It's Probably Too Soon To Ask, But...

[musher51]

I'm on the verge of replacing my '02 BMW 530i with a Genesis (among several appealing factors is the fact that my bro-in-law is GM of a nearby Hyundai dealership, so there'll be no haggling whatsoever .

One thing I'm concerned about is the stock rubber on the Genesis, which I understand are fairly run-of-the-mill all-season tires. For my Bimmers (also RWD, of course), I've always endured the hassle of switching wheels/tires twice a year so I can enjoy high-perf summer tires for roughly half the year, and yet survive MN winters with a solid set of Blizzak or comparable snow tires.

I've only had a 45-minute test drive with a non-Tech pkg V6 so far, and I expect I'll hold out for the V8 before I buy. Perhaps I'll have to wait 'til I get <1> some summer drive time on twisty roads and <2> some winter driving with the stock all-seasons before I can conclude if they'll be acceptable for year-round use, or if I'll be inclined to buy another set of wheels and swap out my tires seasonally in order to optimize the rubber for the seasonal road conditions.

Feedback welcome...

 

[Sal Collaziano]

If you're in a state with real winters, than I think it's best to get a separate set of tires for the snow. The tires are the most important factor in regards to traction...

 

[jwaters943]

Agreed. With proper snow tires and ESC, the Genesis should do great. My '97 528i did great with snow tires FWIW. The only real limiting factor is ground clearance.....the front of the Genesis is quite low (I've already almost scraped it on a curb). If there is more than 6-8" of snow on the road you'll probably get stuck.

 

[gipp]

The Genesis appears to have Dunlop SP5000 tires. These are standard all season tires. Dunlop has 2 entires series of tires that are rated for higher performance than the SP5000 - the SP8000 and SP900 while the SP5000DDSS is the same tire all season tire with a higher performance rating.
Just as an FYI - a few seasons ago I had a set of top of the line Dunlops put on my V8 Mercedes E class and they just plain did not work. I drove to work and back and as I pulled into the tire dealer he just walked up to my car and said-"You hate the tires right?" He explained that the sidewalls were not as stiff as the OE Michelins and that because of the 5 link front suspension the stress on the sidewalls was huge, especially with the added weight from the V8. I think new rubber would greatly enhance the Genesis and that this was an area of cost savings. Also remember that the base and Premium V6 models have 17" vs 18" tires and that you need to add the PLUS package to get the 18" rubber. Did your test model have 17 or 18" tires?

 

[musher51]

The car I test drove had the 17"s (it takes Premium Pkg "Plus" P3 to get the 18" wheels on the 3.8 V6...the car I drove had Pkg P2). And I have to admit, I didn't look at the tires closely that day (hey, there was a lot to look at right above 'em!).

Thanks for the heads-up on your Dunlop experience, Gipp.

jwaters: since you've driven BMWs in the past, any comments regarding the intrinsic handling ability of your Genesis versus the 5-series (or other sporty cars) you've driven?

In any case, I should probably move past handling comparisons between Genesis and the 530i, as I view them as having very different overall design objectives. My BMW clearly emphasizes the "sporty" thing (by virtue of an "M" suspension in the sport pkg, manual transmission, deep seat bolsters, etc.) versus a luxury thing in the Genesis (remarkably quiet cabin, plush seats, etc).

Hell, I haven't even owned an automatic transmission for 25+ years (other than my wife's and kid's cars), so buying a Genesis definitely represents a major change in style for me. (Uh oh, I just realized that my wife and kids will be able to drive the Genesis...maybe I can fool 'em into thinking the psuedo-manual is for real, or perhaps hang a fake clutch to the left of the brake ;-)!

 

[jwaters943]

The Genesis' handling limits are probably very similar to those of my prior non-sport 528i. The BMW seemed to have better steering and a tiny bit less lean in corners, but the Genesis is quieter and feels more robust/solid over broken or rough pavement. My 5-Series generally felt solid, but there was a bit of chassis flex when driving over uneven surfaces such as parking garages, or steep, slanted driveways. My 528i's drivers side window also had a sporadic rattle that was irritating. For me the Genesis does a good job of blending a bit of the driver involvement you'll find in the BMW 5-Series or Infiniti M with much of the luxury and refinment you'll find in cars such as the Lexus LS. It's NOT a sports sedan IMO, but it is a sporty luxury sedan, which thus far has exceeded my expectations, and is equal or superior in almost every way to that of my $60k '06 GS430.