20000 mile UPDATE!

[vishnus11]

Another 10k, another update (V6 tech)

The Basics:

Car runs.... GREAT. Not one issue, not one squeak, not one rattle, not one untoward noise or behavior... just PERFECT.

Interesting Notables:

- The 'SUSPENSION issues' posts on here have been a great source of enjoyment for me in my spare time. Some of the comments have had me laughing out loud. Heck, there was one bloke who was complaining about it irritating his 'sciatic'!!!

ARE YOU SERIOUS? Sure the rear suspension may be stiff for some over abrupt bumps but to say that it has a 'design flaw' or that Hyundai is still learning is.... stupid. To those people I say - you Buick Regal awaits.

I would love to offer said individual a ride in my S2k or M Roadster - one good pothole and he'll then realize what stiff suspension truly means.

As an automotive engineer here's my two cents to the genius' who think that there is a 'design flaw':

- The people who developed this car aren't morons
- A lot of work goes into developing suspension. Hyundai worked with Sachs. Sachs also happens to make shocks for my friends...Carrera GT. Last time I was in his Carrera GT, it didn't feel/look like a cheap car to me
- As Abe Lincoln said, you can please some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time.
- Revisiting the damping in the rear may improve one facet of the driving experience to a certain demographic (smoother ride), but may induce an unwanted behaviour for another (e.g. excessive body roll).
- See my comments on tire pressure

- V6s aren't limited to 130mph...Apparently, they will go 137mph...and still keep pulling if the driver doesn't lift...or so I've heard!

- On nicer days (60F in the morning, 75F evening), I'm getting 29mpg round trip (250 miles) @ 75-90mph cruise. WOW! Very impressive for a near two ton car! At 65-70mph, I can get ~35mpg!

- iPod implementation is good - however, Hyundai should implement a slightly better way to scroll - maybe when you nudge the controller down and hold it, it scrolls faster? Or scrolls by first letter? Either way, and relatively easy to make improvements could be made. As a side note: its amazing how HYUNDAI had to be the one to come along and show the 'big boys' how to do ipod implementation right. I've tried ipod implementation in everything from Acuras to Audis - absolutely pitiful.

- Compliments galore. I've gotten 'feels like a spaceship', 'feels like im in a plane', 'feels like im floating', 'look great', 'looks better than a S class', 'best sound system ever', etc. etc.

- Has anyone noticed that we have two extra indicator lights on the dash that are 'there' but not used. They are both to the right of the 'BRAKE' indicator. One says 'Auto Hold' and the other 'EPB'. I assume both are related to a electronic parking brake which I guess that car was supposed to have but the feature didn't make the launch. Any other thoughts on what these might be for?

- The DIS/Navigation/Audio/Voice Recog/Bluetooh...wow...I just can't even begin to say how good the whole system works. Having used iDrive, COMAND, Lexus, Acura, Infiniti, etc. the Hyundai system is hands down, mile and miles ahead of the competition. Again, Hyundai had to show everyone how it was done?!

What would be awesome to see soon:

- That 3.8 has a lot of potential. With DI and a 8sp automatic (latter supposedly in the works), I would love to see a big 2 ton car like this get 35 mpg at 80mph cruise.

- CMBS and ACC. Would be neat to see these features no this vehicle in a few years. Inevitably they would drive the price up but by then, Hyundai should hopefully have gained some real acceptance in this segment.

Complaints:

- None really. I like this car a LOT!

Tire Wear and Pressure:

- Back in the dead of winter on a particularly cold day (5F), I inflated the tires to approx. 34 psi. Recommended is 33 all around. 10k miles later I checked my pressures all around and found that they were all at 35 psi (expected, since temps had gone up). However, of worthy note was that despite, all the tires being inflated to the same amount, the REAR tires showed FAR greater wear in the center rib to wear this portion was almost smooth and grooveless. The fronts on the other hand, had very uniform wear and no issues whatsoever. My theory is that the rears on this vehicle need to be about 1 - 2 psi lower than the fronts.

- I then set the fronts at 33 and the rears at 32.

- Car now rides better (expected), but still gets great mpg. Most noticeably, the abruptness of the rear suspension over sharp expansion joints has been mitigated VERY noticeably.

DISCLAIMER: this is just my opinion. Operate your vehicle at manufacturer recommended pressures!

