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Hyundai Azera vs Toyota Avalon vs Ford Taurus vs Chevrolet Impala
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The same applies to many service advisors.
It is so refreshing when we encounter a knowledgeable sales person or service advisor.
With a little more effort, they could make many more loyal customers, and most likely improve their sales and income.
During the '50's and 60's my father bought several new cars from the same man at the same dealership. From 1968 to 1990 I bought 7 new cars from the same guy! And all from the same dealership, although it changed owners once. And added Chevrolet (it was Buick only) in the 80's.
This guy fought WW II, had a college degree and knew more than anybody on the lot about the products. Yes, he was well paid and retired to the beach in 1997 after spending 47 years (about) selling cars. His business was mostly repeat customers, fleet and single, for the last 25 years he worked.
By contrast, today's car salesman is usually in transition... looking for the "better job" down the road. No reason to learn about the product as he won't be there that long. It's not a career, just temporary. And with the internet to educate the consumer, what chance does the salesman have if he gives it less than 100%. Look at the information exchanged here on Edmunds.com, not to mention the dozens of other auto info websites.
The true sales professional will always stand out. Sadly, as I shopped all 4 of the makes in this topic, I did not find any. Got as close as possible, bought the Avy Limited from a nearby dealer based on prior Avalon experience and the excellent service dept. Such is life.....
There still exist some professional and knowledgeable auto sales persons. They are appreciated by their customers, who remain loyal. They can and do make a very good living.
This conversation would really be better had in a discussion over on our Smart Shopper board. For those who are not familiar with it, you should check it out. There are some very interesting discussions over there.
Let's get back to comparing the vehicles in the topic, okay? Thanks.
regretted 'trading down' and have just bought a 2007 Avalon.
I believe the current Lexus ES and IS350 share similar versions of the engine introduced in the 2005 Avalon. Both these cars have smaller cabins than the Avalon - especially the IS, which also has a more sportslike (tighter) suspension.
My uncle owns an 07 IS 350 which he let me drive once. Let me tell that car is wickedly fast. You can easily find yourself in triple digit territory without even trying. Cant tell you anything about the Avalon but he traded in his 2002 Lexus ES for the IS. The IS definitely is quite a bit smaller and has a more stiffer ride. Since his kids are all grown and out of the house, rear sit legroom isn't an issue for him. But if you need to use the backseat on a regular basis, then the IS is not for you. Good luck with your purchase. All three are great cars and you can't go wrong buying anyone of the three.
Any idea when Toyota will make a significant change in Avalon's body style?
By the way, the Azera is more than just a bigger version of the Sonata (check your spelling), on that note, I found most family sedans equally boring as the Sonata but they all provide fantastic basic transportation. Anyway, did you even do any research to support your reasonings? Next, you are going to tell me the Sonata offers a power rear sunshade, electroluminescent instrument cluster, rain-sensing wipers, 605-watt surround sound 12 speakers, etc...Nope, you wouldn't find them. I would go as far as to say you have not driven either of the two cars, since otherwise you would have cleared noticed the difference between the two.
Next I predict you would tell me Hyundai's (RWD) luxury sedan is just a bigger version of the (FWD) Azera...
Between the Azera and the Avalon, both are great cars and equally as great based on many reviews - I would call it a draw, as both have lots of good attributes but also downsides which I would like to see improved. Personally between the two, I would take the Azera and pocket the cash saved but that's just me.
FWIW, I think Buick Lucerne is quite stylish, relatively speaking with relations to the brand.
Then with your logic an Avalon is a giant version of the boring Camrey? When you find Honda's giant version of the boring Accord please let us know.
Sounds like you haven't test driven the Azera.
I have test drove the Azera extensively, and it anything but a "wannabe". It's the real deal. It's very quiet, with a tight, controlled ride. The new engine is very smooth and responsive,and fast gaining a reputation for reliability.
Quite correct. Best thing to do is ignore all lesser brands and buy that Maybach, the 2007 Maybach 62 of course, not the cheaper 57. Don't even glance at the Bentley or Rolls, they're just everywhere, so common... :P
Okay, first of all I never said that the Buick was unattractive, I only stated that the Impala is a lesser version of it. Oh, and sorry if I misspelled SONATA because I'm not in a spelling bee.
