First Week of Ownership - 2015 5.0 Ultimate

[StangKiller]

So I'm coming from a 2012 rspec. The 2015 feels like a completely different car. It really seems like Hyundai dropped the idea of creating a luxurious sports sedan and focused all of their efforts on creating a ride that resembles the Lexus LS. And they absolutely hit the mark.

I test drove everything. Lexus LS, Audi A6, BMW 5, Mercedes E, Cadillac CTS, Chevy Impala and more. For the price point, at least for me, it was no contest. That being said, if money didn't factor into this decision I would have ended up buying the BMW 550i.

1) Appearance: 9/10. The looks of this car alone, exterior and interior are stunning to me. I love the grill and the entire front end. The profile from the sides, especially with those factory 19s, is incredible. I do think they could have spent a little more time on the back end of the car, but I love the brake lights. They look like the next generation of LED, like they were taken to another level. Hard to explain. Those 275s on the back never stop - they are huge. The interior speaks to me - the clean look of the aluminum (which I prefer to chrome) and the open wood pore dash come together nicely. Overall fit and finish, IMO, is on par with the Germans.

2) Handling / Suspension: 9/10. Pretty sure the consulting from Lotus helped quite a bit. Hyundai knew they had a problem here, brought in some consultants who know a thing or two about suspension tuning and got the job done. Is it perfect? No, but it's damn close for the money. They way this car handles road imperfections is amazing to me and very similar to the Lexus LS. Completely different ride than the previous generation. Having different drive modes that actually perform differently is also nice. I have driven too many other cars where you would be hard pressed to notice a difference in any drive mode. Pop that sucker in sport and it keeps the RPMs up nicely, with much improved throttle response. Did I mention it drives like the Lexus LS - I keep going back to this point because I was amazed at how similar they were.

3) Powertrain: 10/10. Not sure how the re-tuned this engine to perform the way it does but there is soooooo much more low end torque compared to the same engine in my rspec. Does it get to 60 a couple ticks slower then the rspec? Yes, but you don't really notice because it's butter smooth. It feels like Hyundai finally paired the 8 speed in-house transmission correctly to this engine. Did I mention torque?

4) Tech: 10/10. This is simple - it has all the bells and whistles for 15-25K less than the competition and it's intuitive. This is huge. All the tech in the world doesn't matter if the interface and GUI don't support it.

Overall: 9.5/10. I would recommend this car to anyone shopping the list above. I know there will be people who simply won't buy it because it's a Hyundai and I accept that. I've already had conversations with two A6 owners who think they overspent and said they would buy this car in a heartbeat if they could turn back the clock. And that says a lot because the A6 is an awesome car.

Closing thoughts - I have had mixed experiences at Hyundai dealerships for maintenance and repairs - probably to be expected because Hyundai still has some work to do if they want to cater to the luxury market. The buying experience has always been easy. If anyone in the Midwest is looking for a Hyundai, go see Michael Ball at McCarthy Olathe Hyundai. This is the second Genesis I have purchased from him and I will be back for my third.

 

[Tpr5.0]

Excellent writeup and I enjoyed reading each category. Also, congrats on the purchase.

 

[Giant Robo]

I was able to sit in one as my car was in for service I have must say that fit and finish is on a different level compared to 1st generation genesis.

 

[jonjon72]

Congrats and thanks for the great write up!

 

[Tpr5.0]

OP, you referenced the Lexus LS and Audi A6 in your writeup, but not the other vehicles except when you mentioned them initially.
How does the Genesis compare in each category vs the BMW 5, Mercedes E, Cadillac CTS and the Chevy Impala? What other vehicles did you test drive since you mentioned more?

 

[Midnightsun]

Excellent write up and very accurate, I also came from a 2012 rspec by the way. I feel as if I am rubbing Gen 1 owners the wrong way when I mention how great this car is in comparison however as you noted there is no comparison. It is impossible to even tell this is the same model let alone brand. This new model upgrade has got to be one of the most elaborate and well executed in automotive history by any brand. No offence to Gen 1 owners by the way.

3) Powertrain: 10/10. Not sure how the re-tuned this engine to perform the way it does but there is soooooo much more low end torque compared to the same engine in my rspec. Does it get to 60 a couple ticks slower then the rspec? Yes, but you don't really notice because it's butter smooth. It feels like Hyundai finally paired the 8 speed in-house transmission correctly to this engine. Did I mention torque?

