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Hyundai Azera - Low key touches of luxury

gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
edited July 2014 in Hyundai
I've discovered a few neat little touches not mentioned in the owner's manual, like the front foot-well lights that come on when you shift into Park, or the passenger grab-handles that smoooothly return to the "full upright position."
Any others?...
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Comments

  • guestguest Member Posts: 770
    RE: 1
    I too think that the leg well lights are a nice feature.
    I wish that they would have added delay headlights on off to brighten the way when parking in dark areas at night.
  • cdmuilecdmuile Member Posts: 152
    I keep finding things:
    1) The little flaps ahead of the front tires to deflect road debris from the brakes.
    2) Cold air induction to the intake manifold.
    3) Fully finished trunk area.
    4) Window glass that's thicker than most luxury cars.
    5) The visor lights that are mounted on the headliner instead of on the visor(this is where they should be mounted).

    And most importantly, to me, the ignition key that goes straight into the ignition....no fumbling around under the steering column!

    Great car. I traded a 2001 $55,000 car and couldn't be happier.
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    The front door map pockets with sides that open out to make finding and selecting a map a little easier...
  • donvickdonvick Member Posts: 38
    Oh yeah, all those stated above and the thickness of the steering wheel, so comfy. I really like the quiet chirp rather than a blasting horn when locking or unlocking the vehicle.

    Don
  • chilliwackchilliwack Member Posts: 189
    the easy to clean wheels. Thank God. The hood holder. The engine cover which is nutted on, not pressed onto plastic nubs. The nitrous oxide injection system. Oh wait, got ahead of myself...talk about torque steer :surprise:
  • cdmuilecdmuile Member Posts: 152
    Yea Chilliwack,
    I ordered mine with methane injection and 12to1 compression ratio. What a hoot! And you talk about torque steer.
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    Nitrous Oxide?! No wonder I'm really, really happy when I drive this car!... :shades:
  • oluedooluedo Member Posts: 2
    I have noticed on the hyundai manual for the grandeur (azera's asian name) that putting in the key on the door, turning it clockwise and holding for 3 seconds will fully wind down the windows. Turning and hodling it anticlockwise for 3 seconds will lock and fully wind up the windows. This feature is avoided on the azera manual. :confuse: I have experimented with it and it does not work. Any reason why they will omit this feature for US versions? :cry:
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    At a guess, I'd say that it's one of two things:

    1) Our litigious society that would have everyone connected with the car's manufacture sued if an auto-up rear window pinched a kid.

    2) A hold-out goodie to be seen next model year.

    Probably the first guess.

    By the way, another nice touch is that each of the two windshield washer squirters have three nozzles...
  • pahefner01pahefner01 Member Posts: 202
    My 02 XG350L replaced by my 06 Azera had a feature where holding the unlock button down on the key fob rolled down the drivers window so I suspect it's not that hard to program. It's a nice feature in hot weather. Rolling down all the windows would be even better. I wonder if there are any aftermarket shops that could add such a feature?
  • dborthdborth Member Posts: 474
    Haven't seen this posted, but if you approach the car and unlock from a distance, you have 30-seconds to open a door or the trunk, or it will re-lock. Sorta like "hummmm, owner got distracted".
  • guestguest Member Posts: 770
    RE: 9
    Many, many features are available on the Korean model of the Azera. They include, smart key, tilt on reverse side view mirrors, Nav. system, lazar cruise control, back up sensors, etc.
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    "Haven't seen this posted, but if you approach the car and unlock from a distance, you have 30-seconds to open a door or the trunk, or it will re-lock. Sorta like 'hummmm, owner got distracted'".

