The Hyundai Azera is one of the most interesting cars Hyundai offers these days because the Azera tries to be luxurious, but without a luxury car price. It is a mid-size family sedan that offers a good engine and a good all-around ownership experience. So, is Hyundai Azera a good car?
We can easily say that the Hyundai Azera is a good car because it combines various aspects of what makes a good car into one. For starters, the engine on offer is powerful, smooth, and refined, much more so than most engines from Hyundai. The car also looks sleek inside and out without attracting too much attention or offending anyone.
The driving experience is obviously tuned for comfort as the car rides over bumps in a dignified manner. Reliability is also really good because the car manages to stay free of most issues. Granted, there are some issues worth talking about, but overall, the Azera is as good as any other Hyundai from the upper segment.
Value is really good because the Azera can now be found for a really low price. You can’t buy these in the US anymore as they stopped selling them in 2017. Practicality is really good because the Azera offers four doors, lots of space inside, and a really large trunk space.
Hyundai Azera – The powerplant
The Hyundai Azera is powered by a 3.3L V6 engine that pushes out 293hp and 255lb-ft of torque. It is a double overhead cam engine that tries to be both smooth and responsive so you can always get power when you need it. The transmission is a 6-speed automatic mated to a permanent front-wheel-drive system.
This engine is indeed smooth and powerful, but it isn’t the most economical one. For a 2017 Hyundai, you’d expect better MPG results as the Azera returns around 20MPG in the city and around 28MPG on the highway. However, Hyundai could’ve given the Azera a smaller 4-cylinder engine that isn’t as fuel-thirsty, but then the car would not feel like it does now.
All in all, the engine, gearbox, and the rest of the powertrain of the Azera are all really good and fitting for a car of this size. We can surely say that most luxury car buyers will appreciate a larger engine, but those wanting more efficiency will not.
Hyundai Azera – Design and chassis
The Hyundai Azera stopped selling in the US for the 2018 model year which means that the 2017 model is the last one you can buy in the US. The Azera from that era does not look anything special, it’s just a Hyundai with four doors. However, the Azera is available in other markets worldwide and it looks really good inside and out.
The driving experience is tailored towards comfort and ease of use which means that the car rides over bumps really well. The Azera is not a sports car nor does it try to embrace a dual comfort/sporty personality, it is just a comfortable four-door family car.
Hyundai Azera – Reliability and common issues
Hyundai is a brand known for making reliable cars which means that all of their products tend to be reliable. The Azera is a higher-end model, at least as far as Hyundai is concerned which inevitably means that it is more complex. As such, it isn’t as reliable as most Hyundai models, but it also isn’t much different.
The most common issues with the Azera are associated with the ABS system which can burst into flames, soy-made wires which tend to get eaten by rodents, the infotainment system, the airbags, and various pieces of equipment and interior trim pieces.
Hyundai Azera – Value and practicality
The values of these are now really good as the Azera got discontinued in the US after the 2017 model year. This means that the newest available Azera models in the US are now five years old. As such, the depreciation curve is now likely to soften a little bit which means that the Azera is a really good used car proposition.
Practicality is on par with other cars from this segment which means comfortable seating for four or even five people. The trunk is relatively large and accommodating which means that you can fit pretty much everything in it. Visibility is also really good and there are quite a few family-friendly features throughout the car.
FAQ Section
Why did Hyundai stop selling the Azera in the US?
There are a few reasons why Hyundai decided to stop selling the Azera in the US. First of all, SUVs and crossovers are taking the lead in the US, as far as sales are concerned. This means that all automakers including Hyundai are willing to concentrate on SUVs and crossovers more than they are on mid-size sedans.
The sales of the Azera were declining year after year, and the fact that Hyundai also offers the Sonata and the Genesis G80 meant that there is simply too much overlapping in the range. As such, Hyundai decides that the Azera is no longer needed.
What is the difference between the Hyundai Sonata and the Hyundai Azera?
The Hyundai Sonata is the smaller car of the two which means that it also falls into a lower price group. A $10,000 hike was needed to upgrade from the Sonata to the Azera in 2017 which means that these cars are quite different. The Azera is larger, better equipped and it comes with a much more refined and more powerful 6-cylinder engine.
The Azera is a mid-size sedan which means that it is longer and wider than the Sonata which falls into the compact-to-mid size segment.
Is the Hyundai Azera still available?
As mentioned above, the Azera is no longer available in the US. However, the Azera is still being sold in many other markets, especially in the Middle East, China, and South Korea. Hyundai now offers a brand-new Azera model which looks and feels like a really nice car. It’s worth mentioning that the Azera is also known as the Grandeur in some markets.
