Ruissimo
Registered Member
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2010
- Messages
- 1,665
- Reaction score
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- Points
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- Genesis Model Type
- Genesis G70
Fair warning: This is a long post. If you are looking for specific review points on the engine, ride or features, skip to the section named “The V8”, below. Otherwise… read on!
Before Making the Jump
This is my first Hyundai. As a matter of fact, it is the first Hyundai in my entire family. Like most Europeans, I was raised to appreciate the prestigious German and other European and Japanese brands -- my father, for instance, owned seven VW’s when we lived in Brazil, opted for Renaults and Fiats when we lived in Portugal, and swore by Toyotas and Subarus here in the US. I’ve always been a car buff, and I am almost ashamed to admit it, but even less than ten years ago I would’ve been the first person to say, “Don’t buy a Hyundai; they’re terrible. Get a German car.”
A lot has changed.
Hyundai quality now matches (if not surpasses) Honda and Toyota, and their design is groundbreaking, edgy, and downright sexy! While Honda and Toyota have stagnated in design, feature content and overall value, Hyundai and the American brands have advanced in all three of those areas. Even VW is going in a different direction; their designs are now mundane, and all their cars look cheap and very similar-looking. Also, instead of improving their quality, their materials and overall “feel” has gotten cheaper in recent years. Coming from a 2002 Volkswagen Passat that was built like a tank but was as reliable as a Yugo… this is a very scary thought.
My change in preconceived notions was bound to happen. I read a Car and Driver review of the 2004 Hyundai Sonata about eight years ago, and the overall tone changed from “cheap”, “unreliable”, and “ugly” to “attractive, if somewhat derivative”, “loaded” and “value”. Years later, and after opening my eyes and letting go of old prejudices based solely on other people’s experiences, I decided it was time to give Hyundai a fair shake. When it came time to start looking for a new vehicle, I came across the Genesis, and the classy lines and features for the price were a pleasant and unexpected surprise. I have researched this car since its 2008 launch, and have actively participated in the Genesis Owners forum for a year and a half. I finally decided on purchasing a 2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R Spec.
The Purchase
Three hours is all it took to part ways with my hard-earned down payment money, in exchange for some monthly installments and my first V8. Hyundai of White Plains (NY) was super-friendly and easy to deal with. I talked “price” and “financing” the day before arriving at the dealership, which saved me time, money and aggravation. The dealership itself was small, but clean and modern. It had a very professional atmosphere, though it definitely lacked the “caché” of some of its more upscale competitors. And this is fine by me; I didn’t want to spend much time there to begin with, and I am hoping not to make many trips there after my purchase. If that “dealership experience” helps keep Hyundai cars less expensive, then by all means, keep it!
I instructed the salesperson to inform the prepping crew not to touch the exterior of the car prior to delivery. I even told him I’d prefer not to have the dealer-installed swirl mark package. He looked at me and assured me they wouldn’t ruin the paint. I stood up, walked over to another black R Spec which was on the showroom floor, not even 3 feet from where we sat, and showed him the top of the trunk lid. It looked like someone had taken a brillo pad to the finish! He acknowledged the condition of that car, and assured me they’d leave the exterior prep to me. Unfortunately, they didn’t prep the interior of the car either, but that was nothing a few hours of “personal-getting-to-know-you-time” couldn’t fix last weekend.
The car came with some options already installed. I asked to remove them, and was told they came like that from the shipyard. I’m not sure that was the truth, but other than the subpar sunroof wind deflector, I was not too upset in paying a little under MSRP for an iPod cable, trunk liner and wheel locks, the latter two of which I planned on picking up anyway. I asked them to remove the sunroof wind deflector and rear lazy H badge, which they did for me at no cost.
After I signed the papers, the salersperson informed me they had applied “undercoating” and “scotch guard” protection packages, but they hadn’t charged me for them. Good thing… because had he even mentioned it to me, it might have been enough for me to walk away.
