest to get someone to work on it.
We bought a '95 Accent (the Excel total redesign in '95) new. It was my first car. It worked OK. Complaints: 1) The black finish on the side mirror attachments faded after a couple of years. The 'Accent' emblem was just a sticker. Part of it rubbed off. 2) started rusting at the bottom of the doors (paint bubbling) within 2-3 years - no warranty for that. 3) exhaust smelled like rotten eggs even from brand new (H2S). You could smell it in the car when stopped at a light. Dealer said that was normal, lol. 4) Solid front rotors were woefully undersized and/or undercooled. I did often carry 2-3 passengers and drive 'spirited' (probably a little much for the little car), but rotors shouldn't warp every 1-2 years like they did. 5) Fuel gauge stopped working after 2 years. I would estimate based on trip meter. Never in the 5 years afterwards did I forget to reset it when I filled up. It also reminded me to keep track of my mileage. Typically got about 9-9.5L/100km with mainly highway driving (24-27MPG). Not great for a 92hp 2-door subcompact. 6) The large manual front windows were difficult to crank up from the beginning. Within 2 yrs (after warranty expired - we drove a lot) you needed to pull up the window with one hand and also crank to get them to come up. Good luck if you lowered them too much. You needed a 2nd person and needle-nosed pliers to help grab it and get it up enough to get it with your hand. 7) The rear cargo shelf rattled very annoyingly. 8) Dealer found the front exhaust pipe had a hole (not collision/road hazard damage) after 1 year or so. Dealer refused to cover under warranty. I never fixed it. It didn't make the car loud - I think it might have even been there from new - and maybe caused the rotten egg smell. Or the dealer might have been trying to scam me. I was 20 and knew nothing about cars at the time. 9) One of the rear shocks started leaking and went flat after a couple of years. Dealer refused to cover under warranty. Probably happened because I would drive the car fast with 5 adults on board. Car wasn't designed to handle that. Car made a clunking noise from the rear over bumps until I got it fixed. 10) Radio lost am/fm reception after 1 year. Dealer refused to fix under warranty. Never bother getting it fixed or buying another radio. Other than that it worked well for the 150k km I drove it for before the wife totaled it. The engine, transmission, steering, and HVAC were good and it was plenty peppy enough for me (12-13s 0-60 with the automatic wasn't traffic-stopping in the late-90s). Although turning on the A/C and trying to accelerate quickly wasn't a good mix, lol. It was a terrific car in the snow/winter with FWD, a light weight, skinny tires that cut right through the snow, and a solid ground clearance. I never felt the need for winter tires in Canada. Being my first car, I didn't appreciate its snow prowess (I just thought I was a good driver, lol) until I started driving other cars in the snow/winter - I immediately purchased winter tires for those, lol - and I'd never go without 3PMSF tires in the winter now. Never bought another Hyundai/Kia, though! Learned my lesson from that a-hole dealership. They do make decent cars now but still wouldn't buy another one based on my experience.
Got my new Hyundai Excel GLS sedan in May of 1988 for just over $9K. The five year contract was $200 a month and around $1,500 down. It ran well right up until 1993 and about 125K miles. Stick shift was fun, 5 speed. Timing belt broke once and it cost around $500 to fix; non-interference orientation 👍🚗. Was a fun car for a few years ✔️
As for which one 'won', I drive a 2007 Hyundai Elantra with 320,000 miles on it and it's still going strong, while the last Yugos were imported into the U.S. in 1990, by which point they were a complete laughingstock.
Actually recommended general inspection and overhaul if required is suggested every 100.000km on it, so yeah, probably. But general engine overhaul on Yugo costs at this moment with machining, and all replacement parts... 150-200 USD. That is how much one bumper for Toyota Prius costs.
Znam samo da je moj stari radio generalku na svojem 55 na 90k.I većinom koje znam da su imali Yuga su radili oko 90-100k Da ne pričam koliko je auspuha promjenio,komedija I gepeg pun alata naravno :D. Šteta što je prodao,sad bi odlično došao za zajebanicju po poljskim putevima i tako :D
Ironically, Yugo's depreciation took 25+ years bringing it's price from $4,000 to $1,000, when newer cars lose a quarter of their value in the first year alone.
I had a friend who's dad thought Yugo was going to be the next big thing in cars. Used to say "years from now we'll all be driving yugos. He also said "That Honda knockoff we'll never sell."
I remember when the Yugo GV and the Hyundai Excel first hit the US market. I didn't find either of them impressive next to the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic, or the Nissan Sentra. I wasn't expecting either to be on the market for very long after this video. And with the Yugo, although it had some good features for such a cheap price, it didn't last very long. Hyundai, on the other hand, is still around today. Although I've never driven a Hyundai Excel, I remember finding it more attractive than the Fiat based Yugo GV. It didn't take long to pronounce its name: you pronounce it like "Hunday". I've noticed that some markets pronounce the "y" in the name. "Hyunday". That's international marketing for you. I do prefer the Mitsubishi 1.5 litre 4 cylinder engine over the 1.1 litre Fiat engine used in the Yugo. Bye-bye Yugo, hello Hyundai. :)
A lot of people here wants Yugo, there's still plenty of them here in Croatia, it's usually used for storing wood and stuff... but hey i can get you one for few beers !
I remember SEEING this episode in the rec center when I was in the army... little did I know a few years later I'd be sent to fight in former Yugoslavia, 2 separate times!
+TheSpritz0 Thank you for your service my friend. That volunteerism is a massive sacrifice for a bunch of people (many of which couldn't give two shits) who benefit.
+Doug N Well, to be honest, Hyundai didn't have to deal with its home country being in a decade long war, economical sanctions from the west, record high inflation, economic recession and total collapse of its home market. Still Zastava, producer or Yugo, somehow manged to survive transition from socialism to capitalism and manged to get sold to Fiat in 2008.
Hyundai's home country is technically still at war since 1950. And went through the Asian financial crisis when Daewoo failed, had a military general takeover the country, etc so they didn't exactly skate by.
