2007 Hyundai Azera Test Drive

Luxury for Less

If you can do without a few frills, Hyundai's Azera rides with some heady competition in the near-luxury segment, but at a much lower price.

Hyundai’s Azera is a midsize, entry-level luxury sedan that replaced the XG350 when it debuted for 2006. It is, in so many ways, light years ahead of that model, which itself seemed to be at least a generation or more behind its Japanese rivals in terms of performance, styling and accommodations. The question, however, is whether the Azera, no matter the improvements over the car it replaces, qualifies as a true competitor to luxury vehicles like the Lexus ES 350, or whether it’s merely Hyundai’s slightly dressier version of cars like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry or, for that matter, Hyundai’s own Sonata. We’ll take the middle ground and call it a reasonable, and in some ways superior, alternative to models like the Buick LaCrosse or Toyota Avalon.

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The car carries over from its inaugural 2006 model year with only minor changes that include new backlit electroluminescent instrumentation of the sort that Lexus has employed since the original LS 400. An engine immobilizer security feature is now included to help shave a few dollars off the car’s insurance premiums for comprehensive coverage, and the side mirrors incorporate turn-signal indicators, a feature that is both practical but also a bit of a conceit, in that luxury cars like Mercedes-Benzes typically have such indicators in their side mirrors.

As with all other Hyundais, the Azera is covered by a warranty that puts most, if not all, of the luxury makes to shame. This includes a five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper protection that pretty much takes care of everything, save for maintenance and normal wear-and-tear; 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage for major components; and five-year/unlimited mileage roadside assistance, which is essentially a free auto-club subscription for towing and other perks.

As General Motors has discovered, selling cars with a generous warranty is a great way to attract buyers who might otherwise eschew a particular brand for fear of reliability issues. While we have not heard any widespread complaints about the longevity of recent Hyundai models, and their initial build quality is eclipsing that of older brands, according to J.D. Power and Associates’ Initial Quality Study, we’d look at the warranty as a no-cost service contract, which would otherwise cost several thousand dollars if sold by a dealer’s finance and insurance department.