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Hyundai Azera vs. Volkswagen Passat vs. Buick LaCrosse

93 messages,  Last post on Apr 03, 2008 at 10:09 AM

You are in the Hyundai Azera Forum.

What is this discussion about? Hyundai Azera, Volkswagen Passat, Buick LaCrosse, Sedan

Messages Page 9 of 10

#77 of 93 Give the Buick A Test Drive Before You Decide by hitman1970

Oct 25, 2006 (5:36 pm)

I owned a 2001 Hyundai Elantra GT for 5 years. I put 53,000 problem free miles on it with only regularly scheduled maintenance. No complaints. I have seen the discussion on the price differences between Azera and LaCrosse CXS. After getting through my second Iraq tour in one piece, I decided to get a new vehicle. I am a 35 year old male. I test drove the Buick LaCrosse and loved it. I originally considered the Impala LTZ, but missed out on the 0% APR due to deployment. Buick offered it at the time I purchased my vehicle. I got a 2006 Black LaCrosse CXS from Wilson County Motors in Lebanon, TN. MSRP was $32,490.00. I negotiated to $30,878 (thank you, Edmunds and Consumer Reports). This vehicle had every option except Stabilitrak and the spoiler. It is Black with Grey Interior. 1500 miles on it so far. 20.0 MPG real world and I love driving it.
   Here is the issue with cost difference between GM and Hyundai. Hyundai will get you with the scheduled maintenance. With my Hyundai an oil change was recommend every 3750 miles for city driving. 30000 miles tranny fluid change. Coolant system flush etc. With the LaCrosse you have an Oil Life system that monitors oil life based on engine RPM and temperature. With current driving conditions my first oil change may happen between 7500 and 8000 miles. Less money there. Dexcool coolant with an inspection at 50000 miles. GMs maintenance intervals are less frequent than Hyundai. Something you should consider in cost when comparing vehicles.
  As for a VW. My wife owned a 2000 Jetta for five years. Will not buy a VW again. Cheap interior that fell apart within two years was a big turn off for me. Thank God for warranties because it was in the shop often. CV joint noise, power windows, etc. Expensive once warranty runs out. When our family grew we went with a 2005 Ford Freestyle. Has been a great vehicle so far (12000 miles and no issues.)

#78 of 93 Re: Give the Buick A Test Drive Before You Decide [hitman1970] by bobw3

Nov 02, 2006 (2:23 pm)

Replying to: hitman1970 (Oct 25, 2006 5:36 pm)
Our Freestyle just turned over 40,000 miles and zero problems.

#79 of 93 Re: Azera SE vs Limited [robchemist] by pahefner01

Dec 15, 2006 (11:19 pm)

Replying to: robchemist (Nov 28, 2005 10:21 am)
We have noticed in our 2006 Azera that it is so quiet that it's hard to hear the sirens of emergency vehicles. My Dad drove Buicks all his life and we never encountered that "problem". I don't think "noise" is included as a "feature" on the Azera.

#80 of 93 Azera Noise Level by joe97

Dec 16, 2006 (7:34 am)

Db Idle: 38.9
Db Full Throttle: 75.1
Db 70 mph Cruise: 67.1
 
Excellent numbers, especially in the areas of idle and cruise, where we spend the most time on.
 
Edmunds also voted the Azera as Editors' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2007 - Sedan Under $30,000
 
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/mostwanted/2007/117174/article.html

#81 of 93 A point to consider.... by g_allen

Mar 25, 2008 (9:49 am)

I realize this thread compares Azera vs. Passat vs. LaCrosse but if you are going to throw a Buick in the race, throw in a good one. If you have just $30,000 to spend, buy a 2008 Buick Lucerne CXL with optional Northstar V8. It comes to under $30K (don't believe me? Check.) The Lucerne is basically a reskinned Cadillac DeVille/DTS which even by today's standards is still a good car. And let us not forget that the Northstar V8, though a bit long in the tooth, is still a world class engine. The Lucerne also has a top-notch interior considering the price point. You would have the only full size sedan with a V8 that pulls 25+ MPG on the highway that is whisper quiet for under $30K. That is a lot of value no matter how you look at it.
 
