suspension is not going to get better

[6789]

Ran across a copy of the May 2010 Motor Trend and the "Long Term Test Update" for the 2009 Genesis 4.6. They were not kind when talking about the suspension. (Not kind, but truthfull).

"the early 2009 suspension is downright wrong -- too harsh, too unforgiving. Plain and simple, it's the wrong suspension tuning for a car with the purpose of this one."

My understanding from owners of 2010's and perhaps 2011's is that the suspension is no better, at least for the 4.6 V8's.

I think the C/D comment on early 2009 suspension is fair. However, all of the 2010 and 2011 Genesis 3.8 L and 4.6 L I have driven present with suspensions _far superior_ to the early 2009 suspension. The 2010 suspensions were and the 2011 suspensions are far better in damping, suppleness, responsiveness, and comfort than the early 2009 suspensions. The 2009 Genesis suspension v. the 2011 Genesis suspension is like night and day.

*Finally, not to be forgotten in these discussions is that Hyundai responded to buyer complaints and improved the Genesis suspension for later 2009 and 2010 or 2011 buyers.* Let not the perfect be the enemy of the good.

 

[hazelwood7]

Chris -- what kind of cost is associated with that upgrade? Did you dealer execute it? Tx.

Read my thread...
http://www.genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/showthread.php?t=5400

 

[dond13]

This was the exact conversation I had the other day with someone. They were completely surprised as they have ridden in other Hyundai products and commented on how nice they rode.

OTOH my boss who drives a G35 Coupe thinks the ride is good.

That's odd. The service department gave me a 2011 Sonata as a loaner the other day and it was the worst riding new car I have ever been in - bar none. My 4.6 rides a little stiff, but I am getting used to it and really enjoy it. I don't know what was wrong with the Sonata, but the seat was uncomfortable and the ride was VERY noisy. I chalked it up to being spoiled by the quietness of the Genesis.

 

[tjc78]

I am not sure what model they were referring to, however, I can tell you that IMO (not counting road noise) my GFs Elantra handles bumps in the road and overall rides better than my Genesis. I have also driven an Azera which rides beautifully.

As for all the comments on the early build 2009 (which I have) vs 2010,11. I have driven them as loaners and although the newer models don't bounce as much in the rear the ride is still very jittery.

 

[BMW Diehard]

I have had a 2010 3.8 for 6 months now----The problem I have, and have had, is the hard hard ride.....It never has "softened up" and everybody who rides in the car brings it to my attention too......Sort of takes the joy out of what otherwise would be a great car.....Will have to get rid of it soon as I cant take the jarring bumpy ride about town, every day, day after day a jarring ride.........Its great on the hwy but I dont ride the highway that much.....very disappointed

When I test drove the genesis twice ( 4.6 model ), it felt just like a Pontiac G6.

Don't know why that ugly Lincoln MKS twin Equus is getting all the suspension and performance enhancements when the Better looking 2009 Genesis needs it, added with the 5.0 V8 8-Speed trans, yeah it would destroy the German Competition and Lexus isn't even worth mentioning in comparison to German manufacturers.

 

[hvarsov]

Goodby genesis
after one year, (almost to the day) i gave up and traded in my 2010 3.8 genesis in on a 2011 lexus rx350................enough was enough......couldnt take it anymore.........................
Rough ride on local streets day after day after day....................
Felt every bump and cringed in potholes.................
Couldnt see in rain with the poor headlights....................
Dunlop tires were the worst...........................................
But mostly it was the terrible local street harsh ride..............
The car was gorgeous, and rode great on smooth highway, but enough was enough......
Goodby genesis-----hello lexus with the smooth smooth quiet ride

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

Goodby genesis
after one year, (almost to the day) i gave up and traded in my 2010 3.8 genesis in on a 2011 lexus rx350................enough was enough......couldnt take it anymore.........................
Rough ride on local streets day after day after day....................
Felt every bump and cringed in potholes.................
Couldnt see in rain with the poor headlights....................
Dunlop tires were the worst...........................................
But mostly it was the terrible local street harsh ride..............
The car was gorgeous, and rode great on smooth highway, but enough was enough......
Goodby genesis-----hello lexus with the smooth smooth quiet ride

How can we miss you if you won't go away?
(Same post in at least 2 old threads, afraid to see if there are more.)

