Hyundai Genesis vs Toyota Avalon

[tjc78]

I had an 06 Avalon prior to getting my Gen V6. The Avalon is definately a better car if your primary concern is a smooth, plush riding quiet highway cruiser. Also, the back seat is bigger than the Genesis and it reclines.

The Gen has nicer interior materials, is certainly sportier, and handles better all at the expense of ride quality They are pretty evenly matched in terms of build quality, features etc.

After two Avalons, I thought I wanted something sportier. The Gen appeared to fit the bill. I now know that is certainly not the case, and would give up my Genesis in a second, if I could do it without loosing thousands. I have 20 months on my lease and hopefully can trade out in about 15 or so. I simply have grown to hate the jittery, uncontrolled ride. As we all know the OEM Dunlops stink and are starting to get pretty noisy at around 14K miles.

 

[msitter]

I have a mid May 2010 build 4.6 Tech and I don't see that the ride is that bad. I have come from Audis, GTOs, Trans Ams, BMWs, SVO Fords and a lone Saab, so I tend to go towards the sporty end on the spectrum. A family member had an Avalon and while quiet, well made and sedate it was a supremely boring car to drive. Not a lot of spunk, kind of a floaty ride and this particular one had a bench front seat and column shift so i was definitely more a blue hair machine. Whatever floats your boat but anyone who cross shops a Genesis and an Avalon is probably not going to be happy with the Hyundai, they are just so different and not in the same category.

 

[tjc78]

My Avalon was 0 to 60 in a little over six seconds (same as V6 Gen) and the 05+ models only had buckets and a console. The one you rode in was an older model. My 03 even had a console and buckets.

 

[Oiler1]

I have looked and test drove about 50 cars during the last while. I narrowed down my decision to either a 2012 Genesis V6 with Tech pkg or 2012 Avalon (loaded in Canada at least but diff that the US limited as it has no cooling seats) or a 2013 Lexus ES350.

I favor the Lexus ES350 if money were no object, but with the C Pkg nav and cooling seat it is priced about 10K too high for me.

The Genesis is by far the best bang for the buck. Note I am comparing 2012's to the Avalon but also to the 2013 Lexus (I like it's new styling).

The 2012 looks very bland, but it is more refined IMO. The gearbox shifts much easier and smoothly than the Genesis 8 speed. The Lexus is the smoothest most quiet car of the 3. I do like a cushy ride and don't care about great handling as I am not going to race the car. As long as the car does not endanger my life it is ok. I find the Gen ride kind of undulates a bit and there are a bit more small noises I can here. When I have the great stereo on I hear nothing of course

I truly believe Toyota has the better reputation as I own a 1997 Camry with zero problems. The trouble is recent Camry's and Toyota products have gone downhill in quality, except for the Lexus.

I have to test drive the Genesis and the other cars a bit more.

I know this is a Genesis forum so there may be some bias, but if anyone can help me on my difficult decision I would appreciate it.

 

[RickyBobby]

I have looked and test drove about 50 cars during the last while. I narrowed down my decision to either a 2012 Genesis V6 with Tech pkg or 2012 Avalon (loaded in Canada at least but diff that the US limited as it has no cooling seats) or a 2013 Lexus ES350.

I favor the Lexus ES350 if money were no object, but with the C Pkg nav and cooling seat it is priced about 10K too high for me.

The Genesis is by far the best bang for the buck. Note I am comparing 2012's to the Avalon but also to the 2013 Lexus (I like it's new styling).

The 2012 looks very bland, but it is more refined IMO. The gearbox shifts much easier and smoothly than the Genesis 8 speed. The Lexus is the smoothest most quiet car of the 3. I do like a cushy ride and don't care about great handling as I am not going to race the car. As long as the car does not endanger my life it is ok. I find the Gen ride kind of undulates a bit and there are a bit more small noises I can here. When I have the great stereo on I hear nothing of course

I truly believe Toyota has the better reputation as I own a 1997 Camry with zero problems. The trouble is recent Camry's and Toyota products have gone downhill in quality, except for the Lexus.

I have to test drive the Genesis and the other cars a bit more.

I know this is a Genesis forum so there may be some bias, but if anyone can help me on my difficult decision I would appreciate it.