    That 30 second relock is an especially good idea if you're a tiny bit overweight and your pants are tight and you bend over to pick something up and a button gets pressed inside your pocket! Also, I've twice triggered my "panic alarm" in that manner from inside my house, gets your attention, right away... :blush:
  • azgrandazgrand Member Posts: 50
    Found another nice little touch -- the recessed handle in the inside of the trunk for pulling down the trunklid from fully open.
  • black_pearlblack_pearl Member Posts: 15
    Don't know if anyone got this one but I like the light on the inside of the second level of the armrest storage thingy! :P
  • usfarbuo1usfarbuo1 Member Posts: 35
    Black pearl; got to tell you I have had my azera since August of 2006 and I did not realize there was a light in the second level of the armrest. I went out to my garage after I saw your note and, by golly, there it was. Thanks.
  • zredsoxzredsox Member Posts: 90
    Black pearl; got to tell you I have had my azera since August of 2006 and I did not realize there was a light in the second level of the armrest. I went out to my garage after I saw your note and, by golly, there it was. Thanks.

    Son of a gun, I just checked my garaged Azera and it has one of those armrest lights too.

    Speaking of lights, the Azera Limited has floor lamps in the front that come on when you open the front doors, but the lighting is very subdued, almost like mood lighting. Does anyone know if the brightness of the lights can be increased, and if so, how?
  • live4techlive4tech Member Posts: 24
    I think all the little touches of luxury present in the Azera collectively contribute to overall owner satisfaction. Many owners may not notice the little light in the armrest storage console, but if you drive a lot at night like I do you find yourself thanking Hyundai every time you reach for something in there while driving and you can see what you wanted to find. That helps me get my eyes back on the road quickly again, which is a good thing!

    Here's my list of my favorite little touches of Azera luxury:

    -My favorite: The Air Quality System. Only BMW and Lexus have this, as far as I know, and it alone is worth buying a Hyundai for, in my opinion. I love not having to breathe exhaust fumes anymore. This qualifies not so much as a low-key touch of luxury, but more like a major luxury feature, in my book. Almost priceless, in fact. (Hyundai, if you are reading this, DON'T EVER STOP making this feature on your cars!)

    -The cannister design of the oil filter under the hood. (I consider it a luxury since I change my own oil.)

    -The little armrest console light.

    -The foot well lights. Too many cars have de-contented this feature these days.

    -The fully finished trunk and the generous amount of cargo hooks pre-mounted in there. I have 2 nets (bought a second one) and that gives me remarkable cargo arrangement versatility. Nothing rolls around in this trunk, even though it is a huge space. That makes the trunk much more useful to me.

    -The front door map pockets that tilt out. Many high end German cars have those and it's nice to be able to open them to see what is in there rather than reaching around blindly.

    -The extra space around the power seat controls. Has anyone noticed that you can actually get your hand comfortably around the controls while the door is closed? Plenty of room there. It is shocking in how many cars these days you almost need to stop and open the door just to adjust the power seat.

    -The easy to clean wheels, definitely. Does anyone else clean their own wheels? If you do, it is super easy to wipe down the Azera wheels as opposed to many other brands that assume you have the time to meticulously brush out all the little crevices that collect brake dust. Somebody at Hyundai gave some thought to how the owner would maintain this car, and I appreciate it.

    -The large tank of washer fluid. Handy for those long drives in slushy weather.

    -The sidewinder-cut ignition key. Not as fancy as a smartcard keyless starting system, but nicer than most cars in this price range.

    Hyundai doesn't have this car 100% as perfect as it could be, but it gives me a good feeling about the company to discover all the little details that they sweated over during the development of this car. It shows that they are trying to create something premium, something special, in the Azera.
  • sundevilssundevils Member Posts: 100
    I have a 2006 Azera Limited w/ Ultimate and there is no light in the lower portion of the center console. There is a power outlet but no light.