Conclusion:

I dearly love this car. An engineer, I can truly appreciate the fact that this is one WELL engineered product. 20k miles later, it has been nothing but a dream. Maintenance wise, I've paid mere pennnis - cost me 6 quarts of oil (~$40) and a $8 filter from Hyundai everytime for an oil change. Takes me about 15 minutes to do one since everything is so easily accessible.

The ownership experience has been very good with Hyundai always keeping tabs on the experience. I had the rear cover for the speaker installed and will be faxing in my invoice to get reimbursed. I'm thoroughly impressed and look forward to many many more miles of enjoyment. I hope the rest of you enjoy yours the same way I've enjoyed mine. See you in another 10k!

 

[QCTLG]

Thanks for sharing...I really appreciate your comments.
20,000 miles already...unbelievable!

It's nice to know that the Genesis is holding up extremely well even after 20,000 miles...That's very impressive!

You comments make me want my car even more now (V8/Tech) but I will only get it around the end of April.

Thanks again for sharing and taking the time to write it all...also coming from an engineer is double awesome.

Regards,

 

[Nabber]

- Has anyone noticed that we have two extra indicator lights on the dash that are 'there' but not used. They are both to the right of the 'BRAKE' indicator. One says 'Auto Hold' and the other 'EPB'. I assume both are related to a electronic parking brake which I guess that car was supposed to have but the feature didn't make the launch. Any other thoughts on what these might be for?

I believe this is a current feature on the vehicle in other markets (Middle East rings a bell).

 

[charlesleiss]

Nice write-up! Happy motoring!

 

[moose66]

Absolutely one of the best personal reviews I have read in a while. Thanks for taking the time to share.

 

[OneShot]

Sounds like you've had a great experience with your Genesis and I'm glad you're "amused" by the suspension issues. Although you haven't had suspension issues with your V6, the issues are prevalent with the V8 models. I've driven both and there is a big difference. In my opinion, Hyundai tried to match BMW skidpad numbers with the V8 model but overly sacrificed ride quality to get them. That all good and fine, but you can have both. Let's look at it another way (albeit extreme), let's say Porsche decided to market the Carrera to compete with the ride quality of a Lexus LS460. They could change the springs, shocks and settings, remove the sway bars and the Carrera still wouldn't ride as well as a Lexus. The Genesis' suspension was designed initially for the Korean market, and it shares that suspension with the North American V6 setup. They changed the suspension only for the V8 model, and they didn't do a great job. Hyundai is a good company and seems to be addressing the issues. The Genesis is a great car, but it isn't perfect. I like the Genesis enough to wait for them to get the V8 just a little better!

 

[jwaters943]

Thanks for the update. I really need to drive my Genesis more!

I got mine on 6/27 and only have 6100 miles. Then again, I only work 4 miles from home, so that's to be expected.

Regarding the EPB & Auto Hold, you are correct on what they stand for. The electronic parking brake didn't make it to the U.S., but will likely be included at some point in the future. The Auto Hold just prevents the car from rocking backwards when shifting from P to R or D on a hill or when letting off the brake IIRC.

 

[Gwaneum]

Thanks for the great writeup. I'm at 5500 miles and feel the exact same way.

I do feel that my car rides a bit harsh on some expansion joints... but I will play with tire inflation settings, as indicated here, to see what I can get.

I'm glad that I got the V6. The V8 was an unproven design, so was bound to have more bugs to work out. In fact, there is no V8 in the Korean domestic market (mentioned several times before), so the V8 model couldn't get the debugging that the V6 got in its initial months in Korea. Even with the V6, there is a lot of power.

Fuel economy has suffered since my first oil change (4000 miles). I'm struggling to top 26 MPG these days on the highway, whereas I was easily doing 28+ before. But then, I am driving more aggressively, doing more city driving, and when I did hit a long stretch of highway (1,000-mile roundtrip to Northern California), I had to fight a severe rainstorm that felt more like a hailstorm (read: low visibility, low speeds, frequent braking). Dealer says it put in 5w20. For now I'm letting the dealer do the oil changes, but if things don't improve, I will have to take it into my own hands (and switch to synthetic while at it).

 

[nova1]

Although you haven't had suspension issues with your V6, the issues are prevalent with the V8 models. I've driven both and there is a big difference.

