It must be tough coming up with a new and creative name for a car these days, without resorting to yet another Italian town or some kind of rugged fauna. Hyundai decided to go the Mercedes and BMW route and just name their first full-size luxury sedan after its platform and engine size. Hyundai's largest car, the 2005 XG350 features a 194-hp, 3.5-liter DOHC V6 and 5-speed automatic with manual shift mode. It packs in a ton of luxury features, while keeping the price tag below its European and Japanese competition, and it comes with Hyundai's 100,000-mile/10-year warranty. This means even an average Joe can feel like a king behind the wheel.

There are no major changes for the 2005 XG350, beyond a standard 8-CD changer for the upscale L trim. All trims come with ABS brakes, traction control, automatic headlights, and dual front and front-side airbags. While the Base is nicely equipped with power seats, cruise control, a CD player, and leather upholstery, the L adds heated seats, memory settings, upgraded audio, wood trim, and a sunroof. Rear seats fold down to open up the 15 cubic-foot trunk, and the spacious interior offers plenty of legroom front and back.

While performance and refinement is still a ways off from its competitors, the price can't be beat, and owners are impressed with the long list of standard features that are often options on the higher-priced brands. Other high points include a smooth and quiet ride and surprisingly good pickup for confident merging and highway driving. An awkward transmission is a common complaint, along with hard to read LEDs on the dash in the daytime. Some owners mention the unresponsive steering and wish the 2005 XG350 featured auto-locking doors upon start-up.