 

[homeofstone]

If you want a better ride, dump the Dunlop tires and get v or w rated grand touring all season tires. check tire rack for ratings, tests and surveys

 

[Jay]

How can we miss you if you won't go away?
(Same post in at least 2 old threads, afraid to see if there are more.)

But you won't listen, you always stay and stay

 

[MHT]

If you want a better ride, dump the Dunlop tires and get v or w rated grand touring all season tires. check tire rack for ratings, test and surveys

You are ever so right and it is a whole lot more cost effective than trading out of what I think is one of the finest cars on the highway.

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[Vince2]

Is it "the nature of the beast" that v or w rated tires are always going to have a stiff ride? Funny thing is that while driving away from the tire store with my new Michalin MXV4s the first turn I made I thought OK so now I get it: there is a trade off either you can have great handling (nice sharp turns) or you can have a comfortable ride! As harsh as the Dunlaps were they certainly turned sharper than my new tires. I read that the Continental DWS are much more pleasant than the originals...do they also handle as well? I thought about a "summer tire" since I live in the west and hardly ever encounter snow or even rain. Are summer performance tires also harsh rides?

 

[tonygxp]

Is it "the nature of the beast" that v or w rated tires are always going to have a stiff ride? Funny thing is that while driving away from the tire store with my new Michalin MXV4s the first turn I made I thought OK so now I get it: there is a trade off either you can have great handling (nice sharp turns) or you can have a comfortable ride! As harsh as the Dunlaps were they certainly turned sharper than my new tires. I read that the Continental DWS are much more pleasant than the originals...do they also handle as well? I thought about a "summer tire" since I live in the west and hardly ever encounter snow or even rain. Are summer performance tires also harsh rides?

my personal experience has always been the first thing is sidewall height. the less cushion between you and the road the more harsh the ride. i owned a grand prix (new in '05) with 18's from the factory. bridgestone potenza RExx's and it road stiff. handled great but it was choppy (much like the genesis) over rough pavement. i have owned SUV's with 20" and larger wheels with a softer ride. but even though the rims were larger diameter the sidewalls were 3x as tall. handled "OK". once you get to comparing tire vs tire on same vehicle you are always going to comprimise either ride quality, handling, or road noise. higher mileage tires usually = more road noise. performance tires are usually quieter but they were quick and depending on the make up may have reinforced side walls (run flats being the worst). in your case without changing the size of the tire you will have a quieter ride, better handling and slightly stiffer ride (in most cases you wouldn't notice the difference in the stiffer ride as much as switching to a touring/grand touring tire by way of road noise and handling degradation.

i don't know how many of us have switched to a taller tire to see if it made the ride more compliant but i am sure it will handle like crap (think buick/lexus)

 

[Gurkha]

i don't know how many of us have switched to a taller tire to see if it made the ride more compliant but i am sure it will handle like crap (think buick/lexus)

When I bought the car it had 215/55/17 winter Yokohama's on 17" winter rims.
Wrong size I know, but that's what it had. I realize I'm comparing winters to performance all seasons, but the slightly taller tire did make a difference in ride quality. Been on the stock Dunlops (235/50/18) since early April and I do find it rides rougher. Cornering is great though. I will probably go with Grand Touring tires when the Dunlops are done. I'm not an aggressive driver anyway and would be willing to trade a bit of performance for a slightly smoother ride, but I will stay with the stock size in 18".

 

[BMW Diehard]

How can we miss you if you won't go away?
(Same post in at least 2 old threads, afraid to see if there are more.)

You Chicago Too?

Interesting, one of my ideas got snatched off this forum in the 2012 R-Spec..

I could see this kinda stuff happening to german import loyalists, but not Lexus wtf?