A lot of people say always get the newer generation car vs the older one. With a new Genesis around the corner the current model would get old quick.

 

[Oiler1]

A lot of people say always get the newer generation car vs the older one. With a new Genesis around the corner the current model would get old quick.

You are never going to be leading edge for long. so I don't worry about being outdated unless it is something radical that is changing form one generation to another.

Having said this, a lot of makes have undergone redesigns for 2013. They all seem to copy the Sonata's design in general. Make note and beware of 1st year of new generation cars though. Better to get one later on when the bugs are worked out. In this case a 2012 Avalon which has matured may be better than a 2013 1st of that generation Avalon.

 

[Retry]

I have looked and test drove about 50 cars during the last while. I narrowed down my decision to either a 2012 Genesis V6 with Tech pkg or 2012 Avalon (loaded in Canada at least but diff that the US limited as it has no cooling seats) or a 2013 Lexus ES350.

I favor the Lexus ES350 if money were no object, but with the C Pkg nav and cooling seat it is priced about 10K too high for me.

The Genesis is by far the best bang for the buck. Note I am comparing 2012's to the Avalon but also to the 2013 Lexus (I like it's new styling).

The 2012 looks very bland, but it is more refined IMO. The gearbox shifts much easier and smoothly than the Genesis 8 speed. The Lexus is the smoothest most quiet car of the 3. I do like a cushy ride and don't care about great handling as I am not going to race the car. As long as the car does not endanger my life it is ok. I find the Gen ride kind of undulates a bit and there are a bit more small noises I can here. When I have the great stereo on I hear nothing of course

I truly believe Toyota has the better reputation as I own a 1997 Camry with zero problems. The trouble is recent Camry's and Toyota products have gone downhill in quality, except for the Lexus.

I have to test drive the Genesis and the other cars a bit more.

I know this is a Genesis forum so there may be some bias, but if anyone can help me on my difficult decision I would appreciate it.

Let me see if I can help you out, Oiler1. I've been driving a 2007 Avalon Limited for the last almost 200,000 miles. I spent $200 to replace a left front wheel bearing and other than normal maintenance, that's absolutely all I've spent. The Avalon has been a dream to own. My plan was to replace the '07 with the new improved '13 until I actually saw the redesigned front end. No way was I buying that. I visited a Hyundai dealer to look at a used 2011 Avalon Limited which turned out not to be a Limited at all. Before I could get away, the salesman directed me to the 2012 V6 Genesis with the Tech package. By the time we finished talking, he had knocked over $10,000 off the $44,000+ sticker and had my attention. I test drove the car then went home and did a lot of research. Went back and purchased the Genesis. Now, between the two cars, if you need the extra back seat room and comfort, it's the Avalon. If you place a high priority on a smooth and quiet ride, again the Avalon. If 30+ highway MPG is what you're looking for, again go Avalon. But, if a more fun to drive, better looking, better handling and runs like a scalded dog experience is more to your liking, it's either the V6 or V8 Genesis. As far as quality, I certainly can't say anything negative about the Avalon but my Genesis so far appears to exhibit the superior fit and finish. The paint, for instance, on the Avalon is horribly thin and even bugs can flake it off. The Genesis paint is much better. The bottom line, they both have their strong suits and I would have been happy either way, but I have NO regrets with my Genisis. One last thing, in my most humble (but accurate) opinion, the darker colors on the Genesis tend to better accentuate the overall appearance of the car, especially the front end. Uh oh! I'll hear about that.

 

[homeofstone]

If I am driving then I want the Genesis. If I'm a passenger and want to take a nap then the Equus or maybe the Avalon.

