Hyundai Starex (Gen. 3) [ARCHIVED]

[IMm29]

mikey177,

it's a good thing you noticed the crack and immediately replaced the tire. better safe than sorry, considering long drives pa yung starex mo, and at highway speeds at that. the white starex that had an accident on NLEX was just travelling at 100kph, was relatively new, and had properly inflated tires. it's still a wonder what exactly caused the blowout.

as to the japanese vs. korean tires, sad to say in our experience, the kumhos and hankooks aren't up to par, yet, with the bridgestones and dunlops. even the bridgestone dueler ht 684 isn't up to par with some dunlops, as previously observed on our older starex. but anyhow, good call on the tire change

[mikey177]

mga sers, tanong lang mabigat ba i-drive starex? and hirap ba i-park? na-eexcite kasi ako dun sa starex negosyo van

Compared to the Kia Sedona, I find the Starex easier to maneuver through tight spaces and more nimble when weaving through traffic, as the Starex is both shorter and narrower than the Sedona. However, you should note that the Starex PRO has a longer wheelbase than the regular Starex. Also, the PRO comes with neither backing sensors nor under mirror (at least the unit that I saw in Dagupan didn't), so keep these in mind before you buy. I agree that a test drive of the PRO would help you make a more informed decision.

mikey177,

it's a good thing you noticed the crack and immediately replaced the tire...

Yup, better safe than sorry talaga.

OT: Buti yung sa NLEX, na-harang ng railing yung Starex. Dito sa provincial highways, pag naflat ka at di mo na-control, sa bangin ang landing mo. Mabuti na nga lang at unti-unti na nilang kinakabitan ng mga steel railings ang McArthur Highway. DPWH is working on improving the section between San Manuel, Tarlac and Carmen, Pangasinan at present, maybe because there was an accident there a month or two ago near the bridge before the Pangasinan arch. A car was overtaking and didn't see that there was a bus in the opposite lane approaching fast. The driver of the car had to swerve to the shoulder, but I there was a deep ditch and he fell in. Patay yata sya.

[Radical!]

mikey, I genuinely got scared reading about your Hankook's hairline crack. I also read the thread about the white CRDi Starex which crashed in NLEX (I also have a white Starex ) We bought our starex about the same time and we use it about the same way. Daily provincial highway runs. Mid-november, I'm planning to bring my whole family on a road trip up north and I'm seriously considering replacing the OEMs.

I have a couple of questions regarding your post. Are the Dunlop EC201s those "digi-tires?" I recall seeing an ad a few days ago. And, did you get the same size as your OEMs, or did you get the 215/70/15s?

TIA.

[IMm29]

Compared to the Kia Sedona, I find the Starex easier to maneuver through tight spaces and more nimble when weaving through traffic, as the Starex is both shorter and narrower than the Sedona. However, you should note that the Starex PRO has a longer wheelbase than the regular Starex. Also, the PRO comes with neither backing sensors nor under mirror (at least the unit that I saw in Dagupan didn't), so keep these in mind before you buy. I agree that a test drive of the PRO would help you make a more informed decision.

If I'm not mistaken, the Starex PRO has the same wheelbase as the Starex Jumbo (11 seater). If that holds true, then, it's a bit less manueverable, but not by much. I find the 9 seater much easier to manuever compared to the Sedona. The 11 seater, IMO, still has an advantage in the same department over the Sedona. The Sedona is quite long and low, with some overhangs and perhaps a not-so-tight turning radius. But as to ride comfort and driving experience closer to that of a car's, the Sedona shines. Test drive to be sure.

OT: Buti yung sa NLEX, na-harang ng railing yung Starex. Dito sa provincial highways, pag naflat ka at di mo na-control, sa bangin ang landing mo. Mabuti na nga lang at unti-unti na nilang kinakabitan ng mga steel railings ang McArthur Highway. DPWH is working on improving the section between San Manuel, Tarlac and Carmen, Pangasinan at present, maybe because there was an accident there a month or two ago near the bridge before the Pangasinan arch. A car was overtaking and didn't see that there was a bus in the opposite lane approaching fast. The driver of the car had to swerve to the shoulder, but I there was a deep ditch and he fell in. Patay yata sya.

Yikes, scary accident. The DPWH should really improve the safety of these roads as they are the main connections to the north, and are being traversed by alot of motorists.

