One year and 22,000 miles later, we say good-bye to our 2008 Hyundai Veracruz. It proved to be reliable, likeable and a good hauler of Girl Scout cookies.
Read the long-term wrap-up of the Hyundai Veracruz on Inside Line.
Any last thoughts on the Veracruz before she veracruises off into the sunset? Feel free to have at it in the comments section.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
subytrojan says:
11:33 PM, 01/29/09
"Any last thoughts on the Veracruz before she veracruises off into the sunset?"
LOL! Good one, Donna! =Þ I don't think I saw any sales numbers in the LT wrap-up. I think it might be interesting to see how its sales fared in its first model year.
billt9 says:
03:07 AM, 01/30/09
Hyundai has the easiest to access sales numbers.
http://www.hyundainews.com/Corporate_News/Sales_Releases/01_05_2009_2980.asp
12,589-->11,004. The mainstream santa fe's price is much more compelling.
dougtheeng says:
06:37 AM, 01/30/09
Thanks for reminding us about the wrap up. I'd forgotten this car was still around.
dodo2 says:
07:22 AM, 01/30/09
Veracruz sales numbers are very low. To put it perspective, Mazda sold 26,100 CX-9 (mainstream), Buick sold 44,706 Enclave (upscale?) and Lexus sold 84,181 RX in 2008 (luxury). I think this is the downside of its lack of identity (luxury wanabe with mainstream badge). Remember how at launch, Hyundai Marketing (and paid media) was trying to convince the public that the Veracruz is as good as the Lexus RX, but a lot cheaper? It seems like the public voted with its wallet.
Is this a preview for Genesis sales success (or lack thereof)? I guess will see next year.
tasbro says:
07:45 AM, 01/30/09
Even the Suzuki XL7 sold over 21,866 last year. How many people even know about that vehicle?
bradyholt says:
08:43 AM, 01/30/09
Every rental car outlet in the country has heard of the XL7.
gossard267 says:
09:38 AM, 01/30/09
I'm not sure how much market there really is for cut-rate Lexus products.
The issue is this: A cut-rate Merc/BMW/Audi/Porsche makes some sense, as people who want what those brands have to offer but can't handle the sticker price new are left with the option of a used car from brands with notoriously high maintenance costs and questionable reliability (exploding Boxster/996 engines, anyone?). When a company with a better reputation in those regards comes along and offers a similar vehicle with new-car pricing roughly equal to German used-car pricing, this can be an appealing alternative for shoppers on a smaller budget. For example, the new 370Z will be seen by lots of folks as a way to have the new Cayman they really want at used Cayman prices and with Nissan reliability/maintenance costs.
But Lexus is another ball of wax. This brand is known historically for being the most reliable brand in America. Buying a used Lexus is not a nerve-wracking experience with a significant chance of laying waste to one's savings account two months after the purchase. With a used Lexus RX, one call still proudly tell the neighbors that one drives a very high-prestige brand car, without any serious long-term cost fears. So I can't see where those same shoppers have any real reason to give the Veracruz a shot, unless they simply MUST have a new car.
aspade says:
01:31 PM, 01/30/09
The performance and fuel economy section of the wrap-up does not make clear that the compared long term Enclave and CX-9 were both FWD while the Veracruz is AWD.
MS3lvr92 says:
03:07 PM, 01/30/09
The Veracruz is, or I guess now it's was, in the fleet!
billt9 says:
05:01 PM, 01/30/09
I've sat in both the Veracruz and the RX at the autoshow.
I can easily say the Veracruz is not in competition in terms of luxury feel.
Lexus uses higher quality materials still.
Which makes the Veracruz what it is, a people's 3-row CUV like all the others (Highlander, Pilot); Not a luxury CUV.
The 2010 Lexus RX has even higher quality materials. Even me, who thinks the 2009 RX kind of sucks, loves the interior of the 2010 RX.