Genesis Brand

[MrPhantom]

I was just thinking about how much Hyundai has came up from where it first started. It has often been told to me that Hyundai was the reason insurance companies came up with the 20 mph test. They fell apart even at those low speeds. Despite how far they have come, I ponder will Hyundai hit the plateau that has plagued Honda/Acura and Nissan/Infiniti. Nice brands but still not quite on the level of BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus. Will Hyundai ever be on the playing field as the European elitist. Let me know guys...

 

[Mark_888]

Will Hyundai ever be on the playing field as the European elitist. Let me know guys...

"Ever" is a big word. You need to put some time frame on it.

Hyundai Genesis will not surpass European elitist brands in terms of perceived quality/luxury in my lifetime, but when you factor in value, then that is a different story.

 

[MrPhantom]

"Ever" is a big word. You need to put some time frame on it.

Hyundai Genesis will not surpass European elitist brands in terms of perceived quality/luxury in my lifetime, but when you factor in value, then that is a different story.

Acura has been around a long time and it still hasn't passed them. That's the benchmark I'm putting it against.

 

[Ron Veenker]

I am one voter who clicked on "Mercedes" and for one reason only. I have driven two MB E320s since 1999. The second car developed bad body rusting under warranty. Certain body parts were replaced under warranty. After the 48K miles had expired there was bubbling of paint around the sun roof. I took it to the body shop that does all the BMW Mercedes work in this area. He said it was faulty primer. And properly primered chassis should, in his opinion, be able to withstand five years exposure to the elements [without finish coats of body paint] and maintain its integrity. Mercedes would not talk to me, the dealers would not talk to me, letters, photographs, etc. My car, I was told, by MBUSA was reacting as any normal E320 would at its age. Mercedes makes a good car, but the organization stands in denial of "lemon" problems. They will not acknowledge problem with their product. My car was produced when the E class was selling like hot cakes and there was a lot of money around the US for luxury automobiles.

So, I don't have that kind of cash. I saw the Genesis as my last chance to get a high quality product for a very low price, relative to the European and Japanese products.

Ron

 

[cschuler]

This for me is a non-issue. I cannot spend the kind of money that a prestige-class car costs and I will probably never own one.

I prefer rear-wheel drive, snappy performance, a quiet ride, luxurious leather seats, safety, quality, fine fit and finish, and a good warranty. The Genesis sedan is a solid value for me. I don't think it will turn as many heads as the prestige class cars, but that does not matter to me.

Should I somehow become very rich and then found that I needed to impress others by what I drive, it would likely not be a Genesis ... perhaps an Equus. Could that change? Anything is possible.

Lots of nice rides here in Naples, FL where money is not a problem for many. I often ride in prestige-class cars and honestly believe that I have just as much car and for a lot less money.

 

[Mark_888]

Acura has been around a long time and it still hasn't passed them. That's the benchmark I'm putting it against.

The bread and butter Acura is the TL, and it sells for about $20K less than a MB E-Class. Even the RL costs less than the E Class by a considerable amount.

In terms of value, and reliability/quality, I think Acura has far surpassed MB. Obviously a car that costs $20K less than a MB is not going to have the same prestige as an E-Class, because prestige is mostly based on your ability (or lack of ability) to pay for it. Years ago when Rolls Royce was an independent company, their cars were junk, but very prestigious because they were hand made and very expensive. Now that they are owned by BMW and use BMW engines and other components, the quality has improved. But that has little to do with prestige.

The only problem with Acura is that their latest sheet metal designers have gone off the deep end this time around.

 

[MrPhantom]

I see a lot of people voting on this topic, but only a few people are commenting. Come on guys, let me know why you vote like you are voting. I actually voting now quite European and Japanese luxury because I can't tell you how many time people tell me it's a nice car, but it's still a Hyundai. There are Lexus and BMW owners at my job and they will admit my car is nicer feature wise, but still won't give up the Hyundai badge vs the roundel.

 

[ckon]

I see a lot of people voting on this topic, but only a few people are commenting. Come on guys, let me know why you vote like you are voting. I actually voting now quite European and Japanese luxury because I can't tell you how many time people tell me it's a nice car, but it's still a Hyundai. There are Lexus and BMW owners at my job and they will admit my car is nicer feature wise, but still won't give up the Hyundai badge vs the roundel.

IMO, the Genesis is a FANTASTIC car, but I think it's way too early to predict ANY result because we don't yet know the depth of Hyundai's commitment.

If Hyundai really gets behind EXCELLENT service, the future is very rosy. However, if service, in general, is mediocre and slow, it won't matter how great a car they produce, it'll never rise above a nice deal for the money. Others' opinions may vary.

Here's a test: When the "Flying H" elicits the same or similar emotions as the Roundel, the Three Pointed Star and the Lexus "L", maybe we'll be able to make some better predictions.

 

[dg_moore]

While I certainly hope the Genesis turns out to be a smashing success for Hyundai, I couldn't care less about the German/Japanese snobs' opinions. I know I'm driving a great car, and that's enough for me. I've owned Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, and my wife has an Infiniti, but I'd put my Genesis up against any of them feature-for-feature and way ahead of them on price, reliability, and maintenance cost.

