Thinking about a V8 Genesis

[bill murray]

I hate this type of thread, but here goes anyway.

Former owner of a Taurus SHO V8, Ford Lightning (99 model) and a Lincoln Blackwood in the last 10 years or so and not to mention all sorts of other Street Rod/Hot Rod vehicles in my now almost 70 years.

The last three vehicles all were chipped/filtered/exhausted if you get my drift.

In 2005, my mother in law came to live with us and I had to give up the Blackwood as she could not climb in to the cab. I had/have a 1992 Lincoln Town Car that I inherited from my Mom which I have been driving ever since and it is bone stock and rather boring. Original California Little Old Lady car and always garaged. Right at 75K miles now and looking almost brand new but starting to show signs of age in the mechanical sense.

I was very taken by the newly introduced Taurus SHO with the two mini turbos and it's performance but I am a bit put off by the maintence costs associated with that type of setup.

For the last 9 years, I have dealt with my local Lincoln dealer who was just across the road from my HobbyTown USA franchise store and we have leased 6 different Lincoln and Mercury vehicles from them over that period of time.
My vehicles, wife's vehicles and son's vehicles.

Said Lincoln dealership bailed out this month and this week the store was turned into a Hyundai store.

To cut to the chase, I spent an hour on the lot today and was very impressed with two models, the Genesis V8 and the Santa Fe which would perhaps make a very good alternative to the Taurus SHO and the current Mercury Mountaineer that my wife is driving.

Main reason for posting here is to ask if any of you know of a "chip" alternative for tuning the Genesis motor and some sort of alternative performance intake filter. I don't want to spend a lot of money on a "fart can" exhaust system so may skip that part.

Any assistance, tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

PS: I am located in Kennesaw, GA. a suburb of Atlanta.

Bill

 

[Sal Collaziano]

Welcome aboard, Bill! And thank you for signing up! I'll let someone else answer in regards to performance options. I'm not sure there are any for the Tao as of yet...

 

[dataguy]

Welcome!

Don't know of any legitimate chips for the Genesis. There are performance filters but there's debate (of course) whether they make any difference.

Don't know which model year of the 4.6 you were looking at, but if you can, drive both the '09 and '10 models to see which suspension you prefer. Be sure to drive at a variety of speeds over different road surfaces (especially bumpy/segmented/rough roads) to see if they present a problem for you or your passengers.

Have you consider the flagship Veracruz rather than the Santa Fe?

 

[PINGGOLF]

Hey Bill!

After reading your post I am almost positive you will purchase the V8 if you were to decide on the Genesis. Thats the way to go!!! (in my opinion)

As for performance upgrades...well...there aint much.

You can get the aftermarket exhuast for the genesis at http://www.koreanautoimports.com and thats about it.

Well...Im sure K&N has a filter ready to go.

Other than that, if you wish to unleash the beast (completely turn off ESC) than there is a nice little fuse to pull. However, you will lose your nav, speedo, and the check engine light will illuminate. Once the fuse is replaced, evertyhing will work again and the check engine light will remain on for a few days until it realizes there is really nothing wrong with the car.

Good luck in your decisions and I hope to see you cruising the streets in your Luxo-hot rod!

 

[jjsC6]

Drive the V8 and you may forget about a chip. It is going to be quite a bit faster than the SHO or Lightening you had.

Good luck!

 

[crupp]

The V8 certainly has ALOT of power. Better yet, it has great power through out the power band. Mods? drive for awhile first

 

[Sayantsi]

Honestly, you may want to consider the V6. The V6 has shorter gearing, weighs about 200 lbs less, and has a more favorable weight distribution, which conspire to give the V6 about the same 0-60 as the V8 but better handling characteristics. As the V6 is shared between the sedan and coupe Genesis, there's a greater chance of ecu or chip tuning for the V6 engine imo, so you could end up with more squirt from the 290 hp engine.

For now though there's the supercharged V8 from this year's SEMA show, which is the biggest power gain application we've seen so far.

 

[wallymn]

As a v-8 owner, I will say extra power (mods) will not help this car.

In first gear the v-8 already forces the ECS nanny to step in and cut off power due to traction limits. more power would result in more ECS intervention (and shorter brake life)...

If you really wanted more power an investment in rear end (ecs defeat) and tires/rims would be required...

Even then the ZF transmission is only rated to 450 HP, so adding 75 HP would require transmission upgrades....

The v-8 sedan isn't a car that lends itself to performance mods

having said all of the above, it is a rocket ship in factory form...

 

[orthoman]

I hate this type of thread, but here goes anyway.

Former owner of a Taurus SHO V8, Ford Lightning (99 model) and a Lincoln Blackwood in the last 10 years or so and not to mention all sorts of other Street Rod/Hot Rod vehicles in my now almost 70 years.

The last three vehicles all were chipped/filtered/exhausted if you get my drift.