I tried explaining this to others when I got mine but some are simply blinded by the fact the HP dropped by 9hp and so it must be less powerful but man oh man are they dead wrong. I described it as "effortless power" but I see you saw the same thing through your description. The transmission, whatever they may have done, is about as good as it gets, truly seamless now and again a major improvement.

 

[ckon]

This new model upgrade has got to be one of the most elaborate and well executed in automotive history by any brand. No offence to Gen 1 owners by the way.

+1! There just seems to be no remaining shadow of the little complaints that were common in the 1g and I LOVED my 1g.

 

[markpoisson]

I tried explaining this to others when I got mine but some are simply blinded by the fact the HP dropped by 9hp and so it must be less powerful but man oh man are they dead wrong. I described it as "effortless power" but I see you saw the same thing through your description. The transmission, whatever they may have done, is about as good as it gets, truly seamless now and again a major improvement.

Agreed - I came from a 2007 G35S. Super fast car and I loved the very direct automatic transmission but it was ABRUPT (especially the 2nd to 3rd gear change when pushing it hard; loved it but it SLAMMED into gear).

The Genesis transmission is the exact opposite, very smooth and yet still responsive.

 

[amartz]

Excellent write up and very accurate, I also came from a 2012 rspec by the way.

As the current owner of a 2012 3.8, it's my understanding the 2012 rspec suspension left a lot to be desired. The suspension on my 3.8 is fantastic, in my opinion. I'd be interested in hearing from somebody that came from a 2012-2014 3.8 to a 2015 3.8, about how the suspensions compare.

 

[YEH]

They way this car handles road imperfections is amazing to me and very similar to the Lexus LS. Completely different ride than the previous generation. Having different drive modes that actually perform differently is also nice. I have driven too many other cars where you would be hard pressed to notice a difference in any drive mode. Pop that sucker in sport and it keeps the RPMs up nicely, with much improved throttle response. Did I mention it drives like the Lexus LS - I keep going back to this point because I was amazed at how similar they were.

There have been numerous reviews which have compared the 2G Genesis to the LS rather than the GS.

Think Hyundai was smart in going for the more plush, luxurious route w/ the Genesis instead of trying to go after the CTS, GS (and next gen 5 Series - which will be sportier due to being a good bit lighter) since Kia will be going that route w/ the GT/K8.

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[Midnightsun]

As the current owner of a 2012 3.8, it's my understanding the 2012 rspec suspension left a lot to be desired. The suspension on my 3.8 is fantastic, in my opinion. I'd be interested in hearing from somebody that came from a 2012-2014 3.8 to a 2015 3.8, about how the suspensions compare.

No matter which Genesis model of the gen 1, the ride was always one of it's weakest points. Only difference on the Rspec is it was tuned a little stiffer and the 19" wheels did not help. Read the first paragraph of this. http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/drives/the-best-cars-of-2014#slide-10

 

[Tpr5.0]

OP, you referenced the Lexus LS and Audi A6 in your writeup, but not the other vehicles except when you mentioned them initially.
How does the Genesis compare in each category vs the BMW 5, Mercedes E, Cadillac CTS and the Chevy Impala? What other vehicles did you test drive since you mentioned more?

Paging StangKiller....

 

[amartz]

No matter which Genesis model of the gen 1, the ride was always one of it's weakest points. Only difference on the Rspec is it was tuned a little stiffer and the 19" wheels did not help. Read the first paragraph of this. http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/drives/the-best-cars-of-2014#slide-10

Did you actually own a Gen 1 3.8, 2012+ model year? Or are you trusting totally an magazine's say-so, based on an unkown year/model Gen 1? For models prior to the 2012 year, and the Rspec, the Gen 2 probably is a great improvement. I'd like to hear from somebody that has actually owned a 2012+ 3.8 model, and a 2015 3.8 model, to contrast the difference.

 

[StangKiller]

I drove a 2012 3.8 for a couple weeks when my rspec was in the shop. Regardless of model or engine size - the ride on the 2015 is greatly improved. It's completely different - in another league. Go check one out and take it for a spin - I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Midnightsun]

Did you actually own a Gen 1 3.8, 2012+ model year? Or are you trusting totally an magazine's say-so, based on an unkown year/model Gen 1? For models prior to the 2012 year, and the Rspec, the Gen 2 probably is a great improvement. I'd like to hear from somebody that has actually owned a 2012+ 3.8 model, and a 2015 3.8 model, to contrast the difference.

