If the Genesis hadn't existed what car would you had bought?

[lightning31024]

Like moose66, I am also awaiting the arrival of the Equus

 

[lightning31024]

I was on the fence with my M35. My wife wasn't a fan of the M. But she spends most of her time in her SC430. When not in that, she preferred to drive the Frontier. So I may have kept the M a little longer. I was leaning heavily toward a 2007-08 certified, pre-owned Lexus LS460. I still keep my eye on them. But the Genesis will do until the Equus shows up. Then I may pull the trigger again.

I agree moose66 the Equus is looking like its going to be my next Hyundai even with a price tag in the 60's

 

[danieltoye101@msn.com]

In a day or so I'll add all the responses that was generated by this thread to give us a vague idea of how the Genesis may have effected other brands. Of course this is non-scienific but I personally think the Genesis is effecting more premium brands than non premium.

 

[PINGGOLF]

Lexus ES350

 

[JOwest]

I was going to keep my A6 coming out of the 4 year lease or get the new 2009 RX350.

 

[tjc78]

Toyota Avalon or Lexus ES350

 

[jailer]

Lexus ES350

That is one badass engine, that Toyota 3.5. The only problem with that car, other than being a front wheel drive Camry, is that hideous, weirdo curvy dash they've got going on.

 

[blasterguam]

Before I test drove and became fixated on the Genesis the answer would have been easy for me - another Lexus GS350. But having crawled back into one again I now have a different measuring stick for interior room, and that thing just isn't big enough on the inside to make my short list. My search would have to start over again. If price were no object I would probably say a CLS 500, but I'm just not spending that much on a car any more.

 

[bnajack]

VW CC or Volvo S80 AWD

 

[TomT]

Caddy CTS

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[Yama1yzf]

Actually went in to buy a Camaro....but when they wanted more than sticker went to look at the Genesis Coupe. Was a bit too harsh riding for me then drove the sedan and that was that.

 

[Bear]

Audi A6

 

[mikec]

I probably wouldn't have bought anything. I was looking for:
* a 4-door sedan to supplement my 2-door coupes. I needed something "friendly" to my folks when they visit; the 2-door coupes are just too tight for retiree aged people. So I wanted a fairly roomy car.

* rear wheel drive. I hate driving FWD cars. I don't need the wet/snow traction of FWD or AWD in SoCal. And I hate working on FWD transverse mounted engines - no room to do anything with the engine mashed against the fenders.

* A stick-shift. I'm not a fan of auto trannies - no fun. Paddle shift autos or manu-matic styles just don't compare to a flywheel+clutch setup.

I didn't have an immediate need for a car so I had the luxury of waiting until there was something out there I wanted.

Brands considered: Infinity... and the Hyundai Genesis. That's about it. I don't trust BMW, Mercedes, any GM brand, for the long haul. Since I split my driving between several cars, the annual mileage is under 6000 per car so I expect my cars to last 20+ years. Lexus was too expensive (though I generally am a Toyota fan) and didn't offer anything large+sporty enough.

I drove an Infinity G sedan... Good power (even though it was an automatic); not numb steering. I felt cramped inside it though, and also I sat too low for comfortable visibility. I looked at a 1 or 2 year old M on the Hyundai lot... wasn't at all impressed with the dark & somber interior.

Basically I didn't find anything I "wanted" - at least at a price that I thought was reasonable. Until Hyundai announced the Genesis. I read about it, saw it at the LA Auto Show, and bought one just a few weeks before my folks visited last time. Finally a good car, good warranty, and reasonable price. I just had to forgo the stick-shift.

mike c.

 

[ACpilot1]

Actually went in to buy a Camaro....but when they wanted more than sticker went to look at the Genesis Coupe. Was a bit too harsh riding for me then drove the sedan and that was that.

My wife was considering the Camaro for her new car up until yesterday.

She was waiting to see how the reliability was shaping up.

Major - Major Problems! (10 pages worth of complaints on the Camaro discussion site!)

Here is the link to the Camaro forum:

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=70&order=desc

Dan

 

[Sayantsi]

I looked a TON of cars. Some cars were just out because they are too small. The 3 Series, C Class, Lexus IS, all too small to be good sedans that can comfortably take four people, so they didn't even make the cut. Also, nothing fwd is on the list as I can't stand fwd, especially at this price point and up. I wouldn't even have considered a Hyundai two years ago, but I have a growing number of friends and acquaintances with them, and they all absolutely love their cars, so I gave it a shot - it was on the bottom of my list though...

