2015 Genesis dealership experience...

[GenesisX]

So I'd like to hear about your experience purchasing your 2015 Genesis and I'll tell you about mine. I have always driven higher end cars and I was used to a better dealership, better service and better amenities.

When I initially went into the dealership to test drive a Genesis, I was really taken aback by the lack of, well, everything. There was no reception desk, no real structure that I'm used to seeing, mismatched desks, not even free popcorn. One salesperson was sitting at his desk wearing his headphones listening to music, I think. I had an appointment set up with the GM, as I refuse to deal with salespeople and the back and forth getting a better price from their manager. Better to go right to the source and not waste time. Once my deal was negotiated, the GM had me work with a salesperson to do the paperwork. On my second visit, I had to literally wake him up as he had dozed off at his desk.

When I went to leave, my car was blocked by a running Sonata. Another salesperson had moved it and was just leaving with some customers for a test drive. I called out to him and asked if he could move it for me. He told me that he couldn't and that I would "need to talk to the people inside." I said I'd move it myself and he said "Sure" and left on his test drive. I was a little shocked.

My family hauler is Cadillac Escalade ESV and when I go to that dealership, I am greeted at the door by a receptionist, the salespeople wear suits and the dealership is well-light and modern. I had a Mercedes for a while and that dealership was beautiful (for a car dealership) and the loaner cars were C class Mercedes.

I honestly think that for Hyundai to be successful in selling $50K+ vehicles and attracting the Lexus/BMW/Mercedes buyers, then they need to step it up a bit at the dealership level.

 

[Aquineas]

It varies by dealer to be honest; yours sounds particularly horrid. My dealership definitely isn't that bad (and has free popcorn and water). Clean, professional, modern, with matching desks, and multiple service awards. As a matter of fact, pretty much every dealer I've visited in the Houston Metropolitan area save for one does well on appearance and comfort.

 

[BillZ]

You can put a ribbon on a pig, but buying a car is never a pleasant experience. No matter how they dress up the dealership, getting to a fair deal is tortuous. I dealt with a very pleasant salesman but had to walk out of the dealership twice after the manager got involved before I was able to conclude a reasonable deal. Even then, the manager acted like I was taking food out of his kids' mouths. Next time I'm using a broker so I don't have to go through that again. If you want to pay for the trappings, buy a Mercedes, BMW, Lexus or whatever. If you want your Genesis at the price they charge, you probably have to forget the trappings. Still, there's little excuse for unprofessionalism.

 

[Monolith2001]

It varies by dealer to be honest...

Indeed. It's a Hyundai dealership and not the lavish boutiques that you find at BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Porsche/Audi etc. It sucks that they don't have a some of the niceties but I comfort myself in knowing I ain't paying for a lot of stuff that ultimately doesn't matter in the price of the car.

My dealership is really nice (only 4 years old) but I'm rarely there more than an hour every few months. Bathroom is super clean, coffeemaker brews a good cup of joe, Wifi works and plenty of comfortable seats.

Everyone is really nice and both of the sales people who sold me my Hyundai's have always come over and chatted if they saw me and ask about my wife and kids. Pretty happy about that.

 

[greekgeek]

Dealership is nice and modern with a lounge area including a giant tv and plenty of magazines, snacks, coffee and bottled water. Not like the Lexus dealership but much nicer than I expected. Some staff was very nice, others... well let's just say I avoided some.

 

[Pahaska]

Both the dealership where I bought and the dealership where I go for service (much closer) are very upscale. The servicing dealer has two young ladies who meet you at the door of the lounge and make sure you have a beverage, reading matter, and know where everything is located. This applies to all buyers, although the Genesis/Eqquis owners get first shot at a free wash and detail as time is available from the preparation crew.

 

[GenesisX]

Both the dealership where I bought and the dealership where I go for service (much closer) are very upscale. The servicing dealer has two young ladies who meet you at the door of the lounge and make sure you have a beverage, reading matter, and know where everything is located. This applies to all buyers, although the Genesis/Eqquis owners get first shot at a free wash and detail as time is available from the preparation crew.

I think the Equus dealers are different than the regular Hyundai dealers.

 

[Boulderado]

I haven't been to a dealership yet but emailed 4 dealers in my area 3 days ago inquiring about Genesis pricing and so far only heard back from one. I did the same thing when I was getting my BMW 2 years ago and within hours 3 of the 4 dealers contacted me.

So while I can do without the fancy showrooms and free snacks and beverages, I would like to see more professionalism from the sales representatives. If Hyundai wants to convert people from premium brands, quality products at great prices need a dealership networking matching the quality of the products...

 

[Pahaska]

I think the Equus dealers are different than the regular Hyundai dealers.

Not always. There is an ad in today's paper by the dealer I referenced offering both Genesis and Eqquis side by side. I have often chatted with Eqquis owners in the waiting lounge.

 

[GenesisX]

Not always. There is an ad in today's paper by the dealer I referenced offering both Genesis and Eqquis side by side. I have often chatted with Eqquis owners in the waiting lounge.

What I meant was all dealers can sell Hyundais but not all dealers can sell the Equus. The staff receives additional training I believe.

