Hyundai Genesis Sedan 2009+

ken615

I've been watching the Genesis sedan postings since before it was actually introduced and I've been very interested in the vehicle. Today, after much research and reflection, I test drove a 2009 Genesis 3.8 with the premium plus package (18 inch wheels), titanium gray with black interior. The car is absolutely beautiful, the steering is first class, and the interior is gorgeous. However...the ride is rickshaw quality. The tires were stock Dunlops, inflated to 35 psi, and on smooth roads are perfectly acceptable, but...any imperfections in the road are a shock. Anyone found a way to soften the ride (e.g., lower tire pressure, etc.)? I would be very interested in purchasing one of these, but the ride is totally unacceptable on anything but the smoothest streets. Since Hyundai has received many complaints about the suspension, is the 2010 version any better...has anyone actually driven one and noticed a difference? Would reducing the wheel size to 17 inch make any real difference? Thanks for any insights you may have..

houdini1

I saw one post that said the 2010 ride was better. Since you are actively looking,you should drive a 2010 and give us a report. I assume they are available now.

in_power2002

I drove a 2010 v8 in the past week. I like it. I don't remember exactly what the ride was like in 2009 I drove a few months back but back then, there was something about the ride I wasn't totally comfortable with. Maybe it's the suspension problem everyone talks about?

I purchased a Mercedes 2009 E350 in the summer because it was a good price. I've come to the conclusion I'd much prefer v8 performance. Am looking at Mercedes E550 and Genesis 4.6. Hyundai 2010 Genesis is about the same price as MB 2009 E550, $42-43K. I'm weighing the +/- of each car.

houdini1

That seems like a great price on the E 550. What does it list for? I think that we can thank Hyundai (and the general economy) for helping to force prices down on luxury cars.

fedlawman

Mercedes has some insane incentives on the remaining 2009's right now. I looked at a E350 Wagon a few weeks ago. Through Costco, there was a total of $19,000 in incentives off MSRP.

alonzo2

On a different subject, after purchasing the Genesis I was bombarded by phone, email and mail by various vendors requesting followup questions on everything from the purchase experience to my monthly income. Where do these companies get this kind of contact information? I didn't give it to the dealer or anyone else. The Genesis has been a dream car for us but the feeding frenzy following the purchase by people who seem to represent themselves as the Hyundai Corp. has been tiring. Buying a Genesis has been real work thus far.

craig777

Department of motor vehicles registration !

stephen987

If you showed either your driver's license or your proof of insurance at the dealership (as you would have to in order to process a bill of sale), then the dealership has your address. With that--and a phone book--it's pretty easy.

jmonroe

For the Record...I own a 4.6/Tech Genesis and couldn't be happier with it. I think it rides EXCELLENT and would NOT change suspension even if they pay me!

Also for the record, I like the ride of my 2009 Genny V8 just the way it is. I have a little over 8000 miles now and I don’t have the problem that the V6 guys are complaining about. Just last week a guy was in my car for the first time and said, “what’s all this talk about a bad ride? I think this car rides great”. So, with that along with other compliments about how it rides, and what I feel every day I’m almost convinced this ride thing only applies to the V6.

jmonroe

tmtdr

Need some advice. Lease is up on my BMW 750 - Oct 30th and after test driving 10 sedans or so, the Genesis has one my vote. Cant figure out if I would get a better deal on the leftover 2009 inventory lease or 2010 lease? Saleperson said he isnt supposed to say anything - but the 2010 would get a better lease. They have the 2010's on their "run" list and should be available next week. They quoted me 2009 - V8 tech, badging including grill, taxes etc - $38.5 k at $649 / month - nothing down. Seemed a little high but this is without any negotiation. Not sure what others would do. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

stephen987

The lease payment depends heavily on the residual value. Since the 2010 is newer, it will have a higher residual value assuming that the lease terminates at the same time. So go for the 2010 model.

tjc78

Cant figure out if I would get a better deal on the leftover 2009 inventory lease or 2010 lease?

