Overview & Reviews

Larger and more luxurious than the average midsize family sedan, the Hyundai Azera slots between the Sonata and Genesis sedans in Hyundai's lineup. It provides impressive interior room, features and power for a price that's thousands less than many competing vehicles. Buyers who have owned a domestic full-size sedan in the past and are looking for a new vehicle will want to check out the Hyundai Azera. It prioritizes comfort, luxury, safety and value, and is well-suited both for commuting and long-distance trips.

Current Hyundai Azera
The Azera comes in base and Limited trim levels. Both are powered by a 3.3-liter V6 engine that produces 293 horsepower. The only transmission offered is a six-speed automatic with manual shift control, which routes power to the front wheels.

Even the base Azera comes with keyless ignition/entry, blind-spot monitoring, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, powered and heated front seats, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a rearview camera, Hyundai's BlueLink emergency communications and a six-speaker audio system. The Limited adds xenon headlamps, power-folding mirrors, a power-adjustable steering wheel, driver memory settings, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, an upgraded surround-sound audio system and a navigation system. Limited buyers may add bigger wheels, a panoramic sunroof, rear parking sensors and window sunshades.

In reviews we've been impressed with the Hyundai Azera's overall competence. The potent V6 provides swift acceleration and good fuel economy, while the six-speed automatic provides smooth, if somewhat leisurely, shifts. The suspension is clearly tuned for optimal ride comfort, though handling doesn't suffer noticeably, as there's none of the floaty feeling one might associate with large sedans. Overall, the roomy Azera is quite impressive and is an excellent choice for a comfortable, upscale large sedan.

Used Hyundai Azera Models
The Hyundai Azera was redesigned for 2012. Compared to the first-generation Azera, it's considerably more stylish and boasts more power, as well as a higher-quality interior. Not much has changed since, though for its first two years this Azera came in only one, loaded trim level.

The first-generation Azera was produced from 2006-'11. It was generally regarded as a decent, well-rounded large sedan. There were a number of changes throughout the car's run, however, so we'd advise paying attention to specific years if you're considering one from this era. This Azera was offered in three trim levels: GLS, SE and Limited. The GLS and SE came pretty well equipped; the main options were leather seating and a premium sound system. The Limited had those features as standard, along with additional equipment. A navigation system was optional for the Limited in the car's latter years.

At its debut, the Azera GLS was powered by a 3.3-liter V6 that produced 234 hp and 226 pound-feet of torque. The Azera SE and Limited sported a 3.8-liter V6 that made 263 hp and 257 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed automatic transmission was standard on all Azeras.

As for changes, the GLS received more standard features in 2008 and essentially replaced the SE. Satellite radio, a navigation system and the surround-sound system also joined the 2008 features list. For 2009, the Azera's steering and suspension were revised, while different interior lighting, a new grille and an iPod/USB audio jack were welcome additions. For the final model year, Hyundai upped the power output to 260 hp and 233 lb-ft of torque for the GLS, and 283 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque for the Limited. The transmission was also upgraded to six speeds. Fuel economy was also up, so if you can swing a 2011 Azera, it's likely the pick of the litter.

In editorial reviews, we typically found the Azera's awkwardly tall seating position as one of its main liabilities. But overall we found much more praise-worthy attributes in the form of its excellent interior design and materials, refined and quiet ride, powerful V6, strong brakes, roomy backseat and value for the money.

User Reviews:

• 

  comfort & safety - 2016 Hyundai Azera
  By Bernard Wohl - April 10 - 9:08 pm

  The car is comfortable, very roomy. The technology & electronic features are over whelming..Not easy to set up.

• 

  Save the Money, Buy a Sonata - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By Jim - July 13 - 10:50 pm

  I Traded my 2006 Sonata in on the 2007 Azera thinking i was upgrading to a higher end car. I get 14-15 mpg city, 18-19 mpg hwy, the same as my 06 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab Hemi, My 06 Sonata got 20 city , 29 hwy with the V-6 . The Sonata was a much better build quality, no rattles, sound system was better, when Azera looses traction on snow , the whole front vibarates as if it will fall apart, something the Sonata never did, exterior trim around windows, plastic overlay on metal is wrinkled. the michelin tires were defective, and at 1,300 miles the dealer replaced them, after 7 attempts to balance. New michelins are perfect, no vibration at all. front speaker in center of dash rattles on 10

• 

  Its smooooth! - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By limee - June 30 - 7:16 am