    You mention the ignition key - I wish it had the switchblade style key as comes with VW, Miata, etc.
  • chilliwackchilliwack Member Posts: 189
    To the last post, the light only works when headlights are on I believe. Has anyone noticed the little ash tray cover/stink sealer that lives under the console lid? Pretty spiffy. :D
  • floridabob1floridabob1 Member Posts: 1,190
    RE: 20
    Perhaps your light is not functioning, but there is one located on the forward wall of the compartment.
  • sundevilssundevils Member Posts: 100
    We are talking about the arm rest, right? It has two levels and the claim is that there is a light in the lower level. Not on mine - all it contains is a power outlet.
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    In that lower, larger compartment, above the level of the outlet and just below the latch area, there's a horizontal translucent panel, two inches long by 1/4 inch high, behind which are 6 green led's which come on when the lights are on...at least in MY car... :)
  • floridabob1floridabob1 Member Posts: 1,190
    RE 23
    Try looking again. If there is a translucent panal on the forward end of the lower arm rest storage compartment, there is a light behind that lens.
    If there is no such panel, someone custom built your car.
  • azeradaveazeradave Member Posts: 42
    I found mine..I found mime!!! Try looking for it after dark, then turn your headlights on!! CooL.
  • sundevilssundevils Member Posts: 100
    Yup, i found it too ... your headlights have to be on and it has to be dark in the cabin. Not a very bright light but there it is ...
  • pahefner01pahefner01 Member Posts: 202
    I'll have to check tonight when my wife gets home. I didn't know there was a light there either.
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    Not a biggie, but discovered yesterday that when you're charging your cell phone with the console's 12v. outlet, you can lay the charging cord through the front by the latch and latch-down the console without crushing the cord, there's about a 3/16ths-high space there to allow the cord to move freely...
  • wardswards Member Posts: 17
    I find it's much easier to plug into the cigarette outlet and the cellphone sits nicely in the small compartment out of the way.
  • jaymagicjaymagic Member Posts: 309
    Has anyone else noticed the power down headrests. Manual to raise them, but touch the button and down then come.

    Sweet.
  • sundevilssundevils Member Posts: 100
    Power? That implies that there is some type of "electrical connection", right? I don't think that is the case.

    To adjust the chair height in my office I have to press a button and lift the chair. But to lower the height all I have to do is press the button and the chair drops. I wouldn't call that "power down".
  • jaymagicjaymagic Member Posts: 309
    I can't say I know there is power, but I do know the headrest has an Active Restraint System which automatically moves the headrest body forward in the event the computer senses a crash. So, I assume there must be power to the headrests, but like I said I don't know for sure. They sure move downward like they are powered. Very smooth and very consistent.
  • floridabob1floridabob1 Member Posts: 1,190
    RE:33
    I'm not sure that the active headrest is computer controled and electrically powered.
    I believe that the active headrest is mechanical and is inertia activated.
  • pahefner01pahefner01 Member Posts: 202
    All of the above and I also would like to thank the design team person who designed the buttons for the gas tank lid release and the trunk release. It's nice that you have to push the gas release and pull on the trunk release. It's a little thing but keeps some of us from accidentally pulling or pushing the wrong button and opening the wrong thing. I had a chance to use my wipers in a heavy snow in Ohio and it was very cold. I know the owners manual says the wiper arms are heated and even in a heavy snow and very cold temperatures my wiper blades never accumulated ice.
  • floridabob1floridabob1 Member Posts: 1,190
    RE: 35
    How are the wiper arms heated?
  • pahefner01pahefner01 Member Posts: 202
    I'm not sure how they are heated. If you look in the brochure it states simply that there are windshield wiper de-icers. The cold and snow in Cleveland proved them to work.
  • floridabob1floridabob1 Member Posts: 1,190
    RE: 37
    I'm not sure that windshield wiper de-icers exist on my Azera, although living in South Florida I guess that we would prefer coolers.
    There may be a heater for windshield wiper fluid.
    If you learn any more about the de-icers, kindly post.
  • pahefner01pahefner01 Member Posts: 202
    I haven't researched it but it's definitely not heated washer fluid. I think it works more like heated mirrors, I think the wiper blades are heated, however I didn't get out in the cold and take my gloves off to see if they were heated. I simply noticed that the wiper arms never accumulated anything frozen on them.
  • floridabob1floridabob1 Member Posts: 1,190
    RE:39
    Sorry to disappoint you, but there are no heaters on the Azera windshield wiper arms or blades.
    You may be getting some warm engine air flow from the cowling in which the wipers rest when they are parked.
  • tenpin288tenpin288 Member Posts: 804
    If it's done like my Tucson, there are small electric heating elements at the very bottom edge of the windshield. If my wipers are frozen to the widshield in the winter, all I have to do is push a button and in a few short moments, the ice is melted and the wipers are free from the glass (faster than the defroster can warm up for sure). If I leave it on (there is a timer on it), it will pass enough heat through the glass to melt ice off the blades. Sweet! ;)
  • pahefner01pahefner01 Member Posts: 202
    Thanks for the technical explanation tenpin. I was never disappointed with it. As long as it works I really didn't care how but it's nice to know.
  • floridabob1floridabob1 Member Posts: 1,190
    RE: 42
    I do not believe that there are such similar wires on an Azera front windshield, but as you say if it works, it works.
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    Haven't used it much, but if you have the rear sunshade up and you shift into reverse, it automatically retracts to give you the best backup view, then when you begin to move forward again, it returns to the raised position...
  • dborthdborth Member Posts: 474
    That is indeed a neat feature, given the list price of the car. Me, like a dummy had "limo black" window tinting on the rear windows. Rear sunshade is useless now.
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    Just tell passengers that it's an electronic bug zapper carrying 20,000 volts and to not touch it!...
  • pahefner01pahefner01 Member Posts: 202
    Look at the Azera brochure which clearly states windshield wiper de-icers are included. Whether it is a wire, heat or magic it works in snowy Cleveland Ohio in sub zero temperatures. Perhaps we can all look for that wire?
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    I looked, but did not see. Maybe there is a heating element in the bottom edge of the windshield (similar to the rear window defroster) that transfers enough heat to the wipers while they're in the down position?... :confuse:

