Looking to buy a 5.0, have some questions

[carguy75]

Hi everybody,

I’m sure these questions have been asked tons of times but I can’t seem to find them so I apologize.

I commute 80 miles a day and I’m looking for a comfortable highway cruiser. My main wants are comfort, ventilated seats, CarPlay, and lane keep assist that’s compatible with open pilot. It seems that the 2015 genesis checks all of these off handsomely.

Now as you know, it appears that CarPlay is not compatible with the ultimate package. Which do you think is a bigger loss: no CarPlay support or losing features from the ultimate package?

I would say the biggest loss for me would be losing the ultimate features overall like the HUD, active suspension, and 17 speaker system. The power trunk, not so much.

However, it seems like you "wants" would allow you to be happy with a non-ultimate model since you desire Carplay and the other options you want are included with the non-ultimate model as well.

 

[Frank McTank]

I would say the biggest loss for me would be losing the ultimate features overall like the HUD, active suspension, and 17 speaker system. The power trunk, not so much.

However, it seems like you "wants" would allow you to be happy with a non-ultimate model since you desire Carplay and the other options you want are included with the non-ultimate model as well.

HUD I don’t care about. For suspension I’m looking for soft and cushy for eating up highway miles - definitely not looking for anything sporty, have a sports car for that. If the adaptive suspension can offer more comfort than standard suspension then that’s something I would have to consider sacrificing CarPlay for. As far as speakers, the base speakers sounded ok enough for me during a test drive, I don’t think I’d want to sacrifice CarPlay for some slightly better sound.

 

[Markymark]

HUD I don’t care about. For suspension I’m looking for soft and cushy for eating up highway miles - definitely not looking for anything sporty, have a sports car for that. If the adaptive suspension can offer more comfort than standard suspension then that’s something I would have to consider sacrificing CarPlay for. As far as speakers, the base speakers sounded ok enough for me during a test drive, I don’t think I’d want to sacrifice CarPlay for some slightly better sound.

If you want soft and cushy. I would not go for the Genesis. Have you driven one yet? My 5.0 feels more taut and akin to the Audis and VWs I used to own. I can't comment on the active suspension, only the normal suspension. Still, it is very well sorted.

 

[skipgen]

Yeah, the base does not but others do. I just checked the brochure.

You get the ventilated seats w/ the Tech Package which includes most of the driving aids - and my favorite "Auto Hold". Which holds the brakes for you when you stop, great for the brutal Houston rush hour traffic!

 

[Frank McTank]

If you want soft and cushy. I would not go for the Genesis. Have you driven one yet? My 5.0 feels more taut and akin to the Audis and VWs I used to own. I can't comment on the active suspension, only the normal suspension. Still, it is very well sorted.

I guess soft and cushy is all relative. I’m not looking for boat either

 

[skipgen]

If you want soft and cushy. I would not go for the Genesis. Have you driven one yet? My 5.0 feels more taut and akin to the Audis and VWs I used to own. I can't comment on the active suspension, only the normal suspension. Still, it is very well sorted.

I have the adaptive shocks but have driven both. In "normal" it's a bit softer (but not boat like, just rounds off the bumps) than the conventional shocks, a bit harder in "sport". The adaptive shocks are pricey to replace, but I haven't heard of any failures... That being said there's not a huge difference between the two setups.

Either one feels like a magic carpet compared to my old Infiniti G35s!

If I had my way, I'd adjust the shocks to "sport" and the transmission to "normal" but it doesn't allow it. The "sport" mode makes the transmission hold lower gears.

 

[carguy75]

HUD I don’t care about. For suspension I’m looking for soft and cushy for eating up highway miles - definitely not looking for anything sporty, have a sports car for that. If the adaptive suspension can offer more comfort than standard suspension then that’s something I would have to consider sacrificing CarPlay for. As far as speakers, the base speakers sounded ok enough for me during a test drive, I don’t think I’d want to sacrifice CarPlay for some slightly better sound.

I love my HUD display(use it for most of my driving information like speed and blind spot montioring) and the active suspension is very soft and compliant in ECO/normal driving mode. I love the 17 speaker sound, especially with the added Kicker subwoofer I installed.

I can live with just streaming my music without Carplay or Android Auto. The premium audio system works just fine for my needs without the extra Carplay features(better voice control and apps). I really would not downgrade my 2015 5.0 just for Carplay or Android Auto, but that is just my opinion.

 

[ST_1]

I just made this decision and decided on the non ultimate 5.0. One major reason was I was buying used and didn't find any ultimates to even test drive.