  I was looking for a comfortable cruiser. It fits the bill as far as thats concerned. Very comfortable with impeccable fit and finish and the plastics used are first class with a very nice feel. Got the loaded limited. I had to have all the gadgets!. The leather is soft and supple. The interior ambience is classy and soothing. Has nice touches everywhere on and in the car and the heated seats work great. The wind deflector on the sunfoof is very noisy at speeds. Not impressed with the fuel economy so far averaging 18.5mpg. (The computer is way over optimistic in that respect informing me its 22!) Like the fact it uses 87 octane though. My first Hyundai. I like it

• 

  Hard ride on rough roads of Northeast. - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Daniel - March 31 - 4:33 am

  This replaces a 1997 Lexus ES300. It lacks refinement and ride of that car but is peppy, an exceptional value, and is very stylish. The directional handling is not as good as the nine year old Lexus. On smooth roads the ride is very quiet but on the rough pavement of the Northeast the Azera ride is hard. You hear and feel every bump, not typical of the firm ride on entry level luxury cars. I should done a longer test drive. There are several quirky items in the electronics including headlights, memory features, and dash light dimming. Overall, the Azera is a significant step forward for Huyndai but they are going to need 1 or 2 model years of refinements to make it great car .

• 

  Snazzy Azzy - 2013 Hyundai Azera
  By Livewiremd - September 21 - 6:59 pm

  I am a previous owner of a new 2006 Azera Limited. That car was newly re-designed and different so I gave it a try .....with NO regrets! I still own that one and it is running trouble free at 160,000 miles with very minimal service of any type. I admit I sometimes skimped on oil changes too! When the newly designed 2012 model came out, I was so impressed by the "look" that I kept my eye on them. As an excuse to go shopping again, I gave my 2006 to my oldest and purchased a 2013 from a dealer with 44,000 miles. This car has it all! I looked and found a "midnight blue" which is spectacular! It actually looks like different colors depending on the angle of the sun. A bit hard to keep clean but it is beautiful and sets off the chrome accents around the car. The 2006 Azera came with the 3.8 L V6 while the 2013 has a 3.3 L GDI V6. The smaller engine seems almost as smooth and powerful as the larger but it has increased horse power and I can get 32 MPG highway at 80 MPH! The cabin is more like a jet airplane with great materials and feel. Seats are extremely nice and the AC cooled seats really give a nice effect when youre hot. There are a lot of options in this car and it took me a few weeks to learn them all. The technology package throws in the kitchen sink. The full size tinted panorama roof is IMPRESSIVE! This may overwhelm people who prefer more basic controls but I love them. The sound system is 550W and powerful. May think of upgrading the speakers. The car even has a cooled glove box!! One of my biggest complaints about the 2006 Azera was poor headlights, even with xenon bulbs. My 2013 has pure white HID low beams which really improve visibility. One thing to note is that in USA, a used Hyundai 100K mile warranty reduces to 60K but that still beats most makers and I had any warranty issues on the 2006 fixed immediately and for free every time. My main issues with the 2013 are (improved) but still numb feel at steering and road noise and feel on rough roads with the stock tires. If this car is as reliable as the 2006 then I will be back for a third Hyundai in the future. If you like to be unique and stand out in the crowd, and impress all who ride with you, this car has the most bang for the buck and can be found reasonably priced in the used market. This car is for someone who likes to be different from the crowd and I personally think the 2013 Azera looks better that the newer Hyundais or Genesis models.

• 

  Owners Manual Inaccurate - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By 1st Hyundai - July 21 - 10:43 pm

  The automobile has nice appointments for a car in this price range. The interior looks as good as any premium auto I have seen. The care drives capably, but does not have a very sporting character. I wish the suspension was a bit tighter. My biggest problem to date is the ambiguous owners manual. It states in the manual that the outside mirrors should automatically drop when the car is placed in reverse. The dealer told me the manual has a misprint. Part of the reason I bought the car was for this feature. This disappoints me, because no one at Hyundai can tell me why this is the case. I believe this should have been included in the features on the car, but due to budget was delet

• 

  Love My Azera! - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By larry - April 30 - 3:56 am

  Ive had my Azera Litd. since June 15 and love it. It was difficult to find the color I wanted. But I eventually got what I wanted--venetian blue with tan leather interior. Car is soooo quiet and comfortable to sit in. Only drawback is lack of fuel economy. Ive been averaging just 17-18 mpg over several tankfulls of gas, even with some highway driving. With mixed driving, I thought Id average around 22-23 mpg. Very disappointing, especially with gas prices as high as they are. At least the car runs on regular gas.