It depends on the MF/Residual value. You would think that if the MF was the same for an 09 and a 10 that the 10 would lease out better having a higher residual. The MFs have been low since the intro of the Genesis and I believe there is still $1000 lease cash (make sure that the dealer isn't hiding this). It basically covers your acquision fee and DMV. Have them work out both #s, keep in mind too that the MSRP on the 2010 will be a little higher with the addition of laser cruise and a few other features.

bman900

Did you drive a 2009 or a 2010 model? What other sedans did you compare to the Genesis and how did they measure up?

tayl0rd

That sounds more like a purchase payment to me than a lease payment for $38.5K, even w/ nothing down.

circlew

Hi, Fed, hope you and yours are well.

That's a fantastic price for those that can still pay over $40K for a car these days....

Regards,
OW

fedlawman

Yup, I was sorely tempted and I tried to talk myself into it. But I came to the same conclusion - $40,000 is a great bargain, but it's $40,000 I didn't need to spend.

carolinabob

I recommend anyone considering, or owning, a Genesis check out this site. IMO they give the most balanced review and even break down the road test, scores, etc. by model -separeately for 3.8, 4.6 and coupe.
They also update it periodically though it may be hard to tell sometimes-you have to check the scores on the road tests.

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2009-hyundai-genesis-trim-options.htm-

houdini1

Yes, that is a very good site IMO.

These cars and grouped with and compared to their "peers". I noted the cars that the Genesis was being compared to and the top 2 were the Lexus LS 460 and the Mercedes S class, both of which can cost over $100,000.

They also picked the Genesis as one of their top picks, along with the Audi A8, another car that pushes 100 grand.

Pretty good company and a very good showing for the Genesis. Apparently Consumers Guide certainly thinks the Genesis is a luxury car.

Thanks for the link !!

carolinabob

Actually this is another confusing area on the site. Under some categories, they list Genesis, M-B E350, Lexus ES, etc. as luxury cars, but they really classify them as mid-size premium cars. They have also classifed the Genesis as mid-size and large at different times.
Genesis may be a luxury car (whatever that is), but Hyundai is not a luxury car company based on my experiences with their regional and national offices, as well as the dealers.

houdini1

Genesis may be a luxury car (whatever that is), but Hyundai is not a luxury car company based on my experiences with their regional and national offices, as well as the dealers.

IMO there is only one luxury dealership...and that is Lexus. I have owned BMWs and Mercedes in the past and their service and attitude leaves a lot to be desired. Audi is certainly not noted for their customer friendliness either. Must be a German thing.

IMO that is why Lexus has obliterated them here in the U.S. for the last 15 years or so.

bobad

Genesis may be a luxury car (whatever that is), but Hyundai is not a luxury car company based on my experiences with their regional and national offices, as well as the dealers.

Perhaps you're getting "luxury" and "prestige" confused. Genesis is a luxury car, making Hyundai a luxury car company.

alonzo2

I don't think so. I carefully drove a v8 and a v6. There is no difference in the suspension or ride. The people who are complaining have been driving a Lexus Infinity or the higher range Merced./BMWs and those cars are designed to float down the road. We noticed quite a difference from our Q45 for instance. The reason for the different ride is actually the quality of the construction in the Genesis. Looks at Edmunds description of the 6 hinge/leaf suspension and the thinkness of the tie rods, the size of the shocks and springs, the overall increase in the amount of steel in this cars suspension. I predict the "sturdiness" of this car far exceeds the luxury competition and am willing to put up with a few bumps down the road. I encourage yo to get under the car and look at the size of the parts that make up the suspension. I don't think there has been a car built like this for decades.