In 2005, my mother in law came to live with us and I had to give up the Blackwood as she could not climb in to the cab. I had/have a 1992 Lincoln Town Car that I inherited from my Mom which I have been driving ever since and it is bone stock and rather boring. Original California Little Old Lady car and always garaged. Right at 75K miles now and looking almost brand new but starting to show signs of age in the mechanical sense.

I was very taken by the newly introduced Taurus SHO with the two mini turbos and it's performance but I am a bit put off by the maintence costs associated with that type of setup.

For the last 9 years, I have dealt with my local Lincoln dealer who was just across the road from my HobbyTown USA franchise store and we have leased 6 different Lincoln and Mercury vehicles from them over that period of time.
My vehicles, wife's vehicles and son's vehicles.

Said Lincoln dealership bailed out this month and this week the store was turned into a Hyundai store.

To cut to the chase, I spent an hour on the lot today and was very impressed with two models, the Genesis V8 and the Santa Fe which would perhaps make a very good alternative to the Taurus SHO and the current Mercury Mountaineer that my wife is driving.

Main reason for posting here is to ask if any of you know of a "chip" alternative for tuning the Genesis motor and some sort of alternative performance intake filter. I don't want to spend a lot of money on a "fart can" exhaust system so may skip that part.

Any assistance, tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

PS: I am located in Kennesaw, GA. a suburb of Atlanta.

Bill

Welcome Bill,
I LOVE my V8 genesis, the 375HP really moves the car. The torque curve is flat from 2500RPM I find myself lengths ahead of the pack from a stop light with easy 1/4 throtle, I hit 100mph at spots where my Lexus hit only 70mph again easy throtle shifting at 4000rpm. There are no availble plug in chips yet, but I found on ebay a resister type add on that affects the AirTempModule I have not installed it yet becaus it requires ,on this car a solder so I can not test it...adding more air should not add segnificant HP increace but as I have said as is this V8 Tau beats a twin terbo 750li 0-60 as is what more do you need....Really the car is very driveable at leagle speed and the stearing not sport tuned when cournning at high speed. Good luck if you buy one you will be hooked!

 

[bill murray]

Hi All:

Thank you so much for your comments and advice and may I say that this forum is far friendlier and informative than some of the Ford/GM forums I belong to.

To update my situation, within 25 miles of me, not one dealer has a 2010 Genesis of any stripe. But, boy are they loaded with 2009 models. One of the larger dealers has close to 20. I am sure a deal could be made there.

Based on what I have read here and a lot of searching on Google, I have come to the decision that I do not think I would be happy with a 2009 model.
While most owners like the car and would not get rid of it, almost every person reporting on the car complained about the "choppy" ride on uneven surfaces and we have a lot of that kind of road in Georgia.

So, I will wait and probably wait some more as I don't feature paying full sticker price which is what the local dealers are indicating right now.

Regarding my tuning questions, I would be looking for an open, conical filter.
I have had Air Raid filters on my last 4 vehicles and I like the sound of the intake noise with that type of filter. Don't much care if it boosts performance, just like the sound.

I have also replaced the stock muffler/mufflers with veeeery mellow Flowmasters or equivelant just to get a little nicer low sound. Nothing loud at all, just enough to hear the V-8 growl. Again, not worried about performance, just the sound.

I have installed performance chips on all 4 cars as well for a couple of reasons. Most performance sedans, as one of you stated, have the Nanny in the ECU that dials back the timing and fuel flow under full throttle acceleration and I hate mushy shifts. Chips also advance the timing, harden the shifts in general (higher line pressure) and get rid of the RPM limiter.

ECU technology has changed since I last did a new car (2003) and you have to do something different than piggy/backing the chip on the unit. I will look into this with my former chip provider to see if something is available for this car.

Regarding durability, the ZF transmission in general is pretty bulletproof and I am not a drag racer and don't abuse my vehicles. As well, there is a school of thought out there that higher line pressures and not dialing back on the timing/fuel flow is not really a bad thing for an automatic. Less slippage and a more linear flow of power to the trannie I think.

I will report back in as the situation develops. And........thanks again for the prompt and helpful advice.

Bill

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[dataguy]

Hmmm, it's been a few years since I've been in Kennesaw, but I didn't remember the roads being all that bad

There are quite a few Georgia owners on this board!

 

[Mark_888]

So, I will wait and probably wait some more as I don't feature paying full sticker price which is what the local dealers are indicating right now.

As soon as the 2009's are gone and the 2010's arrive in larger numbers, prices will moderate. They say the best time to buy a car is right before New Years Day (end of month and not many buyers flush with cash that time of year).

 

[Sayantsi]

Based on what I have read here and a lot of searching on Google, I have come to the decision that I do not think I would be happy with a 2009 model.
While most owners like the car and would not get rid of it, almost every person reporting on the car complained about the "choppy" ride on uneven surfaces and we have a lot of that kind of road in Georgia.

I thought the same thing initially, but nothing is the same as actually taking the 09 out and seeing what the hoopla is about.

 

[PINGGOLF]

I apologize up front for the random question but here goes!

BILL MURRAY...Do you golf by chance?

