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http://www.hyundainews.com/presskit2003/2004XG350PressRelease.htm
The replacement, code-named TG, is due sometime next year. TG is based on the next generation Sonata, NF.
it.I had in dealer yesterday for oil change and was told it was due for 24month/30K service.There
cost is$349.00+tax&shop supplies.I said just change oil today.Any thoughts on whether I should get this done,& is cost in line?
The TG will be nothing like the Kia Amanti.
p.s. The Saturn Vue/Honda engine example was pitiful. Saturn and Honda have no connections whatsoever. Everyone knows that. Kia is owned by Hyundai and they share a lot of parts so it is a lot easier to assume the Amanti and XG are very close cousins.
C&D says it's a version of the XG350.
I don't know who to believe?
Except the engine and transmission, everything is different between XG and AMANTI.
Even AMANTI will have all new V6 3.8 engine in 2006.
Codata99: read both of my messages. I speculated that the Amanti is based off the new not yet released XG, since it is slightly larger and that's what I heard from other sources. If something can be provided as verification that I am wrong, I will gladly retract my statements. So far that has not occured so I can only go by what others have stated as well as magazines.
**For do-it-yourselfers, you're permitted to do your own maintenance without jeopardizing your rights to a warranty claim. Parts/fluids receipts and your own written statement of the procedures performed are accepted by arbitrators as sufficient evidence of performance.
By the way for Hyundai shade-tree mechanics: I've found that my local Kia dealer stocks many interchangeable parts and fluids at lower prices than my Hyundia dealer. For instance: the proprietary "SP-III" ATF, different label, but same part number, is over $1.00 cheaper/qt. through the Kia dealer. (The fact that he's closer than my Hyundai dealer is frosting on the cake!) I have a base 2003 Sonata and wanted to install the in-cabin air filter that comes on the GLS and the LX models. My Hyundai dealer? $43.00 for the HEPA filter. The same filter through the Kia guy was $33.50. Defintely let your fingers do the walking on your phone...
For those of us who paid a lot more than $19,998, it is painful to see this!
At 14 months and counting, we still think highly of our XG350L.
There is NOT ONE SINGLE WORD about how the 2004 model differs from the 2003 or earlier models. Or even about any of the specific features that the car has.
Most of the blather can be summed up as follows: "It drove down the road real good."
Thanks a heap, bubba.
In other words, even if their position were correct, i.e. that your bumper HAD come into contact with "something", one would still expect that the paint should not peel off of a "bumper" if the contact were so minor as to not permanently de-form the underlying material. I could see their point if we were talking about surface abrasion, but not peeling. Suggest you determine if there is any way to appeal the decision of the regional rep.
http//www.hmaservice.com/webtech/
and go to the body electronics part then click on electronic time and alarm contol then on information and go to the bottom of the page and it shows you how to do it.
I ended up taking the car to the dealer. He programmed the fob as a favor. That web sight you sent me to is very interesting, I'm sure it will come in handy. My XG 02 has 10,000 mi. and runs very nice. I'm just a little disappointed with the gas mileage and touchy gas pedal. The trans was "re flashed" after the first week but really didn't make much difference. I do notice it's more jumpy when cold, and gets a little better as it warms up.
Thanks again
Some of the changes are easy to see; the 2004 XG350 has been tastefully restyled with a new grille, new headlight design, a new front bumper and a new front air dam with projection fog lamps. The new front end with a horizontal design airdam gives the XG a wider, more stable look and the projection fog lights give the front end a more sophisticated look.
Along the side the waistline molding is wider and at the rear there is a new decklid, new rear bumper, new taillight design and even the CHMSL (Center High Mount Stop Lamp) is new, using a bright LED light in place of the previous bulb-type light. The license plate has been moved from the rear bumper up to an inset in the decklid, giving the XG a taller, more stately look.
Slipping inside the luxurious cabin, the driver and passengers will find standard leather seating and some minor refinements such as lighter color woodgrain trim with a new pattern. Other refinements for the interior include a revised hood release lever, a redesigned tilt steering lever and the child seat tether anchors in the parcel shelf are now covered when not in use. Gas-operated lifters for the rear decklid make it easier to open. The little changes and refinements help build an excited customer base and even the seemingly insignificant details add up to delight customers.
