My Hyundai Genesis Road Trip Report/Photo Diary

[jwaters943]

So, I finally took the Genesis on a "real" road trip this past weekend. I drove from Reno to Boise and back over the long weekend and racked up a total of approx. 900 miles. Just before the trip I received my new Pioneer AVIC F500-BT portable NAV system. I have to say that the map data is not as up-to-date as my Navigon 2100Max, but the screen is larger and more clear (more on that later).

Anyway, here are my impressions/photo diary of the trip.
DISCLAIMER: This post is not 100% car related.

Saturday morning, leaving the Reno/Sparks area. The Genesis is fueled, washed/waxed, and ready to run.

Hmmmm, speaking of "fuel": My Favorite Muffin, aka the breakfast of champions!

Fuel economy: 29.3 mpg @ 2111 miles. The display was about 1 mpg optomistic according to my calculations. Not bad considering I had the cruise control set for 79-80 mph. The car is amazingly quiet and refined at speed and devours long stretches of pavement with ease. I love how "tight" the car feels.......no rattles!

Stopped in Winnemucca, NV and had lunch. Most of you have probably never heard of this town unless you watched Tales of the City (e.g. Mother Mucca). As far as small Nevada towns go, this is one of the more charming ones out there. I drove by this old church which I thought was kind of nice so I took a quick shot of it.

Jason, aka the butthead I fight with over control of the radio. Thank God he didn't make me listen to Mariah Carey again. Speaking of the audio system, it's VERY impressive. I only have the mid-level Lexicon system, but even when cranked all the way up there is no noticeable distortion or rattling/buzzing from any of the interior panels.

A quiet Sunday in Boise, Idaho. It seems like a great place to raise a family. EVERYONE I talked to seemed very friendly, open, and down to earth. Parking downtown was plentiful and many people I saw rode bikes/scooters. Overall, I really enjoyed my stay. On topic sidenote: my lead foot had a hard time keeping the Genesis under 60 mph. I'm not used to freeways w/ 55 mph speed limits.

Breakfast at Goldy's on Labor Day. I know this isn't car related, but I have to mention Goldy's. I think breakfast is grossly underrated and Goldy's had some fo the best Eggs Benny I've ever had. YUM! If you're ever in Boise you have to stop by....it's worth the long wait!

 

[jwaters943]

The road back home. Long stretches of winding/uneven pavement ruffle the Genesis a bit. The steering could be a bit tighter on winding roads IMO. I often find that I have to make small mid-turn steering corrections through a turn. Still, it's impressively quiet up to 100 mph. I had no trouble keeping up with a new FX35 FWIW. The seats are also quite comfortable. Initially I thought they lacked adequate lumbar support, but they seem to be "molding" to my body as the miles accumulate. And still no rattles/buzzes! :thumbup:

Fuel economy: 29.4 mpg @ 2815 miles. I have to say, I'm very impressed! If I stuck to the speed limit (75 mph) I'm fairly confident 30 mpg would be possible. That's VERY good for a large RWD sedan IMO. I'm sure it will get even better after the engine breaks in and I change the oil a couple of times. Fuel economy drops of sharply above 79-80 mph. A couple section of highway I was passing large trucks and got it up to 85 mph regularly. During this short period fuel economy dipped to 25 mpg.

My OEM Nav alternative. The Pioneer AVIC F500BT. It worked well aside from a few times when it lost the GPS signal in downtown Boise and the fact that the maps are about 3-4 years out of date. Still, at $550-600 it's a pretty good alternative to an OEM system. It can display weather forecasts, movie times, and traffic data via MSN Live, but you have to pay something like $15/month (first 3 months are free). The bluetooth connection works well, displays the number of your incoming call, and allows you to import your phonebook. You can also customize the startup menu with a photo of your choice.

My favorite part of the trip, other than the drive? Definitely our new Beagle, Colby. We saw him in a pet store in Boise and fell in love. He did well in the car (passed out after 20-30 minutes) and is getting along well w/ his "big brother", Jack.

