2009 Hyundai Genesis V6: An Old Man Car In a Good Way

OK it has more faux wood trim in place of the supple leather... ugly.

This car is so nice, how cheap is South Korean labor anyways... I thought they were an industrialized country.
They're the home of the world's #1 online computer gaming to say the least.
I don't know what else South Korea is known for.

Oh. Ya. Samsung. The company that makes phones that can't vibrate and ring at the same time. Stupid Samsung...

Oh. Ya. Samsung. The company that has a world #1 market share in DRAM semiconductors and #1 market share by sales in LCD and all televisions.. Stupid billt9..

I'm have taught English in Korea so have learned some things along my travels. S.Korea is among the world's more wired with respect to internet and again, one of the highest penetration rates of cell phones at 93%.

http://lfie.net/south-korea-said-the-mobile-phone-penetration-rate-has-exceeded-93/

Minimum wage in S.Korea is probably in the $4-5 per hour range but cost of living is extremely expensive in many respects. At car factories, wages are much higher at ~W60 million per year on average. This translates to ~$45-65K over the past year depending on KRW rates..

We all know the Genesis delivers supreme value for your dollar, but I think the real question is this:

Will the Genesis be Hyundai's Audi A4? As in, will it be the game-changer that allows the company to transcend prior US consumer perspectives on the brand? Will it enable the market to view Hyundai as a manufacturer of great cars versus great cars for the money?

That remains to be seen, in my opinion.

I spent some seat time in a Genesis 3.8 (premium plus + technology package) this weekend and enjoyed it immensely, although I frequently found myself going back to the value argument to justify the car. Shouldn't I be able to sit in a car and enjoy it for what it is, regardless of price? This is mindset that I would like to believe I am not alone in, and which will present the biggest challenge for the Genesis.

However, it doesn't help that the salesman, on his own volition, points to the badgeless grille: "See", he says in a positive, cheerful tone, "Nobody will recognize it as a Hyundai". That, my friends, is not the message a sales person should be conveying about a brand. Do you think the BMW dealer is playing down the prominence of their logo? Ok, how about Chevy? I didn't think so...

As I close the driver's door, I am struck by how Hyundai made the door close with a satisfying 'thwunk', with no hint of tinniness that you would expect from a door that feels like it weighs half that of a GTI's. From the solidly closing doors, to the stitched dash and hydraulically damped trunk, certainly, Hyundai spent the time to ensure this car passed the usual consumer quality tests, but would it be enough?

There was another couple in the showroom that was looking at an Elantra and I engaged them to find out their motivation for looking at a Hyundai: "Oh, our daughter is such a bad driver, we just need a cheap car that gives her the safety features we want and has some nice touches, but we won't be upset when she crashes it."

Notice the absense of the word 'If', and while this could be the subject of a social commentary in and of itself, it's also an indicator of exactly where Hyundai sits on the perception curve. If overcoming perception was equated to climbing Everest, Hyundai's still at the first basecamp (you pick, Nepal or Tibet).

Let's hope the Genesis is the Sherpa that Hyundai needs.

Image blah prestige blah badge blah.

Let's get this straight: if you're insecure in who you are or what's behind your fly, this isn't the car for you.

Interesting mention of an A4. One night at a club this dude looked at my Sonata and started screaming about my Kia and how he had more money than I'd ever had and his A4 had "four rings".

Shortly thereafter, he found under his wipers the county tax notice showing his daddy co-signed for his used A4, my final paystub for the year showing I make not quite twice what he does, and a copy of the online court record showing where he was almost evicted a few months before. Oh, and a query from the county tax records showing where the person who ditched his precious Audi was driving an Acura now. I haven't heard any more of his four-ring drama and bullshit.

