Car & Driver four-way comparison--Genesis wins

[oreipa]

Buick LaCrosse CXS, Ford Taurus Limited, Lexus ES350, and Genesis 3.8

Interesting stats from the article:

Genesis - fastest to 60, fastest 1/4, fastest rolling, fastest 30-50, best road holding - .83 g, fastest lane change - 59.4, lowest sound level across the board except for 70 mph cruise.

Ride: 9 of 10. Best in class.

Comments:

"In our long-term fleet, we currently possess a 2009 Genesis 4.6, whose 375-hp V8 has clocked more than 40,000 miles. We love all that oomph, of course, but those of us who went on this trip are now unanimous in recommending the cheaper and less fuel-thirsty 3.8. During our 2,000-mile golfing odyssey, exactly no one said, Hey, I really miss those extra 85 horses."

The verdict: "A surprising blend of dynamics, composure, Euro-style chassis, and refinement.

Pick up the issue if you don't subscribe. Good reading.

 

[Disaster]

Buick LaCrosse CXS, Ford Taurus Limited, Lexus ES350, and Genesis 3.8

Interesting stats from the article:

Genesis - fastest to 60, fastest 1/4, fastest rolling, fastest 30-50, best road holding - .83 g, fastest lane change - 59.4, lowest sound level across the board except for 70 mph cruise.

Ride: 9 of 10. Best in class.

Comments:

"In our long-term fleet, we currently possess a 2009 Genesis 4.6, whose 375-hp V8 has clocked more than 40,000 miles. We love all that oomph, of course, but those of us who went on this trip are now unanimous in recommending the cheaper and less fuel-thirsty 3.8. During our 2,000-mile golfing odyssey, exactly no one said, Hey, I really miss those extra 85 horses."

The verdict: "A surprising blend of dynamics, composure, Euro-style chassis, and refinement.

Pick up the issue if you don't subscribe. Good reading.

Some interesting comments.

1. While these other cars are close to the same price class as the Genesis, it really competes with bigger and more performance oriented cars. I would like to see a comparison of the Genesis against a BMW 5-series, Mercedes E-class Infiniti G and Lexus GS series.

2. Interesting that they thought the V6 was plenty powerful. They might have a different opinion if it were put up against the powerful cars.

3. Nice to see another note regarding the ride noise. This is another argument against the reviewer that said one of the Genesis's faults was the noise level which he equated to a Corvette.

4. Interesing that they gave the ride best in class. I wonder if that is an aggregate, or related to how it felt over smoother freeways and roads?

 

[Mark_888]

4. Interesing that they gave the ride best in class. I wonder if that is an aggregate, or related to how it felt over smoother freeways and roads?

I am assuming they tested the 2010 model, so it may well have been best in class.

 

[PINGGOLF]

I figured they would have compared it with the V8 given the price ranges.

You cant tell me a loaded out Lacross/Taurus/ES350 did not break the $40G mark with their measly V6's.

The EcoBoost Taurus would have given the Genesis 4.6 an awesome comparison.

With the V8 option at $42G's, no wonder it REALLY won the Best in Class! Its all about the ROI (Bang for the Buck) even comparing with the big names.

Im not too familiar with BMW's but if there were a 5 series V8 at $80G's and it pulls to 60 a sec. quicker...BIG WHOOP! Ill put $40K in my pocket and smile just as big when they pull away from me.

Bang for the buck!!

 

[oreipa]

From the Car & Driver review of the 2009 3.8:

"The 3.8’s ride is as good as, if not better than, the 4.6’s. The V-6 not only experiences less suspension crash than the V-8 but feels lighter and more spry. That is most likely because the 3845-pound V-6 model weighs some 200-plus pounds less than the V-8 model."

As has been reported, the 2010 suspension had subtle changes made to it that improved the ride. As some who have driven both have reported, it's hard to tell the difference. Others say it's dramatic. Again I think we are talking about a matter of taste.

Other numbers from the latest 4-way comparison:

Steering feel: 8 (best in comparison)
brake feel: 9 (best in comparison)
Handling: 8 (best in comparison)

 

[PINGGOLF]

From the Car & Driver review of the 2009 3.8:

"The 3.8’s ride is as good as, if not better than, the 4.6’s. The V-6 not only experiences less suspension crash than the V-8 but feels lighter and more spry. That is most likely because the 3845-pound V-6 model weighs some 200-plus pounds less than the V-8 model."

So I am just out of luck I guess. I weigh 210.

C'mon Weight Watchers!

 

[Gambler]

3. Nice to see another note regarding the ride noise. This is another argument against the reviewer that said one of the Genesis's faults was the noise level which he equated to a Corvette.

