... and here's what I did for the key, using a leather pouch for a "Zen Stone," a memory chip case with some minimal ID tucked inside the pouch and a couple more split rings and a quick-disconnect to let me attach it to my house key ring...
I recently looked at a 2008 Acura RL with Technology package and compared the luxury features of it to my Azera Limited with Ultimate. Amazing what the Azera has that the RL does not. Decided the Azera features outweighed the ones in the RL-at least to my wants.
Let's not even talk about the difference in price! However, there will always be those that must have an Acura and would select the RL over the Azera for that fact alone.
Have any of you happened to notice that you don't need an add on roof air deflector on your Azera with a moonroof? Sometime when it is open, reach up and grab the built in deflector that pops up. Pull it up and down and you can feel the difference, with and without it. Nice touch.
Personally, I learned a lesson with the moonroof wind deflector on my '02 Sonata...they tear the paint up after miles and miles of buffeting in the wind. So...when I purchased my Azera, the wind deflector wasn't even considered. I've seen a few with them and I really don't care for the look of them on the Azera...however, that's just my personal feeling.
I drive with the roof open a lot and the wind noise isn't an issue to me, however...I've got a sound system that overwhelms most of it anyway!
Having learned from experience, I always test the car with the sunroof open and tilted to determine if I need a deflector. IMO, Azera does not need one.
is what I call my Azera Limited w/Ultimate pckg. Got it 1st week of March this year. I have driven Acura TLs for 10 years - had 3 and LOVED them all...pursued the Azera based on a friend's (in the know) recommendation and I am very pleased. I am in medical sales, work in South FL and wanted a vehicle to be as full size a feel as possible so I feel safer on the road - very bad driving down here. I got the black pearl w/BROWN interior...I enjoy every bell & whistle; and it is built with ergonomic smarts:
- love pulling in the side view mirrors; parking all day long & don't want dings;ATM - solid cupholders - not the wirey holders - great storage space incl the tilting map compartments in the doors - love the power adj for steering wheel - always readjusting based on how my trip is; how long - suit or jeans - sunshade - Fl heat - I'll take all the help I can get; wine won't spoil as easily - love the heated seats for my lower back - have noticed that on occasion when the car is on w/music & I go to the trunk - there somehow is a speaker directing music to the trunk - having looked at the new '09 TL, I realized the car, though bigger this model year, still likes to have a sports-feel-the-road feel; great, if that's what u like; I wanted smoothe, quiet and luxury; can store & access easily 2 cellphones & my GPS SO FAR, SO GOOD..my one concern, perhaps just a one time oddity, I loved Acura b/c the AC wld not fail - sitting for a couple hrs in the summer heat cooling system was crisp & quick; not sure the Azera is quite as efficient, though pretty good so far..
Oh, and as I am 5'3" and enjoy the flexibility in all the power seat adjusting & the power steering wheel adjusting - forgot to note the power foot pedal adjusting...
have used the automatic window wiper sensors, as well; lately w/this rainy season..
Love my 2008 Azera Limited with Ultimate Package also....just one quick correction: There aren't any special speakers directed into the truck area; you've just got two great L/R stereo speakers plus a BIG subwoofer mounted just above the trunk on the interior panel below the back window. You're just hearing them from behind.....;)
Thanx for the clarification, dcrobbie; still somewhat concerned about the AC not as crisp as quickly as what I'm used to w/the Acura TL...important to me down here in FL - in & out of the care all day long trying to maintain a "fresh" face..
The AC works great for famed Houston summers, so I am sure you'd be good as well in FL. But just to be sure, get the AC checked & see if the freon is up to snuff & there are no leaks etc.
Black car in Southern Florida ?????? That poor AC has to be working overtime I know that car looks great in black but a poor choice for your area It might help if you tilt open the moon roof when parked so you can drain off some of the heat build up
In the least, get one of those reflective sun shades you can put in the front window when parked, raise the rear sun screen, crack the windows, raise the sunroof (and close the sunroof shade partially....and that will help some.
I've got 35% tint on my windows and the only time the A/C works hard is when temps reach up in the mid-90's+.
"SHE" does have the black exterior w/brown (not beige) interior - when home the car is garaged; In the summer here in S Florida it is often in the 90's with a high heat index; throughout the day b/c I am a sales rep, the car may be in the sun... windows cracked, and the like are a risk this time of year - very sub-tropical weather..rain is unpredictable.
will the extra tinting make a difference?
