Listen Live
Hot 100.9 Featured Video
CLOSE

The punch line is the price. Hyundai has made its name by offering superior value, and the Equus is no exception. While the similarly-equipped Mercedes checks in at $93,875 and the Lexus at $70,205, the Equus can be had for $65,400 or less.

Is the Equus worth it? In a word, yes. It’s closer to today’s Lexus than the 1990 Lexus was to the Mercedes of that era.

Standouts include the instrument panel graphics and easy-to-use navigation system. The powertrain delivers seamless torque, and if performance suffers by the absence of two gears, it isn’t evident.

In sum, the Hyundai is a complete premium luxury car at a bargain price. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a new ethos develop among customers who ignore the status conveyed by hood ornament in favor of value.

When the Lexus arrived, an import car executive confidently told me that as good as it was, Toyota would never be able to build a Jaguar. Only Jaguar could do that.

Hyundai will never be able to build a Lexus or a Mercedes. But it has built an awfully good Hyundai. In a couple of years, that may be enough to raise it to the reputational level of the German trio.

Source: CNN Money