That guy was either smoking something, or had a REALLY quiet corvette...

 

[JimInNashville]

Just a minor technical note. Car and Driver totally blew it on the "fuel economy" point scoring. The ES350 uses 9% less gas (according to their records) but it also uses premium gas, which costs 10% more where I come from. So in terms of real fuel *costs* the Genny is actually cheaper to run than the ES350.

Another point. If you get the base 3.8 without the (for me) useless moon roof that takes away 2 inches of headroom and adds over 100 pounds of weight, you get a car that, for $31,500 on the street, completely and utterly runs rings around the ES350.

For about 10K less than the ES350, you get a car that does 0-60 in 5.9, and handles vastly better.

 

[nearwater]

That guy was either smoking something, or had a REALLY quiet corvette...

My thoughts exactly.

Dan

 

[Sayantsi]

Just a minor technical note. Car and Driver totally blew it on the "fuel economy" point scoring. The ES350 uses 9% less gas (according to their records) but it also uses premium gas, which costs 10% more where I come from. So in terms of real fuel *costs* the Genny is actually cheaper to run than the ES350.

Another point. If you get the base 3.8 without the (for me) useless moon roof that takes away 2 inches of headroom and adds over 100 pounds of weight, you get a car that, for $31,500 on the street, completely and utterly runs rings around the ES350.

For about 10K less than the ES350, you get a car that does 0-60 in 5.9, and handles vastly better.

Pretty much. I'd also like to see a comparo against the higher priced cars to see how the Genesis holds up as a value prop for the lux. A ~$33k, 290 hp V6 Genesis against the ~$48k, 230 hp 528i and the ~$46k, 303 hp GS 350 would be an interesting review.

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[Sayantsi]

That guy was either smoking something, or had a REALLY quiet corvette...

Maybe he forgot to turn it on???

 

[Sayantsi]

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews..._hyundai_genesis_lexus_es350-comparison_tests

The article is now online!

Only one car in our group, the Genesis, is rear-wheel drive, and only one car, the Genesis, rides atop a platform conceived specifically for it—that is, for a luxury sedan rather than for a whole clan of variously badged family sedans. The Genesis comes closest by far to attaining a 50/50 weight distribution, and while that doesn’t guarantee great handling, it has nonetheless helped imbue this chassis with a measure of athleticism absent in its competitors.

By the time we reached the Hampton Cove course just outside of Huntsville, it was clear that the Genesis offered the greatest lateral grip and that, under virtually all dynamic conditions, it felt more responsive and confidently planted. What’s more, it delivered the best brake feel and stopped from 70 mph in the fewest feet.

Hyundai’s 290-hp V-6 is certainly quiet, especially at wide-open whack, but there’s an underlying grittiness that doesn’t emanate from, say, the Lexus’s V-6. Nonetheless, in this group, the Hyundai engine delivers the most power and torque, all of it funneled through the numerically highest final-drive ratio. The predictable result: quickest to 60 mph, quickest through the quarter-mile, and tied with the Lexus in a rolling start to 60. In our long-term fleet, we currently possess a 2009 Genesis 4.6, whose 375-hp V-8 has clocked more than 40,000 miles. We love all that oomph, of course, but those of us who went on this trip are now unanimous in recommending the cheaper and less fuel-thirsty 3.8. During our 2000-mile golfing odyssey, exactly no one said, “Hey, I really miss those extra 85 horses.”



Riding on the longest wheelbase, the Genesis not surprisingly tied the Ford for rear-seat comfort. It tied the Lexus for best ergonomics, in part because its center stack is populated by “only” 15 buttons and switches, all large and clearly marked, and its nav and audio systems proved the easiest to operate, too. It garnered praise for its creamy full-throttle upshifts and for its steady tracking. And, of course, there’s that now-customary Hyundai practice of shaming the competition with more features and amenities at no extra cost.

With this sedan, Hyundai had hoped to poke its nose into the full-luxo segment, tangling with the likes of the Audi A6, the Lexus GS, and even the Mercedes E-class. On that front, the Koreans didn’t quite score a hole-in-one. But they could well raise holy sales hell in the near-luxo niche. You just gotta believe there are engineers in Munich, Detroit, and Tokyo who pray nightly for Hyundai to fall right off the planetary map. On anyone’s fun-to-drive meter, frankly, no car in this group moved the needle much past, “Yeah, well, whatever.” But it’s probably the Genesis that, with no apology, could most deservedly wear a pair of LoudMouth “Disco Balls” pants.

 

[GripperDon]

Wonder when the 2011 will be out and what i can get for my 09 on trade in.