@@ThisGuyRides technically being at war doesn't count, the Korean war effectively ended in the 50s, in the 90s Japans economic crisis did nothing but help Korea so South Korea and Hyundai definitely skated by compared to Zastava
My parents and I went to both of these dealerships in 1987 when I was 13. I recall the Yugo dealer in Baltimore had balloons all over the place and floating around the ceiling. The odd part about the Yugo that stands out for me was the spare tire being stowed under the hood - I'll never forget when my dad popped the hood in the showroom. The Excel was a great little car, and the gauge cluster and warning chime were really modern. Dad ultimately bought a Chevy Spectrum which was an awesome, reliable and comfy little car with a smooth ride.
My first car was an '88 Hyundai Excel 3door hatch. Let me tell you, we bought it used in the mid '90's and it was a big pile of shit! lol It seriously broke down once every 2 weeks! I was so sick of the turd I got my first real job to buy a better car. I kept it about 8 months and sold it. It left such a bad taste in my mouth toward Hyundai, until the last few years, I still would not ever look at a Hyundai as a viable car to own! bleh
A buddy bought one new when they first came out. He let me drive it and I was astounded as to how cheap it felt. I realize now that I was spoiled by nicer iron, like my mom's '78 Volare wagon (wow, that hurt to say) and my dad's 307 (garbage) powered Fleetwood. Two powerhouses that ran mid to high 14 second......0-60. The Volare was...well a Volare and the Caddy had the fit & finish of a car assembled by drunks. I mentioned all the crooked parts and horrendous wind noise to my father once on the way to church and he said "that's just the way things are."
The Readers Corner I felt the same as you do. Even after several friends bought them over the last several years and had expensive problems not covered under warranty. Leading them to trade them in. I still wanted one. I drove a rental Sonata from Detroit to Toronto and back and loved it. Reinforcing my desire. I went out to test drvie a used one (because I wanted a manual trans) and during the test drive the gas pedal retaining clip broke off and stuck the gas pedal to the floor, at redline, on a twisty road. You don't know horror until you look down and see the pedal on the floor with nothing holding it down and a decreasing radius turn looming. I even tugged at the floor mat. When I got back to the dealer with a pounding headache the saleman said, "so how was the test drive..."
I got the same car for 7 years. if you bought them new, you would never had that experience like any other used cars. I can't say car is nice but it was reliable enough for me to commute to my school.
yescharles1 Maybe not, unfortunately Hyundai /Kia no longer offers a manual on new Optimas or Sonatas so my only option is used. However I must say the gas pedal or brake pedals integrity should remain for the life of the car, no matter what kind of troglodyte owned it. BTW after reading some of the responses I went back on the local dealers website and was not suprised to see the car still sitting on the lot....my test drive was in late October.
You heard right the cars were fairly reliable (at least for the domestic market) by the time the started to export to America the civil war was about to start so quality suffered and the cars were...well you know
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Those are two car companies that went dramatically different directions.
Zum Zamim The irony is Hyundai improved tenfold while Yugo always sucked even Volkswagen was better!
Aspie Otaku vw rules man
MrOTBxTrains Well Yah especially the Golf R32.
Aspie Otaku the mk1 golf is my favorite volkswagen haha
Zum Zamim No comparasion. Hyundai was a massive company then and now. They just use to worry about industrial stuff back then. Thats why they couldn't kill and still can't kill Hyundai. Hyundai has deep pockets.
Guy walks into an auto parts store and says, "I need a rear view mirror for my Yugo." Clerk says, "Sounds like an even trade to me."
Very flexible joke lol, I’ve heard the same about someone looking for an oil filter for their Silverado... sounds about fair!
Oh that’s just too good for 😅
Used to always hear "I filled up the tank on my Yugo and it doubled its resale value."
😆 lol
grow up
Q: How do you double the value of a Yugo?
A: Fill up the gas tank.
That's the Trabant you uncultured Capitalist!
@@juanmanuelpenaloza9264 the yugo wasnt that bad
it was good for the price
That joke is older then the car
@@juanmanuelpenaloza9264 Its an Old Serbian joke because we don't invade Middle east and get Cheap oil. 32 liters of fuel would be around 50% of the cars value. And the fact you could fill it to the brim and it would stay in the tank was extra 50% value. Early tanks are known to rust fast. Many Yugos were driving around without filling more than half for decades.
No joke, when I was a kid, my dad bought a Yugo for $20. We took it out and hammered on it, eventually jumping it a few feet and breaking the front end. He cut the back out of it and made it into a motorcycle trailer.
The first brand new car my mom ever bought was a Yugo. I remember when she bought it. She was so proud of that little car. It served as our primary transportation for almost 6 years. It never left us stranded anywhere. The radio quit and the aftermarket sunroof leaked, but other than that, it wasn't a terrible car.
the yugos were completley reliable it was the smear campain that gm payed for that gave them their reputation
@@retrox684 I wouldn't say they were completely reliable but they weren't as bad (mechanically) as they were made out to be.
An honest review. They were based on proven Fiat technology. Not exciting, but practical.
@@retrox684 LOL... no they were total crap. I worked at a Ford dealership who also sold Yugos and everyone there hated selling them because you were 99% guaranteed to have your customer come back and complain about something breaking or not working. I did my best to talk people out of buying one. Ford small cars weren't great in the 80s but compared to the Yugo they sure were.
"You think you hate it now....Wait till you drive it" " Lou Glutz Motors... Chicago, Illinois.
No way! Carpet and upholstery included in the base model?! What a deal!
+Andrew Fawcett It's like, what else there could be instead that would be worse? Just wire mesh over metal?
@@VideoAmericanStyle Ahem...
Chevroley Chevette
Dodge Omni
Plymouth Horizon
Nah, I don't mind my seats in bare foam.
@@VideoAmericanStyle cardboard door panels and rubber floor mats-which were fairly common in economy cars of the era.
@@Johnny96ri And some people don't remember when A/C was an expensive and often dealer installed option.
Motorweek really can put a positive spin on literally every car
“Only the radio failed to work as advertised.”
Nothing should fail to work as advertised! It’s a brand new car!
The 80s were a great time for car quality...
Radio didn't work because it is designed not to receive Capitalist propaganda.
DexMaster881 Ha,Ha it a Hyundai it made in South Korea not the North.
Even a land rover only starts having problems after 20 miles
They didn’t say it didn’t work, just not as advertised. Not sure what that means, haha.