Thanx for the feedback - and to the Houston poster who has not had any probs w/AC
YES!!! Tinting blocks a good portion of the sun's rays and makes it much easier on your A/C, not to mention...your leather will be better protected as well. They've got various shades of tint (check local laws for what's legal), I know with SUV's 20% is what's on the rear windows. Some even have a reflective coating on them to give them a slightly mirrored appearance.
For tinting look not at color but at UV blocking- that's where the heat is from! It's easy to find films that will block 90+% of the heat w/o having a gansta-dark look-attracts the local constabulary, as well..
Good info!!! Also, look for the ceramic tints instead of the metallic ones. There's discussion about the metalic tint affecting reception of the am/fm radio antenna located in the rear window.
I brought up color because there are various colors and shades of tints out there. While color and shade would be purely costmetic, you definitely want something that's got a high UV blocking factor...especially in your part of the country.
Also, please be aware that the tinting laws vary wildly from state to state. So, if you travel outside the state frequently, do a little research on the laws in the states you frequent. I am told that states like CA are very strict & CA won't even allow driver's side to be tinted. It seems that the local constabulary has a special fondness for out of state plate cars with tinted windows.
The past week it has been in mid 90s here in Houston and my Azzy's AC is working like a champ.
You are so right allmet. Got my 08 in Feb and had the windows tinted legal 35% all side and rear windows. Car is black on black and now the indoor temp has dropped dramatically, plus I use a windshield cover whenever I park for half hour or more. I haven't used the rear screen since I had the tint installed, guess I'm afraid it will scratch the tint, installer says no, someday I'll try it out. Now the car really looks good with the tinted windows.
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SilverBullett00...you really don't have to worry about the rear screen scratching the tint, it doesn't even touch the window until it gets to about the top 1/3 of the window but there are some soft rubber wheels on the corners of the shade bar that allow the shade to ease along the window.
Before I traded my Azera in I had my car tinted the legal limit last summer. Although it looked nice I wished I had left the windows alone for the following reasons:
1. Visability at night diminishes, because of the tint.
2. Your automatic tinting rear view mirror will no longer darken at night because of glare. A nice feature for headlight glare only at night now useless because of tint.
3. The refection glare off the tint of the light colored dash inside of the car when looking out the driver's window was irksome. I have a tight parking spot between two pillars. Because of the reflection issue I had to start opening the windows so I could see the driver's outside rear view mirror in order to properly glide the Azera between the two pillars.
I just bought a new Genesis and will not tint its windows for the safety reasons above.
Grand endorsement - thanx much!! Though I will get the AC checked out; freon, leaks and such. Interesting note about out-of-state concerns (wish I had the problem!!) Great info! People stop me all the time to compliment me on the car - so far so good for me - enjoying every bell & whistle! Hope you are as well. Thanx again.
Allmet33 - more great advice! Thank you. I believe here in FL I can tint the front sides...I feel well-armed when I go to this "trustworthy" tinting person - I ALWAYS have my rear sunshade up - interesting comments - thanks to all for priceless info
Not sure what the legal limit is where you're located, but here in MD it's 35% and I can tell you, visibility doesn't diminish to the point you can't see.
As far as the auto dimming rear view mirror, it depends on the lights hitting it. There are times mine still dims when lights hit it, but for the most part...there's no need for it to dim because the tinted rear window takes care of the glare.
Reflection glare off the tint of the light colored dash??? I've got the beige interior and I have no issues with any reflections or glares getting in the way of me parking. Maybe it's the type of tint you had installed, not sure.
Also, you may try a lighter shade of tint next time too. Trust me, you & your car (leather & dash) would benefit from extra UV protection.
Yeah I thought I'd love the tint when I got it, but it had the unexpected consquences that I described in the earlier post. I found out that 35% tint was too dark for my needs.
The Genesis windows have noticably darker tint that comes from the factory perhaps twice as dark than my Azera, yet much lighter than the 35% limit. This is noticable when looking into the car. This better suits my needs.
I'll tell you the 2 years and 55k miles later never had a major problem with my Azera except when the A/C compresser went out at 20k. The Azera remains a beautiful car.
