CNET 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate Review

[YEH]

The good: The 2011 Hyundai Equus offers such luxuries as rear seat entertainment, air suspension, a superb Lexicon audio system, and a small refrigerator. Driver assistance features include adaptive cruise control and a forward-facing camera.

The bad: Relying on a big V-8 engine for power, the Equus gets mediocre fuel economy. The navigation system only shows 2D maps, and audio sources are limited.

The bottom line: Although it does not push the tech envelope, the 2011 Hyundai Equus has a well-rounded set of features and comes in at an extremely low price for this segment.

Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/sedan/2011-hyundai-equus-ultimate/4505-10865_7-34662696.html#ixzz1MdQdKJZ5

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

The bad: Relying on a big V-8 engine for power, the Equus gets mediocre fuel economy. The navigation system only shows 2D maps, and audio sources are limited.

Quickly:
25.9 MPG on 1200 mile trip from FL to IL
2D? I ain't putting on no funny colored glasses to see anything but 2D!
Audio sources are limited? Hah:
To further enhance your listening experience, the Lexicon system is compatible with a wide variety of media, including CD, DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, MP3, Video CD and compatible formats, including PCM, Dolby® Digital, and DTS®.

http://hyundai.lexicon.com/hyundai.aspx

 

[Ennesco2011]

I have an 2011 Equus. When I first bought the car I noticed that the sound system did not sound right. I waited until the 6500 mile service to fix it. The dealer replaced the entire driver information system. When I got the car back from the dealer I tried to put an address into the GPS. I could not find the state Alabama in the menu. So I took the car back to the dealer and they also discovered there was no state of Alabama in my GPS. The information was sent to Hyundai tech support. After a four day wait for a return call it was discovered that no one knows why it is missing and nobody knows how to fix it. They said if they replace the driver information system (3rd one in the car) it will have to bench tested it before it ships. They said that they were truly stumped.

Now this is how Equus Customer Service handles a problem.

I just got off the phone with Equus customer service for the fifth time and their answer is there is nothing they can do right now. They said that have to "do more research the problem before a plan of action can be put in place."
It takes a week just to get a return phone call from Tech Support. I wonder how much time it takes to "do more research?" a day? a week? a year? They will not say. They just said wait.

To me it's not really about the GPS. Its the way they are handling this issue. It's like since this is a problem that customer service didn't train on what to say. They just get dumbfounded and tell me to wait. In one conversation I was told that they are showing their commitment because they have "already put one $7,000.00 system in the car" Well it doesn't work.

Realize the fact the a critical part of the car with a major problem got all the way from design to production through quality control all then to the customer without this problem ever being noticed.
What else could be the same way? How do I know the traction control doesn't have a problem. or any other electronics? What is next?

The car is less than 90 days old.

Is this the return of the original Hyundai? It seems like it to me.

 

[Seattle Genesis]

I have an 2011 Equus. When I first bought the car I noticed that the sound system did not sound right. I waited until the 6500 mile service to fix it. The dealer replaced the entire driver information system. When I got the car back from the dealer I tried to put an address into the GPS. I could not find the state Alabama in the menu. So I took the car back to the dealer and they also discovered there was no state of Alabama in my GPS. The information was sent to Hyundai tech support. After a four day wait for a return call it was discovered that no one knows why it is missing and nobody knows how to fix it. They said if they replace the driver information system (3rd one in the car) it will have to bench tested it before it ships. They said that they were truly stumped.

Now this is how Equus Customer Service handles a problem.

I just got off the phone with Equus customer service for the fifth time and their answer is there is nothing they can do right now. They said that have to "do more research the problem before a plan of action can be put in place."
It takes a week just to get a return phone call from Tech Support. I wonder how much time it takes to "do more research?" a day? a week? a year? They will not say. They just said wait.

To me it's not really about the GPS. Its the way they are handling this issue. It's like since this is a problem that customer service didn't train on what to say. They just get dumbfounded and tell me to wait. In one conversation I was told that they are showing their commitment because they have "already put one $7,000.00 system in the car" Well it doesn't work.

Realize the fact the a critical part of the car with a major problem got all the way from design to production through quality control all then to the customer without this problem ever being noticed.
What else could be the same way? How do I know the traction control doesn't have a problem. or any other electronics? What is next?

The car is less than 90 days old.

Is this the return of the original Hyundai? It seems like it to me.

Doesnt this qualify for the Lemon Law?

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

Doesnt this qualify for the Lemon Law?

How? The sound system didn't "sound right" but he ignored it for 6500 miles? And now his Nav doesn't show Alabama? I'd say that's a feature, not a bug (kidding!).

But since this is the 3rd time he's posted this story, here's my reply again:


If the dealer's techs, presumably in accord with Hyundai techs, are working on the solution to a problem they've never seen, what was the purpose of the call to Hyundai/Equus Customer Service? Their response is what I'd expect:an apology and "hell if i know". You understand that the CS folks get their info from the techs, right? As for quality control, there have been over 1500 Horses sold. This is the first time anyone has posted that Alabama isnt covered by the map/guidance. Not to mention almost 5 years of the Genesis with the same system. That's actually a pretty good record for this particular problem. Not saying there haven't been other but you get the point.
As for what else could be wrong, specifically traction control, it's a huge leap from "missing Alabama" to "is my car unsafe"?
Keep us informed, thanks.