The 14 speaker lexicon is very good, easily matches any mid level aftermarket stereo except for the bass, which will not hit like a true 10-12 inch sub. However the highs and mids are excellent and the bass is adequate, just not really boomy. I doubt the ultimate would be that much different in this respect, but I could be wrong. I'm a audio guy and was big on aftermarket stereos for years, this is more than loud enough for me as I push 40 years old and sound quality wise probably beats any stereo I could build myself without spending say 4-5 grand.

I drive quite a bit on crappy maintenance Missouri roads and the car soaks up the bumps. It's doesn't ride like a Maybach but it definitely does better than my previous car, a 14 Taurus SHO, which I felt was very comfortable. The cooled seats are excellent and very comfortable, with all the adjustments letting you set it just right. The cooling works really well, much better than the SHO, as it cools your back as well instead of just the seat bottom .

Handling wise, I can imagine the adaptive system is better, but the car does pretty well. On the back roads I can basically match my previous car speed wise around a corner with a smoother ride. Basically, either car will allow you to go faster around a corner on a public road than any responsible person would attempt (I don't want to kill minivan mom).

Without having tested one, the one thing I really wish I had was the HUD. Maybe it's a gimmick but the friends I had that had cars with them (GTPs back in day etc) really liked them and I think it would be neat.

I am unsure how the options packages work, but make sure you get the smart cruise control, the auto braking, etc etc. I won't buy another car without some sort of smart cruise. Lane keeping is also a must, although I am not all that impressed with this system (nor was I with Ford's version) as it will still sometimes not keep you in the lane and on at least one occasion it tried to take me down an offramp when I was going straight. Still nice to have for the moments you screw up and get distracted.

So far as AA/Carplay, honestly I have not ponied up the 170 bucks to get it downloaded yet but probably will. Had it in a rental car last year and it was great, only annoyance is having to plug in your phone for it. Honestly, I don't think I will use it much except for long trips as my commute is thru rural Missouri. If you live and drive thru more urban areas with lots of traffic I can definitely see it being a absolute must have.


All that said, I am not sure I would pay all that much for the HUD and adaptive suspension. I don't really care about the trunk or having a bigger screen, and the heated wheel in my SHO I barely used.

 

[Frank McTank]

I love my HUD display(use it for most of my driving information like speed and blind spot montioring) and the active suspension is very soft and compliant in ECO/normal driving mode. I love the 17 speaker sound, especially with the added Kicker subwoofer I installed.

I can live with just streaming my music without Carplay or Android Auto. The premium audio system works just fine for my needs without the extra Carplay features(better voice control and apps). I really would not downgrade my 2015 5.0 just for Carplay or Android Auto, but that is just my opinion.

I’d use CarPlay daily for google maps or Waze to be up on the screen

 

[Frank McTank]

I just made this decision and decided on the non ultimate 5.0. One major reason was I was buying used and didn't find any ultimates to even test drive.

The 14 speaker lexicon is very good, easily matches any mid level aftermarket stereo except for the bass, which will not hit like a true 10-12 inch sub. However the highs and mids are excellent and the bass is adequate, just not really boomy. I doubt the ultimate would be that much different in this respect, but I could be wrong. I'm a audio guy and was big on aftermarket stereos for years, this is more than loud enough for me as I push 40 years old and sound quality wise probably beats any stereo I could build myself without spending say 4-5 grand.

I drive quite a bit on crappy maintenance Missouri roads and the car soaks up the bumps. It's doesn't ride like a Maybach but it definitely does better than my previous car, a 14 Taurus SHO, which I felt was very comfortable. The cooled seats are excellent and very comfortable, with all the adjustments letting you set it just right. The cooling works really well, much better than the SHO, as it cools your back as well instead of just the seat bottom .

Handling wise, I can imagine the adaptive system is better, but the car does pretty well. On the back roads I can basically match my previous car speed wise around a corner with a smoother ride. Basically, either car will allow you to go faster around a corner on a public road than any responsible person would attempt (I don't want to kill minivan mom).

Without having tested one, the one thing I really wish I had was the HUD. Maybe it's a gimmick but the friends I had that had cars with them (GTPs back in day etc) really liked them and I think it would be neat.

I am unsure how the options packages work, but make sure you get the smart cruise control, the auto braking, etc etc. I won't buy another car without some sort of smart cruise. Lane keeping is also a must, although I am not all that impressed with this system (nor was I with Ford's version) as it will still sometimes not keep you in the lane and on at least one occasion it tried to take me down an offramp when I was going straight. Still nice to have for the moments you screw up and get distracted.