[IMm29]

mikey, I genuinely got scared reading about your Hankook's hairline crack. I also read the thread about the white CRDi Starex which crashed in NLEX (I also have a white Starex ) We bought our starex about the same time and we use it about the same way. Daily provincial highway runs. Mid-november, I'm planning to bring my whole family on a road trip up north and I'm seriously considering replacing the OEMs.

I have a couple of questions regarding your post. Are the Dunlop EC201s those "digi-tires?" I recall seeing an ad a few days ago. And, did you get the same size as your OEMs, or did you get the 215/70/15s?

TIA.

Radical!,

To be safe, replace the OEMs If i recall correctly, the EC201s are "digi-tires", as well as the LeMans RV501, which we have on our Starex naman. We got the 215/70r15s. I think the newer Starexes are already on 215/70R15s.

[OTEP]

mga sers, tanong lang mabigat ba i-drive starex? and hirap ba i-park? na-eexcite kasi ako dun sa starex negosyo van

It's just like driving a Pajero with no 4wd. Same noise, same driving feel, better ride. 'Mabigat' is subjective but for me, the Starex is easy to drive around town.

Compared to the L300FB whose back glass (on the body) is not aligned with the OEM back glass of the cab, the Starex's back glass actually allows you to see out of it. The Starex side mirrors are also larger than the L300's 1/4-sheet-of-pad-paper side mirrors. The nose will take some getting used to (nasanay ako sa MB100 na walang nguso) but its not a big issue.

Getting in an out of the cab is also a breeze with the large doors (with a full width step unlike the 'baby step' used on L300's). Like the L300, getting out of the passenger door from the driver's seat is also relatively easy (great for deliveries wherein you will be getting the product from the sliding door, no need to run around).

[mikey177]

...Are the Dunlop EC201s those "digi-tires?" I recall seeing an ad a few days ago. And, did you get the same size as your OEMs, or did you get the 215/70/15s?

Yes, they are "digi-tires," whatever that means. I got the same size as the OEM Hankooks, 205/70/15.

...But as to ride comfort and driving experience closer to that of a car's, the Sedona shines...

Yup, I still prefer driving the Sedona on long trips rather than the Starex. It's actually my wife who brings the Starex daily (may driver sya) since she passes through the narrow backstreets in order to avoid the troublesome potholes along the highway in Urdaneta City.

[IMm29]

Yup, I still prefer driving the Sedona on long trips rather than the Starex. It's actually my wife who brings the Starex daily (may driver sya) since she passes through the narrow backstreets in order to avoid the troublesome potholes along the highway in Urdaneta City.

Hehehe! I just noticed that the CRDI Starex seems to have more punch up to 170 kph as against our Carnival II/Sedona. But anyhow, that's insane for van standards. Other than that, the Starex seems to have more sound insulation. The engine isn't as audible inside it, as against the Sedona.

[mikey177]

Hindi kaya ng puso ko na paabutin ng 170 kph ang Starex (or any vehicle for that matter). One's perspective on risk and reward changes when one has a family to raise

I agree that the CRDI Starex has lower engine noise than my 4-year old TDI Sedona. Maganda siguro kung mayroon mag head-to-head comparison ng 2006 Sedona at yung 2006 Starex na parehong CRDI. I find the ride of the Starex more "bouncy" than the Sedona's, and I rue the fact that there is no lockable storage compartment in the Starex. Oh, and a driver-side sliding door for the passengers would be useful too, but all in all, I am quite happy with both vehicles.

[IMm29]

Hindi kaya ng puso ko na paabutin ng 170 kph ang Starex (or any vehicle for that matter). One's perspective on risk and reward changes when one has a family to raise

I agree that the CRDI Starex has lower engine noise than my 4-year old TDI Sedona. Maganda siguro kung mayroon mag head-to-head comparison ng 2006 Sedona at yung 2006 Starex na parehong CRDI. I find the ride of the Starex more "bouncy" than the Sedona's, and I rue the fact that there is no lockable storage compartment in the Starex. Oh, and a driver-side sliding door for the passengers would be useful too, but all in all, I am quite happy with both vehicles.

Oh I agree with you on the risk and rewards It's just a stress test I do, just to find out how the engine performs. Hehehe!

Yes, I find the new Starex to be quite bouncy/boaty, even compared to the previous 9 seater model, moreso against the Sedona. All good that it's not harsh, but it does induce more body roll. The additional sliding door would be very convenient.