The closest competition was the Infiniti M35/45 or the Lexus GS. The Infiniti is really the best car beside the Genesis imo - it has a bit better setup for sporty driving, great build and materials, but for the money and warranty, it can't compete with the Genesis.

The GS was probably next - good size, still rwd, great reliability and resale, but not as exciting to drive, and the pre-emptive service policy at Lexus bugs me. It just didn't ignite the senses like other cars, like the Infiniti and Genesis did, and for the money, it wasn't competitive.

I loved the Cadillac CTS as well, but I just can't trust GM enough, even with the new 5 yr 100k mi warranties. I have a friend with a CTS and basic things are breaking - the reliability just isn't there even though the car is finally class competitive. I can really say the same thing about BMW and Mercedes as well...

The Acura TL was a joke imo - I guess Acuras are for people that want a fancier Honda, but I found it pretty uncompetitive in all regards, and its awd system is fwd biased, so it drives like a pig at times. It also looks horrendous, which doesn't help its cause.

I also looked at the Pontiac G8 GT, but that car is more about engine than luxury ride and accommodations, and since I have a sports car and motorcycle already, I didn't think I needed something so similar. Its plain inside, and since its sourced from Australia, replacement parts will be expensive and hard to get. Overall not a combination I'm looking for.

For kicks I drove a SRT8 300C - Oh my God, the power and torque, but its still a $20K car at heart (cheap interior materials, old dated Mercedes chassis) and the transmission was so rough it felt like it was already failing! Plus, Chrysler... probably the most unreliable brand in history outside any Italian or English makes, it has the most auto recalls of any USA seller.

Then there was the Passat CC awd - a great looking car that had some huge discounts in 2009. After driving it however I was not impressed. Throttle tip in was soft and delayed, so I developed a queasy feeling while driving it, and the low ceiling meant the rear view mirror was blocking my vision out of the car. Great styling, it just didn't drive well.

I also looked at the Subaru Legacy GT - a great driving car, great awd system, but it was cramped inside, the 09 had a four-speed auto so it got poor mpg, and it was just a dated design. The 10 model is bigger, even nicer inside, and finally has a modern transmission, but I'm not in love with the looks, and by late 09, I was pretty much sold on the Hyundai.

The Mercedes E Class (old design) just did nothing for me - I was not impressed or dismayed, I was just left cold by it. The BMW 5 Series was kind of the same - it drove great, exterior looks are good, but the interior is dated looking, iDrive is infuriating imo, and tires are expensive - it dropped out of the running pretty early as well.

My last "luxury car" was an Audi - unfortunately the A6 just didn't do anything for me (also fwd), so it wasn't in the running this time around. I've owned every major German make in the past, and I think the Koreans and Japanese do a great job building luxury cars that are mechanically as adept and sound as the Germans, they just have less baubles that can ruin the experience. In the end the Infiniti M would have been my top choice - 99% as athletic as the bimmer, 99% as nice an interior as the Audi, great engine, and great design.

The Hyundai just beat it at that game by being just as good, cutting costs with simplicity and where you are less apt to notice and or care, not having a badge markup, and not having such high dealership overhead. Considering that I've spend maybe two hours in a waiting room at a dealership over the past decade, I don't really care how nice they are, I'd rather have a car that never forced me to be there, and the Hyundai reputation for reliability was a big factor in my choice.

And then there's the warranty...

 

[studyaid]

I was looking at the Infiniti G37, Lexus ES350, but the number 2 car on my list was actually the Camry Hybrid

 

[ilovemygenesis]

Has the Genesis taken away would be customers from other luxury brands? Perhaps the Genesis owners can shead some light on this question.

Personally I was in a Azera and would have kept the car for 2-3 years more.

I was considering the Nissan Maxima or the Toyota Avalon before i stumbled on the Genesis, thank god for the Edmunds blogs,lol

 

[scottdk]

I was considering the Nissan Maxima or the Toyota Avalon before i stumbled on the Genesis, thank god for the Edmunds blogs,lol

Funny you mentioned the Maxima (which I love the new Maxima!) A dude in a new black Maxima was toying with me entering the highway yesterday, and he floored it and was off! I floored it about 1 second after him (thing of how many feet traveled this is around 65 mph) and within a blink of an eye I was way ahead of him. I have to admit, I thought the new maxima would be a hell of a lot faster, especially since it has the same bhp as the V6 Genesis. I slowed down to the speed limit and we meet up side by side and he gave me the thumbs up and head nod. Cool