On the other hand some people would "rather have a V8!" Sorry. Couldn't resist it.

miklo

Luxury car company or luxury car dealer,Im not sure what all that means but,when I bought my Genesis I was treated just the same as with any other car I have ever bought. For my money I dont care what kinda car I'm buying if I dont like how a salesman is treating me I bail and take my money some other place. I have had my Genesis since Jan 09 and I just have 6000 miles on it.......I know I need to drive it more.... lol. I have had many,many cars in over 40 years of buying them, and this car really is one of the best I have had,I mean overall for the money and the quality of this ride it cant be touched IMHO. Yeah,yeah I know somebody is gonna say but the suspension is lacking or the engine sounds funny when first started,guess what the BMW's I have owned and the Cadys,and the Lexus all had some kinda little quirk IMO.When I hear an intermittent noise I just turn up the stereo and it dissappears....lol. Really I love this car and 4those that dont may I suggest that you dont buy it,and for those that do like it but it and enjoy. I sure do enjoy it and at least once a week someone is asking me about this ride,and I should get paid 4the great review I give to ppl. LOL.
MIKLO

jmonroe

On the other hand some people would "rather have a V8!" Sorry. Couldn't resist it.

No need to feel sorry. I tried to resist the urge to buy the V8. I would have been plenty happy with the V6, but I kept hearing the words of Son #1 (who was really the instigator with me looking at the Genny since I had already bought 2 previous Hyundai's) saying, "don't go half way, if you're going to get that car get the V8 with tech package". He always was good at spending my money.

I have to admit I'm not sorry I followed his advice. That extra power is nice but certainly not necessary.

jmonroe

tjc78

The people who are complaining have been driving a Lexus Infinity or the higher range Merced./BMWs and those cars are designed to float down the road.

I am not sure what BMWs or Infinitis (except the old Q) you are referring to. They all ride firm to me. My bosses G35 and another colleague's 5 series both ride harder than my Genesis. You are spot on about the Lexus and some Merc though. I came out of an Avalon (very similar to ES350) and just can't get used to the ride in my Genesis. The other day driving my boss to pick up his G at the dealer I commented on the ride and he said "rides better than my car". Of course, I compared it to my Avalon and he said that car just floated over everything. If I had to do it again I may have leased another Avalon or ES350 as those cars do "float" however the Genesis handles much better.

The Genesis offers so much, I am just "sucking up" the ride. Not quite my style, but I lease every three years so next time I'll get something softer. In a little over 5K miles it has been flawless except for a trim piece on the dash coming loose and alignment that was off at delivery.

mickeyrom

I would love to be able to afford a genesis.I think that there is just a prejudice against the Korean cars still,but eventually it will go away.I have seen a couple on the highway, and they sure look great.

alonzo2

Well...let me just say that I have a favorite bump on the way to work each morning. Being a masochist I go for it with as much speed as traffic will allow. This is a crater in the road that reminds you that you live in the great state of Arkansas. In my 84 year old model t ford the car becomes airborn on one side and skids sideways as it again makes contact with the pavement. Women and children pedestrians in the vicinity are in tears as the smoke from my tires drifts across the field. My nurse passenger says with a scowl on her face, "You think this is funny??"
With my Silverado Z71 it feels something like an IED has been detonated with only a brief loss of straight and level flight.
In my Genesis you know you hit a bump but you never lose control. The women and children are still smiling.
In my 10 year old Q45 with 140K miles on it the bump seems like an optical illusion and you wonder in retrospect if it was really there at all.
Now I ask you, "Which was more fun?" The answer, " Definitely the Model T!" but in a pinch the Genesis will do.
By the way Arkansas is currently leading number 1 Florida by 7 points despite two terrible calls by the refs.

houdini1

By the way Arkansas is currently leading number 1 Florida by 7 points despite two terrible calls by the refs.

Well, after a couple more home cooking calls by the refs, Florida managed to "win" the game 23 to 20. It was a disgrace. These ball games and getting to be like politics. You can't believe anything you see or hear !!!

Glad you like your Genny. Arkansas is TOUGH !!!

bobad

Well, after a couple more home cooking calls by the refs, Florida managed to "win" the game 23 to 20. It was a disgrace. These ball games and getting to be like politics. You can't believe anything you see or hear !!!

The calls and non-calls in that game were horrible. I think it's getting harder and harder to fing good officials.

Louisiana has some bad roads too. They use sharp large gravel in the asphalt roads that grind your tires down way too fast. I suspect a lot of car owners are blaming perfectly good cars for a rough ride when the roads are the real problem.

jmonroe

...a genesis...

