New Genesis not in my cards

[ImInPA]

Well, I had pretty much narrowed my decision down to the Genesis V8 non-tech or a Volvo S80 T6 AWD. I really wanted the V8 because of its limited slip differential and me living in the snow belt (why hyundai would not have included this with the V6 is just beyond me). While the MSRP of the Genesis was about 38K and the Volvo just under 46K, in the end, the Volvo dealers treatment of me and of course bottom line price won out.

In my area, the two Hyundai dealers combined have only sold about 12 Genesis since August. If my treatment is any indication, I can certainly understand why so many have decided not to purchase a Genesis in my area. At the price point of the Genesis, I think we buyers are expecting some level of courtesy and professionalism that is a cut above the expectations of buying an Elantra.

I am taking delivery today of a 2009 Volvo S80 T6 AWD. The bottom line price is nearly $3500 lower than the Genesis V8 (taxed, tagged, and down the road) and about what I could have purchased the V6 PP Genesis. While I view the Genesis favorably, I have serious reservations about the two Hyundai dealers I have to choose from. For example, when I inquired as to the availablility of a loaner car for service appointments, I was first told that Genesis buyers would have a loaner available to them. As we got down to negotiations, I was told that "if I wanted that level of treatment, I should be shopping Mercedes or Lexus." (Hell, my VW dealer gives me a loaner.) So, my dilemma was that I wanted to buy a car that I view as a "cut above," but the dealer treated me as though it was a "cut below."

I once purchased a Honda Prelude ( a known good car in its day) from a dealer I had reservations about, and the after sales service was just horrible. The dealer actually made me feel badly about my purchase....not the car.

Anyhow, I plan to hang out here and follow the developments of the Genesis. I really appreciate all of the discussions and experiences shared on this site. I regret that the dealers in my area have not made me feel comfortable enough to make the jump to what seems to be one hell of a car.

 

[Mark_888]

The Volvo dealer may not be around to give you anything for much longer. Ford is trying to sell Volvo, and several Chinese companies are supposedly potential buyers. I don't think all the Volvo dealers are going to survive, and those that do may have significant changes.

I think the issue of the loner car should be a financial one, not an emotional one. In other words, how many days do you think you would need a loner car, and how much would it cost to just rent a car instead? Most dealers have provisions for you to rent a car, or take you to a local rental place. It costs money to make loaner cars available to customers, and the cost of that is built into dealer margins. So you are going to pay for it one way or another.

In your case, Volvo and its dealers are extremely motivated, so you got a good deal, but there are some potential questions about the future of the company that goes along with that.

 

[JOwest]

Congrats on your purchase. The S80 AWD is a very nice car. I do agree with Mark 888. There is an uncertainty about Volvo in the future. Two of the Volvo dealers in my area closed down a few months ago. Volvo used to be very popular in my area. However, sales really suffered the last few years.

 

[Goose]

I also congratulate you on your purchase. Regardless of Volvo's corporate situation, it's your local dealer that determines your ownership experience. If your dealer is taking care of you, whoever owns the corporation is of little consequence.

My ownership experience with Hyundai has been the same as your shopping experience. While my Genesis Coupe is fine for the price, the dealer support has been lacking (to say the least). Hyundai hasn't driven home the idea that getting the sale is one thing, but keeping the customer is another. Although my experience might not be typical, it tells me that Lexus/Acura/BMW don't need to worry too much yet...

 

[ImInPA]

I appreciate your attempt to explain to me how it costs the dealer money to make loaner cars available. Many car companies have learned that these little expenses done in the name of customer service make for a happier customers. Hyundai in my area doesn't get it yet. Every car I have owned in the past 20 years have been from dealers that value customer service, and, a loaner car has been provided to me. As I mentioned, even my VW dealer is in on the act. This one thing would not make or break a deal for me it just emphasizes that Hyundai in my area has not yet matured to the level of Honda or Toyota or even VW for that matter.

Also weighing in are some of your very posts regarding suspension issues, and other's alignment, sensitivity to crowns, and other posts regarding electrical gremlins, amps stopping, repeated trips to have head units replaced, Voice activation that mutes the radio but does not un-mute it, Bluetooth issues. Quite frankly Mark, you, Doug and others made me realize how important good dealer service is likely to be to me with regards to Hyundai Genesis during the first model year. So to answer your question, I fear that it could be many trips to Hyundai, and, with the attitude I experienced from the two dealers in my area, maybe even more trips than others are experiencing. As I stated in another post, the two dealers in my area have only sold a combined total of about 12 Genesis since August. I think that their attitude is responsible for such a low number. Hyundai is asking me to trust them with their first car in this segment and I was willing to go there. But, all things being equal, the dealer has to make me feel that they will stand behind me when I need them. Locally that is not happening. During one visit to one of the dealers, I was actually abandoned by my sales person when a customer showed up to talk about an Elantra. I waited about 45 minutes for him to return, but, he never did. Since then, I have worked only with the sales managers at both dealerships, and, even then, it has not been a good experience.

