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2006 Hyundai Azera Review

If a carmaker wants its new sedan to be cross-shopped with the sophisticated Avalon, as Hyundai wishes for its new Azera, then it copies every page from Toyotas playbook that it can. It starts with a comparable list of standard equipment-like dual automatic climate control, rear-seat vents, and eight air bags, and then it carves out a cargo space thats 2.2 cubic feet bigger than the Avalons. It also goes head-to-head with Toyota with options such as adjustable pedals, rain-sensing wipers, and a power rear sunshade, but unlike Toyota, it makes stability control standard, and then it slaps on a price tag thats about ten percent lower to seal the deal.



First Glance: Is this really a Hyundai?

If it wasnt for the chrome H on the grille, itd be hard to tell the Azera is a Hyundai -- though theres a slight family resemblance to the Sonata, which itself would make a decent stand-in for Hondas Accord. Two elements one would expect to clash -- the slightly rounded fenders and liberal use of chrome -- actually work quite well. All in all, the Azera is handsome and understated, quite a leap considering the styling of Korean near-luxury cars like the Kia Amanti and the outgoing XG350, which to me always looked like parodies of what Korea thought we wanted in luxury cars. The Azera certainly passes the Los Angeles valet test (it doesnt make you want to hide behind the bushes when the valet brings it around). Its the sort of car thats sure to attract the neighbors -- but even more enjoyable will be the look on their faces when you tell them its a Hyundai.

Matter of fact, the surprise-the-neighbors effect is exactly what Hyundai had in mind. Thats why youll find goodies like LED taillights (brighter and faster to light up than typical bulbs), an electrically-retractable rear window sunshade, and airbags everywhere -- goodies youd expect to find in a Lexus or a Mercedes, not in a sub-$30k car.

Model Lineup

Hyundai makes it easy to pick your Azera, offering only two models, the SE ($24,335) and the Limited ($26,835). The same engine, a 3.8-liter, 263-horsepower V6 with variable valve timing, powers both and drives the front wheels through a five-speed, Shiftronic automatic transmission.

The SE comes with dual-zone climate control; cloth upholstery, four-way driver and two-way passenger power front seats; power windows, mirrors and central locking with keyless remote; leather-trimmed, tilt-and-telescope steering wheel and shift knob; cruise control; AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with steering wheel-mounted controls; bi-level front center console; 16-inch wheels. The SE Premium Package ($1,600) adds a power tilt-and-slide sunroof, premium stereo with in-dash, 6CD changer, heated front seats. Dealer accessories include floor mats ($85); wheel locks ($40); sunroof wind deflector ($80); trunk floor mat ($90); and composite cargo tray ($90).

The Limited steps up with leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats, woodgrain and leather-wrapped steering wheel, powered rear sunshade, 17-inch wheels and Michelin tires. The Limited Premium Package ($1500) adds the power sunroof and premium stereo. The Ultimate Package ($2500) includes the sunroof and stereo plus power adjustable pedals and tilt-and-telescope steering wheel, memory for the drivers seat, mirrors, and steering column, rain-sensing wipers and power folding outside mirrors.

Safety features are comprehensive, including state-of-the-art frontal airbags, full-coverage side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags, active head restraints for the front seats, and LATCH child safety seat anchors. All five seating positions have adjustable head restraints and three-point belts; the front seatbelts have pre-tensioners and height-adjustable shoulder loops. Active safety features for crash avoidance include antilock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), electronic stability control and traction control.

Interior Features

Save for a couple quirky touches, the Hyundai Azeras interior delivers comfortable, near-elegant transport. Materials are top notch, and more than just the upholstery, dash covering and carpet, reaching as well to fabric headliner (instead of whats dismissively known in the industry as mouse fur) and fully flocked glovebox and other storage cubbies. Tolerances, those worrisome gaps between the bits and pieces of plastic and other materials comprising the interior, are impressively tight, earning high marks for fit and finish. All hinged fixtures, from glove box door to roof-mounted grab handles, are damped for smooth, quiet operation.

The dash sweeps gracefully across the car, beginning and ending in sectioned caps molded into the front door panels, and beneath an odd, table edge-like, flat rim that circles the entire interior from the outboard edges of the rear seats. Vent registers are symmetrically positioned near the doors and on each side of the audio and climate control panels centered above a large storage bin. Intuitively proportioned tachometer, speedometer, fuel level and engine coolant gauges peer out from a hooded pod through the top half of the steering wheel. Large, friendly knobs, buttons and switches return a pleasant tactile feel.

The center console is trimmed in natural-looking woodgrain and brushed aluminum. Up front, almost tucked up underneath the dash overhang, is a covered ashtray with lighter. Aft of this is a small cubby, with controls for the seat heaters standard in the Limited and optional in the SE. Driver and front passenger have access to a pair of cup holders beneath a hinged cover forward of the padded cover over the bi-level center console storage bin.

The shift lever travels through a gated slot that puts the secondary, Sportronic gear selector slot on the opposite side of the gate from the driver. We prefer it on the drivers side.

Map pockets in each door are provided, part of which flip out to expand. The backsides of the front seats wear magazine pouches. Back seat passengers get a fold-down center armrest with two cup holders and, overhead, reading lights.

The seats, front and rear, are comfortable but supportive. Front seat bases are fully enclosed so hardware isnt exposed. The drivers seat power lumbar covers an impressive range. Front seats give more and better thigh support than the rears, but the copious rear seat leg room more than compensates, helped by the rear doors remarkably wide openings.

Visibility is good all around, with special credit to the view out the back. The adjustable rear head restraints are the shingle type, which are formed to fit down over the top of the seatback when retracted. The electro-chromatic rearview mirror comes with an off switch, for the compass, too, and when thats turned off, the window in which it appears fades into the mirror. And shift into reverse with the Limiteds rear sunshade deployed, and it automatically retracts.

The Azera is roomy. Against the competition in interior measurements, the Azera generally prevails, besting the 2006 Nissan Maxima, the 2006 Buick LaCrosse and the 2006 Mercury Milan in all measures and losing only to the 2006 Toyota Avalon in front and rear seat hiproom and rear seat legroom.

In trunk space, the Azera tops them all, the Avalon by more than two cubic feet, the LaCrosse by just over half a cubic foot. The Azeras trunk is fully finished, and enclosed gooseneck hinges and a hydraulic strut lift the lid.

Driving Impressions



Driving the Hyundai Azera is more fun and rewarding than driving any of the competition, save maybe for the Mercury Milan, which is a bit smaller and quite a bit lighter. This is despite the Azera tipping the scales at around 140 pounds heavier than any of the rest. Power-wise, it gives up only a few horsepower to the competition and equals or beats them in torque. In overall dimensions and stance on the road, theres little difference. What differentiates the Azera is the way it feels from the drivers seat, and the signals the various mechanicals send to the driver through the cars touch points.

Response to the gas pedal is smooth, immediate and linear; Hyundai says the Azera will get to 60 miles per hour from a dead stop in well under 7 seconds, which puts it smack in the heart of its competitors numbers, although the claimed 146 mph top speed moves it close to the head of the class in that regard. Its one shortcoming in raw performance data is its fuel economy, as the EPA estimates it trails the others by as much as two or three miles per gallon in city and highway driving, respectively.

Transmission shifts may not be invisible, but only slightly less so than in the pricier Avalon and on a par with the Milan. The Sportronic selects gears in the proper direction, forward to shift up, rearward to shift down. On the down side, while it holds a higher gear, it will shift up when the engine approaches redline.

The brake pedal feels solid, and the four-wheel discs haul the Azera down from extra-legal speeds with confidence and no noticeable fade in everyday driving. Steering assist is nominal, with just about the proper amount of resistance to wheel movements, unlike the Avalon, for instance, which is over-assisted for our tastes, and the Milan, which could use a bit more assist.

Response to steering inputs, while not razor sharp, is sure and precise. Handling is nicely balanced. Put another way, while the Azera doesnt beg to be driven rapidly along two-lane, winding country roads, if so called upon, neither will it embarrass a reasonably rambunctious driver. Not even in the pricier Avalon Touring were we as comfortable on such roads; in the Milan and Maxima, yes, but the formers overall quality level fell a bit short and the latter is priced up there with the Avalon.

As with its front wheel-drive counterparts, beware of the Azeras understeer (where the car wants to go straight when the driver wants it to turn) when its pushed too hard in tight and high-speed turns; even so, the standard electronic stability control system should keep all but the most irrationally exuberant driver out of trouble. Directional stability on freeways is above reproach, and there is zero hint of float over pavement heaves.

Little wind and road noise intrudes on the cabin, although we noticed more of the latter in the rear seat than in the front. No buzzes, squeaks or rattles surfaced in our couple hundred miles over virtually every type of pavement in the test car.

The Hyundai Azera is still in its first generation. The vehicle that it replaced, the XG350, served much of the same purpose for Hyundai. Although roomy and well-equipped, this model never earned much critical praise due to its blandness and mediocre handling, but it might be a worthwhile choice on the used market as a less expensive alternative to more mainstream competitors.