Hyundai XG300 and XG350

majorthomecho

Yes, I meant XG owners know what we Echo owners went through because Edmunds bashed your car like they did ours.

I think the stories of 7.5 0 to 60 times in an Echo are just that, stories. The best time I have seen reported for the manual transmission is 8.4. Given I have a manual, I might just have to see what I can do and report back.

Happy motoring.

mikewesq

After a week in my new XG300L, I was concerned about some aspects of handling and steering. It seemed that the tire noise was too loud, and the car seemed to take changes in road pavement too harshly. Also, the car seemed to want to drift to the left at highway speeds. I checked the tire pressures today. The sticker on the driver' s door recommends 30 PSI; my tires were at 45 PSI! Reducing pressure in the front and back tires made a distinct difference in how the car rides. I will be traveling on the Interstate tonight and hope that the steering also improves.

Some of the review criticisms might actually be caused by improper tire pressure. An earlier poster found his tires at 60 PSI! Somewhere along the line some chowderhead is filling these tires at the wrong pressure, and it is apparently not being caught by Hyundai or many dealers. I strongly suggest that all owners check the pressure in their tires ASAP.

9296

My X. has 250 miles on it and I seem to detect the AS coming into play (pulsing) when coming off a highway from traveling at 50 to 60MPH. These are gradual stops, not rapid stops. I was surprised. Has anyone else had this experience? Is it normal or is it due to the new brakes, which might go away after the breaks wear in? Or should I take it back to the dealer for an adjustment. It did not happen just once-it seems to be the norm. My other car with AS-a Camry-never exhibited this behavior. Appreciate any comments.

I also notice my brake light comes on when I turn the ignition on even though the parking brake has not been deployed. This occurs
occasionally.

9296

Read X as in XG and AS as in ABS. Spell check would not cooperate!

acco20

I think most imported cars arrive with over inflated tires. This helps avoid flat spots on the tires. The dealer should make the adjustment but it does get by quite often. Actually it is possible that all cars are delivered from the mfg.with the higher tire air pressure. Try saying that 3 times fast. Anyway... just my opinion.

majorthomecho

Higher tire air pressure
Higher tire air pressure
Higher tire air pressure
: )

sirwinston4

Edmonds bashes the XG300 while MT is enthusiastic. Hard to believe they are talking about the same car. I have compared the X. with the Avalon and find them much alike.

I would like a new car but am concerned I may not like either as well as my current one so will wait and see what the '02s are like.

However, my first impression of each of the above is favorable, and the X. has a far better price.

yk911

i'm suprised you feel the brake pulsing thru the pedals.. as the pedals' are very spongy when the car is new... i found out that the brakes tend to firm up as the car starts to break in abit.. and yes the pulse does go away.

brake easily if your car is pretty new... it will help break in/seat the pads well.

yk911

it was in a korean magazine called carvision in their JUNE ISSUE.

http://www.fxtreme.org/forums/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000051

astrol

It's not loading up. The only pic is of your signature XG300. Which looks very nice, by the way.

majorthomecho

Well, Motor Trend did not have a car where pieces broke off.

yk911

http://www.fxtreme.org/forums/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000051

liljonson

when is this coming out?

dst5

Just for your information the XG300L on the trunk is just glued on with double sided tape. The X got caught in the rag and came off. Not a good indicator of quality, however I took them all off and the car looks better! You may want to take them off you can peel them off with your finger nail.

Still love the car.

liljonson

LOL

revenuerob

I am hoping that a fellow tall driver can share their experience in regard to headroom and legroom in the new XG300L. I'm seriously considering a new vehicle soon, and am interested in the XG300L. I see in the specs that it boasts as much or more headroom and legroom (in inches) as a Dodge Intrepid or a Toyota Avalon. However, I know these published numbers can be overstated.

