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Sure, if you discount the cop car/corporate fleet sales, I would imagine that the Montego in this cases really outsells the GM. But, somebody needs to make 'em.
P.s. you forgot the second most popular vehicle in NYC black Town Cars! lol
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
But they'll keep selling them for a long, long time. Because they are decent cars, reliable, and of course, not really that bad for the money.
Cars direct pricing, Pasadena, CA.
2007 Model - Net Cost: $18,379
This includes about $800 in delivery as well, so the actual "sticker" price ends up being about $17,500. For $20K out the door, it's a lot of car - and why the govt buys tons of them - and will as long as Ford continues to make them.
I got mine for under $27,000 and I could not touch a new Avalon Limited (even without Nav) for under $32,000. No problems at all, so far, with about 3,000 miles on it.
I buy them used and run them for years - which will take a while since they easy run up to 200,000 miles. I bought my last one fully loaded with bucket seats, console, dual exhaust, etc. Certified Used, with 40,000 miles for $12,000.
They are an old design that could use some updating, but still the best car for the money by far, unless you are obsessed with what the beautiful people think, or like to own a lot of pointless technology on your vehicles.
Plus, with the money I save by paying cash for a long lasting vehicle, the wife and I are going to Europe for two weeks this fall.
If you are getting 22-23 mpg city, someone is adding gas to your tank while you are sleeping, or you are only driving down hill.
And with all the goodies, it's quite comparable to a buick Lucerne or full-size Hyundai or simmilar. It's anything but a stripped-down police cruiser.
No premium audio system (JBL, Bose, ETC) just Ford's "premium" not that great IMO.
Good luck finding one with a sunroof
NO stability control
NO Nav
NO memory seating
NO cooled seats
And best of all its a 1992 model. With the exception of changing to rack and pinion steering ('03?) it is the exact same car. Same engine, trans, rear, suspension. The frame dates back to 1979! No matter how great a deal the vehicle is most people don't want "dinosaurs." I have owned a GM and occasionally drive an '04 (Grandpas) and can tell you it can't hold a candle to the vehicles in this discussion. Go take one out and floor it, the 4.6 is rough and noisy. Even my grandfather comments how much quieter my Avalon is.. however I can't convince him to buy one.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
no - actually the Azera, in particular, would be a REAL car - don't know anything printable that I could term the GM.
As an aside, if you ever need a power window motor or regulator for a Grand Marquis, they interchange with the Ford F-150 - ditto for fuel pumps, etc. The platform is overbuilt for a passenger car - designed back when Ford had pride in their flagship sedan, and designed it accordingly. Too bad Ford cannot even design a sedan anymore themselves in the United States.
For a while I owned my old 94 Grand Marquis and a 2000 Dodge Intrepid. I gave up about 1 mpg to drive the Grand Marquis, but it was an eye opener to see how cheaply modern vehicles are designed - Computer Aided Design allows the bare mininum specs to be met to save 3 cents here, and 4 cents there.
I put a jack under the front bumper on the frame of the Dodge, and when I jacked it up, it bent the frame! I'd hate to try that with a Sonata.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
Better mileage and handling than most SUVs as well. And personally, I love how quiet it is. 40mph? 60mph? The only thing that changes is the speed of the scenery.
And, old-tech is good. The Volvo 140/240 series was approaching 30 years when it was finally dopped. But it was a cheap to fix tank of a car - and solid in a crash. The GM/TC/CV are the last of the non-computer designed old-school vehicles left(outside of a commercial truck or military vehicle like a Unimog - lol). It's massively overbuilt - like say, buying a GMC 3500 and using it to go to the grocery store. You'll never ever punish it enough to break anything in the drivetrain.
And the thing has a frame - it can *tow* like a small truck. Nice trunk as well. My only gripe with it is that it doesn't have a fold-down rear seat. But the trunk is big enough to fit a Superbowl-sized cooler or two in it(shoot, fit everything you need for a tailgate party and then some), so that's a minor problem.
dont be so lazy, read your manual
#2: Hyundai Azera
Also ran: Ford 500, Mercury Montego, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Buick Lucerne...
