StefanProdan
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I've been really wanting to get a Genesis ever since I read about them coming out and all the features and whatnot they had, all the reviews on motormouth etc. I finally got to drive one (two actually, I got to drive a V6 also but itw as VERY brief, the salesman only took us out for like 5 minutes on a predetermined route) and here are my impressions of it:
- Engine: Great. 370 bhp is massive for a car that only costs $42k fully loaded with every option, which brings me to:
- Features: Great. Built in nav, super sharp LCD screen, heated & cooled seats, very intuitive iDrive like interface that’s actually useable because of the shortcut buttons around the knob making all the functions a maximum of 2 clicks away. Voice activation of all major functions, bluetooth integration, iPod integration, keyless start, etc.
- Comfort: Great. Super soft leather seats more comfortable than any Lexus or Cadillac I’ve been in. The car is also huge and offers tons of legroom and headroom.
- Handling/Steering: Average. Good for a car this size, handles better than the Lexus LS 430 I tested last year, and actually has a rather sharp turning circle for such a big car (17.8 feet, roughly equal to a BMW 5 series), but the steering does feel a little numb. However, the steering is well-weighted which I liked. I don’t really like cars where you can fling the wheel around with no effort, and so I was happily surprised that they went with a medium-to-heavy steering effort.
Before anyone accuses me of gushing too much and saying I am just a huge Genesis apologist (not that anyone would on these boards
), I have to admit:
I didn’t buy one. And I won’t, until at least next year. There are a few small problems or features missing that I would like. The first thing missing is a heated steering wheel. This is going to sound really stupid to anyone who’s never had one but the first time you get into a car when it’s ten degrees outside and your wheel heats up and your whole body just feels nice because of that warmth coming from it you will never want to not have one again, I promise. I think Cadillac also offers this, and BMW has for years and I don’t know why more companies don’t offer it. It’s a relatively small thing that makes a huge difference when it’s freezing out. I would also like rear heated seats for the sake of people with me, mainly because it seems like most other cars in the premium luxury class offer this, but it’s not a huge deal.
There’s a couple more small issues too. If you are scrolling through a large list of tracks on the iPod, it scrolls kinda slowly and doesn’t accelerate. Also it uses firewire to charge so it won’t charge an iPhone 3G.
The big main reason I won’t buy one though is the suspension. It’s fine on normal surfaces and even is rather firm in the style of a sports car but the probelm is when you get to a rough road, it bounces all over the place in a way that you would never expect from a car that’s this nice otherwise. If you take it on a rough road you feel like you’re in a golf cart. My BMW has a had suspension like it and never does this, and I have also driven a Cadillac Fleetwood which has the softest suspension ever made and it never did anything like this, so I think there’s something actually wrong with the suspension I think that needs to be addressed. It’s something that I just couldn’t live with on a day to day basis, but I’m really excited for how good this car will be with a proper retuned suspension in it. According to a Mark_888, they are redoing the suspension for 2010, so if that’s the case, if the suspension really does turn out to be fine, I’ll definitely get one. It’s a superb car otherwise. If they don’t, I guess I’ll just join all the old people and get a used Merc S-class or something. By then a 2007 S550 will probably be around $50k anyway, which isn’t a huge difference. I really do hope they fix it though, because you get a huge amount of car for a relatively small amount of money with this thing.
- Engine: Great. 370 bhp is massive for a car that only costs $42k fully loaded with every option, which brings me to:
- Features: Great. Built in nav, super sharp LCD screen, heated & cooled seats, very intuitive iDrive like interface that’s actually useable because of the shortcut buttons around the knob making all the functions a maximum of 2 clicks away. Voice activation of all major functions, bluetooth integration, iPod integration, keyless start, etc.
- Comfort: Great. Super soft leather seats more comfortable than any Lexus or Cadillac I’ve been in. The car is also huge and offers tons of legroom and headroom.
- Handling/Steering: Average. Good for a car this size, handles better than the Lexus LS 430 I tested last year, and actually has a rather sharp turning circle for such a big car (17.8 feet, roughly equal to a BMW 5 series), but the steering does feel a little numb. However, the steering is well-weighted which I liked. I don’t really like cars where you can fling the wheel around with no effort, and so I was happily surprised that they went with a medium-to-heavy steering effort.
Before anyone accuses me of gushing too much and saying I am just a huge Genesis apologist (not that anyone would on these boards
), I have to admit:I didn’t buy one. And I won’t, until at least next year. There are a few small problems or features missing that I would like. The first thing missing is a heated steering wheel. This is going to sound really stupid to anyone who’s never had one but the first time you get into a car when it’s ten degrees outside and your wheel heats up and your whole body just feels nice because of that warmth coming from it you will never want to not have one again, I promise. I think Cadillac also offers this, and BMW has for years and I don’t know why more companies don’t offer it. It’s a relatively small thing that makes a huge difference when it’s freezing out. I would also like rear heated seats for the sake of people with me, mainly because it seems like most other cars in the premium luxury class offer this, but it’s not a huge deal.
There’s a couple more small issues too. If you are scrolling through a large list of tracks on the iPod, it scrolls kinda slowly and doesn’t accelerate. Also it uses firewire to charge so it won’t charge an iPhone 3G.
The big main reason I won’t buy one though is the suspension. It’s fine on normal surfaces and even is rather firm in the style of a sports car but the probelm is when you get to a rough road, it bounces all over the place in a way that you would never expect from a car that’s this nice otherwise. If you take it on a rough road you feel like you’re in a golf cart. My BMW has a had suspension like it and never does this, and I have also driven a Cadillac Fleetwood which has the softest suspension ever made and it never did anything like this, so I think there’s something actually wrong with the suspension I think that needs to be addressed. It’s something that I just couldn’t live with on a day to day basis, but I’m really excited for how good this car will be with a proper retuned suspension in it. According to a Mark_888, they are redoing the suspension for 2010, so if that’s the case, if the suspension really does turn out to be fine, I’ll definitely get one. It’s a superb car otherwise. If they don’t, I guess I’ll just join all the old people and get a used Merc S-class or something. By then a 2007 S550 will probably be around $50k anyway, which isn’t a huge difference. I really do hope they fix it though, because you get a huge amount of car for a relatively small amount of money with this thing.