Any help you can share would be appreciated!

yk911

the car was introduced back in 98 for the korean market

so in about a year and a half the koreans should be getting a face lifted XG model.

face lifted= front and rear fascia redo

dans9

I've had my xg for 3 days and just noticed that the door locks do not engage automatically when the car is started. Is this normal.

astrol

Yes, this is normal. For some unknown reason this is something which can be activated on my Sonata Keyless/Security system but not the XG. I'm sure if enough people carp about it this it will be included at a later date. Same goes for the ridiculous lack of a center overhead light for the rear seaters (or a VW style setup with a small light near the grab handle for each side.) I don't know why it takes some manufacturers so long to supply such basic stuff.

giowa

Go for the L. It has 2 rear reading lights. The base model has the two front reading lights only. I can't imagine why anyone interested in an XG300 wouldn't spend mere pennies a day over 48 months to own the L. It is the only way to go XG300 wise!!!

newxg

I'm 6'2" and found the XG300L to be a little tight with the sunroof. I fit, but my hair kept getting the fuzzies from the ceiling when I had the seat in a straight updriving position. Had the same problem with the Avalon. I have plenty of room with the base XG300 (minus the sunroof).

Your mileage may vary though as even folks at the same height have different length torsos. Also, American made cars may do a slightly better job of fitting tall drivers under sunroofs. I do remember being able to sit in the Intrepid, Intrigue, and Sable, with sunroofs, without getting the fuzzies.

majorthomecho

Newxg, sorry if I am missing something, but what does mileage have to do with how tall a person is?

mikewesq

I would agree with Giowa on the L model. I'm very happy with mine. I do wish, however, that the rear reading lamps came on when the rear doors were opened. I had to have my L model ordered from another dealer out of town, as there were no L's in the Richmond, VA, area. The salesman told me that apparently Hyundai stopped production of the L models for the 2001 model year about a month ago.

I am taking my car in for servicing, as the steering alignment is a little off; the car drifts to the left if you hold the steering wheel in the neutral position. This is the only problem I have had so far, other than having to let some air out of my tires to get them to the recommended PSI.

dst5

You could only find XG300L's

elantra00

I have to say that I am very impressed with the Hyundai XG300. On the train commute back to New Jersey (where I live) from NYC after work, I was reading an article about it in Auto World Weekly magazine. It got excellent reviews... Comfortable, smooth acceleration, plenty of room, excellent interior ergonmonics. Looks like a high end car too that would compete with an Infiniti or Lincoln for that matter. People even were wondering if it was a Infiniti Q45? lol. I personally thought it looks like a Lincoln LS. If I needed a luxerious car to take clients out in, this is what I would buy. It is half the price of a Lincoln or Infiniti (45,000+ vs. 25,000)yet fools people. So save money where you can! However, at the age I am, I ll stick to sports cars. Maybe in 20 years, I'll look at the XG300, because as being a proud of a 2000 Elantra and the excellent experience with the car thus far, I would definitely buy another Hyundai. I am considering the Santa Fe to replace my truck next year, so you can consider me a satisfied customer.

liljonson

right now i'm really considering the xg300L competing with the elantra gt and sonata i think it will come out on top in my list but i will only know after i test drive all of them soon enough as the gt comes into LI

fxashun

But am i the only one who notices that most Korean cars look like they were designed by two different people. The front of the XG, Optima, Elantra, and Nubira don't seem to match the side views. There doesn't seem to be any continuity of design as you rotate the car.
The Leganza is slighty different but even it seems to have a very heavy front bias to the design.

newxg

majorthomech: I guess I got a little carried away with my use of metaphors

What I was trying to say was that different folks with the exact same height will fit in cars differently because some have long legs and others have long torsos. I know someone who is a full 4" shorter than me but actually needs more headroom than I do.

Driving position was one of my biggest factors when I was looking 6 months ago. The XG300 scored well. Wider seating than the Maxima and plenty of legroom. Comparable to the Avalon in my opinion, though I recall that the Avalon felt just a little bit more spacious.

majorthomecho

You said that you were reading AutoWorld Weekly on your commute? What is the cover date of the issue? The seem to have stopped selling them here in Kansas City. It seems like it has been a month or so since I saw an issue. I have looked at where I get gas, where I buy groceries, and where I buy my other magazines. I even have looked where my roommate use to work and they were always good about having the new issue before anyone else.

john0

AutoWorld Weekly is no longer a bi-weekly magizine it changed over to a monthly now called just plain old Auto World. First monthly issue is for the month of July. The XG story isn't anything new, like Motor Trend they liked it.

majorthomecho

Thanks John for the reply about Auto World (formerly Weekly). I am sorry to see that about the frequency change, but at least they will still be publishing. I guess I have a soft spot for that publication and their publishing a couple letters of comment of mine have nothing to do with it. : )

Now if someone can just tell me what happened to AutoWeek.

