My 2011 Hyundai Genesis Sedan Ride is Rougher Than Expected

[jklahr]

Just drove my 2011 4.6 off the lot yesterday, so I must say my experience is limited, but I personally find the Genesis ride to be right where I expected. I've driven my in-laws LS 460 and feel like it drives like a cruise ship. To be fair, I just left my not-to-be-missed VW Passat at the dealer, so my comparisons are limited. But I find the Genesis to be a happy medium. Call me a newbie, but after months of research and several test drives, I have to say I'm surprised at the experiences of "over the top" harshness in the ride. There's definitely more road feedback that I would expect from, say, a Lexus, but coming from the VW it seems like the "right" amount. Obviously - this is my personal preference...

By the way, did I mention: I LOVE this car. Hope it stays that way.

 

[homeofstone]

Just drove my 2011 4.6 off the lot yesterday, so I must say my experience is limited, but I personally find the Genesis ride to be right where I expected. I've driven my in-laws LS 460 and feel like it drives like a cruise ship. To be fair, I just left my not-to-be-missed VW Passat at the dealer, so my comparisons are limited. But I find the Genesis to be a happy medium. Call me a newbie, but after months of research and several test drives, I have to say I'm surprised at the experiences of "over the top" harshness in the ride. There's definitely more road feedback that I would expect from, say, a Lexus, but coming from the VW it seems like the "right" amount. Obviously - this is my personal preference...

By the way, did I mention: I LOVE this car. Hope it stays that way.

My wife and I agree with you and have had our 2011 4.6 since Sept. and now have about 12,000 mile on it. We love this car. Only wish we had two so there would be no arguments about about who gets to drive it.

 

[Matt Z]

My wife and I agree with you and have had our 2011 4.6 since Sept. and now have about 12,000 mile on it. We love this car. Only wish we had two so there would be no arguments about about who gets to drive it.

13 months and 21,700 miles "ditto" very happy!

 

[hvarsov]

It will not get better...been there done that....lowering air pressure in tires until the low pressure warning was on does nothing.....new plush tires do next to nothing.....200 pounds of sandbags did nothing ......I gave up after a year of annoyance and traded in for a Lexus rx350.........ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh nice

 

[homeofstone]

My wife and I agree with you and have had our 2011 4.6 since Sept. and now have about 12,000 mile on it. We love this car. Only wish we had two so there would be no arguments about about who gets to drive it.

Now have 26000+ miles on our Genesis and love this car. Those that don't like the ride may not have test driven the car enough. We did, however we like small two seat sports cars and 4WD trucks and have one of each so we don't go for floating rides anyway.

 

[tonygxp]

Now have 26000+ miles on our Genesis and love this car. Those that don't like the ride may not have test driven the car enough. We did, however we like small two seat sports cars and 4WD trucks and have one of each so we don't go for floating rides anyway.

it's the old "cake and eat it too". very few sedans handle like this car and ride like a lincoln. they ALL cost significantly more due to the complexity of their respective suspensions among other techno gadgets. this vehicle is a good comprimise for my area, our roads are mixed 70/30 good/bad. if i lived in an area like staten island, NY i would hate this car, but then again i wouldn't have even looked at it because what fun is it to drive at 25mph in traffic and "zip around"? yes, it could ride a little softer on bad roads, but you'll appreciate it's taught suspension when if god forbid, you have to make an evasive maneuver that you couldn't pull off in a lexus RX350.. Which of course rides like a cloud, it handles that way also. if i want silky smooth none handling i will buy a lexus or a lincoln. if i want tight firm smooth road enjoyment i would look at the BMW and this car. best comprimise is the Benz, but at those prices in my area, my roads, it's not worth the $10k+ (for mostly less of a vehicle)

 

[Vince2]

hvarsov I'm right there. I've talked with the Lexus dealer and I have the figures (YIKES). I plan to keep the right car (thought it was the Genesis) for a decade so maybe the financial loss will lose some of its punch. The thing is the ES 350 is sooo vanilla! Maybe I just need to accept that I'm not a "sports car" type.

 

[Mark_888]

hvarsov I'm right there. I've talked with the Lexus dealer and I have the figures (YIKES). I plan to keep the right car (thought it was the Genesis) for a decade so maybe the financial loss will lose some of its punch. The thing is the ES 350 is sooo vanilla! Maybe I just need to accept that I'm not a "sports car" type.