And can we stick the Forum Title? Excuse me if I improvise another car for one sentence.
Hyundai Azera vs Toyota Avalon vs Ford 500 vs Chevrolet Impala
To paraphrase; "they've come a long way baby. Uh huh, uh huh."
(PS: To put any Hyundai bias aside, I've never owned a Hyundai vehicle, and don't intend to buy one in the near future. They are certainly worth a second look however!).
Currently own a 2004 Sonata fully loaded V6 with only 22,000 miles. Will buy an Azera Limited with Ultimate package. How would you negotiate price and trade-in value?
Last October I got a $1,000 rebate, + $1,500 "lease incentive discount" + $500 loyalty as my wife has a Santa Fe.
Your Sonata trade in will bring highest dollar at a Hyundai dealer, obviously unless you sell privately.
Good luck!
The new Ultimate package 25 includes XM and the Infinity Logic 7 surround sound, 12 speakers, sub woofer and 605-watt amp. The older Ultimate 04 package is without XM and has the 315-watt amp with 10 speakers.
Second whichever ultimate package you want. You need to determine what would be a good deal for the car you want to buy. Suggest you get quotes from as many dealers near you as possible. Also visit the Hyundai Azera Prices Paid and Buying Experience Forum as this site will tell you what other buyers near you and around the country are paying for Hyundai Azeras.
Third you need to determine the trade in value for your 04 Sonata. Suggest you use the Kelly Blue Book and the Edmunds used car appraisal web sites.
I disagree. Those with higher levels of disposable income did not attain that level of financial success by making bad decisions. These folks can tell value when they see it, much like those who were buying Hondas and Toyota when it was not fashionable to do so three decades ago. Additionally, some more affluent individuals don't need to impress anyone other than themselves, thus they could care less what others think.
I can remember when I told my father-in-law in 1972 that I was buying a Toyota, and he thought I was crazy. The longer you live, you realize "the more things change, the more they stay the same."
rance2 -
I live in Richmond, Virginia. I purchased a 2006 Azera Limited Ultimate in July of 2006. Prior to my purchase, I contacted every Hyundai dealership in Richmond, Petersburgh, Charlottesville, Williamsburg, Fredericksburg and maybe a few other places I don't remember. Most all of these dealerships were crude, slick, hucksterish in their dealings with me. You know, "What's it gonna take to put me in a vehicle today?"
One person at one dealership was not like all the rest and he was professional and reasonably knowledgeable about his product.This person was Andrew Getchell at West Broad Hyundai in Richmond, VA. He handles internet sales and can be reached at andrewg@pageauto.com West Broad Hyundai also has a website. I negotiated everything over the internet with him and never met him personally until I went in to sign the papers. He was always very responsive to my questions and we communicated quite openly via e-mail. It was the least stressful automobile purchase I've ever made and I'm 65 and have purchased my share of cars over the years.
If you're curious about the Azera I purchased, you can go to the PHOTOS section of this forum and type in Don's 2006 Azera , then choose my album from the selections that come up. I have a couple of albums within this master album. You may be most interested in the album called zredsox's 2006 azera as it shows some of the modifications I've made to the car.
I love this car. Good luck in your pursuit of an Azera.
My wife and I are retired and thus on a fixed income. This makes it pretty easy for me to know what kind of monthly car payments we can afford. Tend to drive the cars until past when they are paid off as long as they are still reliable. I do not want to be stranded if it can be helped. Current car = paid off '02 Dodge Intrepid with 121K. Also have a 1-year old Dodge Ram 2500 with the cummins and a $800 monthly payment. The price we are looking at is the $30-35 thousand range. Will not test drive until we get ready to buy then will test drive the cars we have narrowed it done to. The Azera is a new and surprising member of my short list. The other cars being considered are the Toyota Avalon, Buick Lucerne, and an older LS430. About weekly I get on the net and look at what kind of used/new cars in the above makes and models can be had for that price range. I general buy used and am not afraid of high milage. Biggest shocker to me so far is the FE of the new cars being considered. My old Intrepid gets a legit 29-30 mpg @ 70 mph and overall average of maybe 24-25? The new cars are nicer but the overal FE about the same. I appreciate this forum very much for the comments on how the various cars run out by those who actually own one or have actually driven one. Posts by someone who had a friend of a friend or relative drive one are based on hear-say and I ususualy blow them off.
