IN THE RACE TO CAPTURE

the attention of fickle buyers, automakers have been increasingly piling on the electronic gewgaws over the past several years. Anyone who's been flummoxed by BMW's iDrive or gotten into a shouting match with a recalcitrant navigation system knows what I'm talking about. And if you want a roomy ride with plenty of creature comforts, it's particularly tricky to find a car whose dashboard doesn't resemble the cockpit of a small plane. That's where the Hyundai Azera comes in.

The Azera isn't Hyundai's first large sedan it replaces the old XG350, which was underpowered and forgettable. But the Azera, particularly its top-of-the-line Limited version, is the first Hyundai that can credibly be considered an alternative to entry-level luxury sedans. It offers a powerful engine, acres of front and rear leg room (43.7 and 38.2 inches, to be exact) and impressive handling for such a large sedan with a price tag under $30,000. At the same time, it's entirely user-friendly. The controls are all intuitively laid out with large, easy-to-read buttons.

That's not to say the Azera is stripped down by any means. But there are few of the latest tech gadgets that are appearing on more-expensive cars.

Even the Toyota Avalon Limited, arguably the Azera's closest competitor, has lately been loading up on such electronica as a push-button ignition and options that include a voice-activated nav system and dynamic laser cruise control, which holds a steady distance between you and the car in front of you. Yes, these are nifty features. But such options can add up to a sticker price of $37,763, $10,000 more than the Azera Limited that I drove. (The base price of an Avalon Limited is $34,545, compared with $27,495 for the Azera Limited.)

What the Azera does offer is an impressively powerful engine, coupled with a smooth-shifting five-speed automatic transmission that delivers plenty of oomph. The suspension is soft enough to make for a comfortable ride but taut enough to still leave the driver with some road feel. And steering is quite responsive compared with other large sedans, including the Avalon. True, no one's going to mistake the Azera for a sport sedan; the body lilts a bit too much in tight turns, and taking a curvy road faster than you should will give you a few hair-raising seconds. But the drive is much more enjoyable than you'd expect for a large sedan that runs less than $30,000.

By focusing on the drive and handling characteristics, Hyundai has done well to distinguish the Azera from the Amanti, a would-be competitor from Hyundai's subsidiary Kia. Though the two cars are similar in size and price, the Azera is by far the better buy. The Amanti is all style, with its big chrome grille and double oval headlamps that look as if they were swiped from a Mercedes. But there's not a lot of substance to back up the looks; its handling is a throwback to the boat-like sedans of the '70s and '80s.

The Azera, on the other hand, cuts a much more modest figure. The exterior does nothing to broadcast luxury, bringing to mind the sober styling of an Acura. The interior, too, is understated, with elegant leather seats and a shoulder-level stripe of faux wood in the Limited. The effect is one of comfort and quiet, without making any great luxe statement. Call it the anti-midlife crisis car.