Other refinements include a redesigned cruise control pod with ribs between the button to improve the “feel” of the switch and a new trunk pull-down handle. For 2004 even small trim details have been upgraded. For example, the lower tray of the front center armrest, which was uncovered plastic last year, has been leather-wrapped for the 2004 model year. Upgrades like these show true attention to detail.
The Hyundai value story continues with new standard features for 2004 including: rear reading lights mounted in the C-pillars, Electrochromic rearview mirror and the versatile HomeLink system.
Many of the refinements and upgrades to the 2004 model Hyundai XG350 are not so readily apparent. For one, the size of the front brakes has been increased. The diameter of the front brake rotors has been increased from 10.9-inches up to 12.1 inches. In addition, the spare tire has been upgraded to a full-size Michelin tire mounted on a matching alloy wheel.
When the luxurious Hyundai XG sedan was introduced three years ago, Hyundai asked U.S. car buyers a question. Would they spend nearly $25,000 for a Hyundai vehicle? It turns out the answer is a resounding yes. Sales of the XG, the largest, most luxurious and most expensive Hyundai ever sold in the U.S. have exceeded company plans and expectations.
The XG was first introduced in 2001 as the XG300. For the 2002 model year, the engine displacement was increased from 3.0-liters up to 3.5-liters, and as a result the XG300 became the XG350. Larger than Hyundai’s midsize Sonata model, the XG350 comes with a full complement of standard luxury features. The Hyundai XG350, a four-door, five-passenger sedan, offers buyers luxury features at middle sedan prices. Two trim levels are offered: XG350 and XG350L
For the 2004 model year, the XG350 continues to offer buyers the best value in the segment with an outstanding list of standard features including five-speed automatic transmission with Shiftronic manual control, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and traction control, dual front airbags and front seat side-impact airbags, leather seating surfaces, fully automatic temperature control, 16-inch alloy wheels fitted with Michelin tires, cruise control, keyless entry with alarm, projector beam headlamps, trip computer and much more.
“The XG350 continues to be a great value,” said Finbarr O’Neill, president and chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor America. “It offers the roominess and luxury of cars costing much more and delivers on Hyundai’s promise of superior value.”
Last year the XG350 dashboard and instrument panel was revised to feature a new, easy-to-read instrument cluster and trip computer display with improved graphics and a brighter display. The speedometer is located in the middle of the display, the tachometer is on the left side and the fuel level and engine coolant temperature gauges are in a large display on the right.
The XG350 is powered by a sophisticated, high-torque 3.5-liter V6 engine. It is a double overhead cam design and develops 194 horsepower at 5,500 RPM and 216 foot-pounds of torque at 3,500 RPM. The engine is mounted transversely and has a variable intake system and anti-vibration balance shaft. The vehicle’s overall length is 191.9 inches, overall width 71.9 inches and overall height 55.9 inches. The wheelbase is 108.3 inches.
The XG350 features Hyundai’s five-speed dual-gate Shiftronic automatic transmission with manual shift override. The Shiftronic transmission provides automatic or manual gear selection, allowing the driver to manually shift up or down the transmission range. The transmission is also fully adaptive, adjusting to the individual driving techniques of each driver.
The XG350 suspension features independent double wishbones in the front with an anti-roll bar. The rear features a multi-link suspension with dynamic toe control and anti-roll bar. Nitrogen gas-filled shocks are used at all four wheels.
The front shock absorbers have special low-velocity control valving to provide excellent high-speed ride control while still delivering a smooth ride.
Four-wheel disc brakes are standard on every XG350 model as is the four-wheel, four-sensor, four-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS). For 2004, the size of the front brake rotor has been increased from 10.9-inches up to 12.1-inches.
Every 2004 model XG350 is equipped with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) which is designed to enhance braking control. The EBD is a sub-system of the standard ABS system that eliminates the standard front/rear proportioning valve and uses instead precision sensors and electronics already installed as part of the ABS system. The EBD is designed to increase the performance of the rear brakes by delivering ideal brake force distribution to the rear wheels as well as adjust brake proportioning based on vehicle load or weight. The EBD is controlled by the ABS Control Module which calculates the slip ratio of each wheel at all times and maximizes brake pressure to the rear wheels, but never lets it exceed the pressure to the front wheels.
Comfort features in addition to those already mentioned include AM/FM/CD/Cassette stereo system with six speakers, trip computer, power door locks, power windows, exterior mirrors with heated mirror elements and power driver and passenger seats.
The XG350 is availa
There is a link to a photo gallery at the top of the page. The pictures are little. Click on them and they become humongous! (I wouldn't try it from a dial-up.) ; )
Are there any major problems or issues to look for? My wife wants a Santa Fe, but I think I've got her talked into looking at and driving the XG350L. It's priced UNDER the SF - got a quote over the internet for a 2003 XG350L of $22,500, while Santa Fe's loaded are running $24K. We don't need an SUV or 4WD.
Appreciate any help you can show me on this car.
Deke
This will be the first of two posts: One detailing my experience so far in my car search. This is for the benefit of anyone else who's comparing a bunch of cars in this price range. The second will be my opinion on the 2004 model, which I actually saw on the road today.
I currently drive a 2001 Lexus IS300. The lease is up in Sept., and I'm not going to keep it. For a variety of reasons, I want something that drives more like a luxury sedan than a sports sedan, is bigger, and is front-wheel drive, and want to spend mid- to high-$20s. So, after going to the auto show and doing some reading, I came up with the following "long list" of cars to test drive:
Mazda 6
Nissan Altima
Nissan Maxima
Honda Accord
Hyundai XG350
I've now test-driven all of these, with 6 cylinder engines, although my XG350 test drive regrettably did not include a highway stretch. Here's my observations:
Mazda 6 -- I had high hopes for this car, but it did not make my "short list." It's too sporty a ride for my taste, and a fairly noisy engine. Also, the interior tries too hard to look futuristic, and comes off as cheesy to me. Besides that, the interior materials were cheap, or at least didn't look very good. Also on the small side of these cars. (I'm 6' 4", so room is an important consideration.)
Nissan Maxima - Very nice car. Interior suffers from some of the same issues as Mazda6: trying-too-hard, futuristic look, and materials that, while better than the Mazda, are unacceptable for a car pushing $30M (in the configuration I want). I drove the Luxury suspension version, which I think should be softer than it is, particularly since there is a sport suspension available. I like this car, but probably not enough to justify the extra $$.
Nissan Altima - Very good power and room for the price. Why they only make the V6 available with the sport suspension is beyond me. Therefore, the ride is a bit stiffer than I'd prefer. This car is probably off the "short list".
Honda Accord - I've never driven a Honda before, and I expected this drive to be boring. But the Accord is actually a bit of fun. Interior materials are very nice (second only to the Hyundai among this list). I actually found the seats to be a bit restricive in the lower back. Good power. I'm not crazy about how the back end looks. This is also probably the 2nd smallest car on my list. I think this car is the safe choice of the bunch, and really has a lot going for it. But the smallish size is a significant drawback for me.
Hyundai XG350 -- I continue to be impressed by this car. Its so well equipped, and well-priced. I expected that it would end up being a car that didn't actually ride all that nice, but was dressed up to look like it did. I was dead wrong. This car really has a nice ride. Roomy. Very adequate power. For some reason, the back end bugs me, but the rest of the car is very attractive. To be honest, I drove this car out of curiosity, and it was a real darkhorse on my list. It has become the front-runner, given the styling changes for 2004. I do still need to drive it on the highway, as I'm interested in how quiet the ride is. I'm not a big fan of road noise, wind noise or engine noise on the highway. If this car leads the pack in that category this will probably be my new ride. This is very possible, since I've not been blown away by any of the others in that way.
So, given what I'm looking for in a car, here's the order of preference, as of today: XG350, Accord and Maxima (tied), Altima (nearly off the list), Mazda (off the list).
Realistically, I think I'm looking for a $40,000 quality ride for $25,000 -- and the XG350 seems to be the only game in town.
The XG350 caught my eye at the auto show this past winter in Cleveland. I don't think I'd ever seen one before. What attracted me was the nice looking front end, and how well equipped it was for the price. I see one on the road a couple of times a week, and as one comes toward me, I'm usually asking myself, "What is that really nice-looking car with the grille?" And I'm still a bit surprised that it turns out to the the Hyundai.
However, the back end has always bugged me. I can't pinpoint why, but the taillights just don't look quite right, and the trunk seems to have a strange shape. I feel like it looks dated.
They've really done a nice job re-vamping the back. This is now a VERY good looking car. I think the back now looks like a Mercedes. The new wheels look good, too. I don't personally think the front-end changes make a big difference, but I don't dislike any of them. Adding homelink was a meaningful feature.
