Hello everyone! Long time lurker, first time poster here. I am wanting to pick up a new daily driver and have narrowed down my choices to the 2009 Azera Limited & 2009 Sonata Limited. My sensible side is telling me to go with the Sonata. It's approx. $3500-$4k cheaper, yet has most of the features available on the Azera and the interior is greatly improved to the point where it is now comparable overall with the Azera in terms of fit and finish. On the flip side, the Azera, at least the 2009 model, seems to ride much better (Did they improve the suspension on the '09? It seems better damped on broken pavement). The Azera also has a slightly better detailed interior (e.g. fabric covered A, B & C pillars, pull-out door pockets, nicer gauges, etc.), and it seems noticeably quicker.

My question for current Azera owners is this: If you were in the market for a new FWD Hyundai sedan today, would you get the Azera or the Sonata? I've observed that most Sonata owners seem to be happy with their purchase whereas many Azera owners are reporting problems/issues relating mainly to the suspension, which has me a bit worried.

Last note: Why the heck doesn't Hyundai have the '09 Azera on their website? It's already on dealers lots. The new wheels look great IMO, and I think they changed the grill slightly as well FWIW.

TIA for your feedback! :)

This post has been edited by jwaters943: Jun 10 2008, 07:42 AM

I have owned the 06 Sonata and traded that same year for an 06 Azera. If I were to go for another Hyundai right now between a loaded Sonata and an Azera Limited I'd go with the Sonata. I think the Sonata is a better handling car and a better ride to boot.
The Azera is a nice looking Korean Buick...without that nice Buick ride.
It does have nice seats though.
I have not drove the 09's though so I really can't say if any of the Azera issues have been addressed.
Headlights suck
Ride on back roads sucks
Mushy steering and handling.
K-klunk

Nice car. Looks good....Nice motor.
Would I go buy it again ?
No.

This post has been edited by Brazzel: Jun 9 2008, 04:43 PM

Did your suspension clunk from the beginning, or did it appear over time? The Azera I drove seemed quite taut with no disconcerting noises. In fact, it was noticeably better than the 2009 Sonata GLS I drove which DID have a weird suspension clunk over broken pavement.

This post has been edited by jwaters943: Jun 9 2008, 04:57 PM

Mine felt good for about the first 3 months when it was new. I had the shocks replaced (as per the TSB) after about 4 months and again there was some improvement in the ride but here I am six months after the shocks were replaced and my suspension feels like it is riding on worn shocks. IF, they have truly "fixed" the suspension on the 09s I would say go for it. They are supposed to have an "improved" suspension but I just don't know. I would hate to recommend it and then 10K later you experience what many of us have now. The noise that it makes is the least of my gripes. It's the wallowing and floating and bouncing that is making me crazy.
:wacko:

Here's my take for what its worth. 3-4K price difference is something to consider. Gas mileage is something to consider. There is no question that the Sonata has come a long way, and when you consider what it offers compared to a Camry or an Accord, people are missing out if they don't take the time and at least test drive one. So I salute you in taking the step towards Hyundai.

We were hesitant but every time we test drove the Azzy we really liked it and knowing about the harshness we drove it over some fairly hard roads, followed it up with our Avalon over the same roads and felt, well, its just a different car so it will ride differently. Our Avalons actually wallowed more. Now that we have had it for 8 months and 6k miles, is the ride rougher and more harsh yes, but nothing horrible and not worse since we got it and overall we like the Azzy more. It is still as tight, or loose I guess depending how one feels, as it was the day we bought it. Ours is a very late model '07 so maybe we benefited from some suspension improvements.

As Campoly said there are members that have had problems and there definitely is a link to the early Azeras which is why the TSB. There are also about 2k Azeras sold every month from one contributor's input, so we represent only a small portion of the population out there. A recent review I read in the local paper on the '09 Sonata described its ride to be a little harsh over rough roads. Some previous Accord owners who got the new ones complain that the Accord is now rougher.

I would certainly consider the Azera again. But fuel economy will most certainly come into more play on what ever car we consider.

So, I would consider the price difference and the FE and see how that plays out on making your decision.

Good luck.

My parents have an early-'07 Azera and an '08 Sonata (both completely loaded). Every time I talk to my dad (who now has about 8K miles on his Azera) he insists that the Sonata is a great car, no slouch and no excuses... but it simply does not have the fit & finish, big solid car ride, quickness and luxury of the Azera. He hasn't experienced suspension problems. And this is input by virtue of regular comparisons, they switch around cars frequently, just depending on who leaves first, where the cars are parked, so on and so forth.