@@DexMaster881 wrong korea bro
My parents bought a Hyundai in the mid 80's. I was still driving it 10 years later, the radio always worked. In fact it was incredibally reliable, needed very little maintenance.
You should've kept it.
Why did the Yugo have a rear defroster? So the owner can keep their hands warm when pushing it!
Yugo the worst car? You're a fool, that he really was the worst car Yugo would not produce 794 428 copies for 30 years!
CEOkiller Didn't know you have this joke too!! :p
Zoran Zoran when it's one of the three cars you can buy, you sure as hell get high production numbers.
Dimitris Varsos
+CEOkiller PERFECT!!!!!!!
$4000 was a ridiculously low price at that time. but what's really sad is that for the same price, you could have bought fairly nice 60s/70s muscle cars which now go for $100K +.
The fact that rustproofing and undercoating were additional options on the Yugo tells you all you need to know about it.
Yea but the rear glass warmer was standard to keep your hands warm when you pushed it.
undercoating being optional on cars was normal in that era.
@@Johnny96ri Along with paint "sealant" and Scotch Guard fabric protection, VERY profitable "dealer add-ons"!
The fact that Yugo's are still on roads all over eastern Europe says all you need to know about them. Most cars from that era fell apart a long time ago, regardless of rustproofing or undercoating.
Most cars had undercoating as an extra even in the US.
"The dash is stylish and attractive" - WHAT?!
No it wasn't. haha I was in the service in 1987 and a buddy bought one of these pieces of crap brand new. Worst car I've ever been in. There was nothing cutting edge about its design, inside or out. It didn't even have door handles on the inside - just a latch strap. Junk. Ugly junk. Now ya know.
Hahaha right!! Ilmao
This car was never "cutting edge" and it was never cool. I had been driving for five years in 1987 and test drove one new for giggles at the dealership. It made my Honda Accord look like a freakin' Bentley in comparison. It was so "cool" that when the last dealership where I lived closed it operations (and stuck around as a Buick dealer), they had brand new '91 Yugos still on the lot in 1994. The last one was a GV priced at 50% off and it still stuck around over a month at that price.
I love the Yugo, but DAMM! Dash? Atractive? STYLING?!?! Im sorry, but hell no. Its not ugly, but its sure not atractive.
Legion of Weirdos Well they are cool now.
I went to a Cars and Coffee and there was a crowd of 20 people around a mint condition Yugo.
I saw one of these Yugos driving on I-25 in Denver a few years ago. It was blue, and whoever owned it obviously took very good care of it.
I was honestly more exciting to see it than I ever thought I would be, simply due to how rare these are nowadays.
It's easier to find a Trabant in America than it is to find a Yugo, and Trabants weren't even sold new in the entire Western Hemisphere.
My buddies girlfriend had an '89 Hyundai Excel in 1993 when we were in highschool. We thought it was such a weird car because nobody had Hyundai's back then. It was virtually unheard of at the time, especially in rural upstate New York. It really wasn't a bad little car though.
When I was in high school I drove a little Honda 600 Coupe (yes, THAT one). One day I got my ass HANDED to me in a race against a Yugo GT. But it had a hood scoop, so....
And almost twice the motor
Where did the Yugo name come from.
Yugo owner: "Yugo on ahead. I need to wait for a tow truck."
+PointyTailofSatan Might have had something to do with Yugoslavia?
PointyTailofSatan lol
PointyTailofSatan short for Yugoslavia. you have to wait ten years to get a car.
@@frankdenardo8684 that is not true. That was in the Soviet union. In yougoslavia you didnt have to wait.
Not true at all about waiting to get a car. That was East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Poland. But not Yugoslavia. @@frankdenardo8684
A hallmark of MotorWeek is that they always try to put a positive, happy spin on things. Few other reviews of these cars at the time had even HALF of the positive things to say that they did. They likely said about the Pontiac Aztek, "we find it to be a uniquely styled vehicle that turns heads wherever it goes!". Yeah, but turning their heads and laughing is not what you want.
@snowrocket well lucky you, they’ve added the Aztek to this retro series. Let me know what you think
I remember when tragically, a Yugo actually got blown off the Mackinac Bridge. It was so light, she never stood a chance.
What was printed on the backside of Yugo's owner's manual?
- Timetable for the bus.
They have introduced a 4-door called a Wego.
HAHAHA
+WolfGrid Yeah well the Wego is from Wegoslavia. Wawowewa, very nice. Great success!
It was a joke... idiot.
Zastava 101 was in production for 10 years before Yugo. In Fiat 128 form, it was car of the year in '69.
There actually is a car called the wheego and it's just as crappy as the yugo
I saw one of the Yugos earlier this year and I thought:
"It's weird to see a car that lasts longer than the country it came from."
you're giving the Yugo more credit than it deserves lol.
I think what you were seeing was scrap
Yugoslavia lasted 74 years 🤓
Stupidest comment on this video.
lmao american spotted
Yugo, I'll walk.
+The Nuclear Fishcake I don't know why I was in tears on this one! Thanks!
Yugo, but the car doesn't.
Walk then 😂
@Nice Guy Eddie would you really like to be spotted on a yugo bike that would be very embarrassing
3 Years later and had one of the best laughs...
I appreciate the lenghts that Hyunda/Kia have made in their existance in the USA. From basic transportation to affordable luxury sedans, all I can say is wow.
Except the hyundai parent company has more money than the country of Yugoslavia ever had, so they could afford the progressive investment
A good friend of mine had an ‘88 Excel Just like the test car. We took it to the NC mountains and had a blast exploring its very modest handling limits on mountain roads. I don’t think we ever exceeded the speed limit but the howling tires made it seem like we were going fast! Like many small cars of the time, it seemed to gain about 10 h.p. By turning the a/c off.
.I have a 1986 Yugo GV. The car is registered under my name since 1999 and I never had any problems with it. All the parts are original (except your usual tune up parts) and I get plenty of attention with it from people wanting to take pictures of the car, while talking about classic and rare automobiles throughout history!