I have seen a couple on the highway, and they sure look great.

Really...where? I haven't seen one yet other than in my garage and where ever I park it. I think this whole Genesis forum is just one big put on. :confuse:

jmonroe

grayfox

I just didnt do my homework before buying it. Some days.................

alonzo2

As I understand it you are selling a Genesis grill. If I had known about this option I would have snapped it up in a heartbeat. I must have missed it. Can you imagine cooking hotdogs and hamburgers while driving down the road in your new Genesis? No need to stop at MacDonalds. Just activate the Genesis Grill and throw another one on! George Foreman would be pleased.

fedlawman

The trouble with the Genesis grill is that, although the food will taste terrific, every ridge and crease in the meat will feel exaggerated when you chew.

stephen987

Will the burgers be covered under the 100k warranty? Or would they be considered "consumables"?

fedlawman

No, the exaggerated perception of texture is normal. It is not a defect.

pat

Possibly we could get back to the actual Genesis?

bman900

The V6 Genesis engine turns approx 2150 RPM at 80 MPH. Does anyone know if the V8 has a taller ratio at this same speed (in other words does it rev lower on the highway)? The final drive ratio on the 3.8 is 3.909 and the 4.6 is 3.133, which is substantial, but of course this difference is probably somewhat minimized as the 6th gear in each transmission likely has a different ratio.

I plan on doing a lot of highway driving and prefer the tallest possible top gear.

stephen987

Wow--that is very tall gearing indeed--of the sort I normally expect out of a low-revving American design.

Just out of curiosity, how high is the redline?

ken615

Ok, now I've driven both a V6 and a V8 version of the 2009 Genesis. I still haven't driven a 2010, so my comment only applies to the older version. In my opinion, the Genesis is a beautiful car, the engine and transmission are well matched, the interior is gorgeous...but, the ride is awful. Both cars were equipped with18 inch wheels, the terrible Dunlop tires (very stiff sidewalls and terrible tread wear), both were close to the specified inflation guidelines, and the ride on both was more like a hay-wagon than a true "sports" sedan. In my opinion, Hyundai made some awful choices in the suspension design and the wheels/tires selections and the resulting harsh ride will only slow Genesis sales. I agree with an earlier poster...I don't see many Genesis sedans in the DC metro area except on dealer lots. Pretty sad statement in one of the richest areas in the country. When it comes to ride preferences, even Cadillac had to make two versions available: the STS for the boy-racers and the SLS for those who liked a composed rather than harsh ride. I'm in my fourth consecutive SLS for those reasons. No handling problems but then I can't feel a dime on the road either. It's really too bad since I really wanted a Genesis for my next car (I'm really tired of the GM reliability issues). Maybe Hyundai should have followed the Mazda example and offered an adjustable suspension...soft, normal, and sport. My old Mazda 626 turbo offered that, and when I wanted to play games in the Rocky mountains, I chose the sport mode. Everyday commuting was in the normal or soft mode due to the lousy roads in the Denver region. Maybe Hyundai will wake up in the next couple of years and correct the ride. For the time being, I'm back in the market for an Azera (my wife's 2006 Azera SE has been bullet-proof, no problems in over 35K miles and none of the suspension problems noted in the Azera forum.) Maybe we were just lucky. For those of you who bought the current version of the Genesis and enjoy it, good for you and enjoy your purchase. It's just not for me. I'm not trying to start an argument here, just one person's perspective, and I really hope that Hyundai corrects the issue because the Genesis is the only car that I've looked at that makes me excited about buying a new car.

houdini1

You just joined Edmunds this month and have posted twice, both times in this forum and both times saying almost the same thing about how bad the ride is in the 2009 Genesis.

You obviously do not like the ride in the Genesis, but what would prompt you to 1, join Edmunds and 2, proceed to start posting about a car that you do not like and have no interest in owning ?

I would think the natural thing to do would be to gravitate to the forums and cars that do appeal to you. If I don't like a certain car then I have no interest in it so I don't follow discussions about it.

