This Man Has Driven His 2017 Hyundai Elantra Over 760,000 km to Save Lives
One man from Quebec reached one million kilometres with his 2008 Hyundai Elantra back in 2020. Now, another one from the Maritimes is well on his way to join him with his own 2017 Elantra.
Tim German’s compact sedan was brand new when he bought it nearly seven years ago. He has since logged more than 760,000 km—the equivalent of circling the Earth 19 times—by driving across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. And he’s doing it to help save lives as a medical courier urgently delivering blood products to patients, including during the 2020 mass shooting in Portapique.
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The man initially chose the Elantra for safety reasons more than anything else, since he’s often on the road at the night, encountering various obstacles and animals along the way.
“I have had to replace the front bumper cover four times, one engine cover, two windshield washer reservoirs and one rear bumper cover,” he recalls. “The Elantra has also absorbed impact from two deer, one coyote, one rabbit, two raccoons, a steel hubcap as well as a large piece of metal off an 18-wheeler.”
German says he’s impressed with the quality and reliability of his Elantra, which he affectionately nicknamed “Dark Angel,” but also the low fuel consumption. On average, the car burns 6.5-7.0 L/100 km of gasoline.
Of course, achieving such high mileage requires diligent maintenance, including at least one oil change per month as well as frequent filter and fluid checks.
“A wise man said to me once that if you look after your car, your car will look after you. That man was my father who taught auto mechanics for many years,” he explains.
German says he wants to keep driving his Elantra as long as he can, claiming “it’s the best car I’ve ever owned.”
Watch: 2017 Hyundai Elantra Review