We were looking for a car with reliability and a long warranty - the Azera has both. GM offers a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty also, but caps it at 5 years. Without the work commute, we put less than 10,000 miles a year on a car, so Hyundai covers our car for 5 years more than the GM warranty.
If you're going to lease, Avalon is a contender with the Azera because of the higher residual value - even though the sales price will be higher, the payment may be similar.
We purchased ( not leased ) our Azera for at least $5000 less than a comparable Avalon or V8 powered Buick Lucerne ( even with my GM discount ). The Avalon and Lucerne were still contenders but the deal breaker for us was lack of folding seats on them. We don't own a truck so the folding seat and huge trunk allow us to haul almost anything.
Due to our low annual mileage, fuel economy is not terribly important, the Avalon does better and the Lucerne does worse, but the Azera returns about 30MPG in straight highway driving and 21-22MPG overall.
Ruled out the Avalon early on due to interior and exterior design. Also, it is way overpriced and Toyota and Lexus dealers were not willing to budge much on price. Selling cars based on reputation and not value.
The others I ruled out after six months and at least three test drives in each.
The Azera tends to roll/wallow on rough roads, but overall ride is superior to Acura and Infiniti and comparable to Lexus. Got an Ultimate for $26,500 with rebate. Has more safety and bells and whistles than the others.
What is more amazing than the dufas salesman is that Hyundai would even place their line at a dealership resulting in a dual/secondary position against Toyota. What a sharp as a ball decision that was.
Should we consolidate these? Nobody seems to be using this one anymore!
OTOH, if people keep making posts - even if they are to say get rid of this - it won't!!
The Taurus at $24k has the same engine as the top models (260 hp). The cheapest possible Avalon with Stability Control (standard on Taurus) was over $29k on MSRP, and there were only 2 in the southeast equipped for this price. 2! That includes ALL colors of Avalon XL cloth with VSC. Meaning, that in all likelihood, you won't be able to find one this cheap.
The Taurus also offers AWD, something the Avalon doesn't.
When it comes down to dollars, the Taurus really delivers for your money.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
For my grandmother, the thought of the nice cushy ride is appealing, but a larger price is not. She's not one for "fancy" features. Her three previous cars are a 1991 Civic DX (bottom level model, she had A/C added as an option!), 1996 Accord LX, and currently has a 2002 Accord LX. The Accords are fine rides, if fairly basic (PW, PL, mediocre stereos and so on). She wouldn't care to learn how to use things like reclining seats, auto temp, or auto lights. She'd want to be able to control all of those things herself (she doesn't like the Automatic Climate Control in her sister's [my aunt's] 2005 Odyssey either). She likes basic. The base model Taurus isn't "BASIC" but it is easier for her to use with manual A/C controls, etc.
She has a computer, but it is like pulling teeth to get her to use it
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
Gotta answer that! My 81 year old father and 78 year old mother are avid computer users!! They don't know or care much about cars, but they couldn't live without their computer. :P
She knows how, as she used to type 130 WPM! She just doesn't want to do it anymore.
Do a search for Avalon XL, cloth in your area, and see how many have VSC. In my ZIP, 35023, there were 115 Avy XL models, but only 2 of those had VSC.
The cars on lots are spec'd out accordingly. If such equipment is not standard, odds are you're not going to find it in large numbers.
Anyone with hearing loss, and there are a lot us (not just old folks) don't care all that much about "killer" stereo systems. Shiny wheels? Yeah, they usually look good but they don't do anything for you when you're driving the car and others only really get to notice them when you're stopped or parked.
Safety features and cabin interior (like the grad says) are higher on my list than some exterior feature that might impress someone I don't even know.
Frankly, I don't buy a car to try to impress anyone. I buy based upon what I can afford and will give me the most value, comfort, features, dependability, etc for the money.