Comparison: 2008 Lexus RX 350 vs. 2007 Hyundai Veracruz Limited AWD
It should be common knowledge that the Lexus RX 350 and the Hyundai Veracruz Limited are in different classes, bought by different people for different reasons, but that didn't stop Motortrend from comparing the two vehicles in their latest issue.
Let me save you the farce, the Veracruz is declared the winner of the two, simply by placing inordinate weight on a questionable concept of value.
Compared, the Hyundai rings in at $10,000 less than the Lexus, yet it lacks a navigation system, a backup camera, adaptive HID headlights, to speak nothing of the lower interior quality. These are not small differences: the Navigation feature alone would add $1500-2000 to the price of the Vercruz -- that is, if it was even available as an option.
Perhaps the strangest part of the comparison was the criticism of the RX 350's safety features:
Is the Hyundai chassis that much superior? No. It's the RX's insistence in keeping you overly safe that electronically inhibited its performance. It sensed that our max-handling performance testing was impending accident doom and lit up the stability controls at anything more than the slightest provocation. Beepers beeped, brakes braked, and the throttle was dialed out until the RX 350 knew we weren't going to crash. This also was the case on our mountain road loop, even during moderate cornering. The Lexus computer wizards need to dial the electronannies back a notch or two.
Makes absolutely no sense to me, this vehicle isn't a sports car, it's a people mover. Wouldn't the additional safeguards be considered a plus rather than a minus?
Really, dragging the RX 350 into a comparison with what is essentially a cheaper knockoff, then basing the final verdict strictly on "value", seems inappropriate for a major car magazine. How would the Veracruz compare to the BMW X3, I wonder?
I think the Veracruz really does win - I like this guys’ comment: “the Navigation feature alone would add $1500-2000 to the price of the Vercruz ” What a joke. I got new, full featured GPS for $300 at Circuit City and it isn’t built into my car so I’m NOT stuck with old technology in a couple years (months?). Ok, I drive an old car and can’t afford a new one but hey, I say - GO Hyundai, I love to see the underdog win. Oh and adaptive headlights? Yeah, they’re worth a few grand, sure.
Fair enough, to each their own.
Usually, there’s two sides to an argument… The Veracruz had better gas mileage, runs on regular (Lexus on premium), quieter engine, handled better, steered better, shifted smoother, had 3rd row seat, bigger interior, more cargo space, costs over $10,000 less and better warranty. They called the Veracruz’s center stack “a model of logic”, while calling the RX’s “okay” but noted problems. And navigation is now an option on the Veracruz.
BTW: Their point wasn’t that the Veracruz was better car. In fact they didn’t say that at all. Their point was that the Veracruz was a better car given the difference in price. This is where it gets harder to argue for Lexus. But like the article states, some people would be happier with the Lexus because of the cachet it carries and extra touches, while others will find the value of the Veracruz too good to pass up. Count me on the latter, and I’m quite happy with my Hyundai.
saywhat,
Yes, it’s definitely true that the Veracruz stacks up quite well with the Lexus RX. I look at it this way, this generation of the RX was released in 2004 and is definitely beginning to show its age. The Veracruz, on the other hand, was just released last year, and builds on the RX design.
A new RX should be released next year, and I doubt the Veracruz will continue to find it an easy comparison.
I find it funny that a vehicle company makes a vehicle exactly as good as a Lexus 350, and its better in alot of aspects, but because it doesnt say Lexus on it, it cant be luxury. Give me a break. If u want to buy a luxury vehicle no one compares to go buy an Infinity or the BMW or Mercedes. Dont buy a vehicle only slightly more prestigious than the rest of the Big 4 and then get mad when someone bests them.
I have no problem with Hyundai putting out an great RX competitor, my issue with this comparison was Motor Trend basing the result on a very loose idea of "value".
The way I see it, the only pros for the Hyundai were the interior size and the cost. Otherwise, Lexus excels in every single aspect, including: power, torque, acceleration, braking, luxury, quality of materials (a huge gap!), stability and safety (yeah, safer is better, I don't care what motor trend thinks!), and fuel economy (I believe 17 MPG is better than 15?!)
Anon: You've hit on the thing that manages to still bug me about this comparison, even a year later. There was absolutely no hiding the bias that Motor Trend had, there was a real sense that the only point of the review was to take a swipe at the RX.
This is a joke. You can't compare a Lexus to a Hyundai. They are in two different leagues. It's like comparing a Yamaha piano against a Steinway piano. People who can't afford a Steinway try to compare there piano to make people think that the two items are similar when they're not. You cannot compare these two vehicles. Coming from someone who owns a new RX350, there is no conceivable way the Hyundai's quality is anywhere in the same vicinity as the Lexus. Hyundai knows it too. Example; On the new Genesis (Hyundai "luxury" sedan) They did not put the Hyundai logo on the front of the car as a kind of passive insecurity knowing that people would be detracted to a car that is not known to be a luxury and now know that they are trying to lure you to believe that this gem of a car is a $100,000 Lexus or Mercedes-Benz. It is also a known fact that Lexus' are offspring of Toyota, which are known to be very reliable cars, are the least expensive cars to maintain and will leave you with the satisfaction that you will never need to buy another vehicle again.
Good night to all.
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