What to buy besides Genesis V8

[TJPark01]

I am in the market for another car, and honestly, I had to ask myself if having 2 Genesi would be overkill. There just isn't another car in this price range that can do what it does. But I can't make a unilateral decision on this car so instead of the Genesis what Midsize Four Door Luxury Saloon would you go for?

I have issues with FWD cars, so all of those are out, which effectively leaves me with a small pool of choices.

BMW 535i - No more oddly shaped Chris Bangle designs. New turbo inline 6, replacing painfully problematic fuel pumps. Love the inside and out.
Mercedes E Class - Over promise, under deliver. The v6 Honda Acoord has more horse power then the E350. Leather is an option on this car, what a joke.
Audi A6 - New model on the horizon. I like the Supercharged DI V6 though.
Acura RL - Acura needs to fire everyone on their exterior design teams. You make cars, not Intergallatic space crusiers.
Jaguar XF - Hmm, bankrupt more times then Larry King has ex-wives, sold to Ford, sold to Tata. Reliability history of a Ukranian built IPhone.
Infiniti M - For that much money, I'd rather have a German Car.
Lexus GS - Aside from the back, I like how these look, but was surprised at all the quality issues people have mentioned on these. Get your house in order Toyota.

 

[jwaters943]

Whatever you do, don't go w/ the GS. It's quite long-in-the-tooth and the rear seat and trunk access is seriously compromised. The new 5 looks promising. I'd wait for that.

 

[TJPark01]

Whatever you do, don't go w/ the GS. It's quite long-in-the-tooth and the rear seat and trunk access is seriously compromised. The new 5 looks promising. I'd wait for that.

I don't plan on sitting in the back of any of these cars, but I was surprised at the poor headroom in the GS. I am no skyscraper at 6' tall, and I was no where near fitting into that car.

 

[Dimitry]

I was really close to getting a 535 - I would of chipped it to 420hp

 

[ld_gen]

I would go for BMW335i. Its character is what you stated. And, we almost got the car too. However, my boss from home raised concerned on RFT with no spare tires and its low reliability reported from consumer reports. Some friends of mine own BMW335i and trade in before the warranty expires.

 

[DavidNJ]

Infiniti should be the M37...it is just as fast as the Genesis V8.

The Infiniti is 5.6 sec to 60, 14.1@101 in the 1/4 mile.

 

[jwaters943]

I don't plan on sitting in the back of any of these cars, but I was surprised at the poor headroom in the GS. I am no skyscraper at 6' tall, and I was no where near fitting into that car.

Fair enough, but I couldn't even fit a medium sized box in the trunk of my GS. The opening was so small that it rendered the trunk space useless in many instances. The very definition of form over function. The back seat, while not a deciding factor in this case, is also the smallest in this class. Lexus needs to redo the GS yesterday IMO.

 

[jwaters943]

Infiniti should be the M37...it is just as fast as the Genesis V8.

The Infiniti is 5.6 sec to 60, 14.1@101 in the 1/4 mile.

For a few more months anyway. You're also quoting the fastest published time for the new M37 against an average time for the Genesis 4.6. The quickest published time for the Genesis 4.6 is 5.3 seconds 0-60 IIRC.

 

[STREETS]

I would take a hard look at the Ford Taurus SHO. 4 Wheel drive, bi turbo Eco boost- and it hauls. Plus, gotta reward Ford for not going Obama and begging needing billions of our $$$ because GM & Chrysler can't survive without a bailout.

 

[sandy]

If money is not a consideration, I think the new Jaguar XJ would be a great pick.The 2010 has received some glowing performance reviews and you can't beat Jaguar for distinction, beauty and superb interiors. As far as reliability, I believe Jaguar shared top honors with Bucik in last years JD Powers reliability study...beating out Lexus et al. Like Hyundai, they may have turned their poor record around. And as far as going bankrupt, every one seems to be doing it these days.

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[TJPark01]

I would take a hard look at the Ford Taurus SHO. 4 Wheel drive, bi turbo Eco boost- and it hauls. Plus, gotta reward Ford for not going Obama and begging needing billions of our $$$ because GM & Chrysler can't survive without a bailout.

I considered putting it on that list, but it seemed a bit misplaced. I agree the SHO is a compelling package for an entry level luxury price. For many people the AWD element will be a huge selling point. I live in LA, a 4400 pound AWD car is pretty unnecessary. I do like how the SHO's rear seats fold down, although I have never been in need for more trunk space in the Genesis. I will say that I have dealt with Ford and their dealers for the past 10 years and they have been very good to me. The only issues I have had with the cars have been the interior quality. But every time I have returned the cars, I always said to myself, I'm glad I don't own this thing (all have been Expeditions).

 

[ImInPA]

You did not include the vehicle that I bought instead of the Genesis...A Volvo S80 (3.2 T6 AWD, V8 AWD), but of the vehicles you listed I would go for the E series or the new 5 series.

 

[Disaster]

The Germans have terrible reliability. That is enough to sway me from them. The M56 is my favorite on your list, though, like you said, expensive. It doesn't give anything up to the German sport sedans, heck, more than that, it beats them in performance while promising less trips to the service shop.