Prevalent? Based on owner feedback at this site (and at Edmunds), the vast majority of both V6 and V8 owners are happy with the suspensions on their cars.

I've had my V8 for nearly a month (and ~1,200 miles) and am very pleased with the ride. I test drove 3 V8s (counting the one I bought) and 2 V6s prior to purchase, and I liked the rides of the V8s noticeably more each time.

You obviously felt differently, which just shows that suspension feel can be a matter of personal preference. (I'm not discounting your opinion, just questioning your generalization that suspension issues are prevalent.)

 

[nova1]

Awesome write-up! Thanks for posting. It will take me awhile to get to 20k miles...

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[Poopsicle]

Awesome write-up.

 

[doug725]

And I always have to laugh when I hear people talk about the great, smooth most awesome ride that me and all my passengers just love, love, love. That has not been my experience nor the experience of my passengers who actually ask to be let out of the back seat -it's as if we are talking about vastly different cars - indeed, that's one of the oddities of the suspension. I wish it was great cause I LOVE the car in almost every other way. But, l am not going to ridicule or discount your experience with your car (as you feel the need to do to others)- cause I believe you.

Listen it's a great car in many, many ways. The suspension on mine ain't great and it has nothing to do with preference. I have numerous others who have privately emailed me the same about their car or test drive. I have no idea how widespread anything is and neither does anyone else on here for that matter - the issue exists on some level. If you do not have the problem - then you have a great car to enjoy.

This is exactly the same dance that occured with the Azera and Sonata and people who had problem with the front suspension:

1. Deny the problem
2. Ridicule those who raise an issue
3. Personal attacks, question motive
4. Well, I don't have the problem so it does not exist
5. Well, maybe you have the problem but, it's not widespread

So predictable it's laughable

 

[OneShot]

Prevalent? Based on owner feedback at this site (and at Edmunds), the vast majority of both V6 and V8 owners are happy with the suspensions on their cars. .)

You mentioned Edmunds. On the first page alone there are two specific complaints about the Genesis:
But all of this pales in the face of the terrible suspension. The ride is rough and jittery with a tendency towards porpoising on almost all surfaces, even those that appear to be smooth and or recently paved. I would test drive the heck out of a potential purchase and if you experience the slightest bit of what I have described, pass on it and look at something else. No other car that I have driven in recent years, of any price point, has these awful ride characteristics.
Another:
Sadly I like everything about it except the suspension. When I first test drove it, I noticed it was a bit bumpy, but I thought maybe it was because of the road I was on. I also noticed a few reviews mentioned bumpiness. But when I test drove it the second time it felt OK so I went ahead and leased it. After I took it home, I started feeling that the bumpiness was quite pronounced and at times jarring. I often find myself getting bumped up out of my seat, akin to the feeling of airplane turbulence. The vehicle has an odd combination of soft and hard ride. It feels cushy on a perfectly smooth road, but imperfections make the ride feel very bumpy.

I challenge you to find any other vehicle at Edmunds with complaints about the suspension similar to these. If you are happy with yours -fine, don't be offended and discount other prevalent opinions.

 

[nova1]

You mentioned Edmunds. On the first page alone there are two specific complaints about the Genesis:

But all of this pales in the face of the terrible suspension. The ride is rough and jittery with a tendency towards porpoising on almost all surfaces, even those that appear to be smooth and or recently paved. I would test drive the heck out of a potential purchase and if you experience the slightest bit of what I have described, pass on it and look at something else. No other car that I have driven in recent years, of any price point, has these awful ride characteristics.
Another:
Sadly I like everything about it except the suspension. When I first test drove it, I noticed it was a bit bumpy, but I thought maybe it was because of the road I was on. I also noticed a few reviews mentioned bumpiness. But when I test drove it the second time it felt OK so I went ahead and leased it. After I took it home, I started feeling that the bumpiness was quite pronounced and at times jarring. I often find myself getting bumped up out of my seat, akin to the feeling of airplane turbulence. The vehicle has an odd combination of soft and hard ride. It feels cushy on a perfectly smooth road, but imperfections make the ride feel very bumpy.

I challenge you to find any other vehicle at Edmunds with complaints about the suspension similar to these. If you are happy with yours -fine, don't be offended and discount other prevalent opinions.

