Hi all,
I traded my 2010 BMW 535 xi for an Azera tech package last week. The BMW was out of warranty. I want to retire next year and did not want the cloud of very high repair costs hanging over my head.
Some good and bad about the BMW. First it really is the ultimate driving machine. acceleration, cornering, ride, the list goes on. It is the best driving sedan I have ever driven. For 60K, it should be.
The bad news? I had originally bought a 2008. It was in the shop 16 times in 18 months. BMW ended up replacing it with a 2010 for no additional cost. They treated me right and I really wanted to go back there, but apparently these things lose value very very quickly. Anyway, it didn't work out.
So,enter Hyundai: My daughter bought an Elantra in June and I could not believe the quality of the build of that car. I could not help but look at them.
I looked at the Sonata, but with a little less equipment than the base Azera, the Sonata Limited was only a few thou less than the Azera. It looked to me like the delta between the two was very significant for a marginal increase.
The dealer let me take one for an entire weekend . While I should not compare a BMW 5 series to the Azera in the same breath, I was taken back by many of the features on the Azera that were better than my BMW.
First, the ride was smoother and quieter. The sound system was better. The seats, even though 12 way, were more comfortable than the 20 way power seats in the BMW ( that was one main reason to buy the BMW in first place. I have had too many back surgeries and those were the only seats that gave me enough adjustability for support.) The leather in the Azera feels nicer as well.
The nav system actually follows my voice commands.
Heated and cooled seats in front, heated in back.. only heated front in BMW.
Basic ergonomics: cupholders, IPOD hookup, console storage, sunglass storage, ease of operation of controls .. all better in the Azera.
Did I mention REGULAR GAS? In IL, there the gap between regular and premium is about 40 to 50 cents a gallon. Not a lot over a year really, but I just can't deal with that.
Split folding rear seats, Panoramic Moon roof.
Not gonna lie here, I miss the feel of the BMW, but there are so many big wins on the Azera that I feel like I owe Hyundai more money :)
It is not meant to drive like a sports sedan, but for a luxury sedan I can say with 100% confidence that I like the ride and handling better than the new Avalon and Lexus ES.
At the end of the day, I probably didn't use the elephant in the room performance capability of the BMW very often. For the most part, driving is straight line highway. I'll miss the few times I want to wring it out. But for the greatest percent of my driving, I'm really loving this Azera. The other comfort features really bring the value up for me.
Only two things I wish it had: 1) heated steering wheel, 2) auto dimming side mirrors.
One more thing.. the dual climate controls actually work on the azera. Had the BMW for 6 years and could never figure out how to make them work.
Hyundai has a really good value going here. I figure a comparably equipped Lexus ES goes for about $8k more on the sticker. When you consider the discount I got from Hyundai, the difference is more like 11 K.
I caved and got the Hyundai Factory extended plan for bumper to bumper 10 yr/100k. Won't be worrying in 4 years about a costly failure.
Even though most say the extended warranties are like betting against the house, this one was so good for the cost, I could not resist. I'll sleep well because of it.
Never thought I'd say it was a happy day going from a BMW to an Azera but I'm feeling a little like I got away with something that should be illegal.
Very happy with my choice.
Best ,
Jeff
I traded my 2010 BMW 535 xi for an Azera tech package last week. The BMW was out of warranty. I want to retire next year and did not want the cloud of very high repair costs hanging over my head.
Some good and bad about the BMW. First it really is the ultimate driving machine. acceleration, cornering, ride, the list goes on. It is the best driving sedan I have ever driven. For 60K, it should be.
The bad news? I had originally bought a 2008. It was in the shop 16 times in 18 months. BMW ended up replacing it with a 2010 for no additional cost. They treated me right and I really wanted to go back there, but apparently these things lose value very very quickly. Anyway, it didn't work out.
So,enter Hyundai: My daughter bought an Elantra in June and I could not believe the quality of the build of that car. I could not help but look at them.
I looked at the Sonata, but with a little less equipment than the base Azera, the Sonata Limited was only a few thou less than the Azera. It looked to me like the delta between the two was very significant for a marginal increase.
The dealer let me take one for an entire weekend . While I should not compare a BMW 5 series to the Azera in the same breath, I was taken back by many of the features on the Azera that were better than my BMW.
First, the ride was smoother and quieter. The sound system was better. The seats, even though 12 way, were more comfortable than the 20 way power seats in the BMW ( that was one main reason to buy the BMW in first place. I have had too many back surgeries and those were the only seats that gave me enough adjustability for support.) The leather in the Azera feels nicer as well.
The nav system actually follows my voice commands.
Heated and cooled seats in front, heated in back.. only heated front in BMW.
Basic ergonomics: cupholders, IPOD hookup, console storage, sunglass storage, ease of operation of controls .. all better in the Azera.
Did I mention REGULAR GAS? In IL, there the gap between regular and premium is about 40 to 50 cents a gallon. Not a lot over a year really, but I just can't deal with that.
Split folding rear seats, Panoramic Moon roof.
Not gonna lie here, I miss the feel of the BMW, but there are so many big wins on the Azera that I feel like I owe Hyundai more money :)
It is not meant to drive like a sports sedan, but for a luxury sedan I can say with 100% confidence that I like the ride and handling better than the new Avalon and Lexus ES.
At the end of the day, I probably didn't use the elephant in the room performance capability of the BMW very often. For the most part, driving is straight line highway. I'll miss the few times I want to wring it out. But for the greatest percent of my driving, I'm really loving this Azera. The other comfort features really bring the value up for me.
Only two things I wish it had: 1) heated steering wheel, 2) auto dimming side mirrors.
One more thing.. the dual climate controls actually work on the azera. Had the BMW for 6 years and could never figure out how to make them work.
Hyundai has a really good value going here. I figure a comparably equipped Lexus ES goes for about $8k more on the sticker. When you consider the discount I got from Hyundai, the difference is more like 11 K.
I caved and got the Hyundai Factory extended plan for bumper to bumper 10 yr/100k. Won't be worrying in 4 years about a costly failure.
Even though most say the extended warranties are like betting against the house, this one was so good for the cost, I could not resist. I'll sleep well because of it.
Never thought I'd say it was a happy day going from a BMW to an Azera but I'm feeling a little like I got away with something that should be illegal.
Very happy with my choice.
Best ,
Jeff