jwaters943
Been here awhile...
So it's been exactly one year since I took delivery of my 2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8, and in that time I've discovered quite a few things about the vehicle. First off, the Genesis, at least to me, is one of those rare cars that manages to impress you the more you drive it. It's just so utterly competent and effortless you often find yourself driving faster than you normally would in another car. Don't get me wrong, it's not the sort of car that begs to be flogged and thrown about, but it's so solid and quiet that the outside world sort of melts away. It's like traveling in a nice protective cocoon. In other words, it's every bit a luxury car, and not so much a sport sedan. It may very well be the perfect daily driver for my needs/wants. Sadly, I haven't had the opportunity to drive it as much as I would like and have managed to log a paltry 8800 miles of seat time in the Genesis during that past 12 months. This is something I hope to rectify when I take a road trip to Denver this September. It will be the second road trip I've taken in the Genesis, the first being here: http://forums.motivemag.com/zerothread?id=4011044
Anyway, here are some pros/cons I've formed on the Genesis over the past year for those of you that may be interested.
Pros:
-Cabin noise level. Even at triple digit speeds this is a VERY quiet car. So much so that there is no audible difference between 45mph and 60mph. I've caught myself going 10-15mph above the posted speed limit on my way to work on more than one occasion.
-Audio system performance. I'm no audiophile, but this system seems every bit as good as the also excellent Mark Levinson system in my former GS430. Even when cranked up there is very little distortion and no vibration/rattles from the door/dash panels.
-Paint quality. Easily up there w/ the Germans, and far, far better than any Honda/Acura I've owned. It's just as glossy as the day I took delivery and has held up well to our crappy sanded roads in the winter. With that said, I did experience a minor flaw in the paint that was fixed promptly under warranty (the paint had started to peel at the very edge of the front bumper where it butts up against the fender).
-Styling. Okay, so I know this is completely objective, but even given the derivative nature of the Genesis' styling, I think Hyundai got it mostly right. It looks more expensive than it is, and since it's not flashy or gimmicky I think the design should age well. FWIW, I've never owned a car that garnered more compliments from total strangers, which is something I did not expect.
-The ergonomics. Aside from the smallish climate control buttons which took a few months to acclimate too, pretty much everything works exactly as you would expect and falls within easy reach.
-The feeling of solidity. Nearly everything you touch, with the possible exception of the center armrest and plastic panel directly below the steering wheel, feels substantial and well-made. From the glovebox, to the sound of the doors closing, to the turn signal stalks, to the noise the windows make when opening/closing.
-The gauges. No chrome adornment or fancy fonts, just extremely legible and brightly lit numerals that are always illuminated. Something I happen to appreciate since I wear sunglasses.
Cons:
-The seats. They're not horrible, in fact, if you're simply crusing the highway they're perfectly fine. It's only when driving in the twisties that they begin to feel subpar. Hopefully Hyundai will see fit to redesign the seat bottom cushion which is a bit too short and maybe even beef up the side bolsters.
-The iPod integration. Still one of the better setups I've found, it could nonetheless use improvement. You cannot shuffle songs, and it takes far too long to scroll through playlists/artists/ablums if you have a lot of music on your iPod.
-No sunglass holder. WTF? If you get the Tech Package you have one, but you don't on lesser models. Insead of a sunglass holder you get Bluetooth controls for your cell phone. On models w/ the Tech package the Bluetooth implementation does not require the deletion of the sunglass holder since it's part of the NAV system. This is less than ideal and a definite sign of cost cutting.
-The transmission. It's smooth and quiet in operation, but it shifts well short of the redline and sometimes seems a bit slow to downshift when attempting to pass slower moving traffic.
In summary; one year on and I'm still quite pleased with my purchase. It's almost unthinkable how far Hyundai has come in the last 5 years alone. I know there are those that will never accept the Genesis (or Hyundai), and that's fine, but I'm personally glad that Hyundai had the guts to not only build this vehicle, but to sell it in North America even in spite of the economy. It's a risky move, yet here is Hyundai, a brand that was a complete laughing-stock merely a decade ago preparing to sell an even more expensive vehicle in the states (e.g. the $50k Equus). With things being the way they are with the economy the folks at Hyundai are either completely crazy or banking on enough LS owners feeling the pinch and wanting something more affordable in order to make the Equus a bankable venture. Given the way things are today I may very well end up holding onto my Genesis for quite some time. In fact, this may be the first car I've ever owned for more than 4 years (what can I say, I love new cars). If by some miracle my earnings return to their 2005-2007 levels, the new SHO, along with the upcoming Equus will be right at the top of my list in terms of a replacement. Until then, I'll be happy behind the wheel of my Genesis.