Contrary to popular belief, the Yugo never went out of business! In the United States, the car lasted from 1985-1993 and the last consumer purchasing year was 1991. Yugo America left the U.S. not because of bad sales, but due to the embargo that was placed on Yugoslavia during their civil war in the mid-late 1990's. In 1999, NATO bomb half of the factory, but were able to rebuilt the building and continue on manufacturing the cars!
Did you know in the UK, the Yugo was voted one of the best cars ever made and the Zastava factory (which made the Yugo) won many awards! Yugo-mania seized the United States and lines actually formed at dealerships to purchase the car. At one point, Chrysler even offered to buy the company. The Yugo actually became the “fastest-selling first-year European import in US history.” In Serbia, Zastava continued to make the Yugo all the way up to 2008 and now the manufacturer makes Fiat's (which they made at one time). Many in Serbia and former Yugoslavian states have been customizing them for street racing and rally events for competition. The Fiat 500L that are being imported to the United States is currently manufactured in the same car plant that made the Yugo in Serbia.
So don't listen to a reporter that has no idea about it, but can only gave a few sentences about the car without giving you a rational look at it. As a Yugo owner, its a great little automobile that has a cult following on the Yahoo Groups and have access to parts, memorabilia, and give the proper wisdom on these little cars of history!
Basically, Consumer Reports named the Fiat 500L as the most unreliable car in America, and the 500L is basically the Yugo of 2018. Both are built in Kragjuavec, Serbia.
Who cares. What kind of cheap asshole would buy one of these?
@@Overqualified1 Yeah, i would rather buy an american made, they are the best, thats why they didnt loose the market against dozen of foreign brands
Charlie Cat the Fiat 500 is a really bad car
@@kwanlinus6999 Fiat bought Yugo's factory in 2008, my friend. That *is* a Yugo factory.
"Of course there's not way of knowing how reliable the Yugo will turn out to be."
Yugo around the corner in the car...walk the rest...
lol
Don't forget the hand warmer on the back window
Very true.
Fast-forward 30 years, and Hyundai is definitely in the mainstream price range for the classes it competes in, while many people don't even remember Yugo and Mitsubishi is barely hanging on.
Mitsubishi is pretty popular in Russia. Perhaps, also in Europe.
Mitsubishi?? They're popular in my country, it's the most searched (on Google) out of all the car brands here.
"Only the radio failed to work as advertised."
They don't build 'em like they used to.
Radios either work or they don"t
@@sdefonta That's a likely problem for a car with 250,000 miles, not 0.
Other countries use different radio frequencies than the USA does. Considering they didn't outright say, "The radio was broken" I'm inclined to believe that the manufacturer stuck a radio intended for a different market into their test car.
The Yugo went the way of Yugoslavia.
Yugo's lasted longer than Yugoslavia! I believe they were still in production until about 2008
Sony Trinitron that's along time
Actually the land where the Zastava (Yugo's manufacturer) were built is in the same place where Fiat (who bought the factory in Serbia's equivalent of bankruptcy) builds today the 500L's sold in US. So they're in a way still building cars for USDM far beyond the country of Yugoslavia existed.
It did, but only after Fiat bought it in 2008. The Zastava Florida IN was still in production all the way up until the day Zastava moved out of the factory!
@@realgroovy24 Oh yeah. They went bankrupt in 2008. Then Zastava Trucks went bankrupt in 2017. Then the government replaced it with "Zastava TERVO" which continues to make the Zastava NTV, some piece of shit rebadged IVECO military vehicle. So Zastava has well outlived Yugoslavia.
I test drove a yugo back in 1987 with a friend, and even then, we new it was crap. During the the test drive, it would not shift into reverse and my friend and the dealer had to get out and push the car backwards to get it out of a parking spot. My favorite test drive of all time! The dealer was quite embarrassed 😳
Whats ironic is that Hyundai is now world class cars. And yet the Yugo isn't around anymore.
That is because Yugo factory is privatized in fraud and sold for cheap to fiat that is making own cars there.
Yugo failed because made crapy cars, needed to recall all cars in America. And you need much more than a factory to make cars, thing that communists never understood
Yugoslavia was not communist country, it was a socialist country, pretty much like political system in Sweden today, if it were a communist country you would not even see the Yugo, do your history. Yugo factory did loose money on every piece of Yugo that have been sold in America, it was real damping price, and political desicion to sell those cars in USA. It was something like a free comercial for a Yugoslavia. Unfortuantely, the same USA decided only 4 years after in 1991. to break Yugoslavia apart into new small defenseless countries that we have today. Yugoslavia was the fourth biggest military power in Europe before breakup.
it's even worse, Yugoslavian people doesn't understand how to do cars, at least Romanians and Russians have the communist excuse. And wasting a ton of money on defense is not something to be proud about.
''was a political desicion to sell those cars in USA'', this is the proof that politicians should not be ahead of state-owned companies, they don't know nothing about, they made bad decision, lost a ton of money, and the only way to stop losing money was to sell the company. And you are telling that for the same price of the Hyundai they weren't able to make a car that was 10 years older and much smaller? are you kidding me? With the money of 10 fighter they could develop a new car instead of buying a 10 years old fiat project, and with the money of a tank they could train the workers
Homer Simpson: Hey, what country is this car from?
Salesman: Ehhh, it no longer exists.
Put it in H!
I'd love to get my hands on a decent shape Yugo.
+nino210 Is there such a thing? I'm not sure you could get one in decent shape if you bought it new!
U like working out or something? Cuase that's what ull be doing, pushing it
That is the same thing people were wishing for when they came off the boat....
U have them in serbia for very low price, mine is worth 100$ and every repair is almost free cuz parts are like 2-10$
Finding a Yugo is like finding Bigfoot. Sure there’s lots of photos and talk about their existence, but good luck getting your hands on one.
I last saw a running first-gen Excel on the road in late 2006 and saw my final running Yugo about a year later. The Excel was remarkably clean whereas the Yugo was red and ran on four different wheel and tire sizes. It looked very odd going down the road.
Every now and them I see an old Hyundai Excel running around.
I dont anymore ... lol I used to have an 89 Excel ... I abused the piss out of that car. never could get it over 90
1:35 "Ey! Where do you want the Yugo?"
Bob Walsh In the scrap heap. It sucks!
@@MrT8599 then go away?