At least they finally made XM available.
Lack of an aux input is outrageous however.
Based on most of the reviews and road tests, including from my own, the Azera is VERY MUCH competitive with the rest of the class, with or without some of the fancy features. I simply pointed the facts, as the Azera scored the highest in predicted reliability and ownership satisfactions among its competitors, two of the more important and relevant categories for CR readers.
Without the availability of things like that, the Azera is little more than a bloated Sonata.
You can use a portable nav system as a way to save money on the average car, but in premium class cars, you expect it to at least be a factory option. You can always choose to not buy a fully loaded model if you don't want nav, HIDs, Bluetooth, memory seats etc..
You can buy a base Avalon without these things or you can buy a fully loaded XLS or Limited with them. Even a Camry is available with nav, push start and Bluetooth.
The Azera is an obvious competitor to Avalon in nearly everyone else's minds. Size, luxury, performance are all very close. That Azera can be purchased for less money than Avalon just makes it even more of a competitor to the Toyota.
There are reasons why the Azera did not initially offer these features at launch, and the right decisions. With prices already creeping north of $30K when come loaded, certainly it would take consumers some time to adjust with the past stigma (which the transition doesn't come overnight). FYI - Hyundai has these features in its home market and others, so making them available in the US would not be too difficult, as long as it is determined the benefits would outweigh the cost factors. IIRC, Hyundai USA's job 1 is to improve the quality and reliability, which we know it has done a great job so far.
Again, the Azera's a competitive car. Why? Among other reasons, it possess one of the best values in this class, similar to the rest of the ranges Hyundai USA offers.
Just buy a Sonata instead since the Azera adds little in features. The Azera has a bigger engine to pull the extra bulk around plus more fake plastic-wood interior trim. No great advantage.
Maybe Hyundai determined offering the Nav units for the US market would not be beneficial, just maybe the add-in cost outweigh the potential sales and budgeted revenue. I have no problem with Hyundais' reasons, whatever they may be, whether it had been the cost issue (above), or the stigma/perception vs. increased price (from the other post), or any other reasons, my understanding, as Hyundai is in the business to make a profit. I am indifferent, regardless whether it is offered or not. Ironically, I have NAV in my car (dealer threw in the package as he owed me a favor), and to date, I have had little or no use for it.
I got my New Azera Limited for just $23K...........
As a previous 06 Sonata LX owner, I can honestly say that my 06 Azera is significantly class above the Sonata.
Now, you tell me what can you get from Toyota or Honda for just $23K? Now compare it with what The Azera Limited offers.............
I Rest my case.
What was the MSRP?
Did you have a trade-in?
I agree that the top of the line model of a manufacturer attempting to enter the "near luxury" game should have available all of the bells and whistles that the company can provide. If they wish to hold the price down, these features could be made available as options.
I hope that in the near future they make available the features that are currently in the Korean version of the Azera.
I believe that the "hold back" was an initial marketing decision to keep the "loaded" price under 30k.
The Azera will soon be going into it's third year in the US.
It's time to uncover all of the guns.
For those wishing to hold the price down, don't order the extras, if Hyundai choses to make them available as options.
Now that right there is funny, I don't care what you say! Don't like a car? Redefine it in your own words in an attempt to belittle the car as somehow less that it actually is!
Lessee, earlier in this thread there was doubt expressed that the Azera was a "large sedan," but that doubt was properly dismissed by reference to the official governmental listing of what the criteria was for inclusion in the "large sedan" category.
Now, the long-established Consumer's Union (through the periodical, Consumer Reports) confirms their agreement that the Azera is a large sedan, and not only that, they place it in the #2 position above the Ford 500 & etc.!
That's got to be disheartening to some... :P