tuan92129

Ummm If you haven't realized...Lexus/Toyota are Asian brands....

duckduck

...but all Rolls Royce's (at least the Phantom and the Drophead Coupe) are faster than the ES350 They go 0-60 in 5.7 seconds. Pretty impressive for a car that's 5500+ lbs.

vader11

I saw that commercial today, & I was

newr

never underestimate your competitor. Huyndai today is not like Huynday 10 or 15 years ago. Righ now they are not in Lexus radar and with the rate they are going now, you will be surprise where they will end up in the next 10 years.

Btw, it's just an ad. Not sure why some people are so wound up by it. Take it with a sense of humor because it will not take sale away from the LS. Anyone who is in a market for an LS will not cross shop with the Azera.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

I keep telling folks that if Hyundai keeps motivated, they may well be surprised in 5-10 years. While currently, it is not a consideration, I'm looking forward to test driving some of their sedans.

Toyota keeps raising the bar so it will be interesting how the auto industry as a whole will shake down in the next decade.

thetopdog

Every time I come close to starting to appreciate how far Hyundai has come, they do something like this. Whether its blatantly ripping off styling of luxury cars or misleadingly comparing themselves to cars in a different class, it seems like nothing is beneath Hyundai. As a corporate entity it seems like they have no honor, and I can't support them for that. Not that I'd ever buy a Hyundai anyways, but I at least could be happy about their progress if they weren't such an unscrupulous company

GlobeCLK

iTrader: (5)

Those are valid points. Everytime I think about how fast Hyundai and Kia are improving, I turn around and find them copying the styling of other brands.

Hey maybe that's why they're doing much better now, to attract buyers who want the name-brand look without the name-brand price tag. However I can never feel happy about their progress either.

It's sort of like knock-off purses? Regardless of how well the Grade-A knock-off LV purses are improving in quality and selling in high numbers, they will always be knock-offs.

-J-P-L-

In case some people haven't heard, Hyundai is now the top rated car company in initial quality by JD Power & associates excluding luxury brands (the only two ahead is Lexus and Porsche!). They are ahead of even Acura and Infiniti.

And still they get no credit by many people.

So they are on everyone's radar as a threat especially if they add a luxury brand.

mmarshall

Go drive the car and see (or hear ) for yourself. Your ears, assuming you are not deaf or hearing-impaired, are probably just as good as those of any of the rest of us. In my case, not only have I found the LS460 to be the single quietest car I have driven in almost 40 years of driving and auto reviews (and I would say that alone is a little experience), but almost any published magazine road test of the LS460 shows it to have just about the lowest decibel/sone level, especially at cruise, of any car currently on the road.
However, because of the switch to slightly lower-profile tires and a revised suspension for the new car over that of the LS430, its ride, though smooth by today's standards, is not quite as silky or bump-absorbant as that of the new Mercedes S-Class sedan, although the LS460 still sets very high standards for ride smoothness, by 21st-century standards, considering that tires and suspensions are not as smooth today as they were in the cars I grew up with 40 years ago. The all-time smoothest ride I ever experienced, from the massive weight and ultra-soft suspension/tires, was the 5400-lb, 229" wheelbase 1969 Lincoln Continental (my dad worked for Philco-Ford that year), but even though the ride was smoother on that car, its superb noise isolation for the time could not compare with today's LS460. And today's LS460 actually responds when you move the steering wheel...the '69 Continental just plowed straight ahead like a battleship.

Noise isolation, particularly on the Sonata and the Azera, while OK overall, is still one of Hyundai's weaker points. They have caught up to Toyota in a number of areas (and surpass them in some) but the Sonata and Azera (I mentioned this in my reviews) still have some audible road noise from the tires and suspension, depending, in part, on which particular set of tires goes on each car at the factory....some are quieter than others.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Hyundai has come a long way. These direct comparisons have long been tactics used by manufacturers to plant seeds. IMO, it's not a great way...it has a hot-cold effect and re-enforces your competitors product at the same time.

While I try to be neutral, I feel similar to topdog's post...Hyundai can stand on their own merits. By taking shots at Toyota through their ads...I loose respect for them. We knew Toyota wanted to Mercedes S like sedan, I don't recall them flatly advertising like this. The auto rag writers made the comparison. (Yes?)

mmarshall

You've hit the nail on the head, JLSC4......this lack of credit is a perfect example of automotive ignorance.

There are people who, similiarly, have their minds back in the 70's and 80's and still believe that Mercedes-Benz makes the highest-quality cars on the road, despite their being overall in LAST place today (along with Land Rover) in Consumer Reports's reliability rankings.

Och

iTrader: (3)

I'll give them credit when they come up with at least a single innovation. For now all they are doing is ripping off other people's design, and the only thing they got going for them is their low price. If lets say Sonata was the same price as Accord, would anyone even consider it?

mmarshall

Why don't you look at, drive the two cars, make up your own mind, and answer your own question? You just might find a reason to trade in that 20-year-old Civic.

I think you will find that Hyundai, with its quality and long warranty, has considerably more than just low prices, although, to be honest, they do lag some competitiors slightly in engine/powertrain efficiency, road noise isolation, and vehicle choices. For instance, there are STILL no Korean-designed pickups or hybrids in the American market.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Forget the 20 year old Civic. Take a brand new Sonata vs brand new Accord/Camry. If the price was the same, which one would you take?

The reason they sell cars comparable to Honda/Toyota for thousands less is because they don't spend a penny towards R&D. Can you name anything pioneered by Hyundai? When was the last time they didn't rip off someone elses design? Don't you think it's embarassing to drive a cheaper car that tries to imitate the looks of a superior car? You know these silly people that buy a used 323 or C240 and slam ///M or AMG badges on? Thats my view on Hyundai's.

-J-P-L-

I can understand your view. Even as a Hyundai supporter, I myself do not desire to buy one to be totally honest. That's only because I prefer the models from other makes like Toyota and Honda more. BUT, in all fairness, one can't ignore that in many cases, a Hyundai is now in the same league of quality as the mighty Toyota and Honda. Most other makes can't make that claim. But because of Hyundai's unfortunate past, they may never gain the true respect they deserve. Their name is their worst enemy.