I never saw a single article on the hundreds done in the previous years on the Gen1 which said the suspension was good. They all cannot be wrong.

As mentioned, go try a Gen 2 and only then will you understand the difference between good and fantastic.

 

[jimb100]

There have been numerous reviews which have compared the 2G Genesis to the LS rather than the GS.

Think Hyundai was smart in going for the more plush, luxurious route w/ the Genesis instead of trying to go after the CTS, GS (and next gen 5 Series - which will be sportier due to being a good bit lighter) since Kia will be going that route w/ the GT/K8.

History repeats.

Infiniti went after BMW and Mercedes. Lexus took the easier route and challenged Cadillac and Lincoln.

I'm always surprised that the Asian manufacturers think they'll knock off the Germans without spending much on advertising.

 

[amartz]

I never saw a single article on the hundreds done in the previous years on the Gen1 which said the suspension was good. They all cannot be wrong.

As mentioned, go try a Gen 2 and only then will you understand the difference between good and fantastic.

You cannot lump all Gen 1 suspensions together as if they were all identical. There was a big difference starting with the 2012 model.

 

[Midnightsun]

You cannot lump all Gen 1 suspensions together as if they were all identical. There was a big difference starting with the 2012 model.

I had a 2010 and then a 2012. Yes the suspensions were improved in 2012 however the difference was not huge at all, just improved. They still did not hit the mark. Not talking through my keyboard either as I owned both.

 

[jonjon72]

You cannot lump all Gen 1 suspensions together as if they were all identical. There was a big difference starting with the 2012 model.

You do realize that Hyundai put a ton of effort and money to "improve" the second generation Genesis Sedan from the previous version. Working hand and hand with consultants from Lotus and testing on the Nurburgring showed the industry they wanted to step up and compete with the Germans. Many reviews confirm the improvements that have been made.

I find it surprising that some 1st Gen owners can't accept that improvements were made on the 2nd Gen. As the owner of the 1st Gen Coupe, I accepted that improvements were made with the refresh of the 2013 models. Better handling, more powerful engines, higher quality interior, etc. It happens. Manufacturers need to improve their products. Enjoy what you have. For the 2nd Gen owners that try to be jerks over 1 Gen owners, that shows a lack of maturity.

 

[Analog]

Did you actually own a Gen 1 3.8, 2012+ model year? Or are you trusting totally an magazine's say-so, based on an unkown year/model Gen 1? For models prior to the 2012 year, and the Rspec, the Gen 2 probably is a great improvement. I'd like to hear from somebody that has actually owned a 2012+ 3.8 model, and a 2015 3.8 model, to contrast the difference.

I'm not MidnightSun. I owned a 2012 3.8 Premium and have a 2015 3.8 AWD with the Sig/Tech packages.

I obviously cannot comment on the pre-2012 models but as he says, there aren't many positive reviews of the suspension. However, as someone who reads from 4 magazines plus follows numerous euro and US youtube channels, my take is the magazines tend to review the suspension when at 10/10ths. The 2012 suspension even at 9/10ths wasn't great. Personally at 8/10ths (maybe 7/10ths?) and below I felt it was superb. The 2015 is better across the board, and continues all the way through 9/10ths. I haven't owned the car long enough to make my own conclusions about 10/10ths; opportunities rarely come up where I can even think about hitting 10/10ths with a reasonable amount of safety. (i.e. not endangering anyone else.) I can say the limits are approached with MUCH more confidence, and the limits are far higher. Boring drives are better too, but not to nearly such a large degree.

From the reviews I've read so far the 2015 still isn't as good at 10/10ths as vehicles like the ATS, the 3 and 5 series, and several others. Been behind for the last 2 months so I'm sure the list is actually longer.

Point being: magazines do their readers/viewers a disservice by not clearly separating types of drivers. The best we'll get is road vs track experiences/commentary and that's not what I'm talking about. That statement probably needs a lot more fleshing out but I've gotta run for now. I hope the 2012 v 2015 experiences help explain where MidnightSun might be coming from, yet also define why I think those conclusions are a little off.