Yeah, I saw them. I'm not discounting (nor have I ever discounted) your experience nor anyone else's. I merely objected to your use of the word "prevalent" since only a few of the 99 Edmunds reviews (and only a few of the many GenesisOwners posters) mention the suspension in a negative way, and more mention "ride quality" as a plus (and of course many don't comment on it one way or the other). Even of the reviewers at Edmunds who mention some opportunity for improvement, suspension or ride quality is not the most common, or 2nd most common, item. Notwithstanding questions about potential positive/negative selection, it seems to me that suspension issues, as self-reported by owners, are rare, not prevalent. (This of course doesn't discount the opinions of those who do have an issue with the suspension, other than stating that they don't appear to be prevalent. That's not a negative statement; the majority is not always right.)

Of course, it's also true that owner reviews don't include the opinions of non-owners, who by definition decided not to buy a 2009 Genesis. And I would not be surprised if suspension issues (and generally all issues) came up more often among people who didn't buy the car, though I have no data to prove it.

By the way, I also don't discount the possibility that your suggestions about the suspension may make the Genesis an even better car, not only for you (obviously) but also for others. It will be interesting to see the evolution of the Genesis and of the Hyundai brand in NA.

 

[OneShot]

My use of the word "prevalent" might be different than yours and be part of our opinion differences. By prevalent I mean "common". Many of the reviews I've read have mentioned the "jittery" ride on both the 3.8 and the V8 models. They overwhelmingly like the Genesis, but many like Car &Driver, Consumer Reports and Motor Trend, mention the suspension issues. There are several long threads just about these issues, including one that says Hyundai is changing the suspension on the 2010 models. I doubt they'd change anything if it wasn't a common concern. It seems that most people on this forum are Genesis owners. People who drove the Genesis, and purchased something else are probably a rarity here. My local dealer told me that he has never had a car with such a bad test-drive/purchase ratio (35/1). Part of that is the nature of the Genesis, but he has admitted to me my suspension concerns were not uncommon. Several people here have or have tried to trade-in their purchase for this very reason. I personally have at least postponed my purchase until I see an improvement. Opinions are a funny thing, everybody's is always right, especially mine!

 

[Gimli]

You mentioned Edmunds. On the first page alone there are two specific complaints about the Genesis:
But all of this pales in the face of the terrible suspension. The ride is rough and jittery with a tendency towards porpoising on almost all surfaces, even those that appear to be smooth and or recently paved. I would test drive the heck out of a potential purchase and if you experience the slightest bit of what I have described, pass on it and look at something else. No other car that I have driven in recent years, of any price point, has these awful ride characteristics.
Another:
Sadly I like everything about it except the suspension. When I first test drove it, I noticed it was a bit bumpy, but I thought maybe it was because of the road I was on. I also noticed a few reviews mentioned bumpiness. But when I test drove it the second time it felt OK so I went ahead and leased it. After I took it home, I started feeling that the bumpiness was quite pronounced and at times jarring. I often find myself getting bumped up out of my seat, akin to the feeling of airplane turbulence. The vehicle has an odd combination of soft and hard ride. It feels cushy on a perfectly smooth road, but imperfections make the ride feel very bumpy.

I challenge you to find any other vehicle at Edmunds with complaints about the suspension similar to these. If you are happy with yours -fine, don't be offended and discount other prevalent opinions.

Interesting. I'd like you to provide a link for those "Edmunds complaints" because the one at http://www.edmunds.com/hyundai/genesis/2009/testdrive.html specifically says:
"Handling is similarly impressive. The suspension is well balanced with a desirable combination of firm, sporty handling and simple comfort. There's just enough of an edge that, unlike competitors like the Hyundai Azera and Toyota Avalon, the 2009 Hyundai Genesis can actually be fun to fling through a tight freeway interchange.

Comfort

Thankfully, the handling edge never translates into hard or harsh."

What I think you're referring to as Edmund's opinion is actually Joe Blow's opinion which, for all we know, comes from the same deceitful, obsessed people that post here.

My use of the word "prevalent" might be different than yours and be part of our opinion differences. By prevalent I mean "common".

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevalent
"Main Entry: prev·a·lent
Pronunciation: \-lənt\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin praevalent-, praevalens very powerful, from present participle of praevalēre
Date: 1576
1archaic : powerful
2: being in ascendancy : dominant
3: generally or widely accepted, practiced, or favored : widespread"

What other words do you use with no regard for what they actually mean?

