Prospective Genesis Owner

[RustyCanuck]

I'm looking for a new daily driver and have been looking at the Genesis V6 Sedan up to the year 2013 or so. I have always liked the looks of the car and the size given I find myself with 3 teenagers, two of whom top the 6' mark with no signs of slowing down.
I've driven a FWD manual transmission vehicle for the past 20 years or so and do like the way they handle in snow and slippery conditions which we tend to get a lot of. With a good set of winter tires and the traction control is this much to worry about these days with a rear driver? I harken back to the days in the 70s and 80s when we all seemed to drive big American RWD cars without any thought given to tires and the resulting inability to climb even the smallest hills without some kind of a run and not always meeting with success, those were the days!.
A perusal of the forums regarding reliability concerns finds much discussion about transmission problems, is this something that is experienced by many or just a few? Past experience tells me that folks with no problems tend not to report in while those having problems are much more likely to express their concerns which I believe is natural.
All that being said, I do like the styling and size and have sat in a few but have yet to drive one, I'm not in a big rush to replace my current vehicle but am trying to get as much due diligence done pre-purchase.
Any advice or experience you could share would be most welcome,thanks.

 

[Ernie3647]

Well Rusty if you lived in Florida or California I’d say “great car” one of the best years for Genesis. But your situation is a little different the qualities that make this car handle and perform well are its draw backs in shall we say savory weather. True a good set of snow tires will certainly help but won’t change the laws of physics. There’s a reason why the new Genesis’s going to Canada are AWD and that should give a little insight. Don’t get me wrong I love Genesis cars I had a 2011 before this one and it gave me very good service but even with very good snow tires it was a handful in snow and it wasn’t even as powerful as the 2013. So make sure to test drive it in less than good weather. Then If it’s acceptable to you go for it. It will give you good service.

 

[RustyCanuck]

That's kind of what I thought, guess the best bet is to wait until we get some real snow and take one out for a test drive.
Any comments on the transmission issues on the board?
Thanks-

 

[landtuna]

That's kind of what I thought, guess the best bet is to wait until we get some real snow and take one out for a test drive.
Any comments on the transmission issues on the board?
Thanks-

I can't give you any advice on the Genny in snow country but my cousin and I both bought Genny's in December of 2012 - mine is an R-spec and his is a 3.8 Tech. Neither one of us have had any significant issues. Mine recently had to have the turn signal stalk replaced but that is the total of repairs.

Comparing the two vehicles in city traffic I actually prefer the 3.8 as it is lighter in the front and seems to handle and brake easier. Both are great on the highway though - mine gets in the high 20's MPG and his in the low 30's. Neither car has had any sort of transmission issue and both are very smooth up and down shifting.

 

[landtuna]

I meant to add that my cousin is about 6'5" and his Genny is the first car in a long time he is comfortable in - both front and back seats.

 

[427435]

Before I retired, I was driving 65 miles, one way, to work here in Minnesota. Did that with a couple of FWD cars, but the last car was a 2004 Mercury Marauder. I did put Blizzaks on it. After driving it in snow and on black ice, I much preferred it to the FWD's. The biggest problem with FWD's is when driving on intermittently icy roads (especially at night). It's hard to tell if it's really icy or not. With a FWD car, you can easily get in over your head before your realize it's icy. If you then, get off the gas, a FWD car will do a nice pirouette around the front wheels. The Marauder just slowed down nice and straight when you took your foot off the gas.

We also have a 4wd Explorer in the garage. I prefer the RSpec (with Blizzaks) over the Explorer (all season tires) unless there is 6" or more of fresh snow on the roads. The RSpec will go through 6" plus, but may be slower. Around here, 6" of snow gets quickly removed from main roads, so if I'm planning a longer trip when it's snowing, I again will prefer the RSpec.

I do add 200 lbs of water softener salt to the trunk.

 

[Cut-Throat]

I live in Minneapolis and there is no problem driving the Genesis in winter, if you have the right tires. I looked for quite awhile to find All season tires that performed well in winter, as I did not want the hassle of changing tires twice a year. I found them.

The Pirelli Cinturato P7 Plus is the Best Tire I have ever found! Smooth Running, Quiet and Great in the Snow. If you are looking for a Great All Season Tire, this one is it !! --- Here are the rankings on Tire Rack and the reviewers confirm.

 

[homeofstone]

Considering where you live, i would purchase an all wheel drive vehicle.

 

[Ernie3647]

Considering where you live, i would purchase an all wheel drive vehicle.