The Passat certainly has a nice interior, but it is no surprise that the VW/Audi reliability is spotty at best. My best friend had a Passat and visited me at my house and when he went to leave the car was dead....no clicking, no nothing----NO THANKS!
 
The Azera? Look, I respect the huge leaps in quality and refinement Hyundai has made during the past several years, but they have a long way to go. Their cars generally sport sloppy handling, less powerful/efficient powertrains, and poor resale value. I rented a Sonata and at highway speeds I was white-knuckling it to keep it between the lines. I can't imagine the Azera being so much better. It may be better than the rest of the Hyundai cars, but certainly lags behind class competitors/leaders.

#82 of 93 Re: A point to consider.... [g_allen] by cobrazera

Mar 27, 2008 (3:11 pm)

Replying to: g_allen (Mar 25, 2008 9:49 am)
I considered Lucerne before buying my Azera and at the time, a comparable Lucerne with V8 was $5000 more then my Azera - and I get GM employee discount.
After a current comparison, and including the current $2500 rebate and GM employee pricing on the CXL Special Edition V8, the Lucerne is right on $30000 ( with sunroof, stability control, heated seats, uplevel stereo ). According to the Edmunds " prices paid for 2008 Azera " a Limited Ultimate can be had for around $25000 - so the Lucerne is still $5000 more. For that extra $5000 you get a car that's slower and gets considerably less fuel economy. The Lucerne is very nice IMO, and I could have lived with the additional $5000 in order to buy GM, but the deal breaker for me was the lack of a folding rear seat on the Lucerne.
As far as the Passat, I wouldn't totally dismiss the car because of an isolated instance at your house. Compared to Azera and Lucerne V8, the Passat is not as luxurious, is more sporty, has much less interior space, and gets way better mileage if you choose the 2.0 Turbo. You would probably pay somewhere between the Azera and the Buick. If you never put adults in the rear seat, I would consider the Passat as a distant competitor to the others. Just my two cents.

#83 of 93 Re: A point to consider.... [cobrazera] by g_allen

Mar 27, 2008 (3:22 pm)

Replying to: cobrazera (Mar 27, 2008 3:11 pm)
"....As far as the Passat, I wouldn't totally dismiss the car because of an isolated instance at your house."
 
That is just a real life example that I was able to witness which only confirms the reports on VW's poor reliability that are widely available on the Web among other places. Before anyone puts any VW on their shopping list they need to examine reliability reports. VW (and Audi for that matter) have had A LOT of problems and that has been no secret among savvy car buyers. My .02

#84 of 93 Re: A point to consider.... [g_allen] by cobrazera

Mar 27, 2008 (4:06 pm)

Replying to: g_allen (Mar 27, 2008 3:22 pm)
The JD Powers Initial Quality Survey ( 1st 90 days, problems per 100 cars ) for 2007 cars :
         Buick 127
         Hyundai 125
         Volkswagen 160
JD Powers Dependability Study ( 3 years, 2004 model cars ):
         Buick 145
         Hyundai 228
         Volkswagen 298
So the average VW goes to the dealer about 1.5 more times than a Buick in a 3 year period. Significant, yes, but not enough to keep the Passat off my list since it offers other things which, IMO, outweigh that - such as a savings of hundreds of dollars spent on fuel each year.

#85 of 93 Buick by greatcars

Mar 28, 2008 (8:40 am)

Is Buick considered oldman's car?

#86 of 93 Re: Buick [greatcars] by cobrazera

Mar 28, 2008 (10:36 am)

Replying to: greatcars (Mar 28, 2008 8:40 am)
Yup. Until recently, the average Buick buyer was in his/her 60s. The LaCrosse and especially, the Enclave, may have brought that age figure down, but most of the Lucernes I see have seniors in them.
Personally, that would not decide whether I buy a vehicle; but does the car fit what I desire and need. Size, ride, handling, power, economy, styling, pricing, luxury appointments, etc., are more important to me than who drives what.

Messages Page 9 of 10

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