Looking at a Used 5.0

[kg4pto]

I may be about to take the plunge to a used 5.0 Ultimate with approximately 60k miles, but I have a few questions before I do.

1. I've heard reports of the transmissions on the 2015 5.0 Ultimates being just as problematic as the 8-speed on the early 2012 R-Specs. I have a 2013 R-Spec with about 126k miles on it, and other than some strange behavior which I blame on the computer hitting an "illegal state", it has been flawless.

2. I think I am going to miss that firm, planted feel that my R-Spec has. I installed rigid collars and UHP All-Season tires on it (BFG GeForce Comp II A/S), and it feels perfect. Are rigid collars either available or needed for the 2015?

3. The on-center steering feel of the one I drove was rather vague. That will drive me up the wall. I guess I am used to the R-Spec stiffness. Would putting grippier tires help with that, or is that just the way it is?

4. How long can I expect the adaptive suspension struts to last? Are they expensive to replace should one fail?

5. This will not be CPO and it will have no warranty to speak of. Is this a bad idea?

Thanks in advance!

 

[glennk]

1. Not experienced any issues with mine. If memory serves, 2015MY was the beginning of the second iteration of the 8 speed automatic.
2. Have you driven a 2015 yet? The weight difference between the 1st and 2nd Gen Genesis is significant. The V8 alone is 400 pounds heavier (4600) than the previous MY. I don't think you need the collars, but UHPAS tires are a must (in my opinion).
3. May have been an alignment issue on that particular car. The standard tires are nothing to brag about.
4. Not sure
5. Are you able to get an aftermarket warranty? If you have less than 60,000 miles, you shouldn't have any problem getting one.

 

[Suburbazine]

Both collars and diff bushings are available.

Steering is best in Sport mode. Adjustments to alignment can make it feel more aggressive.

 

[EdP]

I may be about to take the plunge to a used 5.0 Ultimate with approximately 60k miles, but I have a few questions before I do.

1. I've heard reports of the transmissions on the 2015 5.0 Ultimates being just as problematic as the 8-speed on the early 2012 R-Specs. I have a 2013 R-Spec with about 126k miles on it, and other than some strange behavior which I blame on the computer hitting an "illegal state", it has been flawless.

2. I think I am going to miss that firm, planted feel that my R-Spec has. I installed rigid collars and UHP All-Season tires on it (BFG GeForce Comp II A/S), and it feels perfect. Are rigid collars either available or needed for the 2015?

3. The on-center steering feel of the one I drove was rather vague. That will drive me up the wall. I guess I am used to the R-Spec stiffness. Would putting grippier tires help with that, or is that just the way it is?

4. How long can I expect the adaptive suspension struts to last? Are they expensive to replace should one fail?

5. This will not be CPO and it will have no warranty to speak of. Is this a bad idea?

Thanks in advance!

You won't like my answer but here goes.
You drove the car and did not like the way it handled. You have questions about many other aspects. Any car today loaded with technology and no warranty you assume some expensive risk. My advice for the road to happiness is to pass and move on. You will never be happy with a car you are afraid to drive and don't like the handling when you do.

 

[carguy75]

I may be about to take the plunge to a used 5.0 Ultimate with approximately 60k miles, but I have a few questions before I do.

1. I've heard reports of the transmissions on the 2015 5.0 Ultimates being just as problematic as the 8-speed on the early 2012 R-Specs. I have a 2013 R-Spec with about 126k miles on it, and other than some strange behavior which I blame on the computer hitting an "illegal state", it has been flawless.

2. I think I am going to miss that firm, planted feel that my R-Spec has. I installed rigid collars and UHP All-Season tires on it (BFG GeForce Comp II A/S), and it feels perfect. Are rigid collars either available or needed for the 2015?

3. The on-center steering feel of the one I drove was rather vague. That will drive me up the wall. I guess I am used to the R-Spec stiffness. Would putting grippier tires help with that, or is that just the way it is?

4. How long can I expect the adaptive suspension struts to last? Are they expensive to replace should one fail?

5. This will not be CPO and it will have no warranty to speak of. Is this a bad idea?

Thanks in advance!

My 2015 5.0 has about 62k miles and the transmission shifts perfectly even with the original fluid. Therefore, I have not experienced any transmission issues. Steering feel is fine to me also, actually more than fine since I have high performance summer tires installed which are very responsive.

The active shocks cost about $1000 each(dealer only part), so yes they are expensive to replace. How long will they last? That is yet to be determine, however they should last a while since they do not have air bags that usually tear even if the electronics still works like in most luxury cars with air ride systems.

 

[inmanlanier]

1. My car was in-service May 2015. I'm the second owner as of March 2018. I have 40K miles now - no issues whatsoever on the tranny.

2. I've raced cars and appreciated handling. I hope you realize this is a luxury car first, with a slight performance flair. It's not a sports car. To that end perhaps you should pay some heed to EdP's comment. I was reasonably impressed with my Gen 1 Genesis (although the springs were soft enough we'd bottom out on North Carolina twisties). This one is not much different, however taken with my perspective I like it.

3. Castor and tires will take care of that. If anything, when I initially fixed my crappy factory alignment (non-adjustadble, mind you) - I ended up with a bit more caster than I thought I needed (i.e. certainly NOT a lack of on-center feel). I've had a hodgepodge of tires to date (primarily ProContacts) that had issues with some pavement types - but I never thought there was a LACK of an on-center feeling. The following post may give you some insight there (see end of first page, beginning of 2nd page): Steering pulls to right My brand new (150 miles maybe) Toyo Proxes 4 plus tires feel fine right now. What tires do you have and what is your castor?

4. No idea - would be curious myself.

5. Today's 'powertrain' warranties are crappy; the feds for almost a decade now have let the manufacturer's really cut back on coverage. As I recall, that's all you get with the CPO. If you read to see what the CPO covers, it's greatly pared back coverage even in the power-train category. The reality is that if you get to 60K miles on your factory engine and transmission with no issues, I highly doubt you'll have issues before $100K. The exception may be fuel injectors; GDI has issues due to the severe operating environment. Many of us are periodically putting in fuel injector cleaners like Techron. IMHO aftermarket extended warranties offer far more coverage and are not that costly. I fear electronic issues far more than power-train (like the head unit). If you find other posts of mine, I'm about to go to war with the idiots on that soon since I've got head unit gremlins right now. The extended warranty I bought earlier this year takes me to 125,000 miles in Feb of 2026. I paid around $1300 for it.

 

[kg4pto]

Thanks for all of the advice everyone!

At this point, I would say I am leaning towards keeping my R-Spec a little while longer. What I don't understand is this. When the 2015 Genesis came out, All of the big car magazines (Car&Driver, Motor Trend, etc) kept going on and on about how much better the 2015 5.0 handled than the previous generation, even though their own numbers would tend to suggest otherwise. I guess it just goes to show that rather frequently, the car magazines are full of hot air!