Agreed

 

[Cut-Throat]

Considering where you live, i would purchase an all wheel drive vehicle.

I have lived in Minnesota all my life - 64 years and have never owned an All Wheel drive vehicle.
The 4 wheel drive SUVs and Pickups are the first ones you see in the ditch here. They get going OK, but have trouble stopping. You just have to have your 'winter driving skills' practiced.

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[BlueRspec]

I live in Windsor, Ontario and drove on the stock Rspec tires last winter with no issues. You just need to use some common sense. You can't drive through any large buildups. I didn't get stuck once, although the snow wasn't too bad where i'm at.

 

[427435]

I have lived in Minnesota all my life - 64 years and have never owned an All Wheel drive vehicle.
The 4 wheel drive SUVs and Pickups are the first ones you see in the ditch here. They get going OK, but have trouble stopping. You just have to have your 'winter driving skills' practiced.

Exactly. A lot of people have never learned to drive on snow and ice. They just drive the same as when they're driving on a dry road-------------then they wonder why they're in the ditch.

 

[oldmanband]

I live in Minneapolis, drive a 2013Tech, Continental Pure Contact all season 23miles to work. Just gotta know how to drive in the snow. Like 427435, I prefer RWD to FWD, had a Lincoln LS previously. PLUS, you can drift with traction control off!!!!!

 

[rminor]

Exactly. A lot of people have never learned to drive on snow and ice. They just drive the same as when they're driving on a dry road-------------then they wonder why they're in the ditch.

Hope I never learn.

 

[RustyCanuck]

Appreciate all the responses, I have similar experiences here with AWD vehicles. They seem to be the ones who don't drive at a reasonable speed when the roads get snow covered and can't stop when required. My wife has an AWD vehicle and it is nice traction-wise, you just have to remember not to get too excited and drive too fast for the conditions. We're looking at our first storm here tonight, I'll try and get out for a test drive in the next couple of days if possible.
I really do like everything about these cars, some real world experience with one will be the deciding factor it looks like.

 

[G90]

Hi there,

I am also thinking about buying a used Genesis.
I found a 2012 3.8V6 sedan Technology pkg with 80500kms/49700miles listed at $CAD 18,900 / $USD 13,695 ( at current CAD to USD exchange rates). The car still has almost 20,000kms left before the warranty express, so it is the same as my current car.

I currently drive a 2013 Civic EX sedan 5MT with 41,000 km/25,300 miles (canadian spec); I need an automatic for my wife to drive that is roomy enough for our 2yr old who is in a forward facing car seat. I think the Genesis would be a good non-boring option. I'm looking to meet the car for about 3 years until I can get into a used 2015/16 Genesis 3.8 AWD.
Any comments / suggestions on the price of the car given the mileage are very welcome.
Also, my wife is an inexperienced driver, so I'm a little concerned about her driving a powerful RWD sedan in winter conditions….the car has a set of winter tires mounted…but I'm still concerned.
Any comments / suggestions about reliability ( 3 to 5yrs down the road) are very welcome. Thanks !

 

[landtuna]

Hope I never learn.

I hear ya. I moved from my native Arizona (desert) to Noo Yawk in '69 and the only thing that saved my butt during my first winter was that I was driving a '65 Corvair. It was great in the snow but it is really the ice, and black ice, that gives you problems. I had a one-hour commute from rural Putnam County down to Westchester County each way on roads that were usually not plowed. Snow was fun. Ice, not so much.

 

[Oscarnero]

I have 13 genesis 3.8 and I live in Colorado(Lot of snow here). My Genny eqwiped with blizzaks is better in the snow than my Audi A4 with All Seasons. You shouldn't really worry about the snow if you get better winter tires like WS80.
I never got stack in any snow.

 

[427435]

We had 8" of snow overnight. I went into town for some errands this morning and had no problems. The roads were plowed, but you had to watch the entrances to businesses and parking lot and have enough momentum to make it through the snow plowed into their entrances. Again, no issues with the Blizzaks. On the other hand, I stopped at a red light that required a start up an incline. There was a younger guy in a BMW that couldn't get going. I backed up some so he could also back up and get a run at it. He still failed. I don't know what kind of tires he had, and I needed to get going, so I ended up just going around him. :

If it wasn't a BMW, I might have helped him, but once I drove around him,he had lot's of room to back up anyway.

 

[landtuna]

If it wasn't a BMW, I might have helped him, but once I drove around him,he had lot's of room to back up anyway.

Yeah, Bimmers go backwards better anyway.