I've been intending to post some pics of my XG for a while now, I hope they show up as I've never tried it before. This is a forum for fans of Hyundai so I'll rant a little bit about how much I love the XG. I first saw the XG while on a study abroad program in Seoul in 2000. Of all the different Korean cars I saw there for the first time, the XG was the one that right away caught my eye. I thought (and still think) it was the best looking car made in South Korea, even though it's not the largest or most expensive one built there.
Upon returning to the US I married and my wife and I bought a 2000 model year Sonata GLS. I had no idea then Hyundai planned to import the XG. You can imagine my chagrine when I saw them sitting in showrooms only a few months later. As things turned out, we needed a second car sooner than I thought and our dealer had just acquired a used XG that had been a fleet car for Hyundai USA. We got our XG for just under US$16,000 with $24,000 miles. True, the miles were high for one year, but knowing it was company maintained the entire time helped.
I have two recommendations for other XG owners regarding modest after-market additions. First, I have upgraded the headlamps to Philips Vision Plus high and low bulbs. They are the real deal. They provide outstanding illumination and I feel they're the best one can do short of upgrading to true HID headlamps (I still want Yoon's headlamps
) I ordered the bulbs from autolamps-online.com in the UK.
Second, if your location allows (i.e. no snow), I recommend upgrading your tires to Kumho's Ecsta KH11. It's an asymetrical Grand Touring summer tire. The XG is a heavy car and the large outer tread blocks on these Kumhos went a long way in helping with body roll when cornering. They are V and W rated (mine are V for my original size 205/65 15's) and they have shown outstanding traction so far. The only draw is they seem a little noisier than the OEM Michelins. However, for the very noticeable differences in handling a little more noise is worth it in my opinion. I ordered mine from tirerack.com where they were rated #1 in their class, in spite of their cost being much less than their competitors.
I've been very happy with my XG so far. I love the understated lines and it is spirited enough for the kind of daily driving I do. When I need a real fix I ride my Honda CBR 600 F4 anyways, so the XG is the perfect alternative. I do wish now I had the XG350, as you can never have enough torque in my opinion. Oh well, we'll see what Hyundai has for me after law school in three years. Then again, I just might return to my German roots and get a Boxster
Note: if the photos don't appear below, follow this link to my site and someone please let me know how to host photos! Thanks.
http://dwp.bigplanet.com/hanszeller/myxgpage/
I love my XG (long)
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