In summary:

Genesis Pros
No rattles! (a big pet peeve of mine)
Exceptionally smooth & quiet at speed
Great Audio System
TONS of room to spread out

Genesis Cons
Suspension can get a bit "bouncy" over undulating/broken pavement
Steering needs more feedback and linearity at speed

 

[Wilbur_the_goose]

I'll second the steering feel.

I once drove a nice '99 Audi A6 from which I pulled the power steering assist control module. Car had a much more "Euro" feel after that.

Only reason I mention it is that I wonder if there's a software mod that could tighten up the steering a bit (not a lot!)...

 

[GenesisBlog]

Oh my Christ that looks so good! I could eat 5 plates of that! Now I'm starving.

Thanks

 

[jwaters943]

It was VERY good. I'm a big Eggs Benedict fan and this was one of the best, if not the best, I've ever had. The hollandaise sause was scrumptious and the potatoes were generously seasoned and cooked to perfection.

Hopefully you had something to eat by now and I'm not "rubbing it in".

 

[ConceptVBS]

Awesome write up as always. OMG, i'm getting sooooooo hungry!!!!!

 

[Jerry Kim]

a shiny car, a beuatiful place to stay, opulent sunshine, a yammy meal and even a cute puppy!! - all these must make your road trip perfect!

thanks for sharing good pics

 

[gipp]

Great road trip! Thanks

 

[Jerrad]

Thanks for the Road Trip update! Looks like you had a great time judging by the pictures of scenery and delicious foods.

Good MPG for traveling around 79-80mph.

Now I need that V8 Genesis to arrive so I can take a road trip as well.

 

[Simonwpb]

JW,
Didn't you have a door squeek? If so, did you solve it?

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[jwaters943]

It's still there, but it's VERY minor and intermittent. I can only hear it on rough/coarse pavement at low speeds with the audio system off. It appears to be coming from the door map pockets. If I have the audio system at 6 or above I cannot hear it. It's truly so minor and occurs so infrequently that I haven't really given it much thought.

 

[Simonwpb]

Interesting, you think it may be the plastic hinged pocket. I thought you had a noise when you opened the door, but this is something you hear with the door closed... I usually find an unknown vibration noise is some item my wife stored!

 

[jwaters943]

Yes, it's definitely the hinged door pocket. When I open the pocket it goes away completely, even over the roughest pavement.

 

[Sykotk]

Very well done!

 

[Michael_S]

Fantastic pictures.

Sounds like a fun trip.

My 2001 Chevy Impala would average 31 mpg on long trips. But it had 110 less horsepower and a smaller cabin, so the fact that you managed 29 (or 28 if the driver information center was off) is outstanding.

 

[jwaters943]

Interesting, you think it may be the plastic hinged pocket. I thought you had a noise when you opened the door, but this is something you hear with the door closed... I usually find an unknown vibration noise is some item my wife stored!

I'm brain dead. I think I just realized what you were asking me. I DO also have a squeek when opening/closing the drivers door. It too is intermitent. I've tried lubing the hinges with WD40, Teflon Lubricant, White Lithium Grease, etc. and none have helped. It's quite minor to be fair, but I'm really sensitive to noises.

If it gets worse I'll have the dealership look at it.

 

[papadondo]

I personally find those mileage numbers insane! Those are what my display show's (maybe slightly higher on longer runs) in my 4-banger '07 Sonata! If that's what I can look forward to when I turn it in for a Gen, holy jesus! Oh, and by the way waters, very well done. Makes me want to go on a road trip right now!

 

[EdVoylesHyundai]

I'm brain dead. I think I just realized what you were asking me. I DO also have a squeek when opening/closing the drivers door. It too is intermitent. I've tried lubing the hinges with WD40, Teflon Lubricant, White Lithium Grease, etc. and none have helped. It's quite minor to be fair, but I'm really sensitive to noises.

If it gets worse I'll have the dealership look at it.

Don't forget, the warranty on "adjustments" (ie, squeaks and rattles) is 12mo/12k. Get it looked at sooner rather than later.