I don't know how long you have had your Genesis, but new tires will make a noticeable difference. The Dunlop OEM tires only last about 20-25K for most people, so you may get a chance to find out sooner than you think. Just choose a replacement tire that is known to have a comfortable ride.

 

[timc1475]

Easy fix: Hyundai genny's (even the r-spec) needs a selective ride control option for those that are willing to pay for it, nuff said...

 

[Mark_888]

Easy fix: Hyundai needs a selective ride control option for those that are willing to pay for it...

The Korean version of the Genesis has always had an optional air suspension that was adjustable (and more compliant than North American version even when air suspension was in sport mode). But that car cost about 12K more than the highest price US version of the Genesis (although not entirely for reason of the suspension differences).

For 2012, Hyundai has provided a choice: 3.8 or 4.6 with softer ride than before, or 5.0 R-Spec with sportier ride.

Some of us upgraded our 2009 suspension to 2010/2011 specs (2009 suspension was much worse), so it may be possible to do that again to get the softer 2012 suspension once the 2012 part lists are available (2010 upgrade was replacing all 4 springs, 2 rear shocks, 2 front struts, and rear stabilzer). Stay tuned.

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[Vince2]

Mark I've had the car for a year. I did indeed replace the tires with Michelan MXV4s and yes the ride is better...still too firm. I've asked Huyndai for help with upgrading to the 2012 suspension and they told me to to check with my Hyundai dealers service department Yeah right! So I'm at least reassured that a solution is in the pipeline but REALLY Hyunda should be out in front of this...lets say a package of the necessary parts assembled in a kit and sold at their cost.

 

[Mark_888]

Mark I've had the car for a year. I did indeed replace the tires with Michelan MXV4s and yes the ride is better...still too firm. I've asked Huyndai for help with upgrading to the 2012 suspension and they told me to to check with my Hyundai dealers service department Yeah right! So I'm at least reassured that a solution is in the pipeline but REALLY Hyunda should be out in front of this...lets say a package of the necessary parts assembled in a kit and sold at their cost.

I don't know what you mean by "a solution is in the pipeline." Hyundai says the 2012 has a more comfortable ride (except for R-Spec), but I would not expect major changes. If you like the 2012 suspension, you "may" be able to swap out the suspension parts on your Genesis with 2012 parts. But as far as them offering a discounted parts package, you can forget it (for reasons I have explained to you in another thread on this subject).

I would also not count on a dealer changing a reasonable price for labor. Those of us who changed our 2009 suspension (much worse than you have now) with 2010/2011 equivalents got ridiculous quotes from dealers (over $2K for just for labor) to make the change. I purchased the parts online from a Hyundai dealer at about 20% discount and got a local independent suspension shop to install for me at a reasonable price. You might be able to get your dealer parts department to give your the new part numbers and then check to see if the part numbers changed on one of the online Hyundai parts websites. For the 2010 upgrade this included 4 springs, front struts, rear shocks, and rear stabilizer. No guarantee that the same 5 parts are those changed in 2012.

This discussion about the Genesis suspension has been going on in this forum for about 2 1/2 years, and apparently recent potential buyers did not read the thousands of old posts on this forum about suspension complaints. Maybe most of the old posts on this subject have been deleted, I don't really know. As I said above, the 2009 suspension was much worse, and I find the 2010 suspension (with new tires) acceptable now (although not a luxury cruiser by design).

 

[Vince2]

I find the 2010 suspension (with new tires) acceptable now Umm shouldn't you have more to say about the suspension of a brand new car? That's luke warm at best. I still have hope that (OK "solution" has too much baggage) for a "change" whether through an aftermarket company or if Hyundai's '12 model parts becomes available. As I drove my car today I've come to think that it's not the general firmness that is irksome but how the vehicle handles the odd pot hole, speed bump or expansion joint...we'll see. Maybe I've gone on far to long about this subject and much like a bad relationship I should either remove myself or learn to live with it.

 

[robcar]

I find the 2010 suspension (with new tires) acceptable now Umm shouldn't you have more to say about the suspension of a brand new car? That's luke warm at best. I still have hope that (OK "solution" has too much baggage) for a "change" whether through an aftermarket company or if Hyundai's '12 model parts becomes available. As I drove my car today I've come to think that it's not the general firmness that is irksome but how the vehicle handles the odd pot hole, speed bump or expansion joint...we'll see. Maybe I've gone on far to long about this subject and much like a bad relationship I should either remove myself or learn to live with it.

