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3.8 Hesitation Still Present in G2?

roblaw

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I have a 2012 3.8. I am starting the search now for a 2016 or 2017 vehicle to replace it.

While a little soft on low end torque and needing to wait for downshifts, I can accept less than perfect acceleration. Note that I had any TSBs performed several years ago (on the transmission downshift issues) and I am pretty sure my 3.8 is as good as it gets. I have taken a short test drive in a 2015 RWD but would probably get an AWD in my neck of the woods. I was a little disappointed that Hyundai did not either drop weight or do something in the drivetrain to offset the additional weight of the new models. However, it seems that few have acceleration issues with the V6 and I can probably accept slightly reduced overall acceleration for the great ergonomics and (in my opinion) good looks. I am all over the place on a possible replacement from going downmarket to a new Maxima (or 2017 LaCrosse when it comes out) to slightly upmarket in the form of the 2017 A4, 2016 3 Series or C Class. I have only driven the C300 Luxury briefly and did like it but for the wind noise which seems to be a common but unresolved problem on those vehicles.

There is one thing that will absolutely knock the Genesis out of the running and that is the low speed hesitation. Nail it off the line and the car is great. Nail it on the highway and I get the expected wait while the transmission takes its sweet time downshifting. At least on the highway I know that I need to plant my foot through the floor to get a downshift. Slow down to make a turn, however, and then nail it, and there is a 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi delay before it accelerates (like a bat out hell and often more than I need) which can cause your heart to stop as you nearly become a hood ornament on that 1977 Kenworth barreling your way. Kind of feels like an old 4 barrel carb delay when you nail it and it is sucking air before the secondaries open (except the delay is longer). I have mentioned to the service writer I use and she says it is part of the car and there is no fix. In my admittedly short test drive of the new Genesis, downshifts seemed slightly more responsive but I was wondering if owners of the new 3.8 models still experience this hiccup.
 
The cure for the hesitation you are describing in your '12 Genesis is NOT to floor (nail) the accelerator pedal, but to apply gradual pressure instead. It's a simple solution, but many folks just won't accept it. Perhaps it just counterintuitive to folks who grew up with 3 spd automatic transmissions which we used to "floor" to downshift.
 
The cure for the hesitation you are describing in your '12 Genesis is NOT to floor (nail) the accelerator pedal, but to apply gradual pressure instead. It's a simple solution, but many folks just won't accept it. Perhaps it just counterintuitive to folks who grew up with 3 spd automatic transmissions which we used to "floor" to downshift.

Agreed - and if that is still too slow for one, then there is always the 5.0 V8 :)
 
The cure for the hesitation you are describing in your '12 Genesis is NOT to floor (nail) the accelerator pedal, but to apply gradual pressure instead. It's a simple solution, but many folks just won't accept it. Perhaps it just counterintuitive to folks who grew up with 3 spd automatic transmissions which we used to "floor" to downshift.

+1
 
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The cure for the hesitation you are describing in your '12 Genesis is NOT to floor (nail) the accelerator pedal, but to apply gradual pressure instead. It's a simple solution, but many folks just won't accept it. Perhaps it just counterintuitive to folks who grew up with 3 spd automatic transmissions which we used to "floor" to downshift.

double post - deleted.
 
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Just to play the other side of the fence, you get the hesitation at half and two-thirds throttle also. For many of us, the real fix was the air-flapper modification to reduce the delay to something much more livable. You shouldn't have to search too far to find the numerous and extensive threads debating this modification.
 
Agreed - and if that is still too slow for one, then there is always the 5.0 V8 :)

Totally agree. I must also say that now that my Genny is "broken in" at 5,000 miles, I do not have the hesitation except full throttle.
 
I've put a little over 1k on my 15 Genesis 3.8. Under normal driving conditions like stop and go traffic, highway merging and the like the car is perfect and effortless.. I feel this 8 speed trans does not like to be "caught off guard" I.e. Someone pulls out in front of you causing you to stop but not completely...then when you go to accelerate the trans is to busy thinking about what it needs to do. Sport mode seems to be the best mode for the transmission as it feels like it's got it's thinking cap on. I think eco works fine as well as it allows the trans to get into 8th rather quickly and stay there.
 
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