 

[OneShot]

Interesting. I'd like you to provide a link for those "Edmunds complaints" because the one at http://www.edmunds.com/hyundai/genesis/2009/testdrive.html specifically says:
"Handling is similarly impressive. The suspension is well balanced with a desirable combination of firm, sporty handling and simple comfort. There's just enough of an edge that, unlike competitors like the Hyundai Azera and Toyota Avalon, the 2009 Hyundai Genesis can actually be fun to fling through a tight freeway interchange.

Comfort

Thankfully, the handling edge never translates into hard or harsh."

What I think you're referring to as Edmund's opinion is actually Joe Blow's opinion which, for all we know, comes from the same deceitful, obsessed people that post here.

Here's the link: http://www.edmunds.com/hyundai/genesis/2009/consumerreview.html

I guess the Genesis is PERFECT, and there isn't any area that could be improved. You probably shouldn't waste your valuable time reading other opinions because they are obviously from deceitful and obsessed individuals and of no value to someone of your intellect. Like my opinion "Smoking is bad for you" please disregard it and continue smoking whatever you're smoking!

From Dictionary.com
prev⋅a⋅lent   /ˈprɛvələnt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [prev-uh-luhnt] Show IPA
–adjective 1. widespread; of wide extent or occurrence; in general use or acceptance.
2. having the superiority or ascendancy.
3. Archaic. effectual or efficacious.
Origin:
1570&#8211;80; < L praevalent- (s. of praeval&#275;ns), prp. of praeval&#275;re to prevail. See pre-, -valent

Related forms:

prev&#8901;a&#8901;lence, prev&#8901;a&#8901;lent&#8901;ness, noun
prev&#8901;a&#8901;lent&#8901;ly, adverb


Synonyms:
1. common, extensive. See current.


Antonyms:
1. rare.

Now: look up the word "Synomyn". Kind of feels like you brought a butter-knife to a gunfight, doesn't it?

 

[PriorityHyundaiVA]

for $33-42,100 it is perfect.

 

[Gimli]

You probably shouldn't waste your valuable time reading other opinions because they are obviously from deceitful and obsessed individuals and of no value to someone of your intellect. Like my opinion "Smoking is bad for you" please disregard it and continue smoking whatever you're smoking!

Actually, yes, anonymous, statistically irrelevant comments are useless for one to form an opinion. It has nothing to do with intellect but rather with integrity. Not that I would expect you to understand what integrity is all about.

I don't abstain from smoking because you (or any other anonymous person) say so. I abstain from smoking because year of medical research proves it's bad.

From Dictionary.com
prev&#8901;a&#8901;lent&#8194; &#8194;/&#712;pr&#603;v&#601;l&#601;nt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [prev-uh-luhnt] Show IPA
&#8211;adjective 1. widespread; of wide extent or occurrence; in general use or acceptance.
2. having the superiority or ascendancy.
3. Archaic. effectual or efficacious.
Origin:
1570&#8211;80; < L praevalent- (s. of praeval&#275;ns), prp. of praeval&#275;re to prevail. See pre-, -valent

Related forms:

prev&#8901;a&#8901;lence, prev&#8901;a&#8901;lent&#8901;ness, noun
prev&#8901;a&#8901;lent&#8901;ly, adverb


Synonyms:
1. common, extensive. See current.


Antonyms:
1. rare.

Now: look up the word "Synomyn". Kind of feels like you brought a butter-knife to a gunfight, doesn't it?

How is 2 out of 99 common? Might want to check out http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/common as well. Here are some excerpts:
"pertaining or belonging equally to an entire community"
"widespread; general;"
"Synonyms:
4. universal, prevalent"

Using your methodology, I guess you fit the definition of an idiot. Here's the proof:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/idiot
id&#8901;i&#8901;ot&#8194; &#8194;/&#712;&#618;di&#601;t/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [id-ee-uht] Show IPA
&#8211;noun 1. an utterly foolish or senseless person.
2. Psychology. a person of the lowest order in a former classification of mental retardation, having a mental age of less than three years old and an intelligence quotient under 25.

Synonyms:
1. fool, half-wit; imbecile; dolt, dunce, numskull.

 

[Poopsicle]

You guys, let's all be friends.