Drove an Equus Signature loaner (Genesis comparison)

[chilly mac]

I drove a 2011 Equus Signature loaner all weekend (with 70 miles on it when they dropped it off) from Friday at noon through Monday at noon -- Coming from my 2011 Genesis 4.6 which was in the shop **finally** getting the correct color KDM airbag.

I'm really surprised, but I didn't find the ride to be any better/quieter than the Genny, and I absolutely noticed more road/tire noise -- and with the sunroof cover open (but sunroof closed) *very* much more wind noise from the sunroof area. It may be that I happened to get a unit which needed some sort of adjustments, but even then it certainly doesn't seem to speak well of the QC for this ~$60K automobile. (I also noticed more creaks from the console area.)

This was the nail in the coffin for any remaining doubt I might have had that a 2011 Genesis 4.6 is the *absolute best bang for the buck* on the road for a full-size luxury (okay, semi-luxury, if you'd like) sedan. Now to figure out where to spend the ~$20K I was nearly about to put into the upgrade to the Equus...

By the way, the two things I liked best about the Equus over the Genesis (other than misc aesthetics) were the additional padding in the armrest (driver's side door) and the rear window shades -- ultimate privacy! On the topic of the former, might anyone have any suggestion for how I could improve the cushioning of the armrest in my Genny? I've actually considered undoing a couple of stitches and shoving some material through the slit, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to stitch it back up without it looking bad...

 

[nextcar]

Very interesting review. I've never been interested in the equus - too big and too expensive.

 

[newman]

I drove a 2011 Equus Signature loaner all weekend

By the way, the two things I liked best about the Equus over the Genesis (other than misc aesthetics) were the additional padding in the armrest (driver's side door) and the rear window shades -- ultimate privacy! On the topic of the former, might anyone have any suggestion for how I could improve the cushioning of the armrest in my Genny? I've actually considered undoing a couple of stitches and shoving some material through the slit, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to stitch it back up without it looking bad...

I would recommend talking to an auto upholsterer. They will at least give you an expert opinion. I called one recently to get a quote on a Suede headliner as I really liked that feature when I test drove the Equus. The quote I received was for about $300. This was a ballpark quote as they did not see the car but it did take into account the sunroof.

I really liked the Equus myself. I thought it was a wonderful executive cruiser car and far less ubiquitous than the CEO-mobile 7 series or S class. Ultimately I decided that the sport-sedan performance of the R-Spec was the right car for my personality at this point.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Newman

 

[piliepr]

I have issues with the driver's side arm rest as well. The foam is not dense enough and my elbow goes straight through it and rests on the metal. If you figure out any way to add cushion please post.