Week 1:
Week 52:
Anyway, here are some pros/cons I've formed on the Genesis over the past year for those of you that may be interested.
Pros:
-Cabin noise level. Even at triple digit speeds this is a VERY quiet car. So much so that there is no audible difference between 45mph and 60mph. I've caught myself going 10-15mph above the posted speed limit on my way to work on more than one occasion.
-Audio system performance. I'm no audiophile, but this system seems every bit as good as the also excellent Mark Levinson system in my former GS430. Even when cranked up there is very little distortion and no vibration/rattles from the door/dash panels.
-Paint quality. Easily up there w/ the Germans, and far, far better than any Honda/Acura I've owned. It's just as glossy as the day I took delivery and has held up well to our crappy sanded roads in the winter. With that said, I did experience a minor flaw in the paint that was fixed promptly under warranty (the paint had started to peel at the very edge of the front bumper where it butts up against the fender).
-Styling. Okay, so I know this is completely objective, but even given the derivative nature of the Genesis' styling, I think Hyundai got it mostly right. It looks more expensive than it is, and since it's not flashy or gimmicky I think the design should age well. FWIW, I've never owned a car that garnered more compliments from total strangers, which is something I did not expect.
-The ergonomics. Aside from the smallish climate control buttons which took a few months to acclimate too, pretty much everything works exactly as you would expect and falls within easy reach.
-The feeling of solidity. Nearly everything you touch, with the possible exception of the center armrest and plastic panel directly below the steering wheel, feels substantial and well-made. From the glovebox, to the sound of the doors closing, to the turn signal stalks, to the noise the windows make when opening/closing.
-The gauges. No chrome adornment or fancy fonts, just extremely legible and brightly lit numerals that are always illuminated. Something I happen to appreciate since I wear sunglasses.
Cons:
-The seats. They're not horrible, in fact, if you're simply crusing the highway they're perfectly fine. It's only when driving in the twisties that they begin to feel subpar. Hopefully Hyundai will see fit to redesign the seat bottom cushion which is a bit too short and maybe even beef up the side bolsters.
-The iPod integration. Still one of the better setups I've found, it could nonetheless use improvement. You cannot shuffle songs, and it takes far too long to scroll through playlists/artists/ablums if you have a lot of music on your iPod.
-No sunglass holder. WTF? If you get the Tech Package you have one, but you don't on lesser models. Insead of a sunglass holder you get Bluetooth controls for your cell phone. On models w/ the Tech package the Bluetooth implementation does not require the deletion of the sunglass holder since it's part of the NAV system. This is less than ideal and a definite sign of cost cutting.
-The transmission. It's smooth and quiet in operation, but it shifts well short of the redline and sometimes seems a bit slow to downshift when attempting to pass slower moving traffic.
In summary; one year on and I'm still quite pleased with my purchase. It's almost unthinkable how far Hyundai has come in the last 5 years alone. I know there are those that will never accept the Genesis (or Hyundai), and that's fine, but I'm personally glad that Hyundai had the guts to not only build this vehicle, but to sell it in North America even in spite of the economy. It's a risky move, yet here is Hyundai, a brand that was a complete laughing-stock merely a decade ago preparing to sell an even more expensive vehicle in the states (e.g. the $50k Equus). With things being the way they are with the economy the folks at Hyundai are either completely crazy or banking on enough LS owners feeling the pinch and wanting something more affordable in order to make the Equus a bankable venture. Given the way things are today I may very well end up holding onto my Genesis for quite some time. In fact, this may be the first car I've ever owned for more than 4 years (what can I say, I love new cars). If by some miracle my earnings return to their 2005-2007 levels, the new SHO, along with the upcoming Equus will be right at the top of my list in terms of a replacement. Until then, I'll be happy behind the wheel of my Genesis.
Week 1:
Week 52:
The middle back headrest is a nice touch too, even though I curse when I have to get out and stow it.
