I've got 16,500 on my 2013 3.8 Premium. Bought it for the crap commute I currently endure (55 miles r/t of stop and go). It never complains and it's been the only thing between me and losing my mind. Nice, quiet, serene interior with enough comforts to make the miles tolerable. If that's all the car did for me, it would be money well spent.
Other things I've learned to like about the car:
- I don't have to apologize about lack of space to those in the back when there's four people in the car.
- The sound system is more than I'd hoped for.
- It's not a car that people lust after. Sorry if that sounds like a negative, but it's true. For those of us who would prefer to spend money elsewhere, this turns out to be a plus, as it keeps the initial price down. In addition, I'm not worried about someone stealing it. Seriously, if I owned an A7 here in San Jose, I don't know if I would sleep as well as I do. Flash draws attention.
- Big booty. Four sets of clubs with no problem.
- I've eaten maybe $6k in depreciation so far. That A7? About $30k. I'm not saying the Genesis is built to the same standard as the A7, but if I'm going to buy one car that serves as both a daily driver on a bad commute, and also does weekend drives from time to time, the A7 would be a bad economic choice.
- I really love giving car snobs and other Hyundai-haters rides. I generally just keep my mouth shut and let them talk about their own cars. It's funny how people get really defensive about their own decisions after a few minutes in the Genesis.
Cons:
- Not much good to say about the transmission, except for the warranty. It's a difficult thing to live with at times, like getting used to a horse with an odd gait. Walks when you want it to trot, that sort of thing.
- Not crazy about blue everything on the dash and controls. Blue is the worst possible color choice for night driving, as the human eye is very insensitive to that color. The old BMW orange/red should be standard - much easier to see at any time, day or night.
- The B pillar intrudes on my shoulder space.
Finally, the car was just such a ridiculous bargain that's it's hard to quibble about this and that. A dealer price of $31.4k and $180 for
aftermarket HIDs (the only thing I really wanted from the tech package) makes it less than half the price of the A7 and (according to CR) will be safer, more reliable, and cheaper to drive and repair.
So if you're thinking about buying a Genesis, forget about comparing it to German or premium Japanese cars. I think the car that comes closest to the Genesis in terms of the value proposition (what you pay compared to what you get) is the new Chevy Impala. If you haven't driven one, you should drop in and see if you can get a test drive. They're pretty good.