Just curious.

backy

If you really want a Genesis, I recommend you take a 2010 for a spin (preferably with the standard wheels/tires) as soon as it's available in your area. The suspension tweaks plus the taller sidewalls might be just the ticket for you. Or not. But at least then you know for sure.

jmonroe

The V6 Genesis engine turns approx 2150 RPM at 80 MPH. Does anyone know if the V8 has a taller ratio at this same speed (in other words does it rev lower on the highway)?

At the risk of getting a ticket this morning on the PA turnpike (65 MPH is the speed limit), I have some empirical data for you. I hope you appreciate it.

My V8 does the same at 80 MPH. Set on cruise, for a mile stretch, on level road several times, mine said 2125 RPM so I’d say the V6 and the V8 are the same. A digital readout would be ideal for this sort of stuff but hey, it’s just a Hyundai for crying out loud. :surprise:

So, what are you going to do? Remember, it’s a Hyundai that has a ride “more like a hay-wagon than a true "sports" sedan”. An unreliable GM luxo with a nice ride, for the times it isn’t on the rack, might be the answer.

‘steven’: the red line on a V8 is 6750 RPM. I don’t know what it is on a V6.

jmonroe

tjc78

Its funny how the ride issue seems to dominate the forums. It really tears up the "genesis owners.com" website. The biggest problem here is that its a subjective issue. Some love it, some hate it. I have complained about it too, of course I am comparing it more to the ride I am used to (Avalon, ES350 etc). If you want that type of ride simply do not buy the Genesis. I thought I wanted something stiffer and more sporty and after living with my Genesis for about 6 months I now know I made a bad decision. The car is far too stiff for my liking. Its a shame because it really is a special car. The V6 has broken in nicely with plenty of power, the interior is awesome, the features are great, and its a quiet as anything on the road. To top it all off, no problems either.

jmonroe

To top it all off, no problems either.

That otta do it.

jmonroe

bobad

To top it all off, no problems either.

That otta do it.


Maybe TJ should trade it in on something that breaks down more often. Hey, free coffee and donuts!

backy

Some love it, some hate it.

From the analysis I did of all of the owner's comments on the 2009 Genesis at Edmunds.com a few weeks ago (posted here, or maybe it was in the "Luxury Market" discussion), it appears those who hate the ride of the Genesis are in the minority--and a very small minority. There were almost as many comments about the ride being too soft as it being unacceptably firm, to the point it's a big problem.

That doesn't make complaints from owners who don't like the ride any less valid, but let's keep things in perspective.

bobad

Backy, I would love to see a cross tab comparing those who like the ride, and those who don't, including make and model of their previous car. I bet that explains some of the varying owner perception of the ride. The 10's are out, and no complaints so far that I can find. It's guaranteed there will be some complaints, because statistically, ~10% of all people are never satisfied with anything,

tjc78

There are two different ride complaints. There are those who in a subjective quality don't like it and there are several here and other websites that feel there is something wrong with their car. I am in the former category. I feel Hyundai designed this car to appeal to a broad audience. That is why it isn't super firm like a 5 series or M and no where near the isolation an ES350 would provide.

Personally (and I think I said this before) the Genesis should be tuned to a soft isolated ride (no doubt this chassis is capable of it) and then offer an all out sport option for those who desire it. That way you can "have it your way" and everyone wins. Except of course for Hyundai because there would be more production costs having two suspensions.

bman900

Thanks for running the gauntlet to test the V8 :-) I remember travelling the PA Turnpike years ago and it was a total speed trap. I travel I-4 in Orlando and the limit is 70 mph most of the way, so most people go about 80.

Sounds like the V6 and V8 are pretty similiar in top gear, which is about what I expected.

backy

I disagree with you there. Hyundai has had too much "drives like a Buick" in its past to go back there with the Genesis. Leave that driving experience to the Buicks of the world. IMO the target for the Genesis' ride and handling should be the 5 Series. Great handling, with a firm but compliant ride. If Hyundai could mimic the 5 Series' ride and handling at thousands less, that would be one of the all-time great automotive bargains.