No, prior to the tinting their was no reflections of the beige dash on the driver's side window. The reflection was worse at night especially when parking in my very tight space at night. If I was to close (scrapping the side of Azera to the cement pillars) I had to roll down the window to make a better judgement. Before the tint I never had to roll down the windows because of any type of reflection.
I was expecting to really enjoy the tint on the Azera (looked great from the outside) but was disappointed by the side effects that I mention in this post and the original post. So my answer is make sure the tint is right for you before spending the money.
I've now had 5 different Hyundais since I bought since 1996
96 Accent 75k miles 00 Sonta 70k 04 XG350 60k 06 Azera 56k 09 Genesis now
I've always been very happy with cars from Hyundai, with no problems after putting on the lots of miles on each vehicle. Every time, I bought(after the Accent) I traded up to the best sedan Hyundai had to offer at the time of purchased. Each product improved greatly year after year. Even though the Azera is great front wheel drive and beautiful car. The Genesis builds on that quality with a rear drive platform, comfort, and all the Tech goodies that I have come like in products from Hyundai.
I tend to agree. I am not a fan of dark tints at all as they make driving at night a pain in the rear (for those of us who actually use the side and rear mirrors). As the Azera has a factory tint that also blocks UV rays (reduces solar gain), I saw no need to add tint to my 09 Azera or my 07 Santa Fe. But to each his own.
If Hyundai copied anything from Toyotas Avalon or Camry it wasn't the design of the floor mats. At least we don't have to worry about them sliding under or over the gas pedal. Imagine spending 40K for a Avalon and having a recall for floor mats.
A tragic accident. What I have a difficult time understanding is how an expert driver like a patrolman was not able to get the gearshift into neutral in the time it took another occupant to call 911.
While the Azera has fastened-down floor mats, I did sort of bypass them by putting un-fastened, dark mats on top of my light-tan OEM mats, to protect them.
And in short order, I did almost run over another car at a light when I stepped on the brake and accellerated! I stood on the brake with both feet and turned off the engine, then saw that my movable over-mat was up under the accellerator pedal, where it likely had engaged the metal strut that the pedal mounts to, pushing down on the strut...
Putting mat over another is never a good idea. Everytime I get in my Azzy, I look in the footwell to make sure that the mat is in place. I have convinced my wife to do that as well.
For those of you who have the adjustable pedals, just to be safe, raise them a little so that there's more clearance.
First off I really love my 09' Azera Limited (Ultimate Plus Package w/navigation and the upgraded sound system), what a great car for the money. It offers a lot of bang for the dollar, runs great and has a lot of creature comforts that cars costing considerably more fail to offer. I picked mine up used for $22k with only 7800 miles on it. It had a clean Carfax and was not smoked in. It was a Hyundai corporate exec's vehicle that had no blemishes on it anywhere..with the exception that he/she failed to do a tire balance/rotation causing the practically brand new tires to have a cupping issue to the inside of the tire, which to my delight Michelin replaced under warranty at zero cost to me.
For my $$ I went with Llumar's Air Blue 80 series of tint. It provides great optical clarity for both day and night driving, some glare reduction and is fully legal on all windows in most states. I was skeptical about the tint at 1st but it has offered some great heat reduction and looks great on my vehicle. Here is some information on the tint. It offers 99.9% UV protection, 43% heat reduction, 13% glare reduction. I'm in Florida and it gets very hot/humid during the summers and can reach 100+ degrees with the heat index. I have had zero issues with my Azera's air conditioner being able to keep up with the heat with the use of this tint. The glass on the Azera offers some natural heat reduction value on top of that of the Air Blue 80. Combined value of the glass and the Air Blue 80 using a Car Tint meter showed a 52% overall heat reduction. I also use a sun shade on the front window and a light colored towel over the steering wheel when I am parking for more then 30 minutes. My car sits outside all day and it is never unbearable even with leather seats. The AC gets going rather quickly and the interior becomes comfortable within a matter of minutes.
On a side note, does anyone feel that the new 2011 Azera is worth the $$ ? It has a few changes made to it but nothing to spectacular overall in my opinion. I guess the 6 speed transmission is nice but I really wish the would have given it a true key-less entry/push button start like they did with the 2011 Sonata. Also I wish they would have added an .MP3/Aux jack to the top end stereo system with the navigation package. It looks like they stayed with the horrible navigation system from the earlier models. The company that provides the maps for the system is way overpriced and very slow to bring updated maps to the market. Hyundai didn't listen to customer feedback when making these decisions.
