CDNROCKIES

Funny ....I just had this conversation with my best friends the other day.

They have a brand new Sante Fe and a Vera Cruz passed me on the highway while I was chatting. Is the difference that the Cruz is larger and has a third row? If it is, it's not visibly distinguishable. She couldn't tell me what the upgrade was even though they looked at these vehicles.

The Sante Fe sure seems like the better bang for the buck....but please correct me if I'm wrong . I love their Sante Fe (we joke that it looks almost the same as our ML ) , but am genuinely curious as to the value of the price premium of the Cruz.

Blackraven

IF EVER you guys get the 3.0 liter S-CRDI VGT diesel engine, then you'd bet that it will be one hell of a blast. I sure felt it's power and smoothness during my test drive and man was it awesome.

Indeed, the best Korean Diesel engine EVER

SLegacy99

We had an Azera rental car once, it was nice, but the interior was still very cheap.

mmarshall

You really can't compare the quality/workmanship of the Azera's interior with that of either the Santa Fe or the Veracruz. Both, for some reason, are a noticeable step above the Azera.

AlexusAnja

I actually am surprised that the Veracruz did not do well, because it was priced lower than an RX, and quality almost at par with the RX and with a 3rd row for versatility... but I really think the problem was the make. It's just tough to try to sell it as a "luxury" or "entry luxury" with the Hyundai name on it.

I mean, are we to believe that Honda, Toyota, and Nissan did not do their homework when it came time to launch a luxury division and offer higher priced vehicles. All three chose to launch with a new make to sell these vehicles. I think at the time that all three launched their luxury division, their quality and customer confidence was at the level of Hyundai, if not better, and even they did not think to launch under the parent brand.

I think Hyundai has dropped and will drop another big one with the upcoming Equus in sales. People just are not going to pay top dollar for a Hyundai no matter what the quality and price savings is over a comparable vehicle.

Yes, everything in life has a "first" but Hyundai to be the first to succeed in selling a luxury vehicles under the parent brand.. NOT gonna happen. It's against human nature....

mmarshall

Agreed. But the RX sells like it does for a reason. Nothing else in its class can equal its refinement and/or smoothness of operation. The Veracruz equals it in the body/interior quality, but the RX drivetrain refinement, like many Lexus products, has to be sampled to be believed. And almost nobody (even Hyundai) can paint a car like Lexus does.

But you're right that part of the Veracruz problem was lack of customer consideration. Part of it, as I just pointed out, is the RX itself. And part of it is the general excellence of the smaller and cheaper Santa Fe, which offers much of the Veracruz's refinement/luxury at a lower price. And the Santa Fe, in some ways, is more pleasant to drive.....its steering feels less-clumsy than that of the Veracruz.