Vince2, you've hit the nail right on the head. The problem with the suspension isn't that it's too firm; it's that it is jittery and unsettled over bumpy roads and railroad tracks, etc. My 2003 VW Passat, which cost a lot less than my Genesis, also rides firm but goes over these same surfaces in a much more confident manner. In my Passat I still feel the bumps but they don't startle me like they do in the Genesis.

In their review, Consumer Reports said mostly positive things about the Genesis and recommends the Genesis but does fault it for it's "nervous ride."

All things considered, however, I still prefer the Genesis.

 

[Mark_888]

I find the 2010 suspension (with new tires) acceptable now Umm shouldn't you have more to say about the suspension of a brand new car? That's luke warm at best. I still have hope that (OK "solution" has too much baggage) for a "change" whether through an aftermarket company or if Hyundai's '12 model parts becomes available. As I drove my car today I've come to think that it's not the general firmness that is irksome but how the vehicle handles the odd pot hole, speed bump or expansion joint...we'll see. Maybe I've gone on far to long about this subject and much like a bad relationship I should either remove myself or learn to live with it.

I am not sure I understand what you mean by "brand new car." As I have explained several times to you, in more than one thread, I have a 2009 purchased in January 2009 (assembled Oct 2008). The 2009 suspension was much worse than the 2010/2011 models, which had suspension changes implemented by Hyundai. I upgraded my 2009 suspension to the 2010/2011 specs about 10 months ago. That was the best I could do at the time, and it is now acceptable (it could be better, but I no longer have any desire to get rid of the car any time soon).

Yes, my comment about the suspension being only acceptable is a little "luke-warm." I think it is perfectly OK to say that Hyundai "should" have done better and had the 2012 suspension right from the start, but they didn't.

The main thrust of my comments were not that you complained about the suspension. Believe me, I have complained much more than you (I guess you didn't take me up on the challenge of reading all the old suspension related threads on this forum). My main thrust is to let you know that Hyundai is very unlikely to help you out with an official upgrade package, and definitely not selling you the parts at cost. The reason I believe this is that many people with the much-worse 2009 suspension complained to Hyundai, and they refused to help in any way, other than to suggest we purchase a 2010 model (with the improved suspension compared to 2009 model).

But there is some hope if you are willing to spend some money to upgrade your suspension to 2012 specs. But I don't know for sure how easy that will be, or how much it will cost (my suspension upgrade from 2009 to 2010 cost about $1700 parts and labor with an independent shop doing the labor). So I guess you will have to decide on a suspension upgrade at some cost to you (and some leg work to figure out how to do it), or live with it, or sell the car. I would advise against an after-market suspension upgrade (assuming it is possible to implement the Genesis 2012 upgrade on your car).

I have decided to keep my Genesis, but roads are pretty smooth were I live, and with the relatively moderate weather, very few potholes. I guess I could upgrade my suspension again to 2012 specs, but I doubt that I will do that, because I now find the ride on slightly rough roads to be acceptable , especially with my new Michelin Primary MXV4 tires. Ride on most well-maintained highways is close to perfect. Handling is definitely above average, as is virtually everything else in the car (compared to the competition in its price range). Steering could use some improvement, but they made changes for that in 2010 that I don't have on my 2009.

 

[Mark_888]

Vince2, you've hit the nail right on the head. The problem with the suspension isn't that it's too firm; it's that it is jittery and unsettled over bumpy roads and railroad tracks, etc. My 2003 VW Passat, which cost a lot less than my Genesis, also rides firm but goes over these same surfaces in a much more confident manner. In my Passat I still feel the bumps but they don't startle me like they do in the Genesis.

In their review, Consumer Reports said mostly positive things about the Genesis and recommends the Genesis but does fault it for it's "nervous ride."

All things considered, however, I still prefer the Genesis.

The Consumer Reports review (along with most other negative comments about the Genesis suspension) was for the 2009 model year. Hyundai made some definite improvements in the suspension for the 2010 model year. Not sure which model year you have.

I have a 2009 that I upgraded to 2010 suspension specs, and it is much improved, especially over rough roads. Not that the 2010 or 2011 suspension is perfect, but I don't recall any negative reviews about it in the automotive press (probably not many reviewed the 2010 model since the Genesis was new in 2009). One reason we know the 2010/2011 suspension is not perfect, is that they improved it again in 2012 (and are boasting about it in their press release).

 

[Mark_888]

I did indeed replace the tires with Michelan MXV4s and yes the ride is better...still too firm.

