Are the dealers getting any better?

[TimC]

Last year at about this same time, I was in the market for a new car and decided on a 4.6 Genesis, all options.

After visiting several dealers in my area, I changed my mind and decided to keep my 2008 Infiniti M45 for a while longer and wait and see if things improve.
The reason I changed my mind was although the Genesis Car seems to have reached the level of Luxury Car status, the dealers had not.

It's not the pampering of a waiting room that looks more like an apartment on Manhattan's 5th Avenue, complete with a coffee servant - like I had with my Infiniti Dealer- it's things like giving me a comparable loaner car to what I have whenever it needs service.
I drive in with a M45, I drive out with the same (or better).
They were smart about it as this is how I got the M45 in the first place, after bringing in my Q35 for service and them loaning me an M.

When I asked the Hyundai dealer what type of loaner I'd get if the car ever needed extended service, he just looked at me with a blank stare and said "loaner???...we can call a rental place for you if you like..."
No sale!

Has this situation improved, or would I still need to buy an Equus to get any real service from a Hyundai Dealership?

 

[Mark_888]

Has this situation improved, or would I still need to buy an Equus to get any real service from a Hyundai Dealership?

I think you have to take into consideration the profit margin of the deal. Many dealers are selling Genesis models and only making a few hundred dollars profit, doing oil changes for $29.99, etc, and in that case it is hard for them to supply loaners. I doubt that an Infiniti dealer sells with such low profit margins. Personally, I would be happy with any loaner (even a used car), or in many cases I just get a ride to work in their courtesy van and someone from work drops me off at dealer at end of day.

What does concern me about Hyundai dealers is whether they have competent service employees who actually know how to service my car. That is by far the most important factor for me, and I wonder about that sometimes when I talk to them, and because I am fairly certain that most Hyundai dealers are paying their employees less than Infiniti, Acura, Lexus, and probably even less than Toyota and Honda dealers pay their service employees.

 

[TimC]

Sounds like things are still the same, unfortunately.

I'm sure I'm in the minority, but I'd be willing to pay more for the car if the Customer Service was better.

The lack of Hyundai Customer Service fitting the car they are selling will put my seat back into another Infiniti.

And before someone says I'm crazy for trying to compare an Infiniti M to a Hyundai, the Hyundai has everything I need for my 160 mile, 6 days a week commute.
The Infiniti also has what I need, plus many more things that I don't need or use.
Sitting in a car for up to 4 hours a day gives you plenty of time to know what's important to you.

All-in-all I think the Genesis is better looking and more ''Driver friendly'' than the new M cars.
Too bad Hyundai doesn't seem to know what the West Coast wants in a car dealership

 

[pilotdane]

I think there is great variation between Hyundai dealers which I feel is very detrimental to their success in the premium market. When you buy a Lexus for example, you are assured of a pretty high and consistent level of service no matter which dealer you visit across the country. Hyundai is still saddled with the dealership network created when it offered primarily economy models.

The dealer where I purchased my Genesis, 200 miles away, is a very professional operation and their service department offers a like model as a loaner. If your Genesis is in the shop you get a Genesis as a loaner. Unfortunately the dealership closest to where I live is still very much of the what I call the old school Hyundai dealership. Their training and professionalism is a stark contrast to where I purchased my car.

 

[gadgetboyatl]

I'm afraid they are still clueless. I too came from Infiniti and it was never a question of getting a loaner for whatever service I was getting when dropping off my car, a used I35 purchased from another dealer and it didn't matter. I contacted a few Hyundai dealers in my area(Atlanta) for my first 7500k maintenance. Loaner? Oh no, we might give you one for your 30k service...just sad. No shuttle service either but he did offer to borrow one of his shop guys to run me to my office...if I was not more than a couple miles away. Pathetic. So unless I'm getting a big money job done I can forget about a loaner? This is one of the biggest reasons I decided to lease my first hyundai because my biggest fear was that there service was just not up to par. If I find a local dealer that is within reasonable distance to work or home I may have hope, if not, I probably won't be with hyundai after this lease is up if they don't get there act together.

 

[acoga]

I know this is going to sound harsh, but it's obvious to me that Hyundai identified this as a major problem and decided that it's essentially hopeless. That's why they're starting a new global luxury brand (interestingly enough, to be called Genesis). What the customer will get is the expected pampering and professional treatment both by sales and service staff.

I wouldn't expect any major changes in Hyundai showrooms; all their effort/planning in that realm will be going to the new brand launch.

 

[Mark_888]

I know this is going to sound harsh, but it's obvious to me that Hyundai identified this as a major problem and decided that it's essentially hopeless. That's why they're starting a new global luxury brand (interestingly enough, to be called Genesis). What the customer will get is the expected pampering and professional treatment both by sales and service staff.

I wouldn't expect any major changes in Hyundai showrooms; all their effort/planning in that realm will be going to the new brand launch.

You can expect to pay at least $2K more for a Genesis sold by a separate luxury dealership (adjusted for inflation and price increases by the time that happens). But not sure if it will happen in the US anytime soon.

I don't understand what the big deal is about just renting a car for $50 a day instead of paying $2K extra for the car.

