There was a time when you could see a Hyundai coming from a block or two away. It was usually identifiable by a huge cloud of white smoke billowing out from the tailpipe. They were the laughing stock of the highway. The parking lot pariah. I wouldn't have driven one if you paid me.
Fast forward 20-something years and here I am, getting paid to drive a Hyundai. Not only is there not any smoke, but there's leather, a decent stereo, climate control, heated power seats and a comfortable ride. In the old Excel you could count how many times the pistons smashed into the valves before punching them out of the head, but in the Veracruz, you'd have a heck of a time noticing if the car was idling. It's very smooth and very quiet.
Our Hyundai does not stand out or distinguish itself from any other CUV on the road. It has the manners of any other decent car. It blends in. And looking back at Hyundais of old, I think this is exactly what it needs to do.
Kurt Niebuhr, Photo Editor @ 15,208 miles
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There's no doubt Hyundais have improved, but along with that improvement has come much higher prices. Hyundai used to represent crappy little compact cars, but at least they were cheap. This thing is $40K. Would you really pay $40K for a Hyundai, especially considering its poor resale value?
For that kind of coin, you could buy a fully loaded CX-9 or Buick Enclave. And if you didn't mind getting a gently used car, the luxury brands can come into play.
If Hyundais were considerably cheaper than the competition, I could understand why people would consider them, but at basically the same price I just don't get it.
You know, there ARE a number of people willing to pay upwards of 30k for a Hyundai. People like me who are value concious & aren't swayed by brand names.
I bought an Azera last year. When I started my search, I was looking at the usual suspects; Accord, Camry & Sonata. For almost the same money for a loaded Camry/Accord, I could get a loaded Azera. Hyundai has made leaps & bounds in quality & I dare say that it is either equal to or better than the Japanese in quality department.
Hyundai has allowed me to afford a luxury car at midsize price. I am NOT willing to pay 10k more to get a different 'prestige' emblem on the grill. I can live with that, as I am not defined by my car's brand.
On topo of that, Hyundai has a warranty of 5yrs bumper-to-bumper & 10yr powertrain warranty, almost DOUBLE than that of other manufavturers.
When Hyundai gives me an near-luxury car at non-luxury price, equal or better quality & double the warranty period, why would I not buy a Hyundai?
But then again, that's just me.
The Azera is a perfect example. The MSRP of a loaded Azera is 32K. For 34K, you could get a Toyota Avalon Touring with similar features. Both include leather, nav, xenon headlamps, bluetooth, etc.
If you're happy with your purchase, that's great, but in terms of value the numbers just don't add up. If you're comparing it to Mercedes and BMW, then sure it seems like a good value, but compare it to Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, and the value argument falls apart.
While the MSRPs of an Avalon & Azera might not be too far apart, the room for negotiations is more with a Hyundai than with Toyota. I paid less than 27k with 0% APR for 60 months, a full 6k rebate over MSRP. I dont' think one can negotiate 5-6k from Avalon's MSRP, much less also get a favorable financing terms.
And, I wasn't going to compare it to luxury brands like BMW or Lexus. But I certainly can compare it to Avalon, and yes, even Infinti & Acura (to an extent).
I know Hyundai has a long way to erase the history of the past & the dealership experience. The service & dealership experienc can't even match 10% of other established players.
But the point I was making was that many more are seriously willing to pay upwards of 25-30k to even 40k for a Hyundai. Albeit small, there's definite interest among enthusiast for a high dollar Hyundai like Genesis & Genesis coupe.
Value aside, I still feel like a Hyundai is a terrific deal. Even if they were the same price as a comparable Toyota; they are still a smart buy. The only downside is the reslae values do not hold up, however, reliabilty on Hyundai models have been up and match that of the Japanese according to Consumer Reports. We have had four Hyundais in our family and have never had any issues with any of them. Like Wobbly Ears mentioned, the warranty is the icing on the cake. IMO I find some of Hyundai's offerings more appealing overall; the Elantra has some more personality than a Corolla and the Sonata isn't as bloated as the latest Accord is.
That is probably why Hyundai mentions luxury brands in its ads and on its website.