*Two men go by gently, rolling the Yugo like a wheelbarrow*
"Ay! Where do ya want the Yugo?"
Had me giggling. So ridiculous lmao
I had a Yugo is college. The clip of the guys picking up the rear end made me laugh. I changed the rear tire without a jack doing this. Undid the lugs, lifted up by the wheel well with one hand and swapped tires with the other. Lol
Seven gallon tank that got 33mpg no matter how you drove it. Had for two years, zero issues and only cost me $600…..still makes me smile in it’s ridiculousness
The back up lights were an aftermarket kmart special reversed fog light kit. The wire was run thru the passenger compartment, and crimped to a little switch. After a few test drivers kept tripping on the wire, Yugo threw in carpeting at no extra cost.
Had two of them. For our teens. No major issue. Mine 1987 did have air conditioning.( Front center stack on floor) It was very limited.
Hello, I'm E L M E R they had “climate control” which were some colored levers on the center stack. They must not have thought that as air conditioning
The Original Mr. E L M E R
, how was engine performance with the AC on? And did the AC actually cool the car?
My Opel Vectra 1996 didn't have aircon and cost 20 more times than Yugo.
@@risingembersgaming7740 No, they could be optioned with actual air conditioning. My 1988 GV has it. They blow from separate vents in front of the gear lever and have their own switches for blower speed and temperature.
OFF * * HI and COLD --- WARM
It does actually run the compressor, and the temperature lever adjusts the duty cycle.
Those cars were deathtraps and unsafe. Great for the kids, good thinking pal
I have one Yugo 55 from 2002. and is very very good! I can start and drive that car when is -15℃! I don't have garage my Yugo is covered with snow and ice every day and I'm still driving withot any problems! :)
Update? Also, I have a soft spot for Yugos, as I am half Slovenian (and half Russian), and I like small hatchbacks and unusual cars. I'm planning on buying a Yugo when I get my D/L.
@@josephstalin7995 He probably has one with the 1.3l Peugeot engine unless that was introduced later.
Its fiat engine. I have Fiesta mk3 its drive i -28˚c but exhaust freez and car stop
@@StopTeoriomSpiskowym there was a version with a peugeot 1.3l inline 4 that was much more modern (besides having only single point efi), still made barely any power
sve sto tito napravi to sine krese
I had a friend in college cram a misubishi eclipse turbo motor in an excel. We all loved it.
Finnaly Yugo! I still have one and it's still in drive conditions :)
I had a neighbor who had a Yugo. He only had it for three years, and hated it.
On the other hand, I had a friend whose mom owned an Excel, and that thing lasted over ten years, to the point where his mom eventually gave him the car for a high school commuter vehicle. My friend tried to run the thing into the ground, but we were never really able to do it. Those Hyundais of the time were cheap looking, but built reasonably well.
hyundai was alot better in the early 2000s
simple reliable etc etc good qaulity
Guy I knew about 2000 had a 1988 pony 3-door as a winter beater. Ugly? yes, but manual shift, rear drive and seemingly indestructible, and I think he really tried too!
80's excel were pease of shits. Most of them constantly had over heating problems, one of the worse cars ever made.
Because they were mitsu based
Nah early Hyundai's sucked badly
I want a 1988 Hyundai Excel... those were nice cars, and still is today.
I had a 1987 Excel GL sedan. Bought it brand new from a new dealership here in Georgia. It was great for going back and forth to work (about 15 miles for me). Never had a bit of trouble with it. It had A/C (of course) and a manual transmission. Not much power, but I understood that when I bought it, and knew to be careful when passing or merging on to a highway. Only had it about 3 years though. Got married in '89 and my wife couldn't drive a stick. Ended up trading it in for a '89 S10 Blazer 4x4 with a 4.3L V6. Wish I still had that too. Yugo came out around the same time and I seriously considered it before buying the Hyundai. Glad I didn't.
Only a 4 speed! I'll bet that engine revved up high on the freeway!
@@MisterMikeTexas It may have been a 5-speed. It's been so long I seriously don't remember.
I miss my Yugo! Excellent car!
REAL working vent windows! Wow!
Hyundai made it and Yugo didn't, and the this review speaks for itself !
The Yugo was faster than a Chevette though 😅
Lol I read it as yugo faster than a corvette...
Even today Hyundai is still a raving piece of shit.
Yugo did not make it 'cause Yugoslavia did not make it. When Korea re-unites and political/social/economical/military crash happens on peninsula, we will see what would remain from Hyundai.
I've heard it said from yugo owners, the engines developed knocks after 2000 miles, the seats would rattle right off the showroom floor. headliners fell off after 6 months. crappolla doesn't even begin to describe this car
The Yugo plant still exists, it's owned by Fiat-Chrysler and makes the 500L
A crown vic back in those day almost got the same MPG as a Yugo
Amazing to see where Hyundai has ended up. Would be interested to see what Yugo could have product 30 years on.
Rebranded fiats, they produced car until mid 2000's, puntos, that is
Vw in bosnia on the other hand had a great future but the war destroyed the factory, it couldve actually help with the rebuilding of economy and industry post war, but it was too damaged, i would now surely drive a bosnian made vw, for i am from croatia
5th like
Maybe Yugos would've improved if the their factory wasn't bombed during the Yugoslavian civil war. Their last car, the Sana, showed promise, but their was no time to improve it as the country began to tear itself apart.
Antwon Jenkins Not civil war my friend, it was bombed during NATO agression on Yugoslavia.That operation was called "noble angel". It was hit on Aprile 12. 1999. Sad day for my country and all petrolheads here! :(
*****
Šta god...
Antwon Jenkins American army bombing faktory.
Totally agree, Slobodan Milosevic was a Hero who stuck for his country, US & NATO had no right to bomb Belgrade, Look at the fuckin mess Europes in Now! Europe is fucked now, due to failure to identify enemies.
Ah yes, can't have a discussion about anything Yugoslavian without some people defending the genocidal maniac that was Milosevic. Say what you want about the bombings, but they stopped this criminal.
That Hyundai Excel hatchback was awesome
Never broke down, amazing gas mileage
So darn crazy to watch this. I still own a 89’ Hyundai excel. It’s my daily driver. Basically brand new car. All original except the radio.