The Drive Home – Well, Sort of
After leaving the dealership, I drove home to Connecticut – approximately an hour’s drive. I decided on a route that mixed highways and backroads, as I had read in the owner’s manual that one shouldn’t drive at constant speeds for a long period of time during the "break-in" period. It also mentioned to keep the revs between 2,000 and 4,000 RPM. After missing a couple of turns due to a) my unfamiliarity with the navigation system “timing” and b) being slightly in awe of my new purchase, I was cruising on the highway.
The ride home was uneventful, except for the fact that I drove the car straight to my local detailer. He was in charge of my exterior new car prep, window tinting and rebadging.
The New Car Prep and First “Mods”
My detailer kept the car overnight on Friday. You have no idea how painful it was to not be able to play with my new toy the first night, nor knowing if the car was safe!
The following is the list of what was included in my new car prep package and tint package:
- Hand Wash and Dry
- Clay bar treatment of all exterior paint and metal surfaces
- Machine polish, glaze and wax of all exterior paint
- Rims, tires and wheel wells cleaned and dressed/protected
- Headlight and tail light plastic polished
- Clean and shine door and trunk jams
- Exterior glass cleaned to a streak free shine
- Paint Sealant applied to all paint and allowed to cure over night before wax is applied
- Aquapel Hydrophobic window treatment applied to all exterior windows to make water afraid to even come near the glass
- Full window tint (35%) - sputtered metal film for better heat and UV rejection, reduced fragmentation of glass in case of accidents - lifetime warranty on film and labor
- Full KDM rebadging – hood, trunk lid and wheel center caps
At 1:00pm on Saturday, my fears subsided as I drove up to the garage and saw the car. There’s only one word to describe it: STRIKING.
Paint after the detailing described above
The V8
As I am still in the “Break-in” period, I am forced to inform you that I have not revved the R Spec past 4,000 RPM. There are two main reasons for this: the first and obvious reason is, the owner’s manual says doing so is not advised. The second reason is… I haven’t needed to! Believe me when I say this, I wanted to redline this beast numerous times. There is no need, though! There is so much power on tap, it is a bit scary to think what would happen if I really pushed it. Mind you, my last car was a V6 powered by a measly 194HP, so the comparison isn’t actually fair. However, I have test-driven the 4.6 and 3.8 versions of this car several times over the last two years, and I can tell you that, at least at highway speeds, I can feel a considerable difference in the power this thing can throw down when asked to do so. I’ve also pushed it a couple of times around town, just for fun, and I haven’t had the need to go over 4,000 RPM yet. This thing is powerful, and the power is readily available at speeds (that I’ve tried, anyway). The engine really does live up to its “R Spec” nomenclature, and I can’t wait to make it scream!
The engine bay is impressive, and I like all the various plastic covers spread throughout. I just wish there was a “5.0L” emblem slapped on it.
The Ride
This car is no Avalon -- the suspension is not soft AT ALL. It feels almost German; not as harsh as an M3, but it isn’t buttery-smooth, and you will feel most of the imperfections on bad roads. Unfortunately for me, most of the roads in my town are pretty atrocious, but I am used to a stiff ride so it isn’t so bad for me personally. 99% of my driving is me by myself, so in this category, I am completely satisfied. On the few occasions others have accompanied me, they have not complained of a harsh ride. Have they perhaps been distracted by the Lexicon audio system? Quite possible. More on that later.
There is some definite kickback to the steering wheel on rough surfaces, but it isn’t harsh and it is easily controlled. And the car responds well when thrown around the corners, surprisingly so for a car this size. The seats are super-smooth and cushioned, and very comfortable, though definitely not that supportive. I didn’t want a sports car; I wanted a luxurious one, so again, I am satisfied.
I will say the handling is the one area where the R Spec badge is definitely misleading – this car is not a sports sedan like the M’s or AMG’s. It is, however, a well-powered sporty sedan. If it weren’t for the fact that it sounds cheap, this sedan would best be labeled as the “Genesis SL” (for Sport and Luxury) instead of “R Spec”.
The car is really quiet. It is very well-insulated, and it complements the audio system perfectly. However, I noticed there is a little wind noise coming from my driver’s door/window. I know there is a fix for this issue, so I’ll be sure to have it addressed during my first service appointment. The issue wasn’t bad enough to warrant an immediate trip to the dealer, and I’m using the “quick fix” in the meantime – a quick tap down on the window button eliminates most of the noise.