It's looking like the 2011 is the end of the line for the Azera since they did minimal changes to it for the "new" and updated model. I am guessing that the Sonata will move into the slot of the Azera after 2011, followed by the Genesis and the new Equus. The 2011 Sonata has a lot more technological advancements made to it then the new Azera which is just sad. At 1st I was thinking about upgrading from my 2009 to the 2011 Azera but now I'm not sure it is worth the additional money it would cost me.
My 09' Azera only has 11.7k miles on it and still runs like it is brand new, it was manufactured in July of 2008. I have made a few maintenance choices to keep it running strong. I went with a K&N air filter for the engine, switched to Penzoil Platinum Synthetic Oil and a better oil filter. Every 6 tanks of gas I add 1 bottle of Lucas Fuel Treatment and a moisture removal additive. Here is Florida the Humidity can quickly cause moisture build up if not kept under control. I kept records on my gas mileage before/after making these changes and have gained on average 4-5mpg depending on my foot , which makes buying the additives and the few changes I made well worth the $. Once the tires need changing somewhere way down the road I will not go with the Michelin's that are on there again. There are better choices that cost a little bit less, will provide a little more gas mileage and not have as much road noise as the Michelin's tend to have.
Overall I am very happy with my Azera, I just wish they would have made a few more changes to it for the 2011 model to make it worth purchasing. I'm not sure that what they have done justifies the cost of the new model. I will go look at it when it hits the showroom floor and make some decisions from there.
Glad you're loving your Azera. I think you're thinking right in that the 2011 Azera isn't worth upgrading to over your '09. The biggest benefit you would get is 20 more ponies under the hood & a 6-speed tranny to help it achieve similar fuel economy to your 5-speed tranny harnessing 263 ponies.
Please tell us if the K&N filter makes a huge difference or not. I've been toying with the idea of getting one msyelf.
Get what you can out of the OEM tires, but when you do put new ones on, you'll be asking yourself why you waited so long to do it. I know I did.
You can think that the changes from '09 to '11 aren't significant, but imagine being someone like me with an '06! I would consider the '11 Azera, but I've got my eye on either a Genesis or maybe even an Equus (we'll see).
The K&N air filter is definitely worth the $32 I spent, it alone bumps your mileage up 2-3mpg and has a million mile warranty on it. It is important to run a fuel additive through your gas also from time to time. STP in the the red bottle or Lucas is two good choices. I also added Lucas Synthetic Oil Stabilizer which has helped stop dry starts and really makes the engine perform at peak potential.
If I was upgrading from an 06' to the 2011 Azera then by all means I would say your getting one heck of an upgrade, but from my 09' it's questionable if it is worth the $ spent. Maybe i will wait till late next year and see if they are coming out with a 2012 model or if it is the end of the life line for the car. I truly hope it is not, it is one great vehicle for the price. Hopefully they listen to the owners of this vehicle and keep it in the lineup
That's good to hear on the K&N filter. I've always done a fuel additive with every oil change. My preference is Berryman's Chem-Tool.
I agree with you...'09 to the '11 isn't such an upgrade that would warrant starting over on another car so soon.
I'm having a GREAT run with my Azera, currently over 86k miles. Since I have a family with 3 girls (two of them teens), I need the size. So my next move will definitely be up. I do agree...the Azera needs to stay in the line up, maybe they need to change the body to fit more with the current Sonata as they are going to refresh the Genesis to fit in line with the Equus.
That would be nice to see them refresh the Azera's body style like that, but one of the things that have made the car so nice is it doesn't look like everything else on the road. I get told all the time, what a nice looking car..what are you driving?....and people are really surprised it's a Hyundai. I think that the Genesis for my $ is where I will go next unless they truly refresh the Azera and add the remote/push button start, auto leveling headlights etc... The funny thing right now is if you look at the tail end of a Genesis and then you look at the Azera they both share the same rear end with a few cosmetic changes..right down to the exhaust. One thing I really love having is the LED tail lights, it is such a great safety feature and really makes the rear end light up like a Christmas Tree; (can you imagine a person trying to tell a cop I didn't see his brake lights)...here's your sign lol :shades:
I will have to try the Berryman's Chem-Tool your talking about and see how it performs in comparison to the Lucas products. I keep a detailed ECO log in my smart-phone and on the GPS to see how it compares to the information given by the cars built in MPG reader and distance till empty and have found that it is not 100% accurate. It can have a variance vs. my 2 devices by as much as 3-5mpg and as much as 50+ miles on the DTE. I'm consistently seeing 400 miles out of a tank of gas with city driving and moderate AC use and upwards of 540+ on the highway. Making those few changes are well worth it just for the improved gas mileage alone. What tires did you replace yours with once the stock ones ran down?...Thanks for the info, it's really nice to talk with a fellow owner who likes their Azera as much as I do
Well...the 2011 Azera refresh still has it looking like an Azera. I do like the fact that they changed the fog lights to smaller round ones and the front end is just a bit more chiseled, but other than that...it's untouched. I don't think it would be hurt any if it were changed to fall in line more with the Sonata though. As much as the Azera stands apart from rest of the line-up, it still has cues from other cars. I can't tell you how many times someone has made a comment on my nice "Beemer". I had a guy that I play football with ride in my car at least 8 or 9 times and the whole time he thought he was riding in an Infiniti.
Let me know what you think of the Chem-Tool product. I usually get mine from Walmart for just under $3/can. I wait till I go fill up after my oil change and pour it in before filling up so it'll mix really well. I'll be purchasing a K&N filter in the near future and hopefully I'll see the differences you have experienced.
As far as the tires, I swapped mine out for the General Altimax HP's. I have noticed and enjoyed a significant change in ride quality, much quieter tire, better handling and much better overall performance than the OEM Michelins.
Comments
<img src="http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s228/Gamle-ged/Azerakeytreatment.jpg
I drive with the roof open a lot and the wind noise isn't an issue to me, however...I've got a sound system that overwhelms most of it anyway!
I got the black pearl w/BROWN interior...I enjoy every bell & whistle; and it is built with ergonomic smarts:
- love pulling in the side view mirrors; parking all day long & don't want dings;ATM
- solid cupholders - not the wirey holders
- great storage space incl the tilting map compartments in the doors
- love the power adj for steering wheel - always readjusting based on how my trip
is; how long - suit or jeans
- sunshade - Fl heat - I'll take all the help I can get; wine won't spoil as easily
- love the heated seats for my lower back
- have noticed that on occasion when the car is on w/music & I go to the trunk -
there somehow is a speaker directing music to the trunk
- having looked at the new '09 TL, I realized the car, though bigger this model year,
still likes to have a sports-feel-the-road feel; great, if that's what u like; I wanted
smoothe, quiet and luxury; can store & access easily 2 cellphones & my GPS
SO FAR, SO GOOD..my one concern, perhaps just a one time oddity, I loved Acura b/c the AC wld not fail - sitting for a couple hrs in the summer heat cooling system was crisp & quick; not sure the Azera is quite as efficient, though pretty good so far..
have used the automatic window wiper sensors, as well; lately w/this rainy season..
The AC works great for famed Houston summers, so I am sure you'd be good as well in FL. But just to be sure, get the AC checked & see if the freon is up to snuff & there are no leaks etc.
That poor AC has to be working overtime
I know that car looks great in black but a poor choice for your area
It might help if you tilt open the moon roof when parked so you can drain off some of the heat build up
Please tell me that the interior is a light color at least!!! :surprise:
Just a guess :shades:
In the least, get one of those reflective sun shades you can put in the front window when parked, raise the rear sun screen, crack the windows, raise the sunroof (and close the sunroof shade partially....and that will help some.
I've got 35% tint on my windows and the only time the A/C works hard is when temps reach up in the mid-90's+.
windows cracked, and the like are a risk this time of year - very sub-tropical weather..rain is unpredictable.
will the extra tinting make a difference?
Thanx for the feedback - and to the Houston poster who has not had any probs w/AC
YES!!! Tinting blocks a good portion of the sun's rays and makes it much easier on your A/C, not to mention...your leather will be better protected as well. They've got various shades of tint (check local laws for what's legal), I know with SUV's 20% is what's on the rear windows. Some even have a reflective coating on them to give them a slightly mirrored appearance.
I appreciate the feedback.
I brought up color because there are various colors and shades of tints out there. While color and shade would be purely costmetic, you definitely want something that's got a high UV blocking factor...especially in your part of the country.
The past week it has been in mid 90s here in Houston and my Azzy's AC is working like a champ.
See you there!
1. Visability at night diminishes, because of the tint.
2. Your automatic tinting rear view mirror will no longer darken at night because of glare. A nice feature for headlight glare only at night now useless because of tint.
3. The refection glare off the tint of the light colored dash inside of the car when looking out the driver's window was irksome. I have a tight parking spot between two pillars. Because of the reflection issue I had to start opening the windows so I could see the driver's outside rear view mirror in order to properly glide the Azera between the two pillars.
I just bought a new Genesis and will not tint its windows for the safety reasons above.
Thanx again.
- I ALWAYS have my rear sunshade up - interesting comments - thanks to all for priceless info
Not sure what the legal limit is where you're located, but here in MD it's 35% and I can tell you, visibility doesn't diminish to the point you can't see.
As far as the auto dimming rear view mirror, it depends on the lights hitting it. There are times mine still dims when lights hit it, but for the most part...there's no need for it to dim because the tinted rear window takes care of the glare.
Reflection glare off the tint of the light colored dash??? I've got the beige interior and I have no issues with any reflections or glares getting in the way of me parking. Maybe it's the type of tint you had installed, not sure.
Also, you may try a lighter shade of tint next time too. Trust me, you & your car (leather & dash) would benefit from extra UV protection.
Yeah I thought I'd love the tint when I got it, but it had the unexpected consquences that I described in the earlier post. I found out that 35% tint was too dark for my needs.
The Genesis windows have noticably darker tint that comes from the factory perhaps twice as dark than my Azera, yet much lighter than the 35% limit. This is noticable when looking into the car. This better suits my needs.
I'll tell you the 2 years and 55k miles later never had a major problem with my Azera except when the A/C compresser went out at 20k. The Azera remains a beautiful car.
A/C compressor going down at 20k miles, good thing it was covered by that great warranty!!! :shades:
What state were you in when tinting legal limit?
Did you do rear window or only sides?
Do you recall if you got similar refections prior to tinting?
Why the Genesis?
Thank you.
All sides and rear same shade of tint
No, prior to the tinting their was no reflections of the beige dash on the driver's side window. The reflection was worse at night especially when parking in my very tight space at night. If I was to close (scrapping the side of Azera to the cement pillars) I had to roll down the window to make a better judgement. Before the tint I never had to roll down the windows because of any type of reflection.
I was expecting to really enjoy the tint on the Azera (looked great from the outside) but was disappointed by the side effects that I mention in this post and the original post. So my answer is make sure the tint is right for you before spending the money.
I've now had 5 different Hyundais since I bought since 1996
96 Accent 75k miles
00 Sonta 70k
04 XG350 60k
06 Azera 56k
09 Genesis now
I've always been very happy with cars from Hyundai, with no problems after putting on the lots of miles on each vehicle. Every time, I bought(after the Accent) I traded up to the best sedan Hyundai had to offer at the time of purchased. Each product improved greatly year after year. Even though the Azera is great front wheel drive and beautiful car. The Genesis builds on that quality with a rear drive platform, comfort, and all the Tech goodies that I have come like in products from Hyundai.
And in short order, I did almost run over another car at a light when I stepped on the brake and accellerated! I stood on the brake with both feet and turned off the engine, then saw that my movable over-mat was up under the accellerator pedal, where it likely had engaged the metal strut that the pedal mounts to, pushing down on the strut...
For those of you who have the adjustable pedals, just to be safe, raise them a little so that there's more clearance.
For my $$ I went with Llumar's Air Blue 80 series of tint. It provides great optical clarity for both day and night driving, some glare reduction and is fully legal on all windows in most states. I was skeptical about the tint at 1st but it has offered some great heat reduction and looks great on my vehicle. Here is some information on the tint. It offers 99.9% UV protection, 43% heat reduction, 13% glare reduction. I'm in Florida and it gets very hot/humid during the summers and can reach 100+ degrees with the heat index. I have had zero issues with my Azera's air conditioner being able to keep up with the heat with the use of this tint. The glass on the Azera offers some natural heat reduction value on top of that of the Air Blue 80. Combined value of the glass and the Air Blue 80 using a Car Tint meter showed a 52% overall heat reduction. I also use a sun shade on the front window and a light colored towel over the steering wheel when I am parking for more then 30 minutes. My car sits outside all day and it is never unbearable even with leather seats. The AC gets going rather quickly and the interior becomes comfortable within a matter of minutes.
On a side note, does anyone feel that the new 2011 Azera is worth the $$ ? It has a few changes made to it but nothing to spectacular overall in my opinion. I guess the 6 speed transmission is nice but I really wish the would have given it a true key-less entry/push button start like they did with the 2011 Sonata. Also I wish they would have added an .MP3/Aux jack to the top end stereo system with the navigation package. It looks like they stayed with the horrible navigation system from the earlier models. The company that provides the maps for the system is way overpriced and very slow to bring updated maps to the market. Hyundai didn't listen to customer feedback when making these decisions.
It's looking like the 2011 is the end of the line for the Azera since they did minimal changes to it for the "new" and updated model. I am guessing that the Sonata will move into the slot of the Azera after 2011, followed by the Genesis and the new Equus. The 2011 Sonata has a lot more technological advancements made to it then the new Azera which is just sad. At 1st I was thinking about upgrading from my 2009 to the 2011 Azera but now I'm not sure it is worth the additional money it would cost me.
My 09' Azera only has 11.7k miles on it and still runs like it is brand new, it was manufactured in July of 2008. I have made a few maintenance choices to keep it running strong. I went with a K&N air filter for the engine, switched to Penzoil Platinum Synthetic Oil and a better oil filter. Every 6 tanks of gas I add 1 bottle of Lucas Fuel Treatment and a moisture removal additive. Here is Florida the Humidity can quickly cause moisture build up if not kept under control. I kept records on my gas mileage before/after making these changes and have gained on average 4-5mpg depending on my foot
Overall I am very happy with my Azera, I just wish they would have made a few more changes to it for the 2011 model to make it worth purchasing. I'm not sure that what they have done justifies the cost of the new model. I will go look at it when it hits the showroom floor and make some decisions from there.
Please tell us if the K&N filter makes a huge difference or not. I've been toying with the idea of getting one msyelf.
Get what you can out of the OEM tires, but when you do put new ones on, you'll be asking yourself why you waited so long to do it. I know I did.
You can think that the changes from '09 to '11 aren't significant, but imagine being someone like me with an '06!
If I was upgrading from an 06' to the 2011 Azera then by all means I would say your getting one heck of an upgrade, but from my 09' it's questionable if it is worth the $ spent. Maybe i will wait till late next year and see if they are coming out with a 2012 model or if it is the end of the life line for the car. I truly hope it is not, it is one great vehicle for the price. Hopefully they listen to the owners of this vehicle and keep it in the lineup
I agree with you...'09 to the '11 isn't such an upgrade that would warrant starting over on another car so soon.
I'm having a GREAT run with my Azera, currently over 86k miles. Since I have a family with 3 girls (two of them teens), I need the size. So my next move will definitely be up. I do agree...the Azera needs to stay in the line up, maybe they need to change the body to fit more with the current Sonata as they are going to refresh the Genesis to fit in line with the Equus.
I will have to try the Berryman's Chem-Tool your talking about and see how it performs in comparison to the Lucas products. I keep a detailed ECO log in my smart-phone and on the GPS to see how it compares to the information given by the cars built in MPG reader and distance till empty and have found that it is not 100% accurate. It can have a variance vs. my 2 devices by as much as 3-5mpg and as much as 50+ miles on the DTE. I'm consistently seeing 400 miles out of a tank of gas with city driving and moderate AC use and upwards of 540+ on the highway. Making those few changes are well worth it just for the improved gas mileage alone. What tires did you replace yours with once the stock ones ran down?...Thanks for the info, it's really nice to talk with a fellow owner who likes their Azera as much as I do
Let me know what you think of the Chem-Tool product. I usually get mine from Walmart for just under $3/can. I wait till I go fill up after my oil change and pour it in before filling up so it'll mix really well. I'll be purchasing a K&N filter in the near future and hopefully I'll see the differences you have experienced.
As far as the tires, I swapped mine out for the General Altimax HP's. I have noticed and enjoyed a significant change in ride quality, much quieter tire, better handling and much better overall performance than the OEM Michelins.
I've heard complaints about the K&N being noisy....more engine/air intake noise than with the stock filters...maybe the materials and less restriction