2009 Hyundai Veracruz User Reviews

Pros

Value, amenities, style, cabin noise, power liftgate

Cons

No Aux input, gas mileage, "coolbox"

Purchased As New

So, we bought our 2009 Veracruz Limited AWD in deep blue from Towne Hyundai in Denville, NJ. We actually purchased 2 vehicles from them, so we ended up getting a pretty good price on them. The Verzcruz we bought has the Navigation package (which ultimately removes the AUX input) and just about every bell and whistle you can think of, including BlueConnect for wireless, integrated cell phone use while driving.

The A/C take a bit of riding to get up and running as cold as my husband likes it, but I don't see that as an issue. Gas mileage could be better, but I don't know how much you can expect from an AWD automatic heavy LUV (luxury utility vehicle). If we end up with 17 average, we'll be happy. The coolbox in the center console is pretty much a joke though. All it does is pump the A/C in there to keep it chilly... Doesn't usually work because whatever you're trying to keep cold often ends up covering the vent. They need a nifty vent cover to prevent that from ocurring.

Also, when you upgrade to the NAV they remove the CD changer and AUX option, which is annoying because I have an iPhone and want to listen to my audiobooks through the stereo like I do in my Sonata. Ah well, can't have it all. 5th Avenue Electronics has a special kit to integrate iPod/iPhone use into the car stereo for about $250... I may end up doing that.

Last for the cons, it's not possible to get NAV and rear seat DVD, so we're probably gonna end up springing for the entertainment addition at 5th Avenue Electronics as well. Doesn't necessarily bother me though, considering we purchased this vehicle brandy-new for about $35K. No matter how you slice, that's WAY less than any other comparative LUV on the market.

And now for all the positives, there are probably too many to list. As long as you have purchased your vehicle from a decent dealer (I will admit they're hard to find), you can get your Hyundai fixed for just about any problem that occurs with it for the first 60K miles for FREE. Can't say that about any other car maker, except maybe Kia, but I'm not really a fan.

Some of my favorite features of our Veracruz are the back up sensors, the power rear liftgate, the light up door sills, the cockpit lighting in general (not everyone is fond of the blue, but my husband and I adore it), the NavTeq navigation (sometimes it glitches, but that's to be expected on anything that is satellite dependant), the memory driver's seat (so great for when you have two drivers like we do), the automatic temperature controls, the separate rear seat temp controls and last, but definitely not least, the keyless entry and operation. I just leave my keys in my purse or pocket and I can operate my vehicle without having to dig around looking for the remote. It's simply fabulous.

The bottom line here is that the positives far outweigh the negatives for this vehicle. From a logical perspective, it's the best choice if you're in the market for a mid-size LUV that you can drive into the ground. As far as re-sale value goes, everyone always gripes about it, but in truth, no car is a good investment. They all depreciate, some a bit faster than others, but I would venture to say that American-made cars are going to start depreciating quite a bit faster now that the American auto industry has pretty much collapsed.

My father drives an Escalade that he paid more than double for and my Veracruz has every feature that the Caddy does, less the back up camera (unecessary) and the pop-out step plates. For the additional warranty, I'm still in a MUCH better financial position after having purchased our Veracruz. Performace of any SUV/LUV is limited because of the sheer weight of these vehicles. Gas mileage also suffers because of this and it's no surprise. Common knowledge for anyone capable of critical thought.

Note: I did not enter any reliability rating because we have only had the car a week or so and want to wait at least a year or two before judging that.