Keeping this on topic, can someone tell me why Hyundai chose not to use the Grandeur name for the XG? With all the other offerings having "names", the XG having a letters and numbers designation seems out of place.

john0

Not sure what happened to those guys, I haven't seen that rag around for a while. Maybe because I didn't renew. I didn't like it too much due half the paper was full of advertisements. Not to mention that Auto World has it's share too. The July issue looked like pretty much a rush job with a bunch of repeat/rewritten articles and a ton of comparisons in the back. But your right the best thing about AutoWeek is that it comes out every week to satisfy that AutoJones in ya.

elantra00

It is monthly now, I believe. Now that you have mention it, I havent seen weekly issues around the past few weeks, which sadens me becuase that was one of my favorite car magazines. That and Car & Driver. What I like about Autoworld is that it has far less advertisements then Car and Driver, yet both magazines content cannot be beat. Unfortuantely, the magazine is sitting on my desk at work. Majorthomecho, the issue is either June or July, But on the cover, it has a picture of the PT Cruiser Convertible that may/may not go into production...I didn't get to that article yet.... I only have a 1/2 hr for lunch and too much to do in so little time!

bwia

The publication is now called "AMI Auto World Magazine" and it is published monthly. The latest issue is July 2001 (it says to display until July 10, 2001). The road test review appears on page 26. To read an Internet review (not the same as the print version), try this link.

http://www.amiautoworld.com/RTarchive/2001/Hyundai/2001HyundaiXG300.htm

Enjoy!

tanveerm

I'm not sure if this was the marketing logic but...in one of the car mag's I was reading recently, they mentioned how Acura made a decision a few years ago to slowly replace all their car names (Integra, Legend etc.) with alpha-numeric combinations. The logic was that people would stop saying "That Integra is a hot car" or "That Legend looks classy" and instead say "That Acura is blah blah" (Average person not likely to say "That CL looks great". This way, more goodwill or brand recognition is spread on the entire company's line-up. Also, it puts their names in the league of BMW's and Mercedes, who probably invented the strategy. I think Hyundai feels it has to go with XG300 instead of Grandeur cause they EVENTUALLY want to compete with Lexus, Infiniti, BMW, Acura, Mercedes.

bri70

opinions regarding the XG from Edmunds and Auto World.

I imagine if you come to the XG with an sports sedan bias, you will be disappointed. But the XG was not designed to be a sports sedan. IMHO, the reviewer should review the car from the perspective of the intended buyer.

j1j2j3

for a car of that size in the U.S.

In other countries it is on the rather large size, so that name may fit, but not in the U.S.

They also removed the hood ornament fearing it would look too obnoxious.

xg301

Just bought an XG300L about 3months ago, falling in love with it everyday. One thing I do need is to put a set of rear mud guards on since it did not come with it. Been trying to find them but no success yet. Any help from you all ?

majorthomecho

What was the hood ornament?

Not knowing what it was, I am not sure if they considered it obnoxious (was it a one finger salute? j/k) or not, but it might have to do with the fact that no cars for sale in this country around that price range or under have hood ornaments. Or at least, I cannot think of any. Can anyone?

yk911

you can order a set from www.hdkautosport.com

as for the hood ornament.. it's something to be desired... just like the american spec. wheels.. = )

j1j2j3

Well it wasn't THAT obnoxious, but you are right in saying that it's not right for the price range.

You can check it out at the Hyundai Website by going into countries other than North America.

xg301

yk911 i just want to say a big thank you for your help. The web site you referred me to certainly has it and more. I really appreciate that.

har1bush

What do you guys thing? XG300L vs. Camry XLE V6 and Accord EX V6... It doesn't seem like there's a lot of price difference between all three and in fact, the Accord seems to be even cheaper than the XG300L (according to Edmunds.com TMV). To me it seems like a toss up... the XG gives you the trip computer, memory seats, and other stuff that you can't even option for in the Camry or Accord, but XG doesn't have the powertrain to match the other cars (0-60 times indicate the XG is about a full second slower than the others). Any comments?

