Q: My brother called to say that he’d just bought a new Hyundai. We gave him a little good-natured ribbing about his cheapie choice, and he announced, huffily, that it was a $69,000 Hyundai. I love my brother, but he’s given to hyperbole. I seriously doubt he paid $69,000 for a Hyundai (though, when I went online I was surprised to learn there is actually one that sells for about $60,000). I’m going way too deep on this matter, but given his history of truth-stretching, I want to know there’s no chance he paid that much before I add this to his long list (in my head) of exaggerations.
A: It’s entirely possible he’s telling the straight, unvarnished truth. It is, indeed, correct that Hyundai has a model (the Equus, in its Signature trim version) that is about $62,000. It’s a loaded-up luxury vehicle that gets raves from consumers and reviewers alike. That’s probably the car that you discovered.
But he might have purchased an even higher-end version (the Equus Ultimate) and the price for that is about $69,000. Many dealerships don’t keep the Ultimate on lots, so you might have overlooked that version if you were searching local dealerships for your information.
Each of those two versions of the Hyundai has accoutrements aplenty, including three-zone climate control, lane departure warning system and rearview camera. The higher-end Ultimate also boasts cooling capability in rear seats as well as the front seats, and a rear entertainment system with large display screens.
Hyundai isn’t offering just inexpensive, little-bitty cars any more, clearly. They’re working hard to run with the big guys, like Lexus and Mercedes.
Q: We’ve been seriously considering the Ford Fusion hybrid. A friend suggested we also consider the newer plug-in version, called the Ford Fusion Energi. But I just read the Energi has lower mpg than the hybrid. How can that be?
A: The Ford Fusion Energi (with its plug-in assistance) gets a combined city/highway 43 mpg, according to the EPA; the Ford Fusion Hybrid gets a combined 47 mpg, according to the EPA. That’s because the Energi has a much larger battery pack and it outweighs the hybrid by about 300 pounds. Weight matters.
© CTW Features
What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email [email protected].