I own a 88 excel hatchback here in Guatemala imported from USA in 95. Very reliable car
@@jozue_g2524 I love the Hyundai excels. If you got a car Instagram account I want to see lol @hyundeezyy
Only have FB acount Alexander Gómez & Jozue Gómez here are so Many pics of My cars
"Cloth upholstery included in the base price" I'd bloody well hope so haha
I'm just old enough to remember when cloth was a luxury upgrade over standard vinyl. Somewhere along the line the automakers figured out that they could start calling vinyl "leatherette" and get people to pay extra for it.
I was really amused at the fact they could pick up the Yugo and push it themselves. Kind of predicted how one would most likely be seen on the road.Also, seeing a review of the original Excel really shows how far Hyundai has come since then.
I had an ‘88 Yugo GVS and it had a/c. Bought it used with 23k mikes on it, sold it 5 yrs later with 97k miles on it. Only problem it ever had was the catalytic converter went out at around 60k miles and was covered under warranty. Other than that it was just oil changes. Had a fantastically smooth 4 cyl engine, ice cold air, and a decent ride for a small car. Sure wish I had it back!
My dad had a 93 Excel three door 4-speed. Gave it away at 137k and last time I saw it years ago it had about 200k. Rusted to hell and the electronics were iffy but the engine was damn tough.
Yes, the engine was tough because it was the same design, I believe, as a 4 cylinder Mitsubishi from the early 80's. Hyundai automatic transmissions were garbage.
@@anothercitizen4867 yes, though I expect the VAST majority of Excels were manual shift.
We need simple, back to basics cars now. Not every one needs infotainment and blue tooth in their cars. I think it only takes one and the others have to compete. What Saturn started as would be a great idea. Cheap is the name of the game. Under $10k base would be a hot seller. 4 cylinders minimum.
Why not just buy a much nicer used car instead?
***** And made by slave workers in a salt mine?
Nissan Versa. I drove a new one and it was surprisingly nice for a small car. The interior was extremely sparse but it drove nicely.
They already have them. You can get a base Nissan Versa for $12k. Problem is that people who keep saying their should be cheap cars don't walk the walk; instead they are the exact ones who go out and buy a 3 series BMW.
I wish Subaru would bring back the little Justy. I wish Honda would make a stripper Fit under 13 grand. VW had stripped Golf, or bring back a Fox. I don't need power windows, locks, etc
"Yugo, or we pay the tow!"
3 weeks later: bankrupt
A Yugo can go 55 MPH?
A friend of mine when I lived in New England owned one of these Hyundai Excell. When riding in Boston the right mirror fell off. She "oh, that happens all the time".
I had a 95 Accent and the muffler fell off into the street. Luckily it was late at night so no one noticed the ear shattering exhaust noise. I haven't bought another foreign car since then...lol.
it can go to 90 or 145km/h
Mr11ESSE111 still not bad for a car being cheap at its time
Ours went 155 km/h (55hp)
When i was a kid i remember my mom driving it around 120 kilometres per hour where the speed limit was 70 kilometers per hour.
the yugo's reliablilty is unknown at this time, but anyone familiar with fiats shouldn't expect them to last forever..LMAO.. in other words, bring your walking shoes
metvelle people thought that the yugo will break down in the first years of use but there r a lot of yugo´s r still on the streets just because of the good memories people had with it
+metvelle
I dunno if a FIAT or even a Yugo could be any worse than a Chevette... (reliability-wise)
That ain't true at all. They're still on the streets cause they never made it home!
Fiats, at least the Italian ones, are fine as long as you treat them with European standards of technical culture. Americans expect agricultural level of sophistication so of course they will be disappointed with everything that demands anything more than a hammer to keep it running ;) I've just retired a Yugo-sized Fiat after 25 years of trouble-free daily driving around the city. For that role I wouldn't change it for anything American, or German for that matter, even if they bribed me.
@@spavatch That is a sad story
They were being very kind when they said the Yugo dash was "stylish"... I'd say "monochromatic" and "unsettling shade of brown". Loved the jabs they made at Yugo... geez if you and a friend can pick up the back of the car THAT easily, then Yugos wouldn't be too hard to steal... not that anyone would do that anyway! Host John Davis' narration was so bland back then... he's much more energetic today, even with cars that fail.
I love how right away at 53 seconds, you can tell the bumper on the yugo is crooked and it looks like it's listing just sitting there.
+David W bumper is straight, car is crooked
It is because those goons picked up the car and bent the frame. Heck i think they might have even totaled the car doing what they did. On second thought, those cars were a total loss as soon as they left the factory.
@David W It's built that way so bumper won't scrape the asphalt in really sharp right hand turns....
Had an '88 Excel. Good little car! Got it new and it never let me down.
I had a Hyundai Excel as a loaner and I beat on that thing. Doing things like redlining it and the dumping the clutch but that car would not quit! It fired right up and kept on rolling.
"No telling how reliable the Yugo will be" haha
It's amazing what a base car offered then vs now.
Joseph Rogers It's always an ever-rising level of expectations and safety. Back then, the USA government not REQUIRING air bags ("passive restraints"), ABS, stability control, and tire pressure monitoring ALSO kept the price down!
+Joseph Rogers yeah, things are a lot better now. Just look at the Mitsubishi Mirage. Adjusted for inflation, cars on the lower end are CHEAPER today than they were back then!
@@imzjustplayin I would willingly pay a premium to NOT get a lot of the techno-crap in new cars. No touch screens, no keyless start...hell, I don't even want carpet.
Hyundai’s used to be garbage, but they have really become a great value nowadays and are reliable.
"Mr. Lundegaard, we agreed that there wouldn't be any TruCoat! You sat right there and told me there would be no TruCoat! Now you call me to come on down, pick up my car, and you're charging me for the Trucoat!"