I'm also looking at the Volvo S40, S60 (but with no options except automatic trans), and Audi A4 1.8T. I like the Audi and the Volvos b/c of their safety devices and the marque nameplates, but they don't have V6's. Are there any disadvantages to the four-banger turbo engines of S40 and A4 compared to the V6 engines?

Seems like at this price range, we are forced to make sacrifices, but being on the doorsteps of the near luxury market, we want everything that a Lexus or an Acura has...

john0

I think you answered your own question with your last sentence. Remember the XG is not a sport sedan it's more of a Buick type luxury ride that handles very well. If you intend to keep the car for longer than 5 years I say go with the XG and run it until the 10 year/100k runs out. As for the powertrain, it's not a racer but I'll tell ya few times I got on it playing stickshift ( normally I just leave it in drive ) and had fun time, too much as a matter of fact as I hit 80 in no time.

liljonson

with the comparison. I don't think I would compare the xg300 with the accord or the camry. xg300 is more luxurious than that and I think the sonata ls v-6 is a better comparison with the camry and accord. but hats just me

mikewesq

Drove from Richmond to Williamsburg, VA, last night in a wild thunderstorm. Car handled flawlessly. Strong, safe and secure is what I was thinking as I motored through the rain and lighting. I am so glad I made the the right choice and bought a XG300L. I hope to drive this car for many years to come. For those curious about this car, believe me when I tell you that a test drive will convince you that yes, you do want to buy a Hyundai!

Re: comparisons with Honda Accord, check out the Motor Trend comparison article.

dvdphile1

Was wondering if you had your earlier "wind" & "drift" problems corrected by the dealer, and if so, what they did? I"m expecting my new 300L in a few days and like you have followed this forum to be well informed. How about the road noise issue? In other cars i have had, i have used the canned undercoat seal as well as the silencing pads under the back seat with some help. Anything else i might look for? Your earlier posts were appreciated..... Thanks.

elantra00

As John said, the XG300 is more of a Buick ride. It is not meant to have the punch that an accord V6 has. The Accord V6 was designed to be versatile family sedan in that it has 4 doors for the family, yet has a sporty motor. Step on the gas and it throws you back in the seat. The XG300 is more of a luxery ride. Smooth acceleration rather then a punch. Heres the answer to your question. If you are looking for luxery and comfort, a car that you can relax in and just cruise and fit the whole family in at an affordable price, then the XG300 is it. IF you are looking for a car with spunk, speed, yet can fit the whole family in, but like it to have a nice sport tuned ride, then I would opt for the accord V6. If you are willing to dig deeper into your pockets, then go for the A4 or Volvo. However, the same goes for them as the accord. They are for a sport luxery because they are more or less a sports sedan rather then just for luxery as the XG300. I view the XG300 as luxery at an affordable price. The accord, A4 and Volvo are in a different class. The XG leaves the sports feel behind while those cars keep it. I mean, take a look at it. Its like the Lincoln of Hyundai cars. No real sports performance...just luxery

har1bush

Now I'm getting a bit confused... I have yet to drive the XG, but it sounds to me that people are interchanging the terms smooth and just-down-right-slow(er). For instance, my E320 Benz accelerates "smooth" but it hits 0-60 in under 8 sec. (plenty fast enough). What concerns me the most is that XG wouldn't have enough punch to pass people on the freeway (which can be dangerous) because of the meager 178lb-ft of torque and its hefty body (3600+ lbs). Heck I'm just going by numbers so far but I would think a Camry, for instance, would be just as smooth, but faster, and can be had with similar equipment levels as the XG for maybe a grand more (after hard-fought negotiations).

miamiguy

I drive both in the city and on the expressway. I have not had any issues with not having enough power. The engine reacts quite nicely to a good punch of the gas pedal. If you want even more power, you can switch to manual on the fly and downshift to 4th gear from 5th.

I don't think the Camry and the X.G compare for luxury feel and ride. Although the Camry is more likely to have a better resale value down the road, I like driving a car you don't see on every single block.