Hmmm. Did you get the Michelin Energy MXV4 or the Michelin Primacy MXV4? Primacy's are definitely smoother than the Energy's. Not sure if Primacy is available in all Genesis sizes (mine is 17"), but I think the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus is smoother than the Energy's in 18" size. Also good feedback from customers about the Continental Extreme Contact DWS and Goodyear Assurance in terms of ride comfort. TireRack.com has very good customer ratings on each specific tire trait. Obviously, for the Genesis, "Ride Comfort" rating at TireRack.com would be a key thing to look at when choosing a tire.

You can see from this chart, that Michelin Energy MXV4 doesn't rate so high in Ride Comfort in the Grand Touring All-Season category:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=GTAS

Here is the Ultra High Performance All-Season category:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=UHPAS

 

[homeofstone]

You can see from this chart, that Michelin Energy MXV4 doesn't rate so high in Ride Comfort in the Grand Touring All-Season category:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey....jsp?type=GTAS

I went with the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity because of the great wet handling and ride. In the south we don't have much snow. Michelin Energy MXV4 is way down the list. Bottom line is the Genesis rides much better with quality tires vs. the Dunlop junk.

 

[Vince2]

Mark I bought the Primacy MXV4s and AND the H rated ones...I think they come in two speed catagories a V and a H. I assumed that the "sportier V" version would ride stiffer. Listen while on a smooth road with few interruptions the car is good (for me even more than acceptable) it is only when the odd interruption (or not so odd if you live around a lot of bad road) that the car looses it manors. I also wrote that I drove a friends high dollar BMW coupe with the sole intention of driving over the aforementioned interruptions to see how this BMW would handle them....the man hole covers, expansion joints, sudden uneven stretches were all handled well and the ride remained firm and serene. I mention this because it seems you are becoming exasperated with my comments. Remember we are just a bunch of guys talking about our car and swapping info that might improve our vehicles.

Here is what I hope happens in the next few months: The new 012 vehicles while have a ride every bit as firm as the older vehicles but when you head over a bump the harsh, jitter response will be absent. The parts to "upgrade" our older vehilces will be ferreted out by someone who also shares my disdain for the present set up (because even though this would be manifestly easy for Huyndai they wont for reasons that you Mark probably have put forth) and those of us looking for a change will pony up the bucks and live happily with our Genesis...that is my hope and I think it will occur exactly that way. If things don't work out that way I'll sell the vehicle. Its as simple as that.

 

[Mark_888]

Mark I bought the Primacy MXV4s and AND the H rated ones...I think they come in two speed catagories a V and a H. I assumed that the "sporiter V" version would ride stiffer. Listen while on a smooth road with few interruptions the car is good (for me even more than acceptable) it is only when the odd interruption (or not so odd if you live around a lot of bad road) that the car looses it manors. I also wrote that I drove a friends high dollar BMW coupe with the sole intention of driving over the aforementioned interruptions to see how this BMW would handle them....the man hole covers, expansion joints, sudden uneven stretches were all handled well and the ride remained firm and serene. I mention this because it seems you are becoming exasperated with my comments. Remember we are just a bunch of guys talking about our car and swapping info that might improve our vehicles.

Here is what I hope happens in the next few months: The new 012 vehicles while have a ride every bit as firm as the older vehicles but when you head over a bump the harsh, jitter response will be absent. The parts to "upgrade" our older vehilces will be ferreted out by someone who also shares my disdain for the present set up (because even though this would be manifestly easy for Hyundai they wont for reasons that you Mark probably have put forth) and those of us looking for a change will pony up the bucks and live happily with our Genesis...that is my hope and I think it will occur exactly that way. If things don't work out that way I'll sell the vehicle. Its as simple as that.

I have the same tires as you (H). I was just checking.

I don't have any major disagreement with your assessment of the Genesis suspension, and I agree that they should have done better. My main point was just to point out that Hyundai is not going to do anything to help you (upgrade kit, parts at cost, etc), based on what happened regarding the much worse 2009 suspension.

Given the price difference between Genesis and BMW 5 series, I am not surprised about the suspension differences. If you want compare cars with similar prices, then the Equus with air suspension would be a closer fit to the BMW 5. I am OK with the Genesis 2010/2011 suspension ( I have no plans to sell the car), but if I lived in an area with a lot of bad roads, I might think differently.

I think there is a good chance you can upgrade to the 2012 suspension, but we will see. But I am also not sure whether you will be completely satisfied with the 2012 suspension either.