Wow! The Hyundai Equus has everything Acura RL owners have begged Acura for....Powerful V8, Rear Wheel Drive, 6 speed fancy smancy transmission and tons of Bang for the bucks as most Auto Mag's have raved about this vehicle when compared to MB, BMW 7 series and Lexus. If I were in the market for a new luxo 4 door I may leave Acura..... Has anyone test driven one? The "Ultimate" package is the bomb....

 

It's nice on paper. An absolute snooze to drive. It makes my '02 RL feel like a sports car. About as exciting as a Buick LeSabre.

Different strokes for different folks though.

 

so floaty boaty huh? Buick....no thanks....no boats for me....

 

Hyundai still has some way to go to be up to par with the likes of Acura, MB, BMW, and Lexus.

 

I'm going to play devil's advocate here, and some of you may hate me for saying this ...

BUT at least Hyundai has the guts to make a V8 and produce RWD cars as production vehicles. I know Honda/Acura has produced a V8, but they never had one in their lineup, and to this day, have not produced a RWD car besides the NSX.

Go drive the Hyundai Genesis V8 sedan. That car, and the coupe are more driver oriented.

The Equus is meant to be a soft riding car (it has massaging front and rear seats for heaven's sake). I don't think the Lexus LS460 which it competes with, is a driver's car either.

IMO, Hyundai> Acura. Maybe not in long term dependability... but that doesn't matter to the folks that can afford to buy such vehicles new anyways. Hyundai's quality levels are quite high in their own right. Every vehicle that Acura produces (with the exception of their SUVs and TL- which wasn't the case for the first 2 gens) are re-badged, mildly tweaked Hondas.

I'm supporting the underdog here and agree with Fab. Sometimes the truth hurts. But everyone's entitled to an opinion. The current RL is a joke if I was going to spend that amount of money on a new car.

Hyundai needs a separate brand to compete in the luxury arena, just as Honda has Acura, and Nissan has Infiniti, Toyota has Lexus, VW has Audi, etc, etc.. Only then, IMHO, will the sales begin to climb. Marketing and brand perception are everything in the luxury market.

 

Correction to the above: The S2000 was RWD as well.

But yes, I agree with your assessment regarding Hyundai taking the big leap.

 

Lol, yessir and the SLX sport utility (you know, that joke of a rebadged Isuzu) was too

To be considered as a serious luxury contender, Honda/Acura should seriously consider the RWD and V8 option. Even if the V8 doesn't sell well, it's a "halo" model for the brand to show what it's capable of and that it has serious luxury pretensions.

To have your flagship compared to Accord on a regular basis by auto critics is the reality Acura has faced for awhile now. At least I hear Acura is pursuing hybrid technology ...

 

Did you know the original Accord was originally going to be a six cylinder and RWD?

Oh well.

 

I like your assessment of Hyundai and agree 100%. Sad to say but after my RL, I'm switching to another brand. Acura doesn't have a single model that interest me anymore.

 

while I dont like the 4 seater aspect of it, it does have an upscale luxury look to it.

Im going to agree with the others in the Hyundai has made some big leaps in the last 2-3 years. everything they make looks pretty good. Now try and find hyundais older than 8 years and you might run into a problem. lol we'll see what longevity these new crop of hyundai come out with.

 

I'd still rather buy an S-class (with warranty of course)

 

your driving an sclass right now.... or at least thats what people usually tell me

 

People don't tell me that

I absolutely love the 07+ S550, especially in white. Just a gorgeous car.

 

lol

its probably only because I debadged.

I do love me some S-class as well but waaaaaayyyyy out of my league.

 

I saw an Equus on the road yesterday. I think it looks somewhat awkward...just very different body lines.

 

The thing has presence, that's for sure.

It's a big car, with big wheels, big grille, and big everything

But, as always, it's what's inside that counts (interior). Heck, that's what got me into the RL. I love a nice interior.


Rant: What's the point of driving a souped up mid 90's civic with rims, bodykit, etc??-- which can look nice if done right.. When you sit inside those cars, you are surrounded by a sea of hard, gray plastic. Eww.

Most drivers spend their time driving (inside the car), not looking at it's exterior. To me, a car's interior and driving dynamics are FAR more important than it's exterior. Then again, the exterior can't be hideous either. Re: Pontiac Aztek or Accord Crosstour

End Rant.