So far as AA/Carplay, honestly I have not ponied up the 170 bucks to get it downloaded yet but probably will. Had it in a rental car last year and it was great, only annoyance is having to plug in your phone for it. Honestly, I don't think I will use it much except for long trips as my commute is thru rural Missouri. If you live and drive thru more urban areas with lots of traffic I can definitely see it being a absolute must have.


All that said, I am not sure I would pay all that much for the HUD and adaptive suspension. I don't really care about the trunk or having a bigger screen, and the heated wheel in my SHO I barely used.

Thanks for the detailed response. I plan on purchasing openpilot as well which will turn the basic lane keep assist into an autopilot equivalent

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[ST_1]

Thanks for the detailed response. I plan on purchasing openpilot as well which will turn the basic lane keep assist into an autopilot equivalent

When/if you do, please record a video of the install and maybe some driving and impressions and post it here. I would love to see how it works out, see any issues or hidden costs, etc.

 

[Frank McTank]

When/if you do, please record a video of the install and maybe some driving and impressions and post it here. I would love to see how it works out, see any issues or hidden costs, etc.

Will do. Cost is about 900. Install should be fairly straight forward, my guess is 30 minutes. The one issue with Genesis is that the system deactivates below 35 mph due to hardware limitations of the car. The stinger, for example, can steer and decelerate all the way down to 0mph and start back up on its own with openpilot.

 

[Scamp]

Hi everybody,

I’m sure these questions have been asked tons of times but I can’t seem to find them so I apologize.

I commute 80 miles a day and I’m looking for a comfortable highway cruiser. My main wants are comfort, ventilated seats, CarPlay, and lane keep assist that’s compatible with open pilot. It seems that the 2015 genesis checks all of these off handsomely.

Now as you know, it appears that CarPlay is not compatible with the ultimate package. Which do you think is a bigger loss: no CarPlay support or losing features from the ultimate package?

Carplay was a must for me. I've written extensively on the subject here, just check my posts

Ended up with a 2015 5.0 non ultimate. It's the biggest treat to me to be able to look at your car's main display for directions, which will be future proof for a LONG time. Waze is a godsend and it's so nice to not need to look down at my phone mount for it.

 

[carguy75]

I’d use CarPlay daily for google maps or Waze to be up on the screen

I just use the Genesis stock navigation and it works great for me to cruise around Atlanta with no issues. I will upgrading to 13.5 for updated maps. I do use Google maps in my other car that has a aftermarket Sony radio with Carplay/Android Auto and it is a good navigation app. However, the stock system works the same except for the extras like free updated maps and transferable routes(phone to radio).

What so good about Waze? How is it better than the stock navigation? I never used the app.

Here is Google maps on my Sony radio with Android Auto in my 2006 Escalade. Useful feature to upgrade my older Caddy to modern tech but not worth downgrading my Genesis options for.

 

[Markymark]

Waze is good because you can find out where the Police are at, especially when you're on the interstate.

 

[Scamp]

It's also made up of a network of millions of users. In a major metropolitan area, I get alerts about objects in the road, potholes, traffic cameras, and active traffic tracking/automatic alternate routes. No OEM navigation system can compete with that really.

 

[Trick25]

I guess it depends on how much u use the carplay. I have the tech. Only feature I would like to have from the ultimate is the power trunk....not because it’s a big deal to close manually , it is not. But after a couple days after a wash, it shows hand prints where you close it and Bugs me...first world problems.

 

[EdP]

I guess it depends on how much u use the carplay. I have the tech. Only feature I would like to have from the ultimate is the power trunk....not because it’s a big deal to close manually , it is not. But after a couple days after a wash, it shows hand prints where you close it and Bugs me...first world problems.

Don't know if it would work on the Genesis, the Sonata had a handhold on the inside of the lip so you could pull it down smartly and let it go to close.

Alternative is to keep a handkerchief in your pocket to close it.

 

[ST_1]

I guess it depends on how much u use the carplay. I have the tech. Only feature I would like to have from the ultimate is the power trunk....not because it’s a big deal to close manually , it is not. But after a couple days after a wash, it shows hand prints where you close it and Bugs me...first world problems.

Don't touch that paint man, I grab mine on the license plate. Prints on paint scratches the clear.

 

[carguy75]

Waze is good because you can find out where the Police are at, especially when you're on the interstate.

Google maps also alert me about police radar locations in my Caddy, however I do not know how it compares to Waze. I can see how Waze police warnings can be useful with the 5.0 and a heavy foot.

The stock Genesis navigation does leave me hanging about known police check points.