The issue of a loaner car is just one aspect of the dealer/company experience. It is not about expense at all to me. All of the upper tier manufacturers provide this service and many lower tier dealers do as well. To me a dealer that first says it will be provided one, then says it will not be provided is indicative of a poor dealer and one that is not likely to stand behind me after the sale. It is a trust thing to me.

It is my opinion that Volvo is not going to disappear from our shores - not as long as there are Californians, tree huggers, Soccer Moms, yuppies, and safety-minded individuals. I appreciate your concern in this regard, but, that is the farthest thing from my list of things to worry about.

 

[Mark_888]

I understand your position. I knew right up front that I was not going to have a luxury car dealer experience from a Hyundai dealer, so I was prepared for that. Typically, they are used to dealing with customers who can't afford to purchase the equivalent Honda, Toyota, etc, (much less an entry level luxury car) and who are extremely cost conscious, so the kind of service you are talking about is rare at Hyundai dealers, and not expected by their other customers. What most Hyundai customers expect is the lowest possible purchase price, and that comes with a trade-off regarding customer service.

I have owned Toyota's and Honda products the previous 22 years, and I never got a free loaner, but I never had more than one or two minor warranty issues either. The relatively few times I had my car serviced at my dealer (warranty or non-warranty), they provided a shuttle to a work location nearby and then I got a ride back from someone at work on their way home.

 

[Poopsicle]

Have fun with your Volvo AWD!!

Wouldn't the Volvo AWD be a better performer in the snow compared to a rear wheel drive car even with LSD?

 

[ImInPA]

Have fun with your Volvo AWD!!

Wouldn't the Volvo AWD be a better performer in the snow compared to a rear wheel drive car even with LSD?

It should do better in the snow than RWD, but, the Genesis is really well balanced and I had planned on some good snow tires. I wish the dealer could have made me feel better about doing business with them.

Not only has my experience with Volvo been exemplary, with current incentives and a dealer willing to, well, deal, I ended up getting just about 24% off of the sticker. I hope it does as well as my Passat TDI (the best car I have ever owned).

 

[ImInPA]

Congrats on your purchase. The S80 AWD is a very nice car. I do agree with Mark 888. There is an uncertainty about Volvo in the future. Two of the Volvo dealers in my area closed down a few months ago. Volvo used to be very popular in my area. However, sales really suffered the last few years.

It would certainly suck to have the Volvo dealer in my area go away. Ironically, the only dealer in my area that has gone away is the Infinity dealer. I really like the M35/45 Inifinitys. With no local support that rules that out for me. In my area there are a couple of Swede only independent shops so I figure if Volvo goes away, there will be service. The nearest Infinity dealer to me is not even in my state. Go figure, we have jaguar, mercedes, bmw, audi, lexus, SAAB and Volvo but no Infinity. In this area there is some arrangement with local Nissan dealers for service, but that seems kind of goofy to me.

If Volvo were to go away, am am confident that Service will be arranged through Lincoln or Ford most likely. (much the same way as Oldmobile owners get service at other GM facilities.) They are not allowed to simply abandon customers.

 

[Soldier76]

Sorry about your customer service issues, and CONGRATS on your new car. As for my hyundai dealership experience these guys were outstanding when it came to treating my wife and I like royalty. Also my 4.6 w/o tech has been excellent so far with no problems (only had it for a month though fingers crossed)I'm really surprised at the 19.6 and rising gas mileage I'm getting in just city driving. Enjoy your Volvo dude and btw customer service is extremely important to me also.

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[Duaine]

I appreciate your attempt to explain to me how it costs the dealer money to make loaner cars available. Many car companies have learned that these little expenses done in the name of customer service make for a happier customers. Hyundai in my area doesn't get it yet. Every car I have owned in the past 20 years have been from dealers that value customer service, and, a loaner car has been provided to me. As I mentioned, even my VW dealer is in on the act. This one thing would not make or break a deal for me it just emphasizes that Hyundai in my area has not yet matured to the level of Honda or Toyota or even VW for that matter.

