Safety features drive couple to Planet Hyundai, Elantra

Joseph and Mary Helen Sanchez may be one of the best couples in the country when it comes to speaking about the safety features included in Hyundai automobiles. They recently visited Planet Hyundai at 7150 W. Sahara Ave. to purchase a 2012 Hyundai Elantra to replace a 2008 Elantra that had been in two serious accidents.

The last accident in Irvine, Calif., occurred when Mary Helen Sanchez and her 17-year-old daughter were rear-ended by a teenage drunk driver who hit their car going an estimated 80 miles an hour in the fast lane of state Route 133 as they were heading south.

"He seemed to come out of nowhere when he hit us," explained Mary Helen Sanchez, who is in sales for Cox Communications. "We were able to get out of the accident with only minor neck injuries and that really speaks highly of Hyundai considering how hard we were hit.

"I had never really given much thought to the safety features before then because I had never been in an accident. The tow truck driver told me that we were lucky to be alive."

The accident in Irvine was preceded by Joseph Sanchez's accident in the same vehicle two years earlier.

"I was crossing one of the streets in Vegas and got hit on the front passenger side," explained Joseph Sanchez, a cashier at Arizona Charlie's on Decatur Boulevard. "My son-in-law was in the front passenger seat and my daughter-in-law was in the back seat on the right side. My daughter was also in the back seat.

"Nobody had to go to the doctor. Just like Mary Helen said, that particular reinforcement on the side of the car is great, as we discovered. It proved to me that Hyundai really lives up to its word when speaking about the safety features. We never had any mechanical problems with the car at all."

The Sanchezes were quick to return to Planet Hyundai saying they had been treated well in several other purchases at the dealership. Their new Hyundai is a Limited Edition with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder power plant that will get as much as 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

"We had purchased two cars here and one in California," Mary Helen Sanchez said. "There was no reason to go anywhere else. We're going to take a trip to Southern California soon.

"We would undoubtedly recommend Planet Hyundai to anyone, especially considering what we have been through."

The couple also praised their sales consultant Terry Mills.

"He was very professional," Mary Helen Sanchez said. "Everything involved with our purchase experience was professionally handled and Terry was very familiar with the product."

Dealership co-owner Ron Coury added, "All Planet Hyundai customers are treated with the same attention and professionalism as the Sanchez family recently experienced. We take great pride in our customer's positive comments as is also supported by our A rating with the Southern Nevada Better Business Bureau.

"Both Planet Hyundai locations enjoy the highly coveted accreditation designation by the BBB. Offering a terrific product with the safety features experienced by the Sanchez family along with Hyundai's exceptional fuel efficiency combined with our mission statement of treating all customers like family has contributed to the phenomenal sales results we've experienced at Planet Hyundai in Las Vegas this year."

Further information regarding Planet Hyundai dealerships can be found by visiting www.planetlv.com, by calling Planet Hyundai Sahara at 702-938-1400, or Planet Hyundai Centennial, 6200 Centennial Center Blvd., in the northwest valley at 702-483-2200.