Genesis suspension - One more kick at the can

[Tufast]

I've driven numerous Genesis' V/6 sedans & one V/8, because I work for a Hyundai svc dept. I admit that I don't own one, yet have not experienced any "bone jarring" ride at any time. I own a 01' BMW 540iMspt with the M-tech lowered stiffer suspension & compared to the Genesis my car rides like a race car or low rider, but that's what I like. I like to feel every crack & every pebble in the road because I'm a very aggressive driver that likes to have the most handling available accompanied with the best feed back a vehicle can provide.

I'm not saying that there isn't room for improvement, esp with this being the 1st generation of the Genesis. I've had customers come to my svc dept after test driving the Genesis & complain about the Genesis' harsh ride, but have also had some complain about it being too compliant as well. I've yet to have an owner complain though. My guess is the next generation will have different spring & shock settings, plus the present ones already sold will get some sort of TSB issued to correct the problem for customers that complain of this concern. I doubt that it will receive a recall regarding this since the majority of owners like the suspension fine as it is.

I personally think the suspension is too soft. That along with my desire for a coupe has caused me to hold off on buying the sedan & to wait on the Genesis Coupe to arrive.

 

[Mark_888]

I personally think the suspension is too soft. That along with my desire for a coupe has caused me to hold off on buying the sedan & to wait on the Genesis Coupe to arrive.

To repeat what I said previously:

It is not just question of whether the suspension is too soft or too hard. A car can have an equally firm suspension, but respond better than the Genesis to certain irregular road conditions.

Most likely the problem is the last minute change to a firmer suspension setting on the US cars compared to those sold in Korea (and presumably elsewhere) to appease the US automotive press (whose preferences are usually quite different than those who actually purchase these type of cars).

It would be interesting to find out exactly what parts are different in the US vs. Korea models so that some estimate could be made about how easy it would be to make the change and how much it would cost. Someone on this forum with the right contacts might be able to find out.

 

[sandy]

As posters have said, this is all about personal taste. I'm perfectly happy with the suspension, some are not. Every manufacturer gets complaints/suggestions for product improvements. Some like salty soup, some not so salty, some like firm suspensions, some not so firm, etc, etc.

The poll says the majority are happy. Most complaints: too firm. So by softening the suspension, Hyundai moves people from the too firm column into the happy column but how many previously happy folks now move elsewhere?

Someone at Hyundai gets the big bucks to make the call. And it's a tough one

 

[CanukV6]

I am new to the forum, but relieved to find that I am not the only one who has an issue with the ride. Lets be clear, I am certainly not bashing the Genesis, I think it is a fantastic car at any price and I have been fortunate in the past to have driven a variety of BMW's, Mercedes and Lexus vehicles over a number of years.

I think that 'rmwweb' described exactly my own experiences in an earlier post. I too found a slight improvement when I fitted 17" rims with winter tires (18" factory) but the problem is still there.

The overall handling and ride is great, but particularly over transverse ridges or tar strips in the road (where both wheels impact at the same time) the ride is so jarring it is unbelieveable compared to the smooth ride over most surfaces. I have over 10,000km (6,250 miles) on the car now and this is the only notable issue that I have with the vehicle. While I agree that ride quality is subjective, I can only assume that owners that claim to have no ride issues have not yet experienced this particular combination of road surface conditions.

I don't think this is a matter of the suspension being too firm, it is a problem with the valving of the shocks and their ability to absorb short sharp ridge surfaces. It is almost as though the shocks have been replaced by fixed metal bars with no damping ability at all under these specific conditions. I will certainly try adjusting the tire pressures and maybe put a bag of Kitty Litter in the trunk but I hate the idea of lowering pressures as this will undoubtedly affect the handling and fuel economy.

 

[santosonly]

I only have about 2400 miles on my V6 Gen; however the concerns that I have read concerning the suspension when compared with what I have experienced sounds like almost two totally different cars. In addition to driving around the Tampa area on differing road conditions, I have also driven to and around Miami as well. I have not taken the car up north as yet. So far the first word that comes to mind when describing the drive is "Butter".

 

[Marvinlee]

I question if "As posters have said, this is all about personal taste." Modern technology enables good handling, good rough road ride, and good smooth road ride. All in one package. Shock absorbers come with varying levels of sophistication, and prices. So do tires. And vibration dampening. Hyundai has an opportunity to act and I expect that it will. As for springing stiffness, I've long noted that jaded automobile testers who sport with a car for a short time have far different priorities than we who live on imperfect roads, have aging backs, and sit many hours a year in the same car. On future new-model testing, I hope that Hyundai will pay less attention to journalists and more attention to we who actually buy the cars.

 

[doug725]

So how is everyone feeling about their ride now?

 

[mk1]

So how is everyone feeling about their ride now?

Great - and you?

 

[Soldier76]

I have driven the V6 and V8 and the dealer suggested that I take a long ride with him in it. He took me over some of the roughest roads and must say I do agree certain roads are a bit harsher than others. For all except one strip of highway the genesis drove better than the Lexus GS 350. That strip of highway I felt a lot of road noise and the ride was a bit loud and shaky. I have owned a lot of vehicles and now I really can say this is an excellent vehicle by far. Hyundai has truly raised the bar over the years for Toyota, Honda, and Nissan to desire and catchup.

 

[wilr]

I'll just say this, the Genesis does not like bumpy roads and suggest to avoid pot holes as they are not good on any vehicle. On smooth surfaces my genesis is very quiet, smooth and the handeling is very firm especialy in cornering. Also understand that most roads in the U.S. are in bad shape anyway, personally I just avoid them when possible.