MotorWeek stated that both cars had "good fit and finish". Wow, their standards were low in the day. I remember when Consumer Reports called the Yugo a "barely assembled bucket of bolts" and a consumer is better off with a used car. At least Hyundai had a real car to start with. I think if they did not have a 4 door sedan back in 1986 they would have not succeeded in America. Americans see 2 box hatchbacks as toy cars and 4 door sedans as real cars. Hyundai's were junk back then, but the lesser of the 2 evils. That 10 year warranty (enacted in the early 2000s) forced them to make better cars. I think GM should bring back the no-haggle priced Saturn, give them Toyota Corolla quality, and back to the basics content. Make the cars look like 4 door Saturns of the 90s but with updated styling. Unfortunately, automakers would rather sell us $30,000 cars, because suckers are willing to pay a car loan for 8 years.
There are plenty of excellent used Corollas for sale, much better than GM attempting to build some retro Saturn. Management at GM has given up on building small sedans. Did you support GM by buying a Cruze? It is a much better and safer car than a Saturn. 🤔
Both cars tested were probably pre-production and carefully hand-assembled either at the factory or by the importers.
@@rizzlerazzleuno4733 The Sonic is built in America, so should run forever......
I owned 3 Yugos and a 1988 Hyundai Excel. I thought the Yugos were fun to drive and my Excel, although well equipped, was a piece of junk. The early Hyundais were of poor quality. I later bought a 2000 Hyundai Accent and it was an excellent car. By the way, if anyone has a Yugo in really nice shape, I'm interested.
Still driving my 2000 Accent. 186,000+ miles and still gets 36MPG. Great little cars.
Growing up, the family across the street had a Yugo.. one of multiple cars because they were a big family. Of all the cars, the Yugo gave them the least amount of problems, but they said was the hardest to get someone to work on it.
Yugo made the Chevette look like a luxury sub compact.
I'm impressed with that Yugo!
I'd buy a yugo if it were sold new at the dollar store. :)))))))
We bought a '95 Accent (the Excel total redesign in '95) new. It was my first car. It worked OK.
Complaints:
1) The black finish on the side mirror attachments faded after a couple of years. The 'Accent' emblem was just a sticker. Part of it rubbed off.
2) started rusting at the bottom of the doors (paint bubbling) within 2-3 years - no warranty for that.
3) exhaust smelled like rotten eggs even from brand new (H2S). You could smell it in the car when stopped at a light. Dealer said that was normal, lol.
4) Solid front rotors were woefully undersized and/or undercooled. I did often carry 2-3 passengers and drive 'spirited' (probably a little much for the little car), but rotors shouldn't warp every 1-2 years like they did.
5) Fuel gauge stopped working after 2 years. I would estimate based on trip meter. Never in the 5 years afterwards did I forget to reset it when I filled up. It also reminded me to keep track of my mileage. Typically got about 9-9.5L/100km with mainly highway driving (24-27MPG). Not great for a 92hp 2-door subcompact.
6) The large manual front windows were difficult to crank up from the beginning. Within 2 yrs (after warranty expired - we drove a lot) you needed to pull up the window with one hand and also crank to get them to come up. Good luck if you lowered them too much. You needed a 2nd person and needle-nosed pliers to help grab it and get it up enough to get it with your hand.
7) The rear cargo shelf rattled very annoyingly.
8) Dealer found the front exhaust pipe had a hole (not collision/road hazard damage) after 1 year or so. Dealer refused to cover under warranty. I never fixed it. It didn't make the car loud - I think it might have even been there from new - and maybe caused the rotten egg smell. Or the dealer might have been trying to scam me. I was 20 and knew nothing about cars at the time.
9) One of the rear shocks started leaking and went flat after a couple of years. Dealer refused to cover under warranty. Probably happened because I would drive the car fast with 5 adults on board. Car wasn't designed to handle that. Car made a clunking noise from the rear over bumps until I got it fixed.
10) Radio lost am/fm reception after 1 year. Dealer refused to fix under warranty. Never bother getting it fixed or buying another radio.
Other than that it worked well for the 150k km I drove it for before the wife totaled it. The engine, transmission, steering, and HVAC were good and it was plenty peppy enough for me (12-13s 0-60 with the automatic wasn't traffic-stopping in the late-90s). Although turning on the A/C and trying to accelerate quickly wasn't a good mix, lol.
It was a terrific car in the snow/winter with FWD, a light weight, skinny tires that cut right through the snow, and a solid ground clearance. I never felt the need for winter tires in Canada. Being my first car, I didn't appreciate its snow prowess (I just thought I was a good driver, lol) until I started driving other cars in the snow/winter - I immediately purchased winter tires for those, lol - and I'd never go without 3PMSF tires in the winter now.
Never bought another Hyundai/Kia, though! Learned my lesson from that a-hole dealership. They do make decent cars now but still wouldn't buy another one based on my experience.
Got my new Hyundai Excel GLS sedan in May of 1988 for just over $9K. The five year contract was $200 a month and around $1,500 down. It ran well right up until 1993 and about 125K miles. Stick shift was fun, 5 speed. Timing belt broke once and it cost around $500 to fix; non-interference orientation 👍🚗. Was a fun car for a few years ✔️
As for which one 'won', I drive a 2007 Hyundai Elantra with 320,000 miles on it and it's still going strong, while the last Yugos were imported into the U.S. in 1990, by which point they were a complete laughingstock.
That probably has something to do with the dissolution of Yugoslavia.
There are Yugos with over 400-500k in ex Yugoslavia that still go around so...
yea,with 4-5 general rebuilds
Actually recommended general inspection and overhaul if required is suggested every 100.000km on it, so yeah, probably. But general engine overhaul on Yugo costs at this moment with machining, and all replacement parts... 150-200 USD. That is how much one bumper for Toyota Prius costs.
Znam samo da je moj stari radio generalku na svojem 55 na 90k.I većinom koje znam da su imali Yuga su radili oko 90-100k
Da ne pričam koliko je auspuha promjenio,komedija
I gepeg pun alata naravno :D.
Šteta što je prodao,sad bi odlično došao za zajebanicju po poljskim putevima i tako :D
Ironically, Yugo's depreciation took 25+ years bringing it's price from $4,000 to $1,000, when newer cars lose a quarter of their value in the first year alone.
David you actually know someone that will purchase a Yugo for $1K? Really??
@@sansar44 They make great a collector car for those who were from the now defunct Yugoslavia, or someone who previously owned one.
I had a friend who's dad thought Yugo was going to be the next big thing in cars. Used to say "years from now we'll all be driving yugos.
