Hyundai Azera - Best Luxury Automotive Car

Just for the record, the Hyundai Azera is not a luxury car. That's okay with most buyers as the Azera offers many of the luxury appointments of a car in a class above Hyundai, while offering Hyundai value and quality. Loaded to the gills, the Azera is a complete five passenger sedan, stacked with all of the stuff that drivers prize in cars costing thousands of dollars more. Introduced in 2006, the Azera was the flagship sedan for Hyundai until the Genesis was introduced during Fall 2008. Considered by most to be a premium sedan, the Hyundai Azera's main competition includes the Toyota Avalon, Buick Lucerne, and the Lincoln MKZ.

Among the improvements made for the 2009 model year is improved steering and suspension, new blue interior lighting, chrome interior accents, a more distinctive chrome grille, redesigned 17-inch alloy wheels and iPod®/USB and auxiliary inputs. An LG in-dash navigation system, introduced during the middle of the last model year is also present.

The standard engine for the Azera is a 3.3L, DOHC V6 that produces 234-horsepower and 226 lbs.-ft. of torque. Optionally, buyers can choose an all-aluminum 3.8-liter, DOHC V6 engine, which delivers 263-horsepower and 257 lbs.-ft. of torque. Fuel economy for the smaller engine is 18 mpg city and 26 highway, while the larger engines delivers 17 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. Both engines are paired with a five-speed automatic transmission.

Safety is a key element contained within the Azera as the sedan earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) top crash test ratings for frontal offset impacts. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Traction Stability Control (TSC) are standard with every Azera model. Moreover, safety minded customers will enjoy the sedan's independent double-wishbone front- and multi-link rear suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and the antilock braking system (ABS) that includes brake assist, and electronic brake force distribution (EBD), which automatically adjusts the amount of force applied to each of a vehicle's brakes for optimal performance under poor road conditions, speeding, loading and other potentially hazardous situations.

For drivers accustomed to enjoying a wide range of luxury appointments, the Azera doesn't disappoint. Interior volume is excellent, offering even more space than the BMW 7-Series, while rain-sensing wipers, power adjustable foot pedals and power folding side mirrors with turn signal indicators is available on the Limited version.

Standard luxury includes, dual front automatic climate controls, electrochromic auto-dimming mirror, power seats for driver and front passenger, as well as woodgrain and metalgrain interior accents. By choosing the Premium package, buyers will get leather seating surfaces, heated front seats and a power sunroof to go with the standard amenities.

Warranty coverage is excellent and includes Hyundai's five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper protection, 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, five-year/unlimited mileage roadside assistance and seven-year/unlimited mileage anti-perforation coverage. Furthermore, Azera buyers receive 24-hour roadside assistance coverage at no extra charge for five years (no mileage limit), a service that also includes emergency towing, lockout service and limited coverage for trip-interruption expenses. There is no deductible on any of this coverage.

With a base price of $25,695 for the Azera, the sedan is priced thousands of dollars less than competing models, proving once again that price and value go hand in hand with every upscale Hyundai model.

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Hyundai Genesis - Luxury Best Bargain?

When Hyundai announced a few years back that they would be designing several new luxury models with an eye toward shipping these cars to the ultra competitive North American and European markets, most enthusiasts immediately criticized the Korean automaker for that decision. The criticism had little to do with Hyundai's ability to build these types of vehicles - they've been doing so for years, but keeping them in Korea -- rather, the automaker planned to sell these cars under the Hyundai umbrella. That's just like selling a Chevy at a Cadillac dealership.

Despite the criticism, Hyundai has gone ahead and introduced its flagship Genesis sedan to the US and will immediately follow that car up with the Genesis coupe. Like it or not, Hyundai is pushing upmarket with a car that is surprisingly luxurious and undercutting its competition by thousands of dollars.

Hyundai has several popular cars in its crosshairs as it rolls out the Genesis. The Cadillac CTS, Lexus ES, and Chrysler 300 are just a few of the cars mentioned by Hyundai as competitors to the Genesis. Other models from Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Infiniti, and Acura are also fair game, and it is the owners of these models who Hyundai would like to persuade to consider the Genesis. Even if that fails, Hyundai is confident that a number of Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen, Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet owners wouldn't mind paying a few thousand dollars more to get Cadillac quality at a Pontiac price.

The 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan

Two engine choices are available with Genesis buyers: a 3.8L V6 or a powerful 4.6L V8 producing 375 horsepower. The latter engine, though not exactly thrifty on gas, is offered to appeal to luxury car buyers who expect a lot of power and are willing to pay for it.

The Genesis' rear wheel drive platform also matches what luxury car buyers want. These types of cars are routinely test on Germany's famed Nürburgring racetrack (also known as "the ring") where they are put through the paces and graded on their performance. I haven't received word yet whether the Genesis was tested there, but if it wasn't you can expect Hyundai to join Porsche, Cadillac, BMW, Saleen, Infiniti, Mercedes, and other manufactures in the very near future.

The Genesis Is All About Luxury

Beyond the engine choices (each one is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission), the Genesis is all about luxury. Some of its top features include: four wheel antilock brakes with brake assist; electronic stability control; traction control; front and side mounted airbags; adaptive lighting; power everything; driver information system; backup camera; leather everywhere; woodgrain trim; etc.

The style of the Genesis looks similar to a previous generation Mercedes (or could it be Infiniti?), but with a base MSRP of $32,250, is priced more than ten thousand dollars less than comparable models.

Auto critics are just now getting their hands on the Genesis and are giving the car glowing reviews. Clearly, Hyundai has outperformed itself with the Genesis but one potentially fatal flaw is possible: will buyers flock to a value oriented car like the Hyundai Genesis or will they pay extra for the prestige of owning a BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes? Time will tell; it'll be interesting to watch how consumers react.

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