Also weighing in are some of your very posts regarding suspension issues, and other's alignment, sensitivity to crowns, and other posts regarding electrical gremlins, amps stopping, repeated trips to have head units replaced, Voice activation that mutes the radio but does not un-mute it, Bluetooth issues. Quite frankly Mark, you, Doug and others made me realize how important good dealer service is likely to be to me with regards to Hyundai Genesis during the first model year. So to answer your question, I fear that it could be many trips to Hyundai, and, with the attitude I experienced from the two dealers in my area, maybe even more trips than others are experiencing. As I stated in another post, the two dealers in my area have only sold a combined total of about 12 Genesis since August. I think that their attitude is responsible for such a low number. Hyundai is asking me to trust them with their first car in this segment and I was willing to go there. But, all things being equal, the dealer has to make me feel that they will stand behind me when I need them. Locally that is not happening. During one visit to one of the dealers, I was actually abandoned by my sales person when a customer showed up to talk about an Elantra. I waited about 45 minutes for him to return, but, he never did. Since then, I have worked only with the sales managers at both dealerships, and, even then, it has not been a good experience.

The issue of a loaner car is just one aspect of the dealer/company experience. It is not about expense at all to me. All of the upper tier manufacturers provide this service and many lower tier dealers do as well. To me a dealer that first says it will be provided one, then says it will not be provided is indicative of a poor dealer and one that is not likely to stand behind me after the sale. It is a trust thing to me.

It is my opinion that Volvo is not going to disappear from our shores - not as long as there are Californians, tree huggers, Soccer Moms, yuppies, and safety-minded individuals. I appreciate your concern in this regard, but, that is the farthest thing from my list of things to worry about.

Congrats on your new wheels! I admit I haven't researched Volvo that much.
It's to bad that your Hyundai Dealer did not satisfy your needs. I'm not saying that you would never need a loaner car but to me its just a very small thing.

My 4.6 Genesis w/tech pkg. has been trouble free thus far just like my 2006 Hyundai Azera was the first year out. As long as I'm at it the 2000 Sonata, 2000 Elantra, 2002 Sonata, 2003 Santa Fe, 2004 Elanta, and my other current car a 2006 Elantra have all been trouble free as well.

I have had a brake light go out on my Azera and the check engine light come on in my Genesis due to over filling the fuel tank. These were taken care of in minutes at the dealership. No need for a loaner.............besides I have more than one car anyway. There has never been a time when any of my Hyundai's have been in the shop for more than an hour and a half. And most all of that was for normal service and my service department is open until noon on Saturdays.

It seems funny to me that some can argue with a dealer when purchasing a car about a free loaner car if they should need one and then turn around and buy a extended warranty for $1000-$2000. With the Hyundai's your well protected without additional coverage.

This was the number one reason I went with Hyundai in the beginning was because of very bad luck I had with other brands breaking down and not offering much for warranties. That is what started me with Hyundai and I found out the reason that they offer such a great warranty is because very rarely have I even had a warranty claim. The warranty is there if you need it......like insurance.......but like I have said it helped me to discover a remarkably trouble free brand.

It looks like Hyundai even with the down economy is doing well compared to all the other car companies. Looks like Hyundai is going to be around for awhile. Volvo.....................well I guess we will have to wait and see. But yes there should always be someone to help you with service.

 

[knight]

Sorry to hear you won't be getting a Genesis. Based on your excellent thread previously you certainly have not made any rash decisions.


I understand your position, especially with limited choices in your area, I am fortunate enough to live in the Chicago area where I can choose from about 10 Hyundai dealerships (maybe more) in a 75 mile radius. However, in the ~14 years I have owned my '96 Camry I believe I have spent the equivalent of 5-10 days (oil changes, 50,000 mile checkup, 100,000 mile checkup, and replacing the front axles recently) at the Toyota dealership(s). Basically, less than a percent of my time, over the life of the vehicle, actually interacting with a Toyota dealership. So I guess I don't mind if the dealership is full of people I would never want to go to dinner with, sitting in lawn chairs. I am basing my car buying decision on the greater than 99% of the time I spend in or around the car.

Granted the Camry has remarkable reliability, and I can only hope the Genesis is as good or I may have to actually have dinner at a dealership sitting in a lawn chair and eating my words while waiting.

Good luck with your Volvo, I hope you love it, and if not you can always sell it and buy whatever you choose - it's good to live in the USA.

-knight

 

[cviz]

Wow, do I feel spoiled. My Hyundai dealer provides free loaner cars. Also, when I brought my Genesis in for service, they detailed my car (Washed, Waxed, and applied Tire Dressing to the tires). It's a shame that other Hyundai dealers are not following suite.

 

[ImInPA]

Congrats on your new wheels! I admit I haven't researched Volvo that much.
It's to bad that your Hyundai Dealer did not satisfy your needs. I'm not saying that you would never need a loaner car but to me its just a very small thing.

The loaner car thing is a small thing for me too. When I first started talking with the Hyundai dealer, they offered that Genesis owners would receive a loaner car. There were enough other things that kept changing in the deal that that was really just the final straw. My sister has a Veracruz and has been totally happy with not only her purchasing experience, but also the vehicle itself. It is her experience that actually got me thinking seriously about Hyundai. She deals with a small Hyundai dealer in New Hampshire. They treat her very well. In fact, they actually delivered her Veracruz to her house because one of her kids was home sick on the day of delivery. I do not want anyone to think that the only issue I had with the local dealers was over a loaner car. Our local Infinity dealer also was a real ignorant group to deal with too. They have since departed the area. Unfortunately, Infinity has no presence in our area at all. I really like the M's.

 

[Dimitry]

Congratulations on your new purchase, as long as you are happy and have no regrets with your purchase, that's all that counts

In regards to customer experience and service - You probably received those comments from either a salesman, or a newer manager there. There's really no way a service director, or GM of a dealership would really turn down a loaner car, from my experiences. That's unfortunate that you received those type of comments and "encouragement" to head to another dealership.

What Hyundai dealerships did you have the negative experiences at specifically? I ask this not only to help the other members or people in the area; but I am sure HMA and the Genesis team very often check feedback of members.

 

[billygator]

Sorry your prospective dealer kept you from buying the Genesis, but I certainly understand. While there are bad dealers in most mainstream lines, I do think that most Hyundai dealers are working hard to overcome this concern.

My dealer was apologetic a few months ago when they did not have a Genesis to give me as a loaner and I was "forced" to drive a Veracruz Limited (a pretty nice ride I am considering suggesting to my wife). From what I have seen, they provide quality treatment of everyone - Elantra to Genesis.

Enjoy your Volvo!

 

[kaberle]

Well, I had pretty much narrowed my decision down to the Genesis V8 non-tech or a Volvo S80 T6 AWD. I really wanted the V8 because of its limited slip differential and me living in the snow belt (why hyundai would not have included this with the V6 is just beyond me). While the MSRP of the Genesis was about 38K and the Volvo just under 46K, in the end, the Volvo dealers treatment of me and of course bottom line price won out.

In my area, the two Hyundai dealers combined have only sold about 12 Genesis since August. If my treatment is any indication, I can certainly understand why so many have decided not to purchase a Genesis in my area. At the price point of the Genesis, I think we buyers are expecting some level of courtesy and professionalism that is a cut above the expectations of buying an Elantra.

I am taking delivery today of a 2009 Volvo S80 T6 AWD. The bottom line price is nearly $3500 lower than the Genesis V8 (taxed, tagged, and down the road) and about what I could have purchased the V6 PP Genesis. While I view the Genesis favorably, I have serious reservations about the two Hyundai dealers I have to choose from. For example, when I inquired as to the availablility of a loaner car for service appointments, I was first told that Genesis buyers would have a loaner available to them. As we got down to negotiations, I was told that "if I wanted that level of treatment, I should be shopping Mercedes or Lexus." (Hell, my VW dealer gives me a loaner.) So, my dilemma was that I wanted to buy a car that I view as a "cut above," but the dealer treated me as though it was a "cut below."

I once purchased a Honda Prelude ( a known good car in its day) from a dealer I had reservations about, and the after sales service was just horrible. The dealer actually made me feel badly about my purchase....not the car.

Anyhow, I plan to hang out here and follow the developments of the Genesis. I really appreciate all of the discussions and experiences shared on this site. I regret that the dealers in my area have not made me feel comfortable enough to make the jump to what seems to be one hell of a car.

My dealer has no problem giving me a loaner...... Good Luck with your

 

[warp08]

When I leased my 2003 BMW 745i, I had free maintenance and loaner cars as part of the deal. Of course 98% of the time they were 3-series loaners, but nevertheless, they were always made available. And I got to know them intimately well as the car was in the shop at least once a month on average for one thing or another. That is an experience I don't care to repeat, ever. In contrast, my 4.6 tech Genesis has been trouble free so far but it's been with me for only 2 months. Even though, my BMW was in the shop for 2-3 times during the same time period as I recall....

Bottom line, if the product doesn't live up to reputation and expectations, the loaner car itself will be of small benefit compared to the time and effort wasted to obtain warranty service or otherwise.

 

[jwaters943]

I hope the Volvo treats you well. I really like the way S80 looks.

With that said...

car > dealership for me

The Genesis is simply a far better car for the money. Is the dealership experience on-par w/ a luxury car dealership? Nope. Then again, at this pricing it doesn't need to be IMO.

 

[moose66]

I hope the Volvo treats you well. I really like the way S80 looks.

With that said...

car > dealership for me

The Genesis is simply a far better car for the money. Is the dealership experience on-par w/ a luxury car dealership? Nope. Then again, at this pricing it doesn't need to be IMO.

Well said Jwaters. Couldn't agree with you more. After reading some of the posts on this site, I get the impression that some owners have their expectations a little too high. The Genesis value is in the vehicle, which in my opinion has no direct relationship to the dealer/service experience.