 

[bradyb]

Goodby genesis
after one year, (almost to the day) i gave up and traded in my 2010 3.8 genesis in on a 2011 lexus rx350................enough was enough......couldnt take it anymore.........................
Rough ride on local streets day after day after day....................
Felt every bump and cringed in potholes.................
Couldnt see in rain with the poor headlights....................
Dunlop tires were the worst...........................................
But mostly it was the terrible local street harsh ride..............
The car was gorgeous, and rode great on smooth highway, but enough was enough......
Goodby genesis-----hello lexus with the smooth smooth quiet ride

Low budget Lexus marketing campaign? Awwww I'm just kiddin'
seriously though i liked the "bouncy" early '09 ride but when Ark lowered my car with the springs that made such a huge difference! It's still stiff and FIRMLY planted but not in that "skitzo - bouncy - way" for some ppl the down-side may be the "down low" im seeing about a 1.75 front and 1.5 rear drop; it's loooow! but im liking the ride much better! maybe an inexpensive solution for some?/!

 

[William R.]

I'd appreciate any comments from any of you who bought initially bought an '09, then later bought either a 2011 or 2012, as to if you noticed any improvement in the ride.

We bought our '09, V6 Genesis in Dec. '08, & after an extended trip to S. CA to visit kin & friends over Xmas. After the pot-holed I-5 going down, & several lousy stretches of US-1 along the coast coming north, I felt like I'd been thru a human body-testing machine. Consequently, I returned it to the dealer in Jan. to resell, where it resided for 2 mo. before I gave up on the bottom-fishing offers, & started driving it again. For our trips to S. CA, we now mostly take 2 days via US-101 so it's not so tiring, + the last couple yrs have seen some improvements in both the I-5 & US-101 roads.

We love everything about the car except the ride. One recent article said a major redesign is on tap for the '14 model. However w/our being 81, I'd like to get something before then, as we're unsure as to when the sand is going to run outta our hour glasses.

 

[Mark_888]

I'd appreciate any comments from any of you who bought initially bought an '09, then later bought either a 2011 or 2012, as to if you noticed any improvement in the ride.

We bought our '09, V6 Genesis in Dec. '08, & after an extended trip to S. CA to visit kin & friends over Xmas. After the pot-holed I-5 going down, & several lousy stretches of US-1 along the coast coming north, I felt like I'd been thru a human body-testing machine. Consequently, I returned it to the dealer in Jan. to resell, where it resided for 2 mo. before I gave up on the bottom-fishing offers, & started driving it again. For our trips to S. CA, we now mostly take 2 days via US-101 so it's not so tiring, + the last couple yrs have seen some improvements in both the I-5 & US-101 roads.

We love everything about the car except the ride. One recent article said a major redesign is on tap for the '14 model. However w/our being 81, I'd like to get something before then, as we're unsure as to when the sand is going to run outta our hour glasses.

I purchased an early 2009 Genesis V6. In late 2010 I upgraded the suspension to 2010/2011 specs (using details of the parts posted by others on this forum). I replaced all 4 springs, all 4 shocks/struts, and the rear stabilizer. The total cost labor was about $650 at an independent suspension shop, and I bought the official Hyundai parts online for about $1000,

There was a definite improvement after the suspension upgrade, but also an improvement when I switched from the OEM Dunlop tires to Michelin tires soon after the suspension upgrade. However, based on my limited test drives, the 2012 suspension is even better, although what I have now is good enough for me considering the roads I drive on (which are pretty good).

But for someone looking for a "comfortable" ride, I would suggest looking elsewhere than a Genesis, because that is clearly not kind of ride that Hyundai is aiming for. The only problem is that it would hard to equal all the other qualities of the Genesis for the same money. But you could test drive the 2012 and see how you like it, and when the 2013 is available in a month or so, you could probably get a great deal on a 2012. Just make sure you don't get a Base Model Genesis, which still has the poor Dunlop tires.

 

[Gunkk]

my comments on owning 2009 pre-change vs. a 2012 Rspec test drive in another thread:

http://genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/showpost.php?p=100435&postcount=32

 

[bmbutler]

I think the ride is also related to the owners preference. I drove my 2012 Genesis 3.8 from NC to GA and back a month ago. Averaged 30 miles per gallon on a 7 hour drive. Very comfortable ride.

 

[Mark_888]

I think the ride is also related to the owners preference. I drove my 2012 Genesis 3.8 from NC to GA and back a month ago. Averaged 30 miles per gallon on a 7 hour drive. Very comfortable ride.

Not too many people have complained about the 2012 suspension (with possible exception of R-Spec). But suspension was changed in 2010 and again in 2012, so owners with earlier models (especially 2009) have had a different experience.