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Hyundi Azera Reviews

45 messages,  Last post on Mar 18, 2009 at 6:01 AM

You are in the Hyundai Azera Forum.

What is this discussion about? Hyundai Azera, Sedan

Messages Page 3 of 5

#16 of 45 Re: Consumer Reports [backy] by jpryba

Jul 01, 2006 (10:03 am)

Replying to: backy (Jun 30, 2006 5:40 pm)
"Only" 83 points? That's still a really good score! Remember that CR's rating system isn't like the grades you would get in high school or college. If CR rates a vehicle between 40 to 60 points, for example, it's "good", not a failure. 83 points for the Azera is in the "excellent" range.
 
I am curious how much better the Azera would have done if the fuel economy was better. I don't think it would beat the Avalon, but it would probably be 2 or 3 points closer at least...
 
I was at a local Hyundai dealership this morning getting my Sonata serviced, and the salesman I talked to had already read the latest issue of CR. He was definitely excited about the Azera being "second place" to the Avalon, that's for sure. I'm just not sure how happy the Buick salesmen down the street were, though...

#17 of 45 Re: Consumer Reports [jpryba] by backy

Jul 01, 2006 (11:38 am)

Replying to: jpryba (Jul 01, 2006 10:03 am)
I agree that 83 points is an excellent score. I said "only" because the car seemed to score quite well in the tests (as I noted) compared to cars that scored higher, the Accord and Camry. The only difference I can see for why the Accord would rack up 89 points and the Azera 83 is fuel economy. Although the Accord was knocked for a noisy ride, which it definitely has (along with feeling every little bump in the road).
 
Maybe Hyundai can work on the Azera's fuel economy in the future. For instance, they have improved the FE of the 2007 Elantra by 4 mpg, using the same engine as for 2006.

#18 of 45 Re: Consumer Reports [backy] by ricwhite

Jul 01, 2006 (11:52 am)

Replying to: backy (Jul 01, 2006 11:38 am)

 
I agree that 83 points is an excellent score. I said "only" because the car seemed to score quite well in the tests (as I noted) compared to cars that scored higher, the Accord and Camry. The only difference I can see for why the Accord would rack up 89 points and the Azera 83 is fuel economy.
 
----------
 
I haven't seen the Consumer's Report article yet, but it appears that the 83 is a tad low to me. I've looked at Camry's, Accords, Avalons, TLs, 325is, etc, and I think the Azera is heads above them in almost all cateogries.
 
I also take exception to their fuel economy report. 12 city?? Come on. I drive 70-80% city and get about 19. When I go full city driving, I'm around 16. Last tank was 20.4 mpg.
 
However, I DO believe they can squeeze more efficiency out of the engine. The Avalon, for example, has more horsepower (slightly) and is faster (slightly) and, yet, gets about 15% better gas mileage than the Azera. Can be done.
 
My assessment is that the Azera is easily better than the Accord or Camry and about even with the Avalon. Factoring in price, it's better than the Avalon. It also has better styling than the Avalon (IMO).
 
I only have one complaint about the Azera, which I will not mention at this time in order to be peacemaking.

#19 of 45 Re: Consumer Reports [ricwhite] by backy

Jul 01, 2006 (12:22 pm)

Replying to: ricwhite (Jul 01, 2006 11:52 am)
CR ranks the TL just above the Avalon, with 90 points. Yet they knocked the TL for turning circle, lack of a folding rear seat, and premium fuel. The TL did get 23 mpg overall in their tests however. They rank the Azera above the ES330, 325i, A4, etc.
 
Actually, CR agrees with you that the Azera is better than (or at least as good as) the Accord and Camry in almost all categories. But the point totals say something else. The only areas in which the Accord was rated higher than the Sonata were transmission (strange since they knocked the tranny on the Accord but said nothing about the Azera's), emergency handling (even though the Sonata went through the avoidance maneuver faster than the Accord), and fuel economy. The Azera did better in acceleration, braking, avoidance maneuver, rear-seat comfort, and interior fit and finish.
 
For the Camry V6, it outscored the Azera only in fuel economy and transmission (six-speed vs. five-speed). The Azera did better in acceleration, avoidance manuever, braking, driving position, front-seat comfort, rear-seat comfort, controls and displays, and interior fit and finish. Yet the Camry V6 also out-pointed the Azera overall. Kind of strange, isn't it?

#20 of 45 Re: Consumer Reports [backy] by ricwhite

Jul 01, 2006 (12:58 pm)

Replying to: backy (Jul 01, 2006 12:22 pm)

 
For the Camry V6, it outscored the Azera only in fuel economy and transmission (six-speed vs. five-speed). The Azera did better in acceleration, avoidance manuever, braking, driving position, front-seat comfort, rear-seat comfort, controls and displays, and interior fit and finish. Yet the Camry V6 also out-pointed the Azera overall. Kind of strange, isn't it?
 
I just read the article. I thought I was missing something because it never showed how the points are calculated and weighted. I was looking for a summary page of how they got to the "83 points" for the Azera. Nothing.
 
It would certainly be helpful for them to indicate how the "points" are determined. Is it objective? . . . or subjective in some areas? Don't know. A little fishy if you ask me.
 
BTW, I noticed that the VW Passat was rated high on their list with 89 points. I drove a Passat up until 3 months ago (which I traded in for the Azera). I also test drove a new 4-motion Passat on the same week as I test drove an Azera (back in March). No contest. The Azera was HEADS above the Passat.
 
Plus the Passat I owned had reliability problems. I got tired of zip-tying the skid plate up all the time, and, instead, just ripped it off. Speakers kept shorting out. I was told the frame was bent and they couldn't align the wheels. Needed premium fuel. Engine hesitated. Etc.
 
Hmm . . .

#21 of 45 Re: Consumer Reports [ricwhite] by backy

Jul 01, 2006 (1:18 pm)

Replying to: ricwhite (Jul 01, 2006 12:58 pm)
That explains why CR doesn't recommend the Passat (yet)--not a good reliability record for past generations.
 
I don't recall CR ever explaining how they come up with their point totals.

#22 of 45 Re: Consumer Reports [ricwhite] by ratledge

Jul 01, 2006 (1:43 pm)

Replying to: ricwhite (Jul 01, 2006 12:58 pm)
I've always wondered exactly where they get those numbers from, because I also read it today, and found that the totals just don't line up with the written comparisons and in line with each category one-to-one.
 
Methinks there's some black magic involved, maybe? In general, they usually seem to come out where you think they should when you read the written analysis, but this one certainly does look a bit skewed, to say the least!

#23 of 45 Re: Consumer Reports [ratledge] by texasazera

Aug 28, 2006 (11:16 am)

Replying to: ratledge (Jul 01, 2006 1:43 pm)
It is all about money under the table. CR is the biggest joke, and I do not understand why anyone trusts them. At one time they may have been trustworthy, but I bought alot of stuff they recommended and it was pure junk. Got the middle of the line that they rated at it worked great.

#24 of 45 Sounds pretty safe to me by trucker50

Aug 28, 2006 (7:03 pm)

Another take on the safety of the Azera....
 
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/06/hyundai-azera-proves-crashworthiness-to-iihs-- earns-good/

#25 of 45 CR Recommendation Criteria by tturedraider

Oct 09, 2006 (11:24 am)

Just a note - CR does not recommend a car until it has at least an "Average" reliability history. Therefore they usually do not "recommend" brand-new, first-year models because of this requirement. They do sometimes recommend new models that have a fairly solid history of at least "Average" reliability. i.e. a new model of the Honda Accord or the Toyota Camry.

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