He also said "That Honda knockoff we'll never sell."
I remember when the Yugo GV and the Hyundai Excel first hit the US market. I didn't find either of them impressive next to the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic, or the Nissan Sentra. I wasn't expecting either to be on the market for very long after this video. And with the Yugo, although it had some good features for such a cheap price, it didn't last very long.
Hyundai, on the other hand, is still around today. Although I've never driven a Hyundai Excel, I remember finding it more attractive than the Fiat based Yugo GV. It didn't take long to pronounce its name: you pronounce it like "Hunday". I've noticed that some markets pronounce the "y" in the name. "Hyunday". That's international marketing for you. I do prefer the Mitsubishi 1.5 litre 4 cylinder engine over the 1.1 litre Fiat engine used in the Yugo. Bye-bye Yugo, hello Hyundai. :)
Those Hyundai's were EVERYWHERE in the late 1980's. That car was the cheapest best quality car you could get at the time.
And to think Hyundai is now bigger than Mitsubishi. Go Korea. 🇰🇷
Agreed
*cof *cof
VW
“The dash in a Yugo is stylish and attractive” 🤣
Hyundai Excel was a great car
1 tank of gas lasted 3 weeks, no mechanical problems
I love my 1988 Yugo GV!! Most of us Americans never really knew how to take care of cheap cars
A/C still blows cold!!
Ive had many Excels too
How much did motorweek get paid to say good things about these shit boxes?
A lot of people here wants Yugo, there's still plenty of them here in Croatia, it's usually used for storing wood and stuff... but hey i can get you one for few beers !
The millionth Yugo just rolled off the assembly line. Didn't start, it just rolled off.
I remember SEEING this episode in the rec center when I was in the army... little did I know a few years later I'd be sent to
fight in former Yugoslavia, 2 separate times!
+TheSpritz0 Thank you for your service my friend. That volunteerism is a massive sacrifice for a bunch of people (many of which couldn't give two shits) who benefit.
Kevin Johnson
Thanks, bro!
Yugo is long since history. Whereas Hyundai is now considered among the best car makers in the world today.
+Doug N Well, to be honest, Hyundai didn't have to deal with its home country being in a decade long war, economical sanctions from the west, record high inflation, economic recession and total collapse of its home market. Still Zastava, producer or Yugo, somehow manged to survive transition from socialism to capitalism and manged to get sold to Fiat in 2008.
+Dufffaaa93 ...
I did not know that. I thought Yugo as a car maker was defunct.
Thanks for the info.
Hyundai's home country is technically still at war since 1950. And went through the Asian financial crisis when Daewoo failed, had a military general takeover the country, etc so they didn't exactly skate by.
You could still buy Zastava until last year. (They made their own version fo Fiat Punto). @@Dufffaaa93
@@ThisGuyRides technically being at war doesn't count, the Korean war effectively ended in the 50s, in the 90s Japans economic crisis did nothing but help Korea so South Korea and Hyundai definitely skated by compared to Zastava
My parents and I went to both of these dealerships in 1987 when I was 13. I recall the Yugo dealer in Baltimore had balloons all over the place and floating around the ceiling. The odd part about the Yugo that stands out for me was the spare tire being stowed under the hood - I'll never forget when my dad popped the hood in the showroom. The Excel was a great little car, and the gauge cluster and warning chime were really modern. Dad ultimately bought a Chevy Spectrum which was an awesome, reliable and comfy little car with a smooth ride.
Spare tire in hood was your air bag ,deformation zone off the 80s
Someone I see near SFO has a silver Yugo in pretty nice condition. I see it quite often. Oh, and man, how far Hyundai has come!
My first car was an '88 Hyundai Excel 3door hatch. Let me tell you, we bought it used in the mid '90's and it was a big pile of shit! lol It seriously broke down once every 2 weeks! I was so sick of the turd I got my first real job to buy a better car. I kept it about 8 months and sold it. It left such a bad taste in my mouth toward Hyundai, until the last few years, I still would not ever look at a Hyundai as a viable car to own! bleh
A buddy bought one new when they first came out. He let me drive it and I was astounded as to how cheap it felt. I realize now that I was spoiled by nicer iron, like my mom's '78 Volare wagon (wow, that hurt to say) and my dad's 307 (garbage) powered Fleetwood. Two powerhouses that ran mid to high 14 second......0-60. The Volare was...well a Volare and the Caddy had the fit & finish of a car assembled by drunks. I mentioned all the crooked parts and horrendous wind noise to my father once on the way to church and he said "that's just the way things are."
Hyundai has changed, there world class cars now.
The Readers Corner
I felt the same as you do. Even after several friends bought them over the last several years and had expensive problems not covered under warranty. Leading them to trade them in. I still wanted one. I drove a rental Sonata from Detroit to Toronto and back and loved it. Reinforcing my desire. I went out to test drvie a used one (because I wanted a manual trans) and during the test drive the gas pedal retaining clip broke off and stuck the gas pedal to the floor, at redline, on a twisty road. You don't know horror until you look down and see the pedal on the floor with nothing holding it down and a decreasing radius turn looming. I even tugged at the floor mat. When I got back to the dealer with a pounding headache the saleman said, "so how was the test drive..."
I got the same car for 7 years. if you bought them new, you would never had that experience like any other used cars. I can't say car is nice but it was reliable enough for me to commute to my school.
yescharles1
Maybe not, unfortunately Hyundai /Kia no longer offers a manual on new Optimas or Sonatas so my only option is used. However I must say the gas pedal or brake pedals integrity should remain for the life of the car, no matter what kind of troglodyte owned it. BTW after reading some of the responses I went back on the local dealers website and was not suprised to see the car still sitting on the lot....my test drive was in late October.
I heard that the Yugos made from 1986-1990 were fairly good cars.
you heard wrong.
You heard right the cars were fairly reliable (at least for the domestic market) by the time the started to export to America the civil war was about to start so quality suffered and the cars were...well you know
The Yugo Sana showed promise, but then Nato bombed the factory
I drive one for 28 years. It's perfectly good working ...
Deathtraps on wheels
Jeez...how far Hyundai has come...
Man looking back at these options... I'm glad my parents stuck to Japanese models.