 

[ckon]

While I certainly hope the Genesis turns out to be a smashing success for Hyundai, I couldn't care less about the German/Japanese snobs' opinions. I know I'm driving a great car, and that's enough for me. I've owned Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, and my wife has an Infiniti, but I'd put my Genesis up against any of them feature-for-feature and way ahead of them on price, reliability, and maintenance cost.

I agree.

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[davparlr]

I did not vote because I don't know.

However, perception is expensive. If you buy any of the listed cars, you will pay a premium for the perception of superiority, performance, luxury, exclusiveness, etc. This perception may be real or imagined. I am very happy with my Genesis and I expect any issues that the Genesis has in comparison with these cars will continue to be addressed so that the issue will be reduce/eliminated. Even now, I think that there is no doubt that the Genesis exceeds all of these cars in value.

The conundrum that I have is that I want Hyundai to be recognized for great cars that they are, but, when this is perceived, Hyundai will cash in and I will not be able to get the deals I have gotten in the past.

 

[Sal Collaziano]

I think Hyundai can possibly surpass Acura because they can't seem to put any serious performance into their vehicles. I think Infiniti is growing quickly and they're just about on par with Lexus - which is very close to BMW and Mercedes. Hyundai/Genesis is never going to surpass these companies (in my opinion) - but they may equal them... That being said, I do believe they'll eventually be on the same playing field as BMW and Mercedes...

I was just thinking about how much Hyundai has came up from where it first started. It has often been told to me that Hyundai was the reason insurance companies came up with the 20 mph test. They fell apart even at those low speeds. Despite how far they have come, I ponder will Hyundai hit the plateau that has plagued Honda/Acura and Nissan/Infiniti. Nice brands but still not quite on the level of BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus. Will Hyundai ever be on the playing field as the European elitist. Let me know guys...

 

[nearwater]

How soon are we talking?
If the question is; will Hyundai surpass these brands in 5 years?
My guess would be no. Maybe somewhat close in 10 years.

When VW introduced the Phaeton (which was a GREAT car), they were the lowest volume in sales while the Toureg was #1 in SUV market.
Luxury car buyers are generally very conservative in terms of status quo. They stick with what's best when it comes to a purchasing, especially automobiles which tends to show a lot about their class and taste.
SUV buyers are the exact opposite.

After 20 years of establishing their image and status here in the U.S, do you think Lexus "surpassed" Mercedes and BMW?
IMHO, they're almost as good as the German rivals with better reliability, customer service, and slightly cheaper price, but they STILL haven't surpassed them. No, sir.

Is Genesis a great car? Yes, definitely. Do I think Hyundai will surpass those brands in the very near future? No.

Just my $0.02

Dan

 

[sandy]

I think you are way ahead of yourself in terms of surpassing the "prestige" brands.

Hyunda's #1 marketing problem is poor perception by consumers and the very high % of buyers who will not even give the brand consideration.

Hyundai probably has a good many years to go to equal/surpass the volume brands which they really compete (Honda, Toyota, etc) Building a better car is the first step in changing the down-scale image Hyundai rightly earned. And they are being recognized for doing that. But perceptions are difficult to change and it takes a lot of money and time to do it. Genesis and Equus are primarily a strategy to enhance the Hyundai brand's acceptance.

Successful marketers focus on the business they are really in, who their customers and competitors really are. Hyundai is in the volume car business.

 

[msitter]

The perception is hard to overcome. Most of the people on this website were early adopters that gave Hyundai a chance based on an informed decision. We read all the articles, had no preconceived ideas and made a choice based on data read. Hyundai cannot survive on us alone and I know several people that swear that a certain Lexus model is way better than its equal Toyota model because of the nameplate. There are those that buy a nameplate only without really knowing what is a real value and I don't know how Hyundai can overcome this anytime soon.

 

[cschuler]

While I certainly hope the Genesis turns out to be a smashing success for Hyundai, I couldn't care less about the German/Japanese snobs' opinions. I know I'm driving a great car, and that's enough for me. I've owned Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, and my wife has an Infiniti, but I'd put my Genesis up against any of them feature-for-feature and way ahead of them on price, reliability, and maintenance cost.

You and I agree. The snob appeal of the prestige brands will perhaps never go away, but what do we care as we drive an equal or better car that costs a lot less. Better for us if the snobs with lots of money and fewer brains keep their prices up and ours down.

 

[ellsworth007]

The consumer (us ) are primarily responsible for changing a perception of a brand. Through our purchase's and others perceptions.If we are percieved by others to have THE CAR that say's prestige , money , power ect. then the brand grows .

I believe The Genesis ( maybe not Hyundai) would be held in higher esteem than Acura/Infiniti and perhaps even by Lexus in time, however With out a larger presence or audience in radio , tv or ownership by those percieved to have it all , The Genesis will be a "best kept secret " that I am happy to be a part of.