You guys make me laugh when I read the squabbling about the suspension tune (especially when the comments really aren't about the suspension).
The Genesis is obviously a very good car, and a terrific value. I intend to buy a '10, myself. The real issue with the ride quality is not "too hard" or "too soft", it is "too unrefined" for a car with luxury pretensions. As has been stated here, it isn't the absolute softness of the ride that defines an upscale car, it is the level of refinement thereof. This is the predominant comment mentioned in about 90% of the coverage of the car, and one of the few things they gig Hyundai about this model.
The comment was made above that the 2009 introduction was fawned over by the motoring press. This is true, and those same folks often mentioned the "unsettled" nature of the ride, but the product as a whole was so impressive an effort, and came from such an unexpected source, that they were blown away. The press often reacts to significant new models this way, which is why you want to let the dust settle, and allow a little time for everyone to regain some perspective. I think the current reviews that I have seen are the most accurate in relaying the good- and bad points of the car.
Cars (and the "dealer experience") like BMW, Lexus, Audi, and M-B create tend to be highly refined, and this is what some posters are really trying to say. Many people confuse ride comfort and suspension refinement. Sure, a lot of these products ride hard, but they were designed to ride in exactly that manner, and that ride is always composed...they feel unflappable when you stress them, and they never act in an unexpected or crude manner. They didn't achieve this overnight, and what most astute observers believe is that Hyundai is not there yet, but will learn with time playing in this segment.
The Genesis does not have a very refined ride, and I think this is fundamentally limited by its basic design. In one recent review, it was said that the suspension is less refined than those of mainline cars like Accord or Camry. As an Acura owner, I agree...the suspension behavior in all of the Genesis cars I've driven (about a dozen of them, over about 18 months) is noticeably less refined than the car I have now. I'm not talking about firmness, I'm talking about behavioral quality.
For those who think your G rides fine, I'm glad you're happy with it. There are also a lot of people out there who think, for example, that a lot of GM products from a few years back also ride just fine, and I'm glad they're happy with their cars, too. To a critical person with broad experience, those suspension setups are typically unrefined and crude in behavior. Another example: Many Mustang owners can't understand why Ford gets tagged about keeping a live axle under the back of that model. But anyone who has driven a more sophisticated independent rear design around a sweeper with some expansion joints in it can instantly tell you that there's no comparison in quality of behavior whatsoever.
So, let's stop the nitpicking. If you like the ride, fine. If you don't like the ride, fine, too, but hopefully, you knew just what you were getting because you took a few thorough test drives before you bought the car. I'm in this category...I'm fine with the firmness, but wish the overall ride quality was more refined. It's not terrible, nor so unrefined that I wouldn't buy one, but it is simply not of the same caliber as the better European and Japanese products. I do get annoyed with people who continually try to argue that it is. It is not. But that doesn't diminish the fact that we're all still getting more than we're paying for with the G.
For the record, I find the '10 model to ride slightly more firmly than the '09, but with much better damping control. It's not a totally different car, but it is noticeably improved.
So, I think I'm going to pick up a '10 with the V8, knowing it's weaknesses, but also loving what a great value it is.