Do you ever play in any celebrity Pro-Am's?

Have you ever watched Caddy Shack?

Well...to keep it simple, are you the REAL BILL MURRAY???

I figure that your probably not...but you'll never know until you ask!

 

[bill murray]

I'm not that Bill Murray.
I am a few years older than the actor dude and led a fairly normal life until he became famous. Now, I have had to develop a sense of humor and play the fool a lot with employees, customers and friends

Regarding GA roads, my wife and live in sister in law are both retired and I am semi retired, working only three days a week at my business. GA has loads of beautiful places to visit, from the shore to the mountains and in between and we go somewhere almost every week. When possible, I take the small country roads which are sometimes a little bouncy. As well, it seems GA got a lot of Stimulus money as it seems every road around here is under some sort of construction/repair.

I will take Sayantsi's advice and test an 09 just to see "what the hoopla is about".

I had sort of forgotten that other than the Lightning, which I paid sticker for and got the first '99 to be delivered in GA, I have usually leased "orphans" and got very good deals. The SHO V8 had been on the dealer's lot for over a year, the Blackwood was a total failure for Lincoln and I got it very cheap and I leased a couple of Lincoln Continentals and Navigators for Pat over the years that were year old models, also very cheap.

I will do more research on this Forum about the suspension issues and if they don't seem too bad or could be remedied maybe I should consider looking at an 09 a little bit harder.

Between the 4 or 5 local dealers whose websites I have looked at, there must be 50-60 09 V8 models to choose from so the price may be something that tips me over.

I forgot to mention that I am only considering the model that has the Nav system and all the other bells and whistles and they usually are harder to move especially if a year old model. We shall see.

Bill

 

[Sayantsi]

I will take Sayantsi's advice and test an 09 just to see "what the hoopla is about".

I will do more research on this Forum about the suspension issues and if they don't seem too bad or could be remedied maybe I should consider looking at an 09 a little bit harder.

What you should find by researching this "issue" is thus - the media either don't mention anything at all, or mention that the rear is a bit too stiffly sprung, which can cause a flinty ride on bad roads - not one professional auto tester has actually stated that the suspension is wrong.

A handful of vocal owners here are very upset with this handling characteristic and feel the whole car needs to be scrapped, but as an 09 owner who took several extended test drives because of their objections on this forum, I don't see what they are talking about, and most Genesis owners have no issue with the suspension. When I first started reading threads on this site, I was also alarmed by the suspension comments like you were, but I went and drove a couple Genesis sedans on 30 minute to 1 hour drives, and came away with the impression that there's no issue with the suspension - you either like it or you don't. In the end, there are almost 3,400 members registered on this board, and if only 10% actually own a Genesis sedan, thats 340 folks, with less than one dozen I've seen complain about the suspension. Thats like 3% of owners - they are very vocal and may have actual grievances with the suspension, I don't know. What i do know is most people have no complaints or haven't complained here about it, if that helps put things in perspective.

Granted, I don't live up north where the roads have common frost heaves and pot holes that may cause the handling issues these owners are upset with, but I've never had an issue with the suspension. I also come from more firmly spring cars like BMWs and Infinitis, not Lexus LSs or Town Cars, so that may also color my perception. (I actually cross shopped the Genesis with the M35, BMW 5, and Lexus GS, among others)

You're in a great position right now - with 09s an 10s on lots soon, you'll be able to drive both and see what the hoopla is really about. Pretty soon 09s will be selling at discounts as dealers try and push them off lots for 10s, so you'll possibly be able to get a Genesis sedan at a great price. At the end of the day, you're the one driving it, so be sure and base your opinions of personal experiences, not Internet opinions that may not align with your personal preferences.

Personally, I drove 09s, looked at the 10 package configurations and the mild restyling, and chose an 09 because I got an end of year deal on it, have no issue with how it rides, and like the 09 PP package with 18" wheels. For you, I think it will come down to price, not the suspension, but let us know what differences you feel between the 09s and 10s.

 

[dataguy]

I'm another '09 owner who isn't concerned about the ride of the Genesis. I'd much prefer it to be smoother, but that's my preference. From what I read, it's headed in the other direction for 2010. Which is fine if the car was a sports sedan, but there are so many things that make it more like a luxury sedan that I question that choice.

But anyway, I haven't been hitting the roof on bumps, haven't had people get sick in my car, and haven't seen a significant difference when there's a lot of weight in the trunk. Now, that doesn't mean anything in particular: it could be that it's because I'm driving a V6, that I have a unit that's atypical to how other Genesis perform, that I'm not as sensitive to any defect, or that my expectations are different. It could also be that others are way too sensitive, have specific expectations, or they have defective cars. I don't know, and no manner of anecdotal evidence, non-scientific polling, or press articles will settle the issue.

In the end, I wish the car's suspension could be universally liked, since that seems to be the only question mark when everything else seems to be an exclamation mark. I wish also that there was a way to be assured that the suspension is to one's liking so that we never heard of people who felt it necessary to sell or extensively modify their car to overcome it.