Hyundai XG300 and XG350

sobright1 · October 2001

Dst5 - You said, "What more can you ask". Actually several things. For one, it would have been nice had Hyundai been as responsive on the phone when I called them to report that my air bags did not deploy. I was not trying to sue them, I just wanted them to know about what I consider a potential safety problem. The woman on the phone actually asked me, "What do you want us to do" then went on to tell me that forms would be sent out via mail for me to fill out etc, a process that would have taken weeks and left my car just sitting in the shop un-repaired. The fact that they did respond in a timely manner is certainly appreciated, which is why in fairness to Hyundai I have kept this forum aware of my progress. Still, their Customer Service department is obviously in need of training regarding these situations. Also, as I pointed out in an earlier post, the air bag light came on just weeks before the accident and the dealer, who has done a poor job on just about everything, did something to reset it. Did they just turn of the bags? I know that these things take time, but I am waiting on Hyundai to tell me why the air bags did not deploy. Frankly, I want some assurance that they will not fail again. Right now I have no assurance that there are even air bags in my dash. If their air bag was designed not to deploy on this accident, if they tell me that there was not a failure in the system, then I will definately trade the car as I personally consider it unsafe. I am not trying to be disrespectful to anyone out there reading this forum but I don't care about arguents about inertia or the placement of the pole with relation to my bumper. I was in the car when it completely severed a telephone pole. The impact was significant!

Ingtonge18 - No I was not wearing my seatbelt. I have a colostomy (beats cancer) and the belt cuts right across this appliance occasionally causing a bit of a mess. I carry a letter from my physician pertaining to this problem in my car. Oddly enough though, given that I was going on a short trip in bad weather I decided to use the belt yet be vigilant in checking to insure that it did not cause a prolem. I had gone only about one mile after stopping for gas when the accident occured and had yet to put the belt back on. My wife, who was also in the car, WAS wearing her seatbelt yet it did not deploy either.

Lastly, I am not trying to slam Hyundai. My initial post was tempered by the way I was treated when I contacted Hyundai. Except for the dealer and air leaks around the windows, I have been generally pleased with the car. I have been very forthright about everything and have deliberately tried to report the good and bad about the car and Hyundai. I strongly believe that the airbag on my car was flawed, the question is, am I correct, and if so is the safety of others also comprimised?

rar3542 · October 2001

Does brochure have gas mileage for new 350? Alos, any new colors and/or combinations?

astrol · October 2001

Glad to hear you are alright. It pays to have a hard head.

It sounds like the system sensors were either defective (re: the Air Bag Light) or that they were turned off.

Your accident as described should have called for deployment. Center or offset, full flat frontal or whatever, at that kind of speed and impact the bags should deploy period. Any car that severs a telephone pole in half should have bags deploy IMHO. I know the manufacturers have to balance the belt protection with the bags so that unneccessary deployments are avoided but it is the insurance companies who pay for re-installation. (Er, make that all of us premium payers)

If you haven't already done so, you need to fill out a NHTSA report and put it on the record.

As to Hyundai Customer Service, I think it's hit or miss, like most things. The particular phone advisor in your case needs to find new employment. At least Hyundai America acted properly when the word was passed along and took your report seriously. Anytime there's even the POSSIBILITY of liability, smart companies get on the ball. Dumb ones stick their heads in the sand.

mikeyjohn · October 2001

I have been following both this site and the Sonata site as I will be purchasing a Hyundai for my wife when her lease on the present car is up. As a retired Police Officer I feel you may have a potential criminal matter in this case. I had a funny feeling when reading your post, especially when you stated that you had a problem with the air bag light and your dealer did some adjustments, I feel that he may have turned off your air bags to cover his incompetance, and you may want to get an independent person to check it out, and please don't let your dealer touch the car until you get this check done. I hope things work out for you, and am glad it was not more serious.

