The guy driving the white bread truck up ahead seems dissatisfied in the right lane. He drifts toward my lane, then veers back, then meanders my way again. Finally, oblivious to all, he jerks his truck right into my path, a car's length ahead, at 60 miles per hour. I quickly yank the wheel and barely evade the back corner of the white whale, surprised that I didn't react sooner to this highway hog. I'm also surprised by the Hyundai Azera I'm driving, which responds instantly and precisely to my abrupt commands. There's no squealing, no oversteer, no sense of lunging—just a very crisp and rapid lane change. It's like I'm driving a Toyota.

That's the target. Along with Buick, and Nissan, and maybe even Acura. The Azera is Hyundai's new entry in the near-luxury sedan market, and like other Hyundais of late, it's a darn good product that undercuts the competition by a couple thousand dollars or more. I have no idea what an azera actually is–the word is not in the dictionary–but car buyers will soon define Azera as "discount luxury." In addition to a long list of familiar basics, like 16-inch wheels, a CD player, and a dual-zone A/C system, the Azera comes standard with many niceties that often add thousands to the price of similar vehicles: a zesty V-6 engine, heated mirrors, power seats for both driver and passenger, dual chrome-tipped exhaust pipes, audio controls on the steering wheel, eight air bags, and safety-enhancing stability control. That's for about $25,000. Upgrade to the Limited model, for about $27,000, and the basic package comes with leather upholstery, wood inserts on the doors and steering wheel, and heated seats. A similarly equipped Toyota Camry costs about $3,000 more.

A Hyundai, of course, is still not a Toyota. The lower price means resale values will be lower too. And build quality is not quite at the top tier. But the average driver will have a hard time finding deficiencies. I noticed, for instance, that the gaps between some of the dashboard components are a bit wider than you'd find on the Camry, or the Buick Lucerne, or the Honda Accord. But that won't bother you while you're driving. And otherwise, the interior is comfortable, stylish, and sturdy. The Azera is mechanically solid as well. The V-6 is smooth and quick, gear shifts are subtle, and the cabin remains quiet at highway speeds and beyond. It wasn't long ago that Hyundai was the nameplate comedians invoked—along with the now-extinct Yugo–as the epitome of cheap and flimsy. Cheap, yes. But Hyundai is an aggressive social climber, and the Azera shows that this company is learning its manners along the way.