So the problem isn't really so much with Hyundai as in knowing you're not a poser. And believe me, with so many tax and civil court (read: bad checks, judgments) records online now, I know that a lot of the people, though not all, of the folks driving "prestige" brands do it to hide their own SAD lack of personal prestige and worth.

tryan,
damn why do people openly admit more females have spatial perception problems? Is it really true? I guess it is.

I think the only reason Hyundai is so low on the totem pole is because why are their car exteriors so ugly???
Besides the 2 Geneses, their cars all have a weird look to them. And South Korea has some of the leading artists now, so it can't be that they think the Hyundai cars look good the way they are... they just chose to make them ugly.
Or maybe the artists working at Hyundai are the CEO's sons and nieces.

dg0472,

Dude, do you do such 'research' on every random club rat who confronts you?? Remind me not to cross you ever.

Creepy!

Donna,

I think the Genesis needs a 3-spoke steering wheel and some more hugging seats pronto. If they get that, I think it'll add about 10% more sport :)

Joe

@dg0472 "Shortly thereafter, he found under his wipers the county tax notice showing his daddy co-signed for his used A4, my final paystub for the year showing I make not quite twice what he does, and a copy of the online court record showing where he was almost evicted a few months before. Oh, and a query from the county tax records showing where the person who ditched his precious Audi was driving an Acura now. I haven't heard any more of his four-ring drama and bullshit."

Seek help. Don't delay.

Back to the car - that dark brown dash looks absolutely gorgeous.

I have owned two Elantra's, a '02 GLS, and a '05 GT 5dr. These were both some of the most trouble free cars I have owned, and were designed to be serviced easily. The GT especially was a blast to drive. Elantra officianado's know about the Tiburon GT stabilizer swap that for $150 or so will make a GT handle like a go-kart.

Yeah, those BMW logos look real good as they get smaller and smaller in the rear-view while going through the twisties. I don't care if "posers" look down their noses at my Hyundai. I have better things to spend my money on that high maintenance snobbery with fancy logos.

dg0472 -
You need some help buddy. I think IL needs to put you on the watch list.

I think if the emblem on the hood is the only thing you look for in a car, than it's going to be a while before Hyundai is considered (especially since there is no emblem). They're bumping up their style and performance in big strides, while keeping the price point extremely competetive.

But seriously dg0472, get some help.

Ok, so I always hear about how the Genesis stacks up to a 7 or 5 series BMW. However I don't really think its a fair comparison. How about what large sedan is really out there for 36,000? Is a more direct comparison an Avalon?

The Avalon is a bloated Camry. The Genesis is by no means a bloated Azera.

Am I the only one confused as to why automotive journalists are obsessed with "dash feel" In my life I can't even remember the last time I touched the dash of my car. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong.

Also I'm glad IL is admitting to liking 'old man cars' I look forward to your head to head review explaining why the 1997 Buick Park Avenue bests the 2008 CTS.... ;-)

dg0472 - Honestly, I think you might have been the insecure one on that scenario, but that's the topic of another conversation.

jlflemmons & smilez - While I agree with both of you 100%, we represent the minority, not the majority of consumers, which is unfortunate for Hyundai. If that wasn't the case, there'd be a big, honkin' stylized 'H' on the front grille of the Genesis...=)

I agree that the dark-brown dask looks great.

Why is it that every time I see this dash I think "1991 Toyota Previa"?

The dash layout is the only thing that bothers me about the car. It had alot of dead space.

The new Equus has a much nicer dash layout:
http://www.worldcarfans.com/9090219.004/mini4/2010-hyundai-equus-interior-shots-surface

I'm hoping they add elements from that dash to the Genesis as a MMC down the road.

I'm also a big fan of the Genesis interior, although I despise the steering wheel. It is ripped off of the S-Class, but I feel like if a car company is going to rip off a design a top end Benz is a good place to start. Even more impressive is that the quality of the cabin is actually very, very good. Not S-Class quality for certain, but darn close for something this cheap (easily equal to E-Class quality).

athakur999- the Equus is a pathetic design inside and out. