Hyundai XG300 and XG350

leirex · February 2003

I would definitely go for the Acura with no quesiton asked as long as the Acura has no bad history with only 1000 miles on it even if I do not like 2 door sedan. It is based on my experience with the XG300.

john00 · February 2003

I would have to agree with leirex that the Acura would be the better of the two as long as a coupe meets your needs. I did a compare on the Hyundai site and the only major difference is the warranty. But the Acura 4 year warranty's not bad and resale value should be quite good as well.

blewisjr · February 2003

Got a brand new 2003 XG350 with CD changer on Valentines day for $20,303. It also came with mud flaps, cargo net and floor mats. It had 13 miles on it, looking at the date on the plastic was 2/01/03 so its fresh from the factory. Running like a champ but I do notice the accelerator is awfully touchy.

dbronzo · February 2003

Congratulations blewisjr, Great Price for a nice car. It seems that Hyundai still hasn't corrected that touchy accelerator. Your dealer can "reflash' your transmission. It helped me somewhat but not completly. That's my only complaint after one year and 8500 mi. on my "02".

john115 · February 2003

Michelein tires have no warantee on tread wear
anymore which I can't believe.This realy stinks,when mine need to be replaced I too will get another brand.You made an excellant choice
in the Bridgestone's.

john00 · February 2003

I really can't complain about the Michelin tires other than the tread life. They give a good ride but wear terrible. Funny how the tread life warranty on Michelin tires disappeared. So it must be true as Robin Williams would put it " We don't care we are French " Now all I got to hope that my transmission on my Ford Explorer doesn't wear out because I think that it's a French tranny.

john00 · February 2003

Since we finally got a snowy winter this year in the Pittsbugh Pa area, last winter didn't count, I've experienced very poor experiences trying to get up my hill with the traction control on. About half way up the hill the car just stops and you can feel the power being shifted from one wheel to the other and the car just sits there. Once I turn the TCS off I can get up the hill with only smoking the tires a little. What's been your experiences. Maybe next year I'll go the route of putting on a set of Blizzaks.

codata99 · February 2003

blewisjr, what's the VIN of your XG? The production-to-delivery time frame is almost impossible considering the two-week voyage across the ocean, prep at the port, etc.

idfored · February 2003

blewisjr,
Congratulations! I got mine in Jan. and enjoying it except a couple of minor problems. My dealer "re programed transmission" and now I have smoother start. I still am struggling with making smoooother start but it's better than when I got it first. I never knew that they can change it.
Guess what, the mechanic did it for me for wrong reason:a noise that I complained. Oh, well.....

jimpimms · March 2003

[from About Auto Repair] Traction Control
"Definition: An enhancement of an existing ABS system that prevents wheel spin while accelerating on wet or slick surfaces. It uses the same wheel speed sensors to monitor wheel speed during acceleration, but requires some additional control solenoids and a pump to apply braking pressure to control wheel spin. The traction control system brakes the drive wheel that's starting to spin to shift torque to the opposite drive wheel that still has traction. Most traction control systems only operate at speeds up to about 30 mph..."

Actually, even this is slightly misleading. TCS is really a simplistic directional stability system; it's not, as many people believe, a winter traction device. So it's no wonder you can't get up the hill... the TCS is intermittently applying the brakes, until the car finally bogs down in the snow. It's best turned off until you actually have some traction for it to control.

codata99 · March 2003

Uses one or any combination of the following:
individual wheel braking
engine torque reduction(retard ignition timing or/and reduce injection time)
transmission hold or upshifting.

Speed limit applies only to brake traction control.

codata99 · March 2003

Throttle valve control is also possible through the ETS.

john00 · March 2003

Thanks for the explanation Jim. I feel better now that I know that it's working the way it's suppose to. I never had a car with TCS before. I still think that I'm going to go with a set of Blizzaks for the next winter. The Bridgestone dealer advertises that they will do change overs for free, I wonder if that includes balancing too because you know that there is always a catch. Thanks again Jim.

chelsea3 · March 2003

My husband and I were in the market for a Hyundai Sante Fe (2003). While searching one dealership, my husband came upon a 2002 XG350L (26 miles). He was offered what he considers to be a great buy, which is $19,800 not including taxes, title and destination fees. The car is fully loaded, but that doesn't mean a whole lot since from what I see it only has about
$700 worth of extras that are not standard on the XG350L. I think this is not such a great deal as it is technically already 1.5 years old. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?? Thanks.

mikewesq · March 2003

Use Edmund's FMV calculator to find the right price for the XG. It should be about $18,100.00

Just click on USED CARS at the top of the screen and put in your info on the car, such as color and mileage, and options. Put in your zip code, and it will give you numbers for private sale as well as dealer retail. Print it out and show it to the salesman. Hang tough and insist that he meet the FMV price.

For the price, it's a whole lotta car. It's essentially unchanged for 2003, so it will still look like a "new" car.

mikewesq · March 2003

I bought my first set of winter tires early this winter. We had an early snow in Virginia, and I had a hunch that we were going to have a bad winter after more than five years of mild winters. Boy, was I right! I replaced the stock Michelins with Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grips (I saved the two Michelins that were still good, but my front tires had worn a lot on the shoulders after 30,000 miles). These Goodyears are great! They love wet roads, snow is no problem. Surprisingly quiet and comfortable ride, almost indistingushable from the Michelin ride. I plan on getting 16 or 17 inch wheels with summer tires to put on once the warm weather comes back, and then I'll keep the Ultra Grips on the stock alloy wheels. I highly recommend them.

idfored · March 2003

Chelsea3,
I think that's a good deal. I bought my XG350L 2002 at $21500 in Jan.
in Bay Area, CA(before tax, regist, after $3000 discount from dealer, $2000 rebate from Hyundai). If a car was never sold to anyone and droven for only 26miles, it is a brand new car. I did not consider mine "1.3 year old" just becaues we are in 2003. But we know dealers want to sell cars with last model year at less price.

ray_h71 · March 2003

Do the XGs currently use a so-called "drive-by-wire" accelerator in which the engine management computer directly controls fuel injection based on accelator position and force to control engine speed instead of a tradional cable attached to a butterfly valve in the throttle body? If so, I've read several recent road tests of other makes, including Mercedes-Benz, with "drive-by-wire" setups in which the testers complained of twitchy throttle response, too. Sometimes the latest whiz-bang technology isn't necessarily a functional improvement. At least Hyundai's aware that some owners aren't comfortable with the throttle response programming supplied originally from the factory and has in place the means to reprogram the engine/transmission's computer.

specialdoc2002 · March 2003

Yes, the XG has drive by wire, and it has caused owners more problems than all other aspects of the vehicle's design combined!

I must take exception to your characterization of this design feature as "latest whiz-bang technology." It was introduced by several manufacturers in the late l980's and has been an unqualified DISASTER. No one has figured out how to perfect this type of linkage between throttle pedal and engine.

My 1990 Lexus LS400 had it, and my 1999 LS400 had it. In both cases there were exasperating side-effects.

One idiotic Lexus rep told me that yes, there were the problems that I had identified, but that that is the price we must pay for the latest technology!

I have heard that Lexus abandoned this design feature in the LS430 after farting around with it for 12 years. I guess they had figured that if Mercedes did it, it must be the way to go, even though any sane person could identify its shortcomings.

Good grief.

arpus · March 2003

I have paper work signed on a 2002 XG350L at a local dealer...I have not taken delevery yet...I found this forum and now I am concerned...The car drives great...The owner of the dealer ship drove it for 4K...I think all of the things posted here have been taken care of but what about what lies ahead...I believe I could still back out but I do like the car alot.

specialdoc2002 · March 2003

arpus -

Based on current prices that I am seeing in this and another forum for 2002 XG's, I'd say that undoubtedly you would be getting a world class bargain with the XG.

We have had our XG350L for nearly 11 months. My wife drives two round trips daily between home and work. Also we have taken a number of interstate trips averaging something like 1000 miles each. The only problems we have had is the re-programming of the engine control computer and installation of a missing circlip in the front axle assembly.

I don't see either of these as having been a big deal in comparison with problems I've had with other cars. There haven't been any "failures," and both my wife and I love the way it drives. Also, her boss has a 2002 XG350L and has reported no problems.

You must consider that folks gravitate to forums such as this one when they have problems and are seeking some insight as to the exact nature of their predicament. Overall, we would have to say at this point that we are very pleased with the XG350L. This judgment is made in the context of having owned two Lexus LS400's, and nearly 50 other cars, trucks, and SUV's.

[FWIW, I have been driving a Chevrolet Avalanche for 15 months and feel that it is one of the best vehicles I have owned, and one whale of a bargain].

Good luck with your decision.

warrior6521 · March 2003

I've been watching this board for a while, reading the reviews of the XG350, and am getting closer to making a decision. I will be trading a 2000 Ford Expedition XLT 2X4. I'm expecting to take it in the shorts on trade-in due to the significant decrease in value of this piece of Detroit crap - I'm fully expecting to be $3K upside down (so much for my initial down payment!).

Have any other posters went this route before of trading in a large car or SUV? I'm curious about your dealership experience - whether you were treated fairly in trading or really raked across the coals.

Another potential issue I may have is the seemingly low money factor for residual value on leasing a Hyundai - any comments or issues from posters? Or do most folks buy vs. lease?

Thanks in advance,

Bob - Southern MD.

john00 · March 2003

Has anyone had the Tire Pressure recall sticker place in to their glovebox for the 2001 XG300 ? I thought that my dealer took care of this but I can't find it only the tire pressure sticker from the factory was found. So my question is if anyone has the updated correct tire pressure to use would you please post those numbers. I had new tires put on and they used the factory pressure number and the fronts look a little low to me.

codata99 · March 2003

The new label goes in the same location as the original one.

john00 · March 2003

What's the tire pressure readings posted on the new sticker so I can verify those numbers. Thanks

canpam · March 2003

I remember last year looking on this board and seeing a lot of people complaining--now the board sounds much like every other board on Edmunds.com.(?)

idfored · March 2003

My 3 month old XG350L-2002 makes whinging sound
(or small siren-like noise) when it's comming to stops. Also, it makes whistling noise when I take my foot off accelator pedal at any speeds. A mechanic at the dealer first thought they are not nomal. But after test-driving another XG350L-2002
which makes same noise, the dealer thinks that they are the charicteristics of XG350. I'm still
debating whether I try to live with them or go futher. Anyone has/had same problems?

john115 · April 2003

THESE GUYS MUST USE CRASH DUMMIES TO REVIEW &
RATE CARS.CLAIM LOWS FOR HEAD ROOM,HANDLING,FUEL ECONOMY& TURNING CIRCLE.HEAD ROOM?IM 6'1" AND
HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH.TURN CIRCLE ON MINE IS BETTER THAN MY CAMRY.THEY STATE RIDE&BRAKING AS ONLY HIGHS.ALSO SAID TRIM LEVEL "L" STANDS FOR LEATHER?.THEY ALSO MENTION WIND NOISE,WHICH I HAVE NEVER HAD ON MY XG300.

jimbeaumi · April 2003

Please lower your caps. No need to yell.

specialdoc2002 · April 2003

I cancelled my subscription to Consumer Reports 30 years ago when they summarily dismissed all cars with power windows and power door locks as not worthy of serious consideration, being encumbered with worthless gadgets.

As for their "Test" of the XG, their assertions make one wonder if they even looked at one. Seems as if the "report" was dry-lab'd.

Claim of inadequate head room = ridiculous.

Claim of poor handling = ridiculous.

Claim of poor fuel economy has a bit of validity,
but not if you consider how heavy the car is.

Claim of large turning circle = ridiculous.

Claim of wind noise problem = ridiculous. In fact, car is surprisingly quiet.

Consumers Reports should stick to evaluating toasters and electric fry pans.

dvdphile · April 2003

I learned a long time ago not to trust someone elses opinion (or "test") but do your own hands on comparison. This CR test of the XG is the perfect example of why. I remember quite a few years back when i bought a Nissan Sentra which CR touted quite highly. Based on that report i blindly bought that car feeling really good that i made a great decision. A couple issues later i read in CR that they no longer "recommend" this car because of a number of problems. Really makes you feal great. I still did like the car but did indeed have problems. If they are such a good authoritys why can't they find these numerous problem areas during these tests? They supposibly run them long and hard? I have nothing against Toyota or Honda or any other mfgd. but there is no doubt CR is biased. Some facts: I am over 6' tall and have my drivers seat height near the top and still have plenty of head room. Minimal wind noise. Mpg 24.5 mpg suburban driving. Execellent handling and smooth ride. CR always seems to want to test a car at the max. in different areas yet in the real world how many drivers out there are competing in the indy 500? Who cares! I had a 2000 Maxima and the trans. in this car is smoother shifting. More than likely the XG has more standard equiptment and features than any of the other similar tested cars. If you want to buy a car based on ratings by anybody i would be very careful. A close friend just bought a 2003 Accord. They asked me to look at their new car and drive it. I didn't drive it yet but it looks ok and probably drives fine i'm sure. But, i asked 3 of our other friends who have ridden in the Accord what they thought about the Accord compared to my XG. I don't have to tell you, they all quietly whipered "we like yours better". Buy what you like and be careful of what you read!

jimbeaumi · April 2003

If you are able to do you own "hands on" tests over several months and several thousand miles, go do it, because that's what CR does. If you blindly buy cars based on any publication's assessment or opinions, that's your fault not the magazine's.

As for the numerous problem areas of any car, they are not determined by the test cars CR buys. Those figures are collected by reader surveys -- far more than just one person saying "gee, my car is great". So if you are going to complain about their test of the XG or any car, at least find out what it is you are denigrating.

Other publications concur about the performance of the XG. If you enjoy your car, then that's wonderful. Go enjoy it.

specialdoc2002 · April 2003

>> If you enjoy your car, then that's wonderful. Go enjoy it. <<

jimbeaumi - You imply that there is no such thing as a "fact" about a model of car, only "feelings." Having owned approx. 50 cars, I categorically reject this line of thinking.

Some of the cars that I've owned have become generally recognized as terrific, some as total crap, and most fall somewhere in between. And in many cases the verdict depends a lot on the criteria that one applies. For example, in certain very limited respects, the Peugeot 404 that I owned was "best"!!

Over time, undesirable as well as desirable design characteristics of specific models of cars become widely recognized. This awareness is coming a lot faster now that owners can compare experiences on highly specialized internet message boards such as this one.

I haunt this message board and also the t-h-c XG message board, and I would guess that the aggregate of experiences of XG owners who have posted on these boards constitutes more than ten times maybe more like 100 times the relevant experience that goes into Consumer Reports' assessments of the XG which, after all, is a relatively "rare" model of car.

CU's subscriber inputs are limited to areas of the car design that constitute FAILURES requiring "repairs." But what the magazine has criticised about the XG has nothing to do with failures. And no measurements have been made; they are "reporting" subjective judgments made by far far fewer people than the actual XG owners who participate in the XG forums on the internet.

Then there is the question of sample size. How many different XG's do you suppose CU "tested"? I'd be amazed if it were more than one. By contrast, many many individual cars are represented in the posts on these message boards.

Considering the number of different vehicle models currently in the marketplace, and the number of new ones introduced in a given year, it is amazing to me that an organization like CU would even pretend to do a workmanlike job of evaluating any significant percentage of them.

In short, I fail to understand why you would be defending them so ardently.

jimbeaumi · April 2003

And I fail to understand what the heck you are reading into my post. Yikes!

Back to topic...

sgspearman · April 2003

Does anyone know if there is an easy way to switch your XG350 over to 'Canadian mode' where the headlights are always on? I know you can just leave the switch on, but the dimming of the inside displays doesn't work for me.
Thanks...

papaect1 · April 2003

I bougth a 2002 Hyundai XG350L in April 2002. It now has 23,500 miles on it. My last three cars in reverse order were: 1995 Buick Park Avenue, 1990 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue & 1984 Oldsmobile 88. My Hyundai XG 350L is better than any of the other three. The only problem I have had is the "check engine" light. That problem has been corrected. I did not renew my CR subscription. I don't know what they tested.
From my previous cars you can guess, I'm no kid. I'm 68. At last I don't look like an old man driving a Buick. The price was right at $23,032

bluesky3 · April 2003

I don't think there is a "Canadian mode" to leave the headlights on. I know there is a mode to switch from F to C degrees. But I could never managed to get that to work. Let me know if you get the "Canadian mode" to work without some modification. I'm a Canadian living in the US, and will probably be bringing the car over when I move back.

sgspearman · April 2003

It was my understanding that you couldn't sell a new car in Canada now without the 'headlight always on' feature. As an American, I don't know a lot about this, so I could be mistaken. Haven't found any other information on a modification yet, but still looking. I know there are kits you can buy from places like J C Whitney to convert any car to this mode, but I would think most cars would come now with something much simpler to enable this (a connection to close or a fuse removed ideally!)

coalcracker · May 2003

After much research, mostly on the net, I have purchased a new Hyundai XG350L (with most of the accessories), 4 door sedan. It only has 68 miles on it so I really cannot give any definitive evaluations as yet. I am extremely pleased with the car and the price I paid for it. I also got the extended bumper-to-bumper warranty for 10 years so I feel comfortable that all problems will be corrected. I will periodically keep you all posted as I accumulate more mileage.

gerscar · May 2003

We have owned a 2002 XG350L for over 18 months now and have had only one sensor problem that was rectified by dealer with no problem. The car rides and handles very admirable and plenty of torque. Just so you know, if your check engine lite ever comes on.....1st check your gas cap as the lite will reveal that the cap was not tightened at least 3 clicks. After tightening the lite will go out after the the cycling period which is normally 3 to 5 days for a normal driver.
Rate the car a 8.5 out of 10. Great value!

dbronzo · May 2003

Can anyone tell me how to program a new remote for me XG350?
Thanks

john00 · May 2003

I'm not sure if the xg is setup the same as a Santa Fe but it's worth a shot. I pulled this from some Sante Fe forum.
But the answer is that it's very easy to do. I did mine. I assume you have the fob's from Hyundai. There are no numbers needed or anything like that.

There is a little switch on a module next to the fuse panel. For easy access use a screwdriver to remove the panel in front of your knees, the big panel with a hole in it for the ignition key. I remember it was tricky to find, but on one of those little modules right in the fuse panel area, there is a little switch that has a clear plastic cover over it. It's hard to feel for it because of the cover, but it's right there. move the switch to the set position - it only has two positions, so just move it - then press a key on each of your two fob's, and try to do the second one within a second of the first. After that flip the switch back and try them both. If only one works you were not fast enough, so try again. It took me about 7 times before I figured out how to do it quickly enough.

If I remembered where the switch is I think I could reach it without removing the panel. Be gentle getting the panel off and on. As usual don't force anything. It has clips that are fairly tight so when the screws are out you have to pull against the clips. I found it a bit annoying getting the panel back on, but it's no big deal.

dbronzo · May 2003

I'll give it a try, Thanks

f_rug53 · May 2003

Just got the XG on the 17th of may.
Can't quite figure if i'm having brake problem or not.
Seems as if I hit the breaks semi-hard there is a definite pulsating. Is this normal

uga91 · May 2003

You might get the rotors checked. I don't know if that is the problem; but, I have a 2003 Saturn ION and I had a similar problem after a couple of weeks. Took it back to the dealer and they found the front rotors slightly out of round. They machined them and it stops very solidly now.

uga91 · May 2003

Did I read the new Amanti will be built on the XG platform? Kia calls the Amanti a full size car--is the XG350 considered full size? I guess they can lengthen the platform some like Audi does to use the same platform on both the A4 and A6.

specialdoc2002 · May 2003

Except for cosmetic differences - grille, tail lights - the 2004 Kia Amanti looks to be the same car as the current XG. And the specs seem to be describing the same engine and drivetrain.

uga91 · May 2003

the same drivetrain. I was wondering if the Amanti will be bigger than the XG350?

john00 · May 2003

From what I've seen and read the body looks like it takes more from the current Sonata ( lights, doors, tail end ) placed on the XG. I do like the idea of the full framed doors, adds a little more saftey and quieter than the framless windows. Maybe this will be the new look for the next XG or they will replace the XG with that other larger car they make I think it's called the Centenial ( a look-a-like of the Lexus 450 ) that would let Kia have the XG slot to themselves.

lngtonge18 · May 2003

The Amanti is based off the new version of the XG350, which has not been released yet. The Amanti gains 2" in wheelbase over the current XG350, so it does have a bigger interior and could be why it is rated a full-size instead of a mid-size. Tha Amanti gives us all a hint as to where the XG350 is heading (i.e. towards a high level of safety features and a very luxurious looking interior). I'm not sure if Hyundai will release the new XG350 in the fall as an 04 model or will release it in the spring as an early 05 model. My guess is the latter because they are trying to give Kia the spotlight with releasing the Amanti first.

Hyundai XG300 and XG350

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles