Not only do I have the 2009 Azera Limited (preferably with no option package, although tough to find) on my radar screen, so is the 2009 Sonata Limited V6 and, to a lesser degree, the Honda Accord EX-L 4-cylinder.

As for the Sonata Limited V6, is the Azera Limited worth the extra money over it? Is the Azera significantly quieter and smoother? Are there are other attributes to the Azera that make it worth the extra money and 3 mpg less than the V6 Sonata?

I admit one appeal to the Azera is how few of them you see on the road.

And any comments comparing to the Accord would also be appreciated.

Bud H

In regard to the Accord, personally I find it to be one of the ugliest sedans on the road (but the new Acura TL out-uglies it quite handily). I haven't driven an '09 Sonata so I have no useful info for you there. One thing I did notice though, while looking at it on the lot, is that it has grown in size quite a bit. It looks only marginally smaller than the Azera, both inside and out. There seems to be ample rear-seat leg room in the Sonata now. With the redesigned interior, the Sonata no longer looks lower class.

As much as I love my Azera, I'd have to give the nod to the Sonata. That low-volume exclusivity might come to bite us in the butt a few years down the road when we need replacement parts, especially if the model dies out any time soon.

I find it hard to see where Hyundai is going with the Azera, now that the Sonata has grown so much. It worries me.

This post has been edited by IRingTwyce: Oct 3 2008, 09:05 PM

I don't own either one, but I've test-driven and carefully inspected both.

The '09 Sonata Limited is a very nice piece. It goes down the road very quietly and smoothly like a much more expensive car, has ample room and power, and the new dashboard is a huge upgrade over the old one. I think its small-bump isolation is actually better than the Azera's, and it's a terrific value for money.

That said, I vote for the Azera. It simply gives off the aura of a more expensive car. It's more luxuriously trimmed, with electroluminescent gauges, a higher general level of equipment, nicer trim on the rear doors where the Sonata's designers appear to have run out of money, more room than the already roomy Sonata, and just a general luxury-car ambience throughout. A Hyundai official once referred to the then-new Azera as "Sonata Plus," and I think that's a fair description. Add in the Azera's greater discounts and exclusivity, and I think it's the even more seductive deal.

And yes, even though I admire Honda, I second the sentiment that the Accord is ugly. Not to mention that all the new Hondas and Toyotas are seriously cheaped out inside, and that the four-cylinder Accord's performance can't begin to compete with the Sonata's no-more-costly V6.

This post has been edited by TLynn: Oct 6 2008, 12:27 PM

Sit in both of them, drive them and then compare.
I didn't like the sonata seats, not as comfy as the azera.

I have a 2007 Azera Limited with the Ultimate Package, which adds quite a bit more than you will find on a Sonata, but also costs more. MIne is the quietest car I have ever driven and is remarkably quiet even with the sunroof open. It also feels larger inside than many other cars.
When trying to decide after the test drives, I make a list of all the features on the cars. Edmunds comparison program does this quite well, but you will need to back it up from a brochure. Edmunds states NA if they do not know whether car has that feature or not. Then I highlight the ones I really want.
I then lay the brochures out and compare the interior and exterior pages for each car side by side and see which ones I really like the best.
Until the Genesis, Azera was Hyundai's "luxury" car and was sold as such.
Good luck and remember the old adage: I regret the things I didn't do more than the ones I did. :beer:

Buy a loaded Camry or a year-old Lexus ES and save yourself from miles of aggravation with Hyundai.

I love my azera but it is mechanically the biggest POS I have ever owned.

I must be driving a "ghost car". My 06 Azzy is perhaps one of the best cars I have ever driven. As a senior citizen I have driven my share of pretty good cars such as Acura TL's, and Legend, Nissan Maxima, Diamante, a Sterling among others. Now that I have 640's on the front end the car is the perfect touring sedan and mechanically it has been near perfect for 2 years and just under 19,000 miles. I think C-Bob will readily agree with me. It may be the first car I have owned that doesn't have one annoying squeak or sound. It is quiet and smooth. Care to illuminate us with the poor mechanicals of your Azzy. Are they covered by warranty?
I would recommend the Azzy to anyone. To top it all off I have a fantastic SM and service department. I can find no faults! :beer:
Don

You name it...it seems like I've dealt with it.

Struts - replaced under TSB...they are now worse than before but dealer won't change without charging me.

Dash - replaced twice (and counting)

Rear Sunshade - Replaced twice

Door lock actuator - replaced

EZ-out mechanism doesn't always engage when key is removed (I have to put the key back in and pull it out again). Dealer "can't figure it out" even though I'm positive it has somthing to do with the ignition lock tumbler.

EZ out mechanism doesn't always (about 70% of the time) return to last position when re-inserting key. Again dealer can't figure out. I have just gotten into the habit of pressing my memory setting every time I get into the car.

Magically resetting trip computer - I've just learned to live with this one.

Idler pulley - worn bearing and making a "whirring" noise. Dealer wants $170 to fix. I am still fighting them on this one as it should be warranty.

That's what I can remember off the top of my head...plus some alignment issues and more squeaks and rattles than a can of pennies tumbling down steps. All in all a "pleasant" experience.

The goods? It looks nice, is comfortable and has a smooth strong acceleration. But these goods are quickly being over-run by the bad stuff.

I am at the point where I am wishing I had bought the maxima I looked at instead.

Ditto with my '06! At 31k miles to date, the only thing I've had to replace was some inner wheel-well weather-shield stuff that was torn off when I ran over a wheel on the interstate a year or so back. Oh, and there was a special on wiper blades I took them up on. I did buy a pair of replacement low-beam bulbs from Daniel Stern that should shed more light up ahead, but... they're still in my glove box, the OEMs haven't yet given out!

I guess-ed we must be bless-ed...

:bigemo_harabe_net-03:

One thing I should have pointed out is that the Azera in particular and probably all Hyundais have a different ride than most other cars.
You need to try both on city streets, country roads, interstates and particularly rough roads and ones with dips and rises, potholes and so forth to get a real feel for the suspensions.

The recent posts from a few owners on how their new 640 shocks are not working out for them is making me greatly reconsider my 2009 Azera Limited purchase. It would be nice to know if the 2009 models have similar issues, but it might be awhile before I find out about anyone with similar issues on a 2009 model.

Perhaps back to the drawing board on what car to buy: Accord, Sonata, Azera, all on my list, but it would be great to get a somewhat luxurious car with good headroom and moderately decent gas mileage for close to $30K or less!

Any other choices out there if not the Azera?

Bud H

Get the Azera 3.8 man, the 2009 suspension is much improved and for the price accord or Sonata dont compare. If you can get and Azera 3.8 Limited Ultimate for the price of an Accord EX-L V6 than get it because Azera is more luxurious and really competes in full size class such as Avalon, and Maxima

AHHHH!!!!! You too?? This is the one little niggle that has really been pissing me off. I have yet to mention it to the dealer though. Here's what I have figured out on my own though. If the car is off, and you turn the ignition on (without starting the car) and then back off again, it seems to reset the trip computer. It sounds like a weird thing to be doing, but I have had to do this on many occasions and here's why:

When I park my Azera, I always pop it in to neutral, apply the parking brake, then let off the brake so the parking brake has the full weight of the car on it, and not the transmission. However, I sometimes, without thinking, have killed the car before putting it in park. This neccessitates turning it back on to put it in park (**** stupid design if I do say so myself!). This seems to be when my computer decides to reset itself.

Does this sound anything like what you do? If not, I'd be interested to hear what you're doing when it resets.

Nothing out of the ordinary...its just magic I suppose. It's completely random