We have two Azeras, my wife and I. I don't mean to excuse whatever failures others might be experiencing, or to say that the reports are false, but for my own part, there is just a little suspension noise over the most folded, cracked, potholed roads in downtown Raleigh, and that's just normal. After having pulled off the wheels and inspected (and taken pictures of) the suspension, I'm not convinced that there is anything wrong with the design. Over the same rough road, I compare my two Jags (Vanden Plas and XJR - different types of suspensions), a rental car (nearly new '08 Impala), and a low-mileage Ford Taurus we owned until late last year. Maybe I just haven't experienced the right car yet for contrast but our Azeras just don't wallow or rattle. They're quick, nimble in corners, and the suspension, while softer perhaps than my former BMWs, is dead quiet over all but the nastiest patches of broken road in downtown, comparable to the Vanden Plas with luxury suspension, but quieter.

Also note that there have been complaints of suspension noise for the Sonata (and, apparently, Santa Fe) as well.

Someone here recently claimed that if it weren't for this forum, they would have thought the Azera was well nigh perfect, and would have had nothing to complain or worry about. I'm just about at that point myself. I would have never noticed anything, or identified the suspension "noise" as anything unusual, even for a brand new car, if I hadn't been really watching & listening for it by virtue of being a regular here.

So I think it really just falls to your own priorities. A 3.8L Azera is going to be quicker than a 3.3L Sonata, even though the Sonata is plenty quick. The Azera will offer a few more features, a bit better refinement (fit & finish), a bit more of a luxury feel to it, will be a bit bigger, and maybe (MAYBE) looks a bit more like a luxury sedan than an economy Camry-fighter, it comes with a bit more exclusivity. (I say all of his still being very fond of the Sonata, including the aesthetics, especially the '09.) I wouldn't call the differences between the two models subtle, but I would call them a matter of taste, preference & priorities. For me, I WOULD buy another Azera (assuming Genesis wasn't around) and probably wouldn't be all that interested in Sonata, even though I think they are also great cars. For you, it's just a matter of how the car feels when you drive it, how it looks, how you feel looking at it, walking up to it, unlocking it and getting in. If it gives you a great feeling in all those categories, then you have answered the question for yourself...

Cheers :beer:

Andy

This post has been edited by andyman32: Jun 10 2008, 05:59 AM

As we Azera owners know, the Azzie is much more than a tricked out Sonata. It's a very special vehicle, love it or hate it, the car definitely gets attention from "car folks". With gas at $4 bucks, I've been looking around. Honda S2000, Saturn Sky, Volvo C70, Saab. Then I drive home and think......."I really like this Azera", with all the suspension comments, I still can't seem to part with it.

This post has been edited by cdmuile: Jun 10 2008, 11:05 PM

:amen: Had a rental Sonata for 6 weeks so I have my own basis of comparison - I agree with your post.

why! Why! WHY! do some of these have problems and some, like yours, don't. It's maddening. Could it be that those of us who are having the problem are expecting too much??? I would expect that your expectations (Andy) would be as high as any one's as far as ride quality goes and yet you and others find little or nothing to complain about in the ride quality. I had read somewhere a while back and the service writer monkey at my dealer also mentioned something about a mid year change in the Azera suspension for the 07s. I had assumed it was the shock (TSB) thing. I wonder if it could have been something else. I know that ride comfort and the way a car handles can be a very subjective thing but when I hear reports where folks (especially those who's knowledge of cars I respect) are happy with their Azera's handling it makes me think all the more that there is something wrong with mine and others who perceive a problem. (this is where I would insert a "scratches head" emoticon if I had one but I like beer just as much). :essen37:

This post has been edited by campoly: Jun 11 2008, 12:53 PM

Mine's because it only has 2k miles on it, and it has the updated front shocks already. My wife doesn't really pay attention to her cars anyhow. I just mentioned in another thread that my dad IS now hearing bumping noise in the suspension in city driving w/ 7500 miles on his car, and I asked in a casual way, without leading, just to see if he'd actually noticed anything. He had.

