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Quebecer Racks Up One Million Km in 2008 Hyundai Elantra

Jocelyn Roy with his old 2008 Elantra, and his new 2020 Kona
Photo: Hyundai Granby
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Daniel Rufiange
Jocelyn Roy’s formula for longevity: Regular maintenance, careful driving… and a good car

A Quebec dealership recently agreed to trade, straight up, a 2020 Hyundai Kona for a 2008 Hyundai Elantra owned by a loyal customer. Why? Because the trade-in has a whopping 1 million km on the odometer.

Now here’s a drop-the-mic riposte to anyone who still doubts the reliability and durability of Hyundai vehicles. A Quebec man by the name of Jocelyn Roy recently brought his trusty old 2008 Elantra in to the dealer he bought it from, used, in 2011, to trade it in for a new Hyundai Kona. Roy, a delivery man, wanted to get a newer car with an automatic transmission.

Nothing remarkable there, except for the fact that the 2008 Elantra was just about to hit the one-million mark on its odometer.

When Roy picked up the pre-owned car back in 2011, the odometer already had 30,000 km on it. In the years that followed, he put an average of 107,000 km on it annually as part of his work.

The formula for success, according to the car’s owner, was simple: regular, even “diligent” maintenance, careful driving and a quality product to begin with.

“I have always taken great care of my vehicles. When you drive as much as I do, you don’t really have a choice. You want to protect your investment. Even with proper maintenance, I expected the vehicle to need some major work or rebuild at some point — but it’s never needed it.”

- Jonathan Roy, million-km car owner

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Jocelyn Roy with a gift to celebrate the durability of his 2008 Elantra
Jocelyn Roy with a gift to celebrate the durability of his 2008 Elantra
Photo: Hyundai Granby

The folks at Hyundai Granby were certainly surprised to see just how many kilometers the car’s owner had racked up in it over the years. Said the dealership’s sales manager, Olivier Fournier, “When Mr. Roy came in looking for a new Kona, he mentioned that he wanted to trade in his Elantra. We knew that it had high mileage and was exceptionally clean for the distance it had driven. Once I learned that it had nearly a million kilometres on it, I was amazed!”

Since the dealership took the car over, its employees have taken pains to drive the car – carefully – to take it the few km needed to pass the 1 million mark. At present, the 2008 Elantra’s odometer sits at 999,311 km.

The Hyundai Granby, team with Jonathan Roy and his 2008 Elantra with 1 million km
The Hyundai Granby, team with Jonathan Roy and his 2008 Elantra with 1 million km
Photo: Hyundai Granby
Daniel Rufiange
Daniel Rufiange
Automotive expert
  • Over 17 years' experience as an automotive journalist
  • More than 75 test drives in the past year
  • Participation in over 250 new vehicle launches in the presence of the brand's technical specialists