2006 Hyundai Azera Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: The 2006 Azera is a bag of mixed feelings by Daniel.Boulanger

Powertrain performance

The 3.8L V6 is good for 263HP which is enough to find yourself going over 200KM/h without realizing when overtaking on a single lane highway if you keep your foot down. Feels very quick and capable at higher speeds.

Rear seat room & comfort

Has more rear seat room than a 7-series BMW, so there's always ample room available even with the front seats back as far as they can go. I'm able to sit on the floor in the rear seat wells with the front seats in a comfortable driving position.

Safety & braking

The huge disc brakes are able to slow this car almost as quickly as the engine can speed it from a stop. They instill a feeling of confidence that you'll be able to stop quickly if the need arises. It also has several airbags to protect you in the event of an accident.

Handling

For a car this size, driving through the rockies in British Columbia it handled remarkably better than expected. The steering keeps you feeling connected to the road.

Feature availability

For the price, this car has more than you could ask for. Rear power sunshade, in-dash 6-CD MP3 player with a remarkably good sounding speaker system. Power moonroof, dual zone climate control, detects polutants and changes to recirculate automatically

Fuel economy

While stellar fuel economy can't be expected in a 3600 Lb car with a 3.8L V6, it does leave something to be desired, averaging somewhere between 15-17MPG in a mix of city and highway driving. Pure city driving returns closer to 13-15 MPG (although the peppy engine may have something to do with that). The car would really benefit from a 6th gear.

Audio & nav systems

The only complaint that is feature-related with this car is that there was no Nav system option for it, and the fact that the steering-wheel audio controls lack a next and previous song button, which slightly defeats the purpose of steering-wheel controls

Driving position & visibility

It's impossible to accurately judge where the trunk ends (although that's pretty common for sedans) and the seating position is a little high for my liking. It almost feels like I'm driving a minivan or a small SUV. I prefer to sit lower to the ground, although that all comes down to personal preference.

If you want a car that is competent on the road, can pass with ease on the highway and can accelerate with ease, and doesn't jar your spine when you go over bumps, it's a great car. It handles much better than you'd expect, but has some small annoyances (notably the suspension is prone to failure).