The Features
This car is loaded. I went to the Mercedes-Benz site and priced a base E-Series the other day, and a V6 model with no leather, navigation or backup camera cost over $51,000! I bought the R Spec for a little under $10,000 LESS than that price. The Genesis truly is among the best in terms of value in the premium sedan market these days.
There is power “everything”, everywhere: seats, windows, door locks, steering wheel, and rear sunshade.
The storage space in the cabin is a little tight for my taste. The glovebox is roomy, but the center console is a little on the small side. The dual compartment is a nice touch, but I can’t fit a BlackBerry *AND* a Sansa MP3 player with all the necessary cables at the same time. The lower portion fits a good number of CD’s and cables, but I still wish it was a bit larger. The AUX and USB interface is really nice, and it’s great to have the additional power plug in there.
The safety features I have used are top-notch. Cruise control is super-smooth, and the smart cruise control is amazing. I set the distance to the “middle setting” and it works beautifully. The shifting is smooth, and when someone gets into your lane, the car either slows down or brakes accordingly – it might be a little unsettling if you’re not paying attention, but I DO pay attention, so it was fine for me. The LDWS is a nice feature, but I don’t plan on using it unless I’m driving late at night or on a long trip. To be honest, I don’t think I can hear the warning chimes when the radio is above 10, so again, this feature is usually off, for me. The backup camera is crystal-clear, and the parking assist works great. The car is a really tight fit in my garage, and I rely on the steady final “beep” as my sign to halt every time I pull in!
The absolute best feature of this car, hands-down, is the Lexicon 7.1 discreet surround sound system. No question, no argument. It just is. I will not bore you to death because there are plenty of discussions on the matter on the Genesis Owners forum, but I’ll give you a quick overview: If you want your system to shine, rip your cd’s in 320kbps and convert them to mp3 format. Then slap them on a USB flash drive. They will sound great. Put your cd’s into the 6-disc changer, and they will sound even better than the mp3’s, especially when you click the “surround” on. But if you get yourself some DVD-Audio discs, you will be blown away. There is no superior quality at this price point, folks. Trust me on this.
Here’s a little insight into just how good this system sounds: A friend of mine is not a music person, at all. Music to this individual is limited to 98Q on FM. They took a ride in my car, and I had the Beatles “Love” album playing while we drove – it wasn’t even all that loud, by the way. When asked by someone else afterwards what they thought of my car, this person’s answer was, “the sound system is incredible. I usually don’t notice, but this car sounded amazing.”
The Overall Ownership Experience So Far
Ever since I graduated college, my dream car was the Audi S8, knowing full well that I would likely never own anything more expensive than a used A8. My car ownership goal, realistically, was the A8, and I hoped that someday I’d be in a financial situation that allowed me this guilty pleasure. After my last German ownership experience, I don’t think I have a dream car anymore, at least not one outside the “dream sports car” class.
The Genesis is not only big and comfortable like the A8, but it arguably looks better! The interior is clearly not as refined as the A8, but it also costs half of what an optioned A8 would go for these days. I’m not made of money, and the fact that it just won “Most Reliable Premium Sedan” J.D. Power and Associates only reinforces the feeling I’ve made a great car-buying decision.
The best description of the Genesis I’ve read online mentioned that “it was as a spacious as a 7-Series, with the features of a 5-Series, for the price of a 3-Series”. I tend to agree.
The icing on the cake, however, is that I currently drive one of the very few (if not the only) 2012 Genesis sedans in my town of approximately 150,000 people. There are BMW’s, MB’s, Lexus and Audi’s everywhere I look. And by the way, I will say this: pictures do this car NO JUSTICE WHATSOEVER. See one of these in person. It looks EASILY $10,000 - $20,000 more expensive than it really is. I'm being completely honest.
You can’t put a price on exclusivity. Well… you can, and those other "premium" carmakers have. However, the way they define the term is very different than the way I define it.
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