And, for those who don't trust pictures, I actually saw one today. It was parked in the lot as I was parking at a store, and I saw that the driver was inside. So I figured I'd ask him how he likes it, since I don't know anyone who owns one, and don't see them that often. It wasn't until I was walking up to the car from behind that I realized it was the 2004. It turns out that it was a rental. The guy has had it for a few weeks while he's between cars. I was shocked. I called the local dealer here on Thursday, and he said he didn't think he'd have any until July. Plus, that news release has only been out there a few days, I think.
The guy was very impressed with the car, and was surprised when I told him what it sells for. He said he's taken it on several multi-hour trips, and believes it rides like a Lexus.
I'm looking forward to checking one out in more detail when they arrive at the dealer.
Anyone seen this?
I took it to the dealership, and they told me that they only found 'gas cap open' sign from on-board computer.
The light went off after few days and no problem since then.
Here is a list of improvements for the 04: new front and rear styling, lighter colored wood, hydraulic struts for the trunk, reading lights in the C-pillars, HomeLink garage opener, electrochromic rearview mirror, a standard cargo net, full-size alloy spare wheel, and the front brakes were increased in size from 10.9 inches to 12.0 (this should get rid of the warped rotor issues a few have mentioned in here).
Overall, looks like Hyundai knows what customers want and have made little improvements to make a good car even better. I only wish Hyundai would use a better alloy wheel design (though it is much better than what the XG300 had!) and in order to make it look more modern, they should have upgraded the gauges to something like the Accord's although I do commend them for using a clean, pleasant and very legible gauge design. I just think LED gauges would spice up the interior and show others Hyundai is up to date in technology.
I also drove the Altima and the Maxima again this week. At this point, between those two, I'm not crazy enough about the Maxima to pay the $3000 invoice difference betwen the two (given the options I'd choose), plus probably $500 less they will deal on a Maxima.
Then, between the Altima and the Honda, I'll take the Honda's superior interior, and $2000 cheaper invoice price over a slight exterior styling and room advantage, and a better stereo in the Altima.
So, its probably probably going to come down to the XG350L or the Accord EX-V6 for me. The Hyundai if I base the decision more on how much I like the car and value, the Accord if I lean toward resale value and quality. And before anyone jumps on my back about Hyundai's quality, let me state my position this way. Hyundai MAY very well be building cars of equal quality and longevity now, but that has not been proven conclusively, and they don't have the extensive track record of Honda in that department. I'll put this another way -- I'm pretty darned certain that an Accord will be relatively trouble-free and driveable in 7-10 years; I'm much less certain about the Hyundai.
However, I think its ride, styling and features put it more in competition with the cars you name -- which are a good $5-10M more expensive. I can tell you that the reason I'm interested in this car is that I want a car like the ones you mentioned, but have set my price range around $25M.
Why is it compared to cars in its price range, rather than its performance peers? I think its mostly because that's how people shop for cars. Step 1 is usually to come up with a "consideration set" -- and the major consideration is how much one wants to spend. That makes it very hard for a car that is a true value to establish itself against its performance peers. On the other hand, it will fare better in comparisons against cars in its price range. Expectations of quality, reliability, fit & finish go up with price. In that sense, the way in which this car would suffer against the cars you mention is in terms of resale value and perception of quality/reliability, which drives resale value. (Please Note: I emphasize "perception" here, not "actual" quality.) It just takes a long time for a company to establish itself along those lines -- and rightly so, in my opinion. But Hyundai seems at least to have turned the corner on this.
Even established automakers have trouble moving their images upscale - witness the failure of the Mazda Millenia, which was to be sold through a new channel, but which Mazda couldn't afford to establish - and witness VW's current difficulties in moving into the 40K+ price class.
Unless something radically changes, US buyers will not take seriously a Hyundai model sold as a near-luxury car, while it's presented in the same showroom as the much more prosaic Accent and Elantra.
If Hyundai wants to be taken seriously in this market, it will need to establish a new dealer network - which it doesn't currently have the resources to do (and if it were to announce such plans, might run afoul of its partner's plans - DaimlerChrysler is trying to move the Chrysler marque up to that class as well).
$21,334.When I picked car up was very impressed with engine performance.Two days ago filled up with 87 octane regular.I just started to notice
diminished engine performance,engine feels impeeded,rough.Suspect dealer filled tank with higher octane gas to enhance performance for test drive.Anyone know best octane for optimum performance.
jmmnh