5th Feb 2008, 05:15

The quality of the materials and build quality of the Buick Enclave are superior to the Hyundai. The engine is just OK in the Hyundai, but not great. And the depreciaion rates are so bad that when you pay $45k for the Veracruz in 2007 you can sell it for half in 2008. Think about that.

11th Mar 2008, 15:43

You actually believe what Car & Driver prints? Have you ever driven a Lexus or personally compared your Hyundai with a Lexus?

There is a saying that exemplifies the automotive world, "You Get What You Pay For"! Your Hyundai is a Lexus wannabe. It's inferior in every aspect but marketing. Believe whatever you want if that makes you happy, however you'll have to face the facts some day. The Veracruz is no Lexus and never will be.

12th Mar 2008, 13:30

Hey 15:43, You can rave about Lexus all you want. It's nothing, but an overpriced and overrated Toyota. The Koreans don't have to pay extravagant union wages. That is why their prices are reasonable. Look at the lemon the Mercedes ML series was. Yeah, people got what they paid for with that.

14th Mar 2008, 00:14

To the person questioning what Car & Driver prints; I happen to put a great deal of faith in what they say as I have found most of it to be true. I also subscribe to Consumer Reports, who have had excellent reliability reports for recent Hyundai vehicles. If both of these reputable publications like these cars that much, then Hyundai is definitely on my shopping list.

Also, very good response to the unreliable "you get what you pay for" comment when you brought up the Mercedes ML, could not have said it better. I am still a Mercedes fan, but facts are facts and I would purchase a Veracruz before a used ML for the same money. Cheers.

18th Mar 2008, 19:39

Car & Driver will print whatever they get paid to print. All manufacturers, especially the Asian manufacturers have used this mag as an advertising conduit for years. If reading it makes you feel good and you actually believe what they print, well then I'm happy for you.

I'm also a Canadian and I know that we are getting ripped off. Our U.S. neighbours can pick up a Veracruz for about $10 grand less than we can and they also get a ten year warranty. On the other hand, a Lexus 350 is priced the same, carries the same warranty, and is accepted as a benchmark vehicle on both sides of the border.

There's no way I'd pay $47,000 plus to buy a Top of Line Veracruz in Canada. I can get an Acura RDX Tech for less than that. Hyundai needs to re-think their pricing a bit, no one with any common sense should even think about paying those kind of dollars for a Veracruz. The Veracruz will depreciate 50% as soon as you drive it off the lot.

Some of you need to get your heads out of the clouds. Korean vehicle manufacturers are subsidized and protected by government import restrictions. We promote open and fair trade where as they don't. They pay their employees poverty wages with little or no benefits, and yet north americans buy the crap they send over without a second thought. If any of you think they don't send over junk, look at the reviews for the Kia Sedona posted here.

Yes, for those of you who don't understand, You do get what you pay for. Think about total end use cost including resale. The Veracruz is a Lexus or a Mercedes Wanna Be. Hyundai wants you to think it's on the same level, but there's really no comparison when you think of it over the long run.

19th Mar 2008, 14:35

I own two Hyundai vehicles; a 2003 Santa Fe and a 2004 Sonata. Problems with either one: NONE!

I wish I could say that about any North American car I've owned. Maybe you need to realize this is 2008, not 1988, and the days of the Excel are over.

20th Mar 2008, 18:13

Re: You get what you pay for

I'm Canadian and I'm looking for a new 4WD vehicle that's reliable and more fuel efficient than conventional SUV's. I've had a chance to compare the Veracruz with the Lexus RX350 and I can report the following.

I'm comparing a Veracruz LTD that priced out at $47,273 cdn including the options I wanted. Inclusive of the delivery and destination fee of $1,810 the total price of the vehicle is $55,577 including taxes.

The Lexus is the RX350 premium package that priced out at $49,350 cdn including the similar options. Inclusive of the delivery and destination fee of $1,780 the total price of the vehicle is $58,115 including taxes.

The price variance is about $2,500, not a considerable difference. However, the difference in interest rates are 1.9% over 60 months for the Veracruz compared to 8.5% for the RX350.

Upon doing the math, the total cost to purchase the Veracruz over five years is $58,303 compared to $71,520 for the RX350. The estimated five year residual value of the Veracruz is $14,100 compared to the RX350's value of $20,400. The total net actual purchase price for the Veracruz is $44,203 compared to $51,120 for the RX350.

These figures don't include maintenance etc but I would assume both vehicles would be similar. Warranty coverage is also similar.

I like both vehicles. The ride and overall quality of RX350 seems superior to the Veracruz but only marginally. Based solely on total cost, I'd buy the Veracruz. It is less expensive to buy than the RX350 and as far as I'm concerned, it's as nice as the RX350. Nevertheless, the Veracruz does not possess the Snob vale of the RX350. A tough choice, maybe I'll buy an Enclave instead.

13th Apr 2008, 11:27

First off you should buy yours in the US. I have one on our lot that has the saddle leather, dvd based navigation with aftermarket backup camera and every other option available for only 38 grand. Good luck with yours I absolutely love mine. Also note that we traded a year old GLS in and gave in trade 20999 that cost him 26000. to start that's your average depreciation that's great and btw he traded for a limited.

28th Aug 2008, 13:16

Consumer Reports is the worst magazine. They don't have a clue. The people I know that relied on their recommendations have regretted it. The magazine is pretentious and never fairly evaluates the products. I subscribed to CR magazine for a year an never found them to be reliable.