 

[Oiler1]

Let me see if I can help you out, Oiler1. I've been driving a 2007 Avalon Limited for the last almost 200,000 miles. I spent $200 to replace a left front wheel bearing and other than normal maintenance, that's absolutely all I've spent. The Avalon has been a dream to own. My plan was to replace the '07 with the new improved '13 until I actually saw the redesigned front end. No way was I buying that. I visited a Hyundai dealer to look at a used 2011 Avalon Limited which turned out not to be a Limited at all. Before I could get away, the salesman directed me to the 2012 V6 Genesis with the Tech package. By the time we finished talking, he had knocked over $10,000 off the $44,000+ sticker and had my attention. I test drove the car then went home and did a lot of research. Went back and purchased the Genesis. Now, between the two cars, if you need the extra back seat room and comfort, it's the Avalon. If you place a high priority on a smooth and quiet ride, again the Avalon. If 30+ highway MPG is what you're looking for, again go Avalon. But, if a more fun to drive, better looking, better handling and runs like a scalded dog experience is more to your liking, it's either the V6 or V8 Genesis. As far as quality, I certainly can't say anything negative about the Avalon but my Genesis so far appears to exhibit the superior fit and finish. The paint, for instance, on the Avalon is horribly thin and even bugs can flake it off. The Genesis paint is much better. The bottom line, they both have their strong suits and I would have been happy either way, but I have NO regrets with my Genisis. One last thing, in my most humble (but accurate) opinion, the darker colors on the Genesis tend to better accentuate the overall appearance of the car, especially the front end. Uh oh! I'll hear about that.

Thanks for the lengthy reply. I finally got a 2012 Genesis for a 24 hour period and gave it a good test.

The 2005-2012 Avalon does not compare favourably to this generation's Genesis which was started in 2009. So in this regard it is a rather unfair comparison. The only reason I compare the two is because of the close pricing. I can get a 2012 Avalon for $37K and a 2012 Gen for $41K but the Gen has more options in it.

The better comparison would be the Gen w/Tech pkg against the Lexus E350.

I had various people as passengers comment on the Genesis. They thought it was a good car, but the ride is a bit wavy and one can hear the cracks on the road more than the Lexus. You definitely get more bang for the buck in a 2012 Gen as there is a rebate of $10K going on.

I think I prefer the Lexus ES350 though as it feels more refined. I just hate paying $10K more for it. The Lexus' dealers don't give much of a discount on their cars thus their value holds better.

It's a tough choice but I would get a Genesis if the price was difference was over $10K in spite of the higher fuel consumption, less smooth transmission and overall lesser quality than the Lexus. I would not get a 2013 Avalon as I hate the ir user interface for my iPod nano. Ir doesn't recognize my folders. The Genesis does though if you want to change folders, it doesn't go back the previous folder position which is a pain as you have to start with the 1st folder again and then scroll.

AS you can see every car has at least some things not done right. The better ones have those issues as minor though.

 

[shadow]

I test drove both Avalon and Genesis. I thought Genesis had quieter and smoother ride than Avalon. Avalon was more expensive with numerous Hyundai rebates. [edit 2/28]BTW Invoice for 2013 Avalon premium was $31,000.

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[YEH]

The better comparison would be the Gen w/Tech pkg against the Lexus E350.

I think I prefer the Lexus ES350 though as it feels more refined. I just hate paying $10K more for it. The Lexus' dealers don't give much of a discount on their cars thus their value holds better.

Considering that a no. of reviews have stated that both the new Azera and Avalon are better than the new ES, maybe not.

 

[DeMAN]

You are never going to be leading edge for long. so I don't worry about being outdated unless it is something radical that is changing form one generation to another.

Having said this, a lot of makes have undergone redesigns for 2013. They all seem to copy the Sonata's design in general. Make note and beware of 1st year of new generation cars though. Better to get one later on when the bugs are worked out. In this case a 2012 Avalon which has matured may be better than a 2013 1st of that generation Avalon.

Can't speak on the Avalon, but I'm also not a fan of the front. That pretty much takes it out of the running. I agree with all you have had to say about Lexus.

I owned the first year of the Genesis sedan. I couldn't open the gas door on the very first fillup after dealer fill. I happened to open the trunk and saw it had a release. Fill and drove around the corner to a different dealer than I purchased. They repair that item in minutes and washed the car and on my way. No other issues in the 93K miles before I went back to discover my youth in the 2013 Gensis coupe

Speaking of the Sonata typed design; I also just purchased a fully loaded 2013 Santa Fe Sport turbo. No one will ever claim it's copied from some another Manufacturer. 7 weeks on it so far no problem with the new redesign.

I would have no problems buying the 2014 Genesis sedan unless they dropped the ball in appearance....