Lexwang07

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance named the Hyundai Sonata GLS and Azera Limited “Best in Class” in the annual buyer’s guide “Best of 2007 Cars” awards.

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance editors and analysts evaluated nearly 500 new models and selected winners in nine price categories from small economy cars to crossovers, large SUVs and luxury sedans. They also assessed sticker and dealer prices, projected resale values and fuel costs.

The Azera Limited beat the Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima for “Best in Class” in the $25,000 – $30,000 sedan category, which included a cross-section of midsize and large sedans with premium features. According to Kiplinger’s editors’, “Entry-luxe features, such as heated leather seats, dual climate controls, power rear sunshade and 17-inch wheels, are standard, at a value price. With the $2,500 Ultimate package, you also get a moonroof, ten-speaker Infinity audio system and rain-sensing windshield wipers. The comprehensive warranty is five years/60,000 miles.” Azera also offers standard safety technologies including Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and side and curtain airbags.

The Sonata GLS won “Best in Class” in the under $20,000 sedan category. Kiplinger’s editors stated, “A full array of standard safety features plus 16 cubic feet of cargo room push the Sonata to the head of its pack. With 162 horsepower, this fuel-thrifty four cylinder is no slouch. Speaking of slouching, long-legged drivers and passengers rejoice — no car in this class matches the Sonata’s 44 inches of front legroom and 37 inches in the rear.”

“The Azera and Sonata are both excellent examples of Hyundai’s commitment to outstanding quality, standard life-saving safety technologies and unbeatable value,” said John Krafcik, vice president of Strategic Planning and Product Development, Hyundai Motor America. “It’s rewarding that Kiplinger’s recognized both sedans for their segment leadership.”

mmarshall

Having reviewed both cars, and helped a few people get new Sonatas, I can agree with most of the article above, although neither the new Sonata or the Azera seal off road and tire noise quite as well as the Camry and Avalon competition, and you certainly can't call them sports sedans...they are oriented more towards comfort than handling. Still, what Hyundai offers for the money is amazing...in virtually everything else, they equal or exceed Toyota and Honda for the money....and have FAR longer warranties.
My next vehicle, IF not another Subaru ( personally I am sold on Subaru's flat-engine-AWD design ) will likely be a Hyundai.

Och

iTrader: (3)

It's still a Hyundai, and I have 0% respect for them no matter how many awards they get. The bottom line is, they shamelessly rip off other companies designs, and probably use child labor to assemble their cars, so no wonder they can sell them cheaper than the competition.

Even their company name and emblem is Honda wannabe.

mmarshall

I can't agree with the arguement of "ripping off" other company designs. It is getting harder and harder to design a vehicle nowadays without having it look like SOME other vehicle, no matter what you do. No matter how you style a vehicle, and who does it, it is going to remind you of SOMETHING else. There is almost no such thing as vehicle exclusivity anymore....those days are gone.

And as for child labor, South Korean plants, in general, have better working conditions than Chinese plants....and Hyundai also builds Sonatas in Alabama, which employs Americans and is subject to American laws.

The company emblem? Yes, it does, more or less, look like the Honda one....no arguments there.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, but Hyundai's in general have been simply ripping off designs, not just making them similar. Seen the new Elantra? I can't even tell it apart from the Corolla. And the Sonata is easily confused with Accord. In fact, I strongly believe that Honda recently revised Accords tail lights to separate it from the Sonata. And then remember XG350?

I can't wait until Huyndai comes out with Luxury division... and calls it Acuyrai.

JZA80MHU38

That's what some ignorant and uneducated people said about Lexus when it first came out in 1989.

About the child labor part, where did you read it? Or is it just another misleading information you try to give again?

Och

iTrader: (3)

Don't even go there, comparing Lexus to Hyundai is just silly. Yeah, I'm sure people said bad things about Lexus and other Japanese cars in general, but Lexus shut them up withing days after being on the market. And Hyundai has been on the market for how long now? And if before I just didn't care for them, now I despise them for being a shameless copy cat.

And as far as child labor, maybe I'm exaggating a bit, but Koreal labor laws and conditions are nowhere near Japanese or American.

JZA80MHU38

Typical American. Why should all the countries, with different living standards, cultures, etc., follow the American ways?

I don't find your posts exaggerating a bit. they are just false information.

Och

iTrader: (3)

If they want to sell on American market, they shoud at least try to follow our human rights and labor laws.

JZA80MHU38

That's really funny. Off topic too far, but funny...

Initial B

iTrader: (2)

Clown on them all you want (I know I have in the past), but they've made huge strides in quality the past couple years. I now perceive their new product as being tied with Madza, behind Honda and Toyota, and ahead of Nissan.

mmarshall

Hmmmmmm..........many people think that the new VW Jetta is far more a "rip-off" of the Corolla design than the Elantra.

And if you confuse a Sonata and an Accord, perhaps it's time for a visit to the optomotrist. Even without glasses, I can tell the difference a quarter of a mile away.

mmarshall

You're close. Hyundai's drive trains are still slightly behind Toyota's and Honda's in refinement and efficiency.....otherwise they now make a product that is as good or better in virtually every other way, especially body and interior fit-and-finish.

newr

If I remember correctly, in 01, CR recommended the Sonata... 5 years later, it has the worse reliability among asian brands. Yes, they are a few thousand less than other more popular brands like Toyota and Honda but its depreciation is worse so in the end it may ended up costing more.. However the 10yr 100k mile warranty is so SWEET!

mmarshall

No. I pulled out my old 2001 copy of the CR Auto Buying Guide and checked. The Sonata was not specifically on the recommended that year, but only because CR had not tested it for a while, it was a fairly new design, and did not have enough data on it yet to establish its repair record. CR's policy is that they will not recommend a vehicle unless it does well in CR's testing, Government crash testing, and has established at least an average repair record...or if CR can predict at least an average repair record based on previous models.

In 2001, previous models of the Sonata had poor repair records. The car's reliability record improved tremendously after 2000-2001 (I cannot overemphasize that), so that by 2005 it was not only much better than average but one of THE most reliable family sedans in CR's database.