-The Genesis portion of the web site mentions that the car's sound system was previously used only in Rolls Royces, and has more room and power than a BMW 5 Series.
-Likewise, the web site also says that the Veracruz won a comparison test over an RX 350.
-Also, the website clearly says that the Azera has more horsepower than a BMW 528i and more interior space than a 7 series (which will run you a good $50,000 more than an Azera).
The Veracruz itself isn't necessarily a good value, but most Hyundai cars offer a lot of bang for the buck and feature content per dollar. A fully loaded Sonata V6 runs 26K (with navigation, etc)...in order to get navigation and a V6 in an Accord, the price jumps to over 30K for a car that is in no way superior to the Sonata.
It is crazy for Hyundai to compare the Azera to a 7 Series, but overall they are a good value.
bloodyr-
Navigation isn't available on the Avalon Touring, which keeps its price at $34,000. This requires an upgrade to the XLS with Navigaion Package, which brings the car's price up to $37,000.
Oops, I take that back. I was wrong. Toyota's web site is somewhat infuriating.
Brand perception is a funny business. That's the reason why a Toyota Matrix commands more money than a Pontiac Vibe. The reason is that almost 90% people don't know that both Matrix & Vie are essentially same vehicles, with a differene emblem. They're built at the same plant & side-by-side.
And I find it galling that Toyota doesn't have a basic safety feature like ESC starndard on Avalon! I mean, you pay 34k for an Avalon & safety features like ESC is an 'Option'??
Marty, if your parents don't kiss at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance...
LOL, took me a couple minutes to get that one.
That picture is truly worth a thousand words! Well done, photochop dude (or dudette).
The is how I feel about Hyundai
1. It is a joke to me.
2. The Hyundai/Kia sales post thousands of messages everyday to let people know their cars have the best value in the world.
As a two time Hyundai owner (now with an 07 Azera Ltd.), I note the Avalon when priced real world at the dealership was $5,000 more than a comparable Azera. Both Hyundai's have been virtually trouble free and I have had a very good experience with my dealer (Hyundai only) for sales and service. I have no problem with driving a better car for a better price, and ignoring brand conscious dweebs.
I look forward to more driving reviews on the Veracruz, since my other car is an 01 Explorer, and I will need to replace it with another SUV or large crossover relatively soon.
These "$40K Veracruz" MSRP comparisons are virtually meaningless because:
1) Anyone with 1/2 a brain doesn't pay MSRP for a Hyundai (unless it's a brand new model, and even then ...)
2) Anyone who's been near Edmund's and still pays MSRP for a Hyundai deserves to get slapped within an inch of their life.
I live near a Buick-Hyundai dealer and Hyundai is killing their Buick sales. Example - a Veracruz SE with leather, sunroof & Infinity sound is $28K plus tax & tags; they want over $6K more for a comparable Enclave CX. The question isn't "Who'd pay $40K for a Veracruz?" but "Is an Enclave worth $6K more than a Veracruz?"
BTW, I did some pricing in my neck of the woods on some of the other Hyundais mentioned so far (all prices exclude loyalty/military rebates and include all fees except tax & tag):
1) 2008 Azera Limited with nav was $26K
2) 2009 Sonata Limited 2.4L with nav was $21,600; $23K for the V6 with nav. For bargain shoppers, there was a "base" 2009 Sonata GLS with the 5-speed manual for $14,600.
"The is how I feel about Hyundai
1. It is a joke to me.
2. The Hyundai/Kia sales post thousands of messages everyday to let people know their cars have the best value in the world."
I think the key word here is feel. Don't let things like independent surveys, sales increases, or road tests here or elsewhere get in the way of your personal feelings.
I have to wonder if Toyota isn't paying people like you to say nasty things about Hyundai, much like the Genesis "reviewer" on MSN who claimed to have purchased a 4.6 before it went on sale and to have found the leather was really plastic, and that the HID headlights gave off a bluish-yellow color (aka green where I grew up) and then to have sold it for $11K after two weeks. The "review" has since been removed and let me say this is merely how I feel. But sure is suspicious.