robw64 · October 2001

I've had my XG300L for 2 months, and all is well. A few days ago, a couple of co-workers and I were on our way to lunch and one of them remarked "Wow....is that the new Infiniti? I've been dying to test drive one of those!". He was enormously surprised when I told him it's a Hyundai. He just purchased a new Camry XLS for 25900, and it doesn't have side airbags, traction control, alloy wheels, or shiftronic transmission. While riding in it, I took a good hard look at the fit & finish.....his car has nothing over the XG....materials are cheap and the woodgrain finish looks more like tinted orange juice than wood. He did get heated mirrors and a moonroof, but no automatic headlights. Although this new model is definitely roomier than previous Camry's, I wasn't terribly impressed. Once again, Toyota has turned out an unexciting car that inspires no more than a yawn.

sobright1 · October 2001

I appreciate the kind words and understanding. Astrol, I read your many posts several months ago before ever buying the car. It is refreshing to know that you can post the truth, even though it is not always positive, without everyone thinking you are just trying to unjustly slam Hyundai. I believe constructive criticism on forums like these will keep the manufacturers honest and draw attention to potential flaws (like perhaps airbags). Mikeyjohn, I also appreciate your comments and continue to await the findings from Hyundai as to why the airbags did not deploy. I have in front of me, awaiting my signature, a form sent to me by the NTSB regarding my accident and the airbag failure. I too am uneasy about the dealer service of the airbags prior to the accident and, as I said earlier, question as to whether they will work next time. I need this assurance from someone in order to keep the car, which I had enjoyed up until the accident. Also, the service department of the only dealer nearby has been terrible. I may have no choice but to trade the car as what good is the best warranty if the service department is incompetent? Lastly, the parts are beginning to arrive and the shop tells me that I may have the car back by next Friday. Everything was destroyed forward of the engine including the sub frame.

sobright1 · October 2001

I agree with you about your assessment of the new Camry. Toyota, along with Honda, has the best reputation for reliability in the automotive world. Unfortunately, their designs are uninspiring, even bland. Their exterior colors are among the most depressing in the industry, and their interiors are dismal and cheap looking. Further, they have just about priced themselves completely out of my market. While I am not necessarily wealthy, I can buy whatever I want. You can pay as much as $30,000 for a loaded Camry now. At that level, the Avalon is a far better value, but still I think comparatively overpriced. I too have had similar compliments and praise when people laid eyes on my XG300 and compared it to their more expensive cars. If you have a good dealer nearby perhaps your XG will be as good as it looks.

newxg · October 2001

You are quite right to raise heck about the airbags not deploying. I sure would have expected them to deploy in the accident you described.

As I read the posts about the rules under which airbags may or may not deploy I was reminded of my own biggest complaint about car makers in general and Hyundai specifically, the difficulty in finding good technical information about the vehicle behavior and characteristics. For example a Hyundai mechanic told me that the XG throttle is controlled electronically (sort of a virtual cable) and that if for any reason the virtual cable 'breaks' that the engine would run at a specific rpm to allow you to drive it home. While this is probably not likely to happen, it's useful information that might be of value to the vehicle owner. I also would like to have more specific information on the characteristics of the variable front shocks and the transmission fuzzy logic, but it's nowhere to be found. I doubt it would take much to produce a technical FAQ and put it online, so no doubt the lawyers are to blame here.

Regarding service quality, I'm lucky that I've got a choice of dealers in the Atlanta area. The dealer that I bought the car from also sells Acura and the dealer that I have my car serviced at (Saturday service) also sells Audi and Porsche. I have no doubt that the service attitudes at the dealership overall were influenced by their selling cars where people demand very good service. It was kind of funny to listen to the service reps telling me that they get penalized if I fill out the follow-up Hyundai service survey with 'very good" instead of "excellent", but the whole service survey approach resulted in excellent service. No doubt there was some financial incentive involved.

I third your comments about the Toyota and Honda sedans. I did find the Avalon to be a very strong contender but over priced (Toyota you can thank the Southeast region franchise 'tax" for losing that sale. I actually put a offer out on a Avalon before the XG came to market).

astrol · October 2001

I have to agree with the previous sentiments. My niece sells Toyotas and called me to visit when the first Camrys arrived on her lot. I was unimpressed and particularly struck with the continuing de-contenting trend affecting Japanese autos. Much of the vinyl/plastic in the new Camry can be found in any of our Hyundais. The interiors are utterly pedestrian, especially those of the entry level models (which cost as much as a fully optioned Sonata). What the hell are people thinking?

I do like the Avalon but the price is too dear when cars like the XG are so available. I look forward to the 350 and am glad to see Hyundai using only the latest vehicles in its' brochures even down to the 2003 Tibby.

riez · October 2001

Do keep in mind that the XG350 has not led to a significant upgrade in some areas. Compare it to 2002 Camry or new 2002 Altima on safety equipment. Both of these can get you side curtain airbags. Heck, with Camry you can get brake assist with full EBP. And you can get Vehicle Stability Control system. None of these were available on XG300 nor have I heard them being available on XG350. So I wouldn't say Toyota has de-contented the Camry. Hyundai is lagging in safety options.

mariners · October 2001

For many people, safety is not an issue. Heck, even if my Rodeo gets terrible scores on safety test, I don't really care

Carelessness is very common.

har1bush · October 2001

Ok, so the XG doesnt come with side curtain airbags, EBD, or VSC... but like you said, these are OPTIONS on the Camry that will cost about $30000 when you load it up with these things. It'd be a waste of time if we keep comparing the XG to a loaded Camry that costs a good 6 grand more. You just cannot argue that the Camry is a better value compared to the XG if you compare them with the same prices -- I doubt you can even get a Camry with leather seating for the price of an XG. If Hyundai was to put out a car for $30K, you can be sure that they would have everything that Toyota has on their cars and more.

riez · October 2001

The XG350L will likely have an MSRP, including freight, of around $26,000. The loaded $29,000 Camry might also have about $3,000 more of safety equipment, unavailable on the XG350. So that means the cars are similarly equipped, just that the XG350 can't be as well equipped. Thus the Camry was NOT decontented. It has significant content you can't even get on an XG350.

I drive carefully. Others don't! I can't keep them off the road. They can hit me. Thus active and passive safety features are important. Give me active features like Brake Assist and EBD. And give me passive features like side curtain airbags. That way when a deer or drunk driver hits me, I might live.

sobright1 · October 2001

First of all, I find it difficult to believe that anyone would not care about safety when considering a car purchase.

While is is correct that there are some safety features not available on the XG when compared to a Camry, in some case the XG comes with standard safety features that you must pay extra for on at least some Toyotas. While I will admit my ignorance as to Camry's standard features, I can tell you that one major reason that I purchased an XG over and Avalon or Highlander, both of which I strongly considered, is because side air bags were not standard on either Toyota. In this respect, Toyota is lagging behind.

I reiterate that Camrys are well built, but overpriced, bland, and nearly impossible to differentiate between all of the other earth toned, black trimmed, ugly little cars we have today. Camry interiors are particularly uninspiring, looking more like they belong on a $12,000 Focus instead of a car often costing at twice that much or more. To be fair, I also considered a Maxima but the interior was nearly as stark as that of the Camry.

From a style/design/color perspective automobiles have been going backward for nearly half a century, though have however excelled in mileage, power, and safety. Wouldn't it be nice if we could have both?

har1bush · October 2001

OK, but if you compare the Camry XLE V6 with no options to the XG, you'd find the XG to have memory seats, heated seats, side airbags, traction control, bigger engine (for '02), 5-speed auto, and any others I forget to mention. So, where's the memory seats on the Camry option box? Or the 5-speed auto? Or the 3.5L V6? So is the Camry better equipped than the XG now?

dst5 · October 2001

I was just this morning in a pretty severe crash with my XG300. I was going 70 MPH in the fast lane of the Ventura freeway just outside of LA and some bozo decided that he would change lanes right into me. I hit the concrete barrier at 60 MPH or so at a better than 45 degree angle (drivers side front is demolished) I than did a 360 across 4 lanes to land on the shoulder of the freeway. I was impressed by the protection given to me as I walked away from the accident with only soreness. All my body parts were still in the right place. However the airbags did not go off. Does it sound like we heard this story before. I am calling Hyundai this morning on this issue.

brian45555 · October 2001

Just bought a new XG300L, Black, Loaded, everything but the Disk Changer. I love the 16" wheels, I didn't like the 15's.
Had to drive 200 miles to get it because there were none left in the Kansas City area. I got a 60 month loan at 0% APR. I still can't beleive 0%. I paid about $500 below MSRP and my payments are under $400 a month, I feel I got a great deal. No complaints so far.

mudpuddle · October 2001

Since there's some discussion about the Camry/XG, let's factor in the warranty. What does a 5 year bumper to bumper warranty cost on a Toyota with a 100K mile/10 year power train warranty thrown in to boot ???????? It's standard/no cost for the XG.

riez · October 2001

Pulled Edmunds own MSRP info. No price data yet for 2002 XG350, but there is for 2002 Camry. Loaded Camry XLE has $25,890 MSRP (incl destination). Heated front seats cost $315. Pkg 7 costs a mere $1,150 for vehicle skid control, TC, Brake Assist, and side curtain airbags. Then add $2,320 for Pkg 8 which gives leather, sunroof, JBL stereo with in-dash 6-disc CD & 8 speakers, and power front seats. That comes to $29,675. (Package 9 adds DVD navigation system.) Given the higher resale value, I'd say comparable to XG350 costing about $26,000.

Toyota does miss boat by not having roadside assistance during warranty!

Not sure what to make of the 3.5L V-6 or 5-speed automatic. The published acceleration figures for the XG300 were middle of road at best, and the output figures for the 3.5L engine aren't even close to what Nissan gets from 3.5Ls (240 HP Altima or 255 HP) Maxima or Honda gets from 3.2Ls (TL-Type S)!!! Toyota's 3.0L engine puts out almost as much HP as the 3.5L

XG350 still lacks serious safety equipment for their top-of-the-line car and goodies like Nav system. Can't you get the Nav system in Korean versions?

Am hoping Hyundai added some new equipment to XG350 to bring it in line with its intended stature at top of Hyundai's line up.

bluefox · October 2001

Sorry about your accidents. We are so puzzled as to why the airbag was not activated... It would be very helpful if you could kindly update other members with your continuing discovery on the issue.

It is also interesting to note that, in both accidents., XG's structural design has saved passengers, leaving no broken nose or ribs. Somehow, XG has absorbed and dissipated most of the impact energy (at the speeds of around 30 miles per hour for Sobright1 (with no seatbelt !) and around 60 miles per hour for dst5 (presumably with seat belt on)) at around the bumper and in front of engine. And much of those impact energy was not transmitted to the cabin and protected the passengers well from serious injury. Had it been transmitted to the driver;s seat, by now, passenger and drivers's faces and foreheads might have needed intensive cosmetic surgery due to collision against the windshield or passengers could have ended up with broken necks very easily.

If this was an outcome of the advanced design technology of Hyundai, we should all praise the outstanding achievement of Hyundai auto design center. Due to the VERY advanced structural design including impact dynamics, their cars have saved the passengers from deadly impacts, even without the airbag deployed. I have never heard of such advanced design elements on most of cars in the market, other than new BMW5 series that has five star marks on the side impact protection even without the need for side-protection-airbag.
from the potentially serious injury.

sobright1 and dst5; hope you have your cars back quickly ! I feel that this puzzling issue of air-bag should be solved by Hyundai to your complete satisfaction. At the same time, I feel now more comfortable with XG300 that it's structure showed extremely good protection for you.

safe driving !

from Bluefox

newxg · October 2001

About$700 and whatever coverage headaches come from the warrantor.

See www.carbuyingtips.com/warranty.htm

sobright1 · October 2001

DST5, I am so sorry to hear of your accident. Doesn't it just make you sick to mess up a new car? I remain concerned about this safety issue. My gut feeling is that Hyundai has a systematic problem somewhere. My car was examined last week by an independent engineer but I have yet to hear anything from Hyundai. I agree that the car is engineered well in that it does absorb much of the impact. However, everyone I talk to who works on cars for a living, including the body shop doing the repair, is surprised that the airbags did not go off. Admittedly, I only know of two accidents involving front end damage to an XG (ME and DST5) but so far Hyundai is batting zero on the airbag issue. DST5, by all means call Hyundai's 1-800 number in your owners manual and also contact the DOT auto safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236. If this is actually a systematic defect we may force a recall, not to be mean spirited toward Hyundai, but to potentially save a life.

By the way, I hope to get my car back by the end of this week if all goes well. Until I hear an update on the airbag issue though I will be apprehensive about its safety. If the explanation is not soon forthcoming, logical, and satisfactory I will be forced to trade the car and find another manufacturer.

dst5 · October 2001

Or at best take up to 2 months to put back together. I have called the numbers and the process for the air bags is presently going.

Yea I just hope they total it. I will go buy a 2002 XG350 though I still love the car.

I understand there are no real criteria and that mfg can't be held responsible if air bags do not go off in an accident.

carspy01 · October 2001

Hello, Host!
Can you, please, take on the air bag issue with Hyundai Motor America?
Please drop them a line - they listen to Edmunds.
Thanks in advance - it will be for their and our benefit.
Carspy01

xianoh · November 2001

I had an accident that was almost identical to yours. I was going 45 - 50 MPH on Lake Shore Dr. (in Chicago) in my 1995 acura integra gs-r when I slammed into the concrete divider. I spun 360 and slammed into the metal railing. The insurance company deemed it a total loss. The important point is that he airbags in my integra did NOT deploy either. In retrospect I'm glad it didn't. The accident did cause my body to lurch forward but the seatbelt was enough to keep me from going into the steering wheel. I feel that if the airbags did deploy I would have had a broken nose, etc. My understanding of the way airbags work is that it is there to protect your face when the accident causes deceleration equivalent to a HEAD-ON collision with a brick wall at 10-15 MPH or a HEAD-ON collision with a similar vehicle at 20-30 MPH. I believe that the severity of an accident as determined by a computer looking at numbers is VERY different from the severity as seen by a human after being in and seeing the aftermath of an accident.

I just re-read sobrights post 2nd post regarding the accident. The information that I just presented about the HEAD-ON collisions came from the "Third Report to Congress on Effectiveness of Occupant Protection Systems and Their Use by the NHTSA US Dept of Transportation." Your accident was quite severe and I'm sure visually it looked extremely severe (broken telephone pole). However hitting a telephone pole at 35 MPH is VERY different (in terms of severity of the force of impact) from a HEAD-ON collision with a similar car (ie Camry, Avalon, Accord etc.) at 20 - 30 MPH. I am not belittling your accident but I feel that the force of impact did not warrant the airbags to deploy. (Notice the MPH difference between a stationary object: the brick wall and a car (since it will rebound after collision) **Brick wall: Min: 10 Max: 15 Similar Car: Min:20 Max: 30 Difference: Min: 10 Max: 15** We could assume that a HEAD-ON collision with a foot wide (assumption on diameter) telephone pole would require a range of 45 - 55 MPH to deploy the airbags.

Ultimately, I'm glad both of you were not seriously injured. I know I was very thankful that I didn't get hurt.

pat · November 2001

My best suggestion is that you drop a line to editor@edmunds.com. If you can get their attention, perhaps they can do something that will make a difference.

Keep us posted!

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

dst5 · November 2001

#777 of 777 I received a letter from Hyundai on lack of air bag deployment by dst5 Nov 01, 2001 (07:32 pm)

Here is what they want me to supply within 14 days for them to do anything.

1.Photos front side and rear, engine compartment,front and rear interior and VIN plate

2. Records of payments to insurance company.

3.Itemized list of damages you are claiming....

4.A description of the hyundai vehicle

5.all reports indicating the cause of the accident

6.date location and details of the accident including usage of the vehicle prior to the accident

7. Purchase documents or bill of sale

8.Repair and maintanince documents

9. Signed owner authorization request

I think this is a load of poo poo (is that clean enough for you?)

What do you folks think about Hyundai's request for information?

bluefox · November 2001

Glad that Hyundai has responded to your request at least. They are asking for more detailed information so that they can start morbilising their resources specifically for your XG. Although it looks like a formidable list, I guess that all these information are what you have already generated when filing your claim to your insurance company. So it is just the matter of grabbing it and post it to Hyundai and it would not take more then few hours.

In order to morbilise their resources to investigate your request, they would need the authenticity of your request, the technical details of your cars, maintenance records and the detailed description, etc etc etc etc. This is not to make your life un-necessarily hard, but to deal with your request properly and professionally. I would encourage you to grabb the info and diapatch them to Hyundai as soon as possible. Once it has been done, the ball would then be in their court. You would then be able to keep telephoning every morning to bother them !

We need to show Hyundai that their customers are diligent and assertive... I remeber that one member of SantaFe club was so diligent in pursuing his problem of 40mph glitch, a top executive officer (presumably president) of Hyundai America called him and they had a very encouraging discussion in the end. This particular Hyundai owner was extremely happy after that and his problem was solved by reloading a new computer software. To him, his complete satisfaction and peace came, after he had exerted his portion of hard work. I am sure that it is a tiring work to deal with a big corporate. I appreciate it fully. However, I trust that you would be willing to exert every single drop of your energy to fight for what you want from them.

All the best !

Bluefox from winter mountain

sobright1 · November 2001

Sorry DST5 to hear that Hyundai is making you fill out all of the paper work. Why would you be treated differently from me? They are apparently giving you the treatment that had informed me I could expect when I first called them. I have no idea why they, instead of sending me all of the same paper work they sent you (I haven't gotten a thing in the mail), called the body shop putting repairs on temporary hold until they could get out to look at my vehicle. Don't get me wrong, I am glad that they did so, but I still don't understand Hyundai's seemingly inept, perhaps even random methodology of handling this issue. You would think that they would be anxious to investigate this matter before, if there really is a malfunction, someone gets seriously hurt or even killed. You did not mention this in your post. Did Hyundai tell you to go ahead with the repairs or did they ask you to wait until they decided to investigate? If so, while I have no problem filling out their paper work, is it rational for Hyundai to expect their customers to be without a vehicle for what would certainly be extended periods of time while they exchange snail mail back and forth? From my perspective it sounds like they have no idea what they are doing at Hyundai Customer Service. Perhaps I will find out for sure early next week. I haven't heard a thing from them since the engineer looked at my car. I had hoped to get the car back a couple of days ago but the parts were slow in coming so it will probably be Monday or Tuesday. I intend to call Hyundai's customer service and find out (if possible) where the investigation into my airbag failure stands. Currently I have no faith in the airbag system and want an explanation of some kind.

Regarding the several posts explaining airbag functionality. I appreciate your arguments and you may very well be correct. Perhaps the airbags are not designed to go off in a crash such as mine. However, as a computer programmer myself who worked his way through college putting Honda Motorcycles together, I can tell you that I am neither ignorant of mechanical devices nor micro processors. Simply put, for my tastes, if the airbags are functioning properly as per Hyundai's specifications, then they need new specifications.

acelink · November 2001

Check it out at www.hyundaiusa.com.

har1bush · November 2001

Looks like Hyundai did a nice job with the '02 XG350... Although the hp and torque from the 3.5L V6 could be a lot better, it's at least now very similar to the Camry and Accord V6 engines. Plus, Hyundai did it without raising the price to a ridiculous amount (~$500 increase on the MSRP) and they also added 16" wheels as standard equipment. Once again, I do find it a bit weird that a company would change the engine displacement only after the first year of the model's run (they did the same with Kia's Optima) and I'm sure it would have helped Hyundai sell more '01 XG's with the larger engine. However, Hyundai did change what looked to be the car's biggest weakness compared to its competitors and this should help the XG's sales and reputation.

claywaterfill · November 2001

Not to get off the XG350 subject, but didn't they change the Optima engine because the Sonata changed? Being the same car (mechanically anyway), it would have been real weird if the engine had not changed.

har1bush · November 2001

yeah... and they put in the larger engine in the XG because the Sonata/Optima combo got a larger engine... but I'm just saying it would have made more sense to me to have them introduce the XG and the Optima with the bigger engines and also put in the 2.7L V6 in the Sonata for 2001.

brian45555 · November 2001

Does everyone with the XG have to turn on the Traction Control every time the car is turned on? Evey time I start up the car it's off and i have to turn it on again.
Also, in the manual is says when I have my seats set to auto, the drivers seat will back up when you pull your key from the ignition and move forward when you put your key into the ignition. So you can get in and out easier, I have no problem getting in or out, but I just wondered why its not working, or if im doing something wrong.
My trunk isn't hooked up to the alarm, does that cost extra to be hooked up?
A rock hid the hood of my car going down the highway, and I left a very small chip, any advice on the best way to fix that?
Besides those few minor inconveiences I love the Car. About 600 miles on it now, and I can't wait for it to get cold out so I can put my heated seats to use. I feel i got a great deal on the car, with 0.0% financing. The Black does seem hard to keep clean.
Brian

claywaterfill · November 2001

I've only driven an XG300 once, so I don't remember, but, are you sure you have to turn it on? I only ask because my mom drives a Buick Regal GS and the traction control is always on unless you turn it off. A light comes on on the dash only when it is turned off. I'm sure you're right since you own the car, but could that be it? That's strange about the alarm on the trunk--I'm sure it should be hooked up. You ought to get that fixed. I love the XG in the black with the black leather--are your windows tinted as well? The one I drove was black on black and was nice. You ought to have them look at the seats when they are looking at the alarm. It's a shame you are having these problems, because that is the knock on Hyundai. May be decent cars, but the quality is not there. I don't agree with that, but it sure makes my argument harder!

tatzbear · November 2001

Brian, I have amount 9,000 miles on my XG. Yes, my traction control must be turned on each time I start the car... like yours. I kinda like it that way, since I only use it when conditions are slippery, although, I'm sure that very soon up here in Milwaukee, the snow and ice will tell me to turn it on ALL THE TIME!

There have been previous posts regarding the power seat moving all the way back when you take the key out. The only way it works is if you engage the parking brake first. I personally don't use the parking brake much, but if you just lightly TOUCH the parking brake pedal so the little red light comes on (on the instrument panel) the seat function will work fine and the brake is really not engaged. Just a little work-around for those of us who don't want to use the parking brake.

Good luck with your new XG... I still love mine at 8,700 miles!

Brian (also)

claywaterfill · November 2001

First, thanks for the traction control info. Second, why would you not use the parking brake? What benefit do you get by doing that? I have always heard--in an automatic--that if you don't use it, then it places more pressure on the transmission. Like when the car rolls a little after you turn it off--that will hurt the transmission over time.

csandste · November 2001

For beating all of the American cars in Car & Drivers family sedan test. Came in fourth behind Honda, Toyota and Nissan. Loved the build quality, didn't love the handling.

acelink · November 2001

Funny, it seems like it is other way around when it comes to setting up the traction control switch in XG L30 (XG300 in US)in Korea. My father drives one and if I do remember correctly, the traction control is always on: It is when you turn off the traction control, a light comes on a dash. Let me check the car out again just to make sure.

Csandste, are you talking about the December issue of Car and Driver?
And was it XG350?

claywaterfill · November 2001

I will be interested to read the article. The last one I read was by Motor Trend and the XG300 beat the Accord EX V6 last spring.

csandste · November 2001

1. Accord
2. Camry
3. Altima
4. XG350 (I'm sure, altho. I didn't check, other cars were 02's)
5. Intrepid
6. Impala
7. Taurus
8. Regal

This is from memory but I think I have it right.

astrol · November 2001

When will these bozos ever stop this nonsense?