 

[pilotdane]

...That's why they're starting a new global luxury brand (interestingly enough, to be called Genesis)...
...all their effort/planning in that realm will be going to the new brand launch.

Where did you hear or read that? There were some rumors years ago but the latest I've read indicates otherwise.

Below is an excerpt from the Brand Channel website. The entire article can be found here.

Hyundai corporate chiefs in Korea have made clear that they’re ruling out at least one other rumored branding gambit: creation of a new premium brand, as the major Japanese automakers did many years ago. Based on where Hyundai is driving its name brand in the U.S. market and elsewhere, the restraint on this issue makes sense.
“You’ve heard us talk a great deal about trying to raise the brand perception,” another Hyundai spokesman told Automotive News. “And that’s perception for all the vehicles. So how would it help the brands if we were to cut off our top level? We are hoping they will help lift the whole brand.”

 

[wil_b]

I will say- in support of one of our local dealers- their Hyundai showroom is right next to their Mercedes showroom, and the service is in the same building (opposite sides). Amazingly enough, when they were doing the initial dealer prep on the R-SPEC I was demo-ing, it was on a lift right next to an S-Class

And guess whet the tech was doing (other than checking the torque on the suspension)? Checking/adjusting the tire pressure (a common complaint). I'm sure there are not many really good dealerships- but there are a few GREAT ones...

 

[LA Genesis]

I'm in the process of buying a Genesis. I own an Infiniti now and I'm talking to local Hyundai service departments in town. I've called to ask about the price of an oil change, loaner cars, and car washes.

There is variation among dealers but it is clear that Hyundai is nowhere near Infiniti in service overall. Most Hyundai dealers now offer car washes but none have offered a free loaner car. It's not a deal killer to me due to the lower purchase price, but others expecting Hyundai to compare with Infiniti, Lexus, etc in service will be disappointed.

There is a great disparity among Hyundai dealers in the buying experience as well. Some appear to be solid, classy operations and others are sleazy. As stated earlier in this thread, some Hyundai dealers "get it" and some don't. High end brands are far more consistent.

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[YEH]

I know this is going to sound harsh, but it's obvious to me that Hyundai identified this as a major problem and decided that it's essentially hopeless. That's why they're starting a new global luxury brand (interestingly enough, to be called Genesis). What the customer will get is the expected pampering and professional treatment both by sales and service staff.

Where did you hear or read that? There were some rumors years ago but the latest I've read indicates otherwise.

Hyundai corporate chiefs in Korea have made clear that they’re ruling out at least one other rumored branding gambit: creation of a new premium brand, as the major Japanese automakers did many years ago. Based on where Hyundai is driving its name brand in the U.S. market and elsewhere, the restraint on this issue makes sense.

The head of Hyundai AU in a recent article talked about launching the Geneiss brand in Australia and the head of Hyundai UK earlier in the year talked about how they were in midst of testing on whether they should launch the Genesis brand.

Hyundai may very well be thinking of launching the Genesis brand in smaller markets b/c the investment required to start a dealer network in such markets is much more manageable/less risky.

I wouldn't expect any major changes in Hyundai showrooms; all their effort/planning in that realm will be going to the new brand launch.

Actually, Hyundai has been working on shedding the smaller dealerships and replacing them w/ larger corporate ownership (those that own mutliple dealerships) - granted, that's not necessarily an indicator of better service.

Basically, there are some very good Hyundai dealerships and some poor ones, w/ most likely to be around avg. (altho in the JDPower CSI rankings, Hyundai does pretty well, a good bit better than all the Japanese mainstream brands) - so it really depends on your local Hyundai dealership(s).

One of the better Hyundai dealerships provides complimentary wash/vacuum after every service (even an oil change), as well as complimentary coffee, tea and pastries - and loaner cars (for longer service stops).

It's not service at like luxury dealerships are all that (some of the worst service I have had was at BMW dealerships), but overall, luxury brands are more consistent.

 

[TimC]

Does anyone know of a "good" dealership in the Silicon Valley area of California, between Palo Alto and as far south as Salinas?

Maybe a dealer is reading this and can chime in and offer some Customer Service to make a sale?

 

[Mark_888]

I'm in the process of buying a Genesis. I own an Infiniti now and I'm talking to local Hyundai service departments in town. I've called to ask about the price of an oil change, loaner cars, and car washes.

There is variation among dealers but it is clear that Hyundai is nowhere near Infiniti in service overall. Most Hyundai dealers now offer car washes but none have offered a free loaner car. It's not a deal killer to me due to the lower purchase price, but others expecting Hyundai to compare with Infiniti, Lexus, etc in service will be disappointed.

There is a great disparity among Hyundai dealers in the buying experience as well. Some appear to be solid, classy operations and others are sleazy. As stated earlier in this thread, some Hyundai dealers "get it" and some don't. High end brands are far more consistent.

If you pay thousands less for a Genesis than a comparable car, partly because they are using existing Hyundai dealerships, and partly because they sell them well below invoice (contrary to Infiniti, Lexus, and Acura, etc), can't you afford to pay for your own car washes and loaner cars? I don't think it is reasonable to purchase 1-2% below invoice and get all those things for free.