I'm sure my time is coming with this problem, I just don't have first-hand experience with it yet. And ultimately, this has to be fixable - there has to be a weak bushing, or a loose hub bearing, or ill-fitting shock piston or housing, that can be swapped out with a part that works. Even an aftermarket part. If the clunking noise was endemic to the design, you'd see some kind of metal-on-metal striking or loosely-coupled component...

Despite all we have discussed this, I can't quite get myself to the point of hoping to reproduce the problem on my own car :P

Driving along 2 miles of the most rotten road in this metropolitan area twice a day should do the trick soon enough, unfortunately.

You know, this whole suspension debacle really is quite puzzling. I've spent the last few days going over every thread I could find utilizing the search function to try and make some sense out of it and I just can't. Aside from a few minor quibbles relating to the suspension, mainly by MotorTrend, I can't find any reviews that echo the sentiments of certain owners on this site. Even Edmunds, who had a long-term test of the 2006 Azera, didn't mention any problems relating to the suspension. For the record, I am not trying to insinuate that there isn't an issue with the suspension or that certain owners are imagining it, because clearly there must be something awry considering the fact that Hyundai keeps issuing new shocks/struts. This is also supported by the following quote in the 2008 Azera brochure which states: "featuring an all-new suspension for 2008, the Azera rides on a double wishbone design in front and a multi-link set-up in the back, along with gas-charged hydraulic shocks. This results in a ride that's supple, yet remarkably controlled". This leads me to believe there is a known, valid issue that Hyundai is aware of.

On the other hand, there are certain owners of the 2006/2007 Azera who have criticised the suspension and found minimal to no improvement on the 2008 during test drives. While others, including non-Azera owners like myself, have driven the 2008/2009 and found the suspension to feel quite good. I can only compare it to my neighbors Azera with 20k+ miles. His doesn't feel bad, but the 2009 just feels so much more solid and controlled, especially while making turns on broken/uneven pavement. This leads me to believe that maybe the issue isn't so much a design flaw, but more of a personal preference or sensitivity type of issue.

All I know is that I sure hope I don't regret purchasing an Azera since I'm planning on keeping it for quite a long time as my daily driver. Plus, we all know the resale sucks, so I better get plenty of use out of it. :P

This post has been edited by jwaters943: Jun 11 2008, 03:08 PM

All of these mention the wallow.

Check this one and ZDNet and this exerpt from an autobytel writer:

"The Azera doesn’t track down the road like a Jaguar, and while it attempts to waft along like an older XJ, the suspension ultimately proves too busy to pull off that impression. Indeed, the suspension is the worst aspect of driving the Hyundai Azera. The shocks are too stiff and the springs are too soft, so the car ends up with excess body float combined with sharp wheel motion. And that sharp wheel motion isn’t soaked up by the suspension; it’s transferred to the cabin in the form of impact harshness and occasional snapping sounds that make it seem as though the components are loose. Put the car across diagonal railroad tracks or bridge joints, and it dances beneath you while the suspension tries, and fails, to control body and wheel motion. The car just doesn’t feel connected on any kind of irregular pavement. Hyundai should take a look at what its corporate sibling, Kia, is doing with suspension tuning to get an idea of how to get it right.

I didn’t take the Azera on a twisty road – what would be the point? – but around town, taking corners and freeway ramps with speed, body roll is kept in surprisingly good check. However, the tires give up pretty easily, and squeal. Plus, the car always feels heavy, in part due to the steering feel but also the way the suspension attempts to handle body motion.
"

And there are more for the diligent searcher to find. When I bought mine, I read several of the favorable reviews and didn't dig deep enough to find the negative comments about the suspension. Also, I suspect that many of the early favorable reviews were made when the cars had not enough miles on them for the problem to show itself. The review from the autobytel writer really hits home for me. I said I wasn't going to beat this horse anymore but I've got nothing better to do right now. :whistling:

But I must repeat, the Azera is a kick a$$ car in every other way.

This post has been edited by campoly: Jun 11 2008, 03:44 PM

I think the writer tried to use the azera as a sports car, well that it is not! it's more of a touring car, a category not well filled today except by A6 BMW5 MB340 and so on. It will not hold the road as well, but neither does it cost as much. My 2006 has none of the problems some of you experience but is has LOUSY michelin tires, over anything but glass smooth surface they are noisy & thumpy. I wonder if some of this suspension noise isn' tire noise. Any of you have changed the tires already?

I agree. The Azera isn't a sports car, so you shouldn't expect it to behave like one.