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[ppern]

my dealership offers free coffee, massages and manicures on certain days and car washes. But i feel if genesis and equus want to be taken seriously they need a to separate from hyundai and get their own identity

 

[CanukV6]

It should not matter if you are buying an Accent or an Equus, everybody deserves to be treated courteously and with respect. Different budgets will determine what model customers are interested in, but next to a house, buying a car is the second largest household purchase and should be a positive experience. People think that BMW & M-B dealers make far more money on car sales than Hyundai dealers, but that really isn't true. What the luxury dealers make from selling high-end vehicles, the Hyundai dealers can make the same or more because of their much higher volumes. Where the upscale brands really score is on Servicing the vehicles they sell, where the profits are much higher than for Hyundai.

For the record, my Hyundai Dealer is clean, modern and well furnished. They have a receptionist that always greets customers and the staff are both professional and pleasant to deal with. Dropped by with no appointment recently to get my tire pressures adjusted (with nitrogen) and was well looked after by the staff, my car was taken in promptly and returned 15 minutes later with tires adjusted and the car washed. No charge for the service or the Gourmet coffee I drank while waiting.

 

[PaFromFL]

...Where the upscale brands really score is on Servicing the vehicles they sell, where the profits are much higher than for Hyundai...

This is the main reason I ruled out a Mercedes E-class even though the resale value somewhat justifies the higher initial price. I tend to give my cars to my children instead of trading them in, and I wouldn't want to bankrupt them with an out-of-warranty German car. To be fair, my 2005 BMW 330i worked flawlessly for the four years I owned it (the higher volume 3 series seems to be more dependable the the 5 or 7 series).

Back on the thread, my dealership experience was my best ever. All my questions were answered to my satisfaction and the negotiation and buying processes were free of games or high pressure tactics. I haven't yet had my car serviced, but the waiting area seems reasonably comfortable.

 

[Midnightsun]

Hey guys, if want suited up dealerships, cappuccinos and people opening doors for you then expect to pay $5,000 more for your ride. Everything comes with a price you know. Although some like to be treated like royalty, they sometimes do not see they subsidized this service through higher vehicle purchase costs which means they paid more for a service and not because the car is worth more. Just my 2 cents.

Regardless, you should only be going to the dealership for regular maintenance however the German brands are usually in for a lot more. I wonder if there extreme customer treatment helps forgive the constant service requirements.

 

[Monolith2001]

It should not matter if you are buying an Accent or an Equus, everybody deserves to be treated courteously and with respect.

I will say that while I agree and the service is pretty much the same with my Sonata as it is with the Genesis, there is one perk with the Genesis at my dealership that seems to be unspoken. When I would bring in my Sonata, I tended to have to schedule my appointments (Sat @ 10am) well in advance to get the time spot I wanted and I tended to have to wait longer for completion of service. Since I got the Genesis, I always get my preferred time and even though there is an evacuation line of cars, they seem to service my car before all the others.

My dealership always seems to have two or three Equus on the lot. I'm sure they extra special treatment.

 

[Mark_888]

I honestly think that for Hyundai to be successful in selling $50K+ vehicles and attracting the Lexus/BMW/Mercedes buyers, then they need to step it up a bit at the dealership level.

Hyundai has more than 750 dealers in the US, almost all of which existed before the Genesis was first released in late 2008 (when the previous flagship sedan was the Azera that sold less than $30K at the time).

Auto dealers are independent businesses and there is only so much that a manufacturer can do about them, especially once they have been in business for awhile. The vast majority of Hyundai buyers are looking for a car with better value than the equivalent car in the same class. Those savings have to come from some place.

 

[ksoze]

Regardless, you should only be going to the dealership for regular maintenance however the German brands are usually in for a lot more. I wonder if there extreme customer treatment helps forgive the constant service requirements.

Not sure the german brands are "in for a lot more". My previous BMW's actually required little or no service, all of which was paid for during the warranty period. Clearly, the hourly costs and parts are more expensive when issues arise. They do have pretty stringent maintenance recommendations based on mileage, but those can be done by third parties for less cost.

As most have said here, there is no free lunch. The pricing of the german names plates does usually come with a more upscale dealer environment, but is very dependent on geography and market. I actually had some of my best service experiences with an Infiniti dealer, surpassing two local BMW dealerships.

 

[Mark_888]

My previous BMW's actually required little or no service, all of which was paid for during the warranty period

Routine maintenance for BMW's was a major complaint from BMW customers, and marketing studies determined that it was hurting sales of BMW's.

Since BMW had no control over what dealers charge for those services, they did the smart thing and included free routine maintenance (during warranty period) in the price of all BMW's sold. It is still outrageously expensive at most dealers when the free maintenance period expires.

 

[ksoze]

It is still outrageously expensive at most dealers when the free maintenance period expires.

Agree, which is why a good third party shop can be an important asset owning one of these cars out of warranty.

 

[drewaz]

I'm guessing the dealership experience varies with location. I purchased my Genesis from Earnhardt Hyundai in Scottsdale, AZ. Beautiful new dealership, pleasant lounge, huge inventory, personable service and an upscale experience. Because Camelback Hyundai in central Phoenix is more convenient I go there for service. It's nice but it just seems a notch or 2 down on the 'pleasant experience' level.

It may be that a dealership in Scottsdale caters to a more affluent customer base than one in central Phoenix and needs to up the visuals and customer attention. Personally I'd rather not have the cost of a plush dealership added to the cost of my car, especially since I'm only there for an hour or two when I go for service.