Anyone reading stories in this forum about what Hyundai dealers did to their cars when they get a "free" car wash, probably would not want them to touch their car. I don't even trust them to do oil changes unless I am able to see what they are doing (I use synthetic oil and would need to make sure they followed directions to use the correct oil).

 

[acoga]

Where did you hear or read that? There were some rumors years ago but the latest I've read indicates otherwise.

Here's the article that I read. It's dated late October. I haven't seen it corroborated elsewhere but it includes quotes from Australian Hyundai execs so it seems legit.

 

[acoga]

Does anyone know of a "good" dealership in the Silicon Valley area of California, between Palo Alto and as far south as Salinas?

Maybe a dealer is reading this and can chime in and offer some Customer Service to make a sale?

I no longer live in that area, but I'll tell you a couple of things I would look for: first, if the dealership has qualified to sell the Equus. A dealership has to get some special training to do that and I'd use that as a quick proxy for how serious they are about upmarket sales. Second, check if the dealer is part of a large sales group. I bought my car at a dealer owned by Penske, and it was situated next to a Penske-owned Honda dealer. I got treated well, and I attribute that in part to the increased professionalism that comes with bigger businesses.

 

[newman]

If you pay thousands less for a Genesis than a comparable car, partly because they are using existing Hyundai dealerships, and partly because they sell them well below invoice (contrary to Infiniti, Lexus, and Acura, etc), can't you afford to pay for your own car washes and loaner cars? I don't think it is reasonable to purchase 1-2% below invoice and get all those things for free.

Anyone reading stories in this forum about what Hyundai dealers did to their cars when they get a "free" car wash, probably would not want them to touch their car. I don't even trust them to do oil changes unless I am able to see what they are doing (I use synthetic oil and would need to make sure they followed directions to use the correct oil).

I think that Mark_888 is making a really strong point - one that I have been a bit blind to: When you think about it rationally, the cost savings of the Genesis (which are actually much greater than the savings below invoice when you consider comparable cars) are tremendous and even after adding in rental cars and car washes it is still a tremendous value.

When I analyze my feelings on the matter I think that we as Genesis owners want it both ways: We want the incredible value that the car offers but we also want the service and benefits of the luxury brands. I am proud to drive my really spectacular Execu-luxury-performance cruiser around but also want people to see me as frugal and wise by buying the up-and-comer car.

I will never permit a dealer to wash my car. I don't care that I am sitting in a trailer for a service area. What I DO want is a loaner car ready for me immediately upon dropping my car off for service. Considering the overall equation, I am willing to pay an extra 1K or so for this privilege.

Cheers,
Newman

 

[tompass]

Went for my first service visit few days ago and also would not allow dealer to wash the car. Although not plush customer service area, it was good enough. Even getting a loaner when I return next week because the repair will take about 4 hours. I had a BMW and enjoyed the lattes but am more than happy now given the money I saved buying the Genesis.

 

[TimC]

You can expect to pay at least $2K more for a Genesis sold by a separate luxury dealership (adjusted for inflation and price increases by the time that happens). But not sure if it will happen in the US anytime soon.

I don't understand what the big deal is about just renting a car for $50 a day instead of paying $2K extra for the car.

I think you are missing one major point.
A lot (if not most) of the people that lease these types of cars are doing so as a business ''Company Car''
The 2K is not important vs the ability to drive in/drive out with a minimum of time and fuss.

If I have appointments where I need to take a customer out to lunch, or pick up an important Client from the airport, I can't change the plans last minute because my car needed service and Hertz didn't have a luxury model available.
With my M, I don't even think about it.
If it's in the shop, I'm still driving an M.

This car actually deserves a better dealership system than it's getting.
The car is on-par with some Infiniti/Lexus/Mercedes models. (I said some).
The dealerships I have seen so far, are not.

I do think Hyundai is well aware of this issue as I recall Equus Owners get "Silver Platter" Service, whereas Genesis Owners get to ride the bus home with the Elantra owners.
Please, before anyone yells at me, I actually own an Elantra as a daily driver for my college bound daughter.
She loves it, as do I, for a $14K car.

 

[sandy]

When I order a hamburger at a high-end restaurant, I expect a table set with linen tablecloth and napkins and a waiter that is attentive and properly attired. I don't expect that at McDonald's but still enjoy their Quarter Pounders. We have to align our expectations with economic reality....in other words, there is no free lunch.

 

[dg_moore]

I no longer live in that area, but I'll tell you a couple of things I would look for: first, if the dealership has qualified to sell the Equus. A dealership has to get some special training to do that and I'd use that as a quick proxy for how serious they are about upmarket sales. Second, check if the dealer is part of a large sales group. I bought my car at a dealer owned by Penske, and it was situated next to a Penske-owned Honda dealer. I got treated well, and I attribute that in part to the increased professionalism that comes with bigger businesses.

I think you're right about companies that have multiple dealerships. I deal with Ourisman Hyundai in Laurel, MD and am treated very professionally - not fancy, but competent in all areas. Ourisman has 26 dealerships - various marks - in the DC area, and they know how to run them.