 

[TJPark01]

The Germans have terrible reliability. That is enough to sway me from them. The M56 is my favorite on your list, though, like you said, expensive. It doesn't give anything up to the German sport sedans, heck, more than that, it beats them in performance while promising less trips to the service shop.

I wouldn't go so far as to say all German cars have terrible reliability. I think the big things like, engines, tranny's are solid, but electronics are definitely more fiddly. The Japanese cars are simpler in their execution, functionality and reliability. Also, they tend to be easier to fix and parts tend to be easier to access. The one thing the Europeans have is a certain flare, a real feel for a dramatic interpretation of what a car should be, especially the Italians. Now this doesn't translate to easy livability on a daily basis, but it is undeniable. Asian cars tend to be more appliance like. They function brilliantly but they lack a "soul".

 

[Disaster]

I wouldn't go so far as to say all German cars have terrible reliability. I think the big things like, engines, tranny's are solid, but electronics are definitely more fiddly. The Japanese cars are simpler in their execution, functionality and reliability. Also, they tend to be easier to fix and parts tend to be easier to access. The one thing the Europeans have is a certain flare, a real feel for a dramatic interpretation of what a car should be, especially the Italians. Now this doesn't translate to easy livability on a daily basis, but it is undeniable. Asian cars tend to be more appliance like. They function brilliantly but they lack a "soul".

True, but those fiddly electronics are really really expensive to fix. I recall when my Mercedes electronic climate control failed. The only fix was to replace the unit, for $1300. Fortunately, it could still be tricked to work manually. So here I was, driving an a luxury Mercedes...with a Chevy Cobalt air conditioner.

Some of the Japanese cars have real soul. For example, I wouldn't say the GT-R lacks soul...nor would I say that of the M series, either.

I do love the feel of a new BMW, when all is well with it, and everything works in concert. Love their all business interiors.

 

[ASHDUMP]

This is a sticky situation you've got yourself in here TJ. I myself am not in this situation and if I was I don't know what I would do. We all bought our first Genesis'sss for most of the same reasons; Price point, value, features and distinction.

Would it be odd to have two 4.6's in the driveway? Possibly switch up the color combination or engine size? Or go all out and throw some 22's and candy paint on it! Ground effects! ha

The one thing I would hate, if I purchased another vehicle is regretting not buying another Genesis.

Would this be for someone else or for you?

 

[jkohn]

The new Infiniti M looks to be a really nice car, but with a price tag to match. There was a time when Infiniti was a value-leader compared to the competition, but that's not really the case anymore. (Hyundai seems to be stepping up to take that role).

I like the look of the new E-Class.

The new 5-series will undoubtedly be very nice, although again not as value-priced.

 

[TJPark01]

This is a sticky situation you've got yourself in here TJ. I myself am not in this situation and if I was I don't know what I would do. We all bought our first Genesis'sss for most of the same reasons; Price point, value, features and distinction.
Would this be for someone else or for you?

It's for someone else, and she's stepping out of a Lexus. Thinks the Genesis is way too stiff, but really likes everything else about the car, but can't come to terms with owning two of the same cars.

The new Infiniti M looks to be a really nice car, but with a price tag to match. There was a time when Infiniti was a value-leader compared to the competition, but that's not really the case anymore. (Hyundai seems to be stepping up to take that role).

That's just the thing. The value proposition with the Japanese cars is largely evaporated. In fact, when you factor is resale values (which infiniti is the worst of the major luxury brands), there's no real big cost advantage, unless you keep the car for 10+ years. For the kind of money were talking about here, I'd rather have the cachet of driving a BMW.

 

[Disaster]

The value proposition with the Japanese cars is largely evaporated. In fact, when you factor is resale values (which infiniti is the worst of the major luxury brands), there's no real big cost advantage, unless you keep the car for 10+ years. For the kind of money were talking about here, I'd rather have the cachet of driving a BMW.

This is especially true for leasing. I do wonder who BMW pawns off all those older cars to, and how much the warranty costs them though? My neighbor leased a BMW 5-series for under $600 a month if I recall. I didn't ask about any of the details...length of lease, money down...etc.

For me, the Genesis was a way to get off the lease merry-go-round. I'm hoping to keep the Genesis long enough for the monthly cost to hit closer to $250-300/month. Instead of replacing each car every two-three years, like we had been doing, we plan on alternating with a new car every 4 years or so (replacing them at 8 years...depending on how they are doing.) This will save us about $7K per year, which would will go a long way toward paying for that next car outright...instead of paying finance charges.

 

[TJPark01]

For me, the Genesis was a way to get off the lease merry-go-round.

I couldn't have put this any better. I stopped leasing as well. Even though it was for work, it's still basically a horrible financial proposition.
*If you lease a Genesis for $500 a month for 36 months (which is about what it costs), you would have spent 18 grand at the end of the lease terms.

* Now you return the car, you have to lease again. Say you do the same thing, 500 a month 36 months and get the same results. Well now it's 6 years later and you have spent 36k to lease two cars, and you still are left with no car, so you have to lease another one. Merry-go-round-and-round...

*If you took that same 500 a month and financed a car, you would have it paid off after 6-7 years, effectively ending payments. Especially given the low to no interest payments on new cars purchases from terms 24-72 months that are being offered now. Of course this doesn't fit into our culture of, keeping up with the Jones',impulsive consumer habits.