As for the whole suspension issue experieced by owners vs. the general impression of the experts, I still find it odd that most reviews seem to contradict some of the statements made here. In particular, the wallowing.

Again, I'm not saying there isn't a problem with the suspension. If it were me experiencing problems on my new car you can be **** sure I would not be happy, but it is truly odd how widely the opinions on the Azera's suspension vary.

From Autoblog:
As we said earlier, the Azera doesn't corner flat and demands you scrub off some speed before taking tight turns. We expect as much from a large sedan, and the trade-off is comfortable cruising on the highway. While the four-wheel independent suspension doesn't carve corners, the Azera's handling is at least controlled. On public roads the car never feels like it's wallowing or unable to handle its weight transferring from side to side. Only when speeds reach extra-legal limits will the Azera suspension begin to really protest.

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/31/in-the-...-azera-limited/

Canadian Driver:
Compare it to the XG350, or even more so to sister company's Kia Amanti, and you immediately notice the difference. The Amanti has the interior of a Lincoln but wallows over the highway like it has marshmallows atop its shocks. By contrast, the Azera's overall performance, while still more highway cruiser than sports sedan, lives up to its promise.

Suspension is double wishbone up front, with multi-link rear, twin-tube gas shocks, and front and rear stabilizer bars. The ride is big-car comfortable, although there's a bit of suspension noise over bumps and potholes.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jm/06azera.htm

Cars.com:
When Azera bowed, we felt it needed a few suspension tweaks to soften the ride. With the 2008 version you'll feel a bump or two more than in an Avalon or Maxima, but it's noticeably less harsh than it was.

Handling is decent with minimal lean in corners or wandering the open road. Stability control with traction control is standard, which accounts for the improved road manners. Both also kept footing steady footing when traveling on snow-packed roads. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes also are standard.

http://www.cars.com/go/crp/research.jsp?re...e=&aff=national

My first impression upon the initial test drive and even the second and even a loaner from the dealer was that this is no sports car feel but I wasn't buying the car for that reason. I wanted a roomy, comfortable, quiet car with a soft smooth ride that my family and I could pile into and enjoy on short road trips. The Azera really fit the bill........for about the first 3-5K miles and then the suspension started to feel like it was worn out. New, it felt like what I was looking for. 3-5 months later, it was a different car. Had the front shocks replaced and it felt like it did upon my first impression. I was happy thinking the new/different shocks did the trick. 4k miles later it was back to feeling wore out. I'll try aftermarket shock when some come available.

I'm sure you guys have seen them before, but here are a few long-term tests FWIW:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive...rs/4216442.html
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...rticleId=118914
http://www.onwheelsinc.com/article.php?id=425

I would say that I basically agree with every one of those reviews. Good and bad comments, they all hit something right on. We have the gray interior and yes it takes some care to keep it clean, yes the ride is not perfect but for the roads we travel it is very acceptable, the tires are noisy, but seem to hold up well. While not the tightest of gaps, all are even and straight. It still is a heck of a car and great to look at. That, IMO, is what makes this car so hard to knock. It seems, even from those with suspension or other issues, most still really like what the car has to offer. We will certainly look again at the Azera.

When I bought my 06 Sonata back in Jan.06 I had looked at the Azera but was a little hesitant. In Aug.06 when my wife's 03 Acura TL came off lease I again looked at the Azera. We are both senior citizens, and though I have always been a car buff, I was looking to go back to a "boulevard" type cruiser. When I saw the Pearl White Azzy Limited in the showroom it was love at first sight. I had been leasing for many years but decided to buy my Sonata and I bought the Azzy. It has all the luxuries that we want, yes the suspension is somewhat noisy (read that in Consumer's Report), but out on the highway it rides well and is as roomy and comfortable as any car I have ever owned. Also the price was one which I couldn't ignore. I have about 16,000 miles on the Azzy, which my wife drives during the week, and on the weekend I get to drive it. I have been fortunate to have a very cooperative dealer service department with an outstanding service manager so I have been most happy with both of my cars. I would certainly be interested in another Azzy in the future, but I am awaiting the arrival of the Genesis coupe to consider at some point in the future.
I have easily bypassed the badge snobbery that is so rampant in my upscale suburban community. In my estimation Hyundai has made enormous strides towards respectability and is producing fine automobiles. :amen:
Don