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[joereham]

HELLO,I JUST PURCHASED A 2010 V 4.6 V8 GENISIS 10/8/2010. TOOK DELIVERY AND HEADED HOME ON I 95 IN FLORIDA. WHEN I DROVE ACCROSS THE FIRST BRIDGE THE EXPANSION STRIPS MADE MY STEERING WHEEL SHAKE LEFT AND RIGHT PRETTY SEVERE , THE SAME ON EVERY BRIDGE AND WHEN HITTING SOME ROUGH PATCHES THE SAME. I WENT BACK TO RT 60 HYUNDAI AND THEY SAID NEVER HEARD OF THAT. WE DROVE MY CAR AND THEY ACKNOWLEGED THE PROBLEM BUT HAD NO CLUE WHAT WAS WRONG, SO WE DROVE ANOTHER ON AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THEY ROTATED THE TIRES, BALALNCED THEM AND ALIGNED THE FRONT END. IT IMPROVED SOME BUT I BELIEVE THHERE IS STILL A PROBLEM.
ANY HELP ON THIS???????? DOES ANYONE HAVE A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL DIRECTLY TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AT HYUNDAI GENESIS.
THANK YOU, JOE
joereham@att.net

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

HELLO,I JUST PURCHASED A 2010 V 4.6 V8 GENISIS 10/8/2010. TOOK DELIVERY AND HEADED HOME ON I 95 IN FLORIDA. WHEN I DROVE ACCROSS THE FIRST BRIDGE THE EXPANSION STRIPS MADE MY STEERING WHEEL SHAKE LEFT AND RIGHT PRETTY SEVERE , THE SAME ON EVERY BRIDGE AND WHEN HITTING SOME ROUGH PATCHES THE SAME. I WENT BACK TO RT 60 HYUNDAI AND THEY SAID NEVER HEARD OF THAT. WE DROVE MY CAR AND THEY ACKNOWLEGED THE PROBLEM BUT HAD NO CLUE WHAT WAS WRONG, SO WE DROVE ANOTHER ON AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THEY ROTATED THE TIRES, BALALNCED THEM AND ALIGNED THE FRONT END. IT IMPROVED SOME BUT I BELIEVE THHERE IS STILL A PROBLEM.
ANY HELP ON THIS???????? DOES ANYONE HAVE A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL DIRECTLY TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AT HYUNDAI GENESIS.
THANK YOU, JOE
joereham@att.net

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[homeofstone]

I use to work for Goodyeaar Tire and Rubber Co. and what you described may be tires. Some tires more than others tend to follow groves in a road or steel on a bridge which causes pulling or jerking. A tire like the Conti. DWS or Bridgestone Serenity may be a better tire for you. The OE dunlops are not great tires.

 

[tjc78]

HELLO,I JUST PURCHASED A 2010 V 4.6 V8 GENISIS 10/8/2010. TOOK DELIVERY AND HEADED HOME ON I 95 IN FLORIDA. WHEN I DROVE ACCROSS THE FIRST BRIDGE THE EXPANSION STRIPS MADE MY STEERING WHEEL SHAKE LEFT AND RIGHT PRETTY SEVERE , THE SAME ON EVERY BRIDGE AND WHEN HITTING SOME ROUGH PATCHES THE SAME. I WENT BACK TO RT 60 HYUNDAI AND THEY SAID NEVER HEARD OF THAT. WE DROVE MY CAR AND THEY ACKNOWLEGED THE PROBLEM BUT HAD NO CLUE WHAT WAS WRONG, SO WE DROVE ANOTHER ON AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THEY ROTATED THE TIRES, BALALNCED THEM AND ALIGNED THE FRONT END. IT IMPROVED SOME BUT I BELIEVE THHERE IS STILL A PROBLEM.
ANY HELP ON THIS???????? DOES ANYONE HAVE A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL DIRECTLY TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AT HYUNDAI GENESIS.
THANK YOU, JOE
joereham@att.net

Nothing wrong with your car. I have driven quite a few (including my own) and they all have the same characteristics. Nervous, choppy ride and bumps in the road transmitted through the steering wheel. Some people don't mind this behavior and others (like myself) do.

 

[G-365014]

I've driven numerous Genesis' V/6 sedans & one V/8, because I work for a Hyundai svc dept. I admit that I don't own one, yet have not experienced any "bone jarring" ride at any time. I own a 01' BMW 540iMspt with the M-tech lowered stiffer suspension & compared to the Genesis my car rides like a race car or low rider, but that's what I like. I like to feel every crack & every pebble in the road because I'm a very aggressive driver that likes to have the most handling available accompanied with the best feed back a vehicle can provide.

I'm not saying that there isn't room for improvement, esp with this being the 1st generation of the Genesis. I've had customers come to my svc dept after test driving the Genesis & complain about the Genesis' harsh ride, but have also had some complain about it being too compliant as well. I've yet to have an owner complain though. My guess is the next generation will have different spring & shock settings, plus the present ones already sold will get some sort of TSB issued to correct the problem for customers that complain of this concern. I doubt that it will receive a recall regarding this since the majority of owners like the suspension fine as it is.

I personally think the suspension is too soft. That along with my desire for a coupe has caused me to hold off on buying the sedan & to wait on the Genesis Coupe to arrive.

I love my genesis and have owned several with NO complaints. I would love a new one but they are out of my price range.JOE