    BINGO! I got a powerful flashlight and looked at the darkened area at the base of the windshield (driver's side) and saw two 1/4 in. parallel dark bars rising up about an inch and 1/2 from the base, turning left across the windshield and branching out into four narrower bands. I assume there's a similar system on the passenger side...
  • pahefner01pahefner01 Member Posts: 202
    From the Hyundai website; standard features listed on the Azera

    3.8L, DOHC 24-valve V6 with variable intake system and Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT)
    - 5-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC®
    - Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Traction Control System (TCS)
    - Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Brake Assist
    - Advanced front airbags, front and rear seat-mounted side-impact airbags, and roof-mounted curtain side-impact airbags
    - Front dual active head restraints
    - 60/40 split fold-down rear seat
    - Dual front Automatic Temperature Control with air filtration, smog-sensing Air Quality System and outside temperature display
    - Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
    - AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system with 6 Speakers
    - Electrochromic auto-dimming inside rearview mirror with compass and HomeLink® Universal Transceiver


    - Manual tilt and telescopic steering column
    - Chrome insert bodyside moldings
    - Cruise control
    - Power windows with driver and front passenger auto up/down
    - Power door locks with auto-lock feature
    - Automatic headlight control
    - Remote keyless entry and alarm
    - Anti-theft engine immobilizer
    - Steering-wheel-audio controls with seek up/down
    - Windshield wiper deicer
    - LED tail lights
  • pahefner01pahefner01 Member Posts: 202
    Good job gamledged! The mystery is solved and I can verify that it works quite well. It was sure better than having to get out in a -20 wind chill and having to break ice off the wipers. :)

    BINGO! I got a powerful flashlight and looked at the darkened area at the base of the windshield (driver's side) and saw two 1/4 in. parallel dark bars rising up about an inch and 1/2 from the base, turning left across the windshield and branching out into four narrower bands. I assume there's a similar system on the passenger side...
  • floridabob1floridabob1 Member Posts: 1,190
    RE: 47
    If your windshield wipers are ice free, that's all that counts. Mine are ice free also. I live in South Florida.
This discussion has been closed.

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