You will notice that two of the top three vehicles are SE versions (Camry and Altima) with naturally gobs more of what these clowns both prefer and state categorically in the article...better handling and road feel. Gee, what a difficult decision. I believe an LE version of the Camry would have been more in line with the nature of the other contestants. The Altima V-6 only seems available as an SE.

The top winner is the LX variant of Accord...a perennial top 10 choice by Car and Driver. Gee (again), I wonder if they could ever pick any car over their obvious favorite? Duh!

Yet despite all of this baggage, the XG350 is a solid choice as a family sedan with no special tweaking required. Just look at the acceleration #'s and then consider the quality and standard features for the price. For my money this is an absolute no-brainer.

claywaterfill · November 2001

I got my issue today. Looks like the XG held its own pretty well. You know they are not going to pick a Hyundai over their Japanese favorites--no matter what!

csandste · November 2001

and have never even driven an XG. However, everything I've heard about the car indicates that it is rather soft in the suspension area, as are many (especially larger) Korean cars.

Car and Driver is a publication for enthusiasts, as such they will give high consideration to performance and it was here that the XG350 fell down. They did say it was a wonderful car as long as you drove it at 6/10ths of flat out and also praised quality and construction. Personally I'm suprised that they didn't put the Altima on top of the list, but then I've never driven that either.

On balance, I thought their review of the XG350 was most favorable. They clearly had it ahead of all of the American cars including past favorite (although not top rated) Intrepid.

fangio2 · November 2001

I think that the best mid-sized sedans are Korean.Also I really like the looks of the XG300/350.My feeling,about larger cars costing over $22,000,is that the Impala and LeSabre are hard to beat if you want a large smooth riding car.

dst5 · November 2001

Equipped the same as the XG350L is $5,000 more the century is in the same price range as the XG350 and the XG350 wins hands down.

claywaterfill · November 2001

As I said before, I thought the XG350 held its own pretty well in some tough competition. It beat out all of the American entrants, so that says a lot right there with where the quality is going. I do think the average XG buyer would be looking at more luxury than performance, so its finish in the performance enthusiast test may be right. I don't think a Hyundai would have finished so well a few years ago, so that says a lot as to how the perception of Hyundai seems to be changing. I think if many of the "critics" would at least offer them a test drive before dismissing them outright, public perception would change as well.

john115 · November 2001

Is always turned on whenever engine is running.Pushing the TC button dis-engages
TC.So the owner in Milwaukee is already,all
set for the snow.Ugh! at the tought of Midwest
winters.

sobright1 · November 2001

John115 thanks for your comments about traction control. I am in complete agreement. On my xg300L, the traction control always defaults to the on position and must be turned off manually. You can prove it if you just stomp the accelerator on new or wet pavement. The front wheels will just start to spin when the TC stops all of that spinning nonsense.

Given the publication, I think that the C&D article was favorable. I would concur with cansdte's post in that they hate anything that does not have a sport suspension and handles like a Vett. It is these same "experts" that are responsible for the bland no-chromed, colorless, look alike models (Accords and Camrys) we are stuck with today.

As an update to my airbag/repair issues. The car is still in the shop. For about the fourth time the local dealer apparently ordered the wrong window stripping part. While this was not related to the accident, I asked them to fix it while they had it. It took them four days. Hyundai has still given me no indication as to why the airbags did not deploy. However, when the body shop took it to the dealer to find out why the Traction Control and Check Engine lights were on they found a broken exhaust gas temperature gage, obviously from the impact, and they also replaced the traction control under warranty. Sure makes you wonder what the heck was wrong with it and whether or not it contributed to the fact that I seemed to slide forever before striking the pole.

pat · November 2001

Follow the link in the Additional Resources box on the left sidebar of this page to read Edmunds editor Liz Kim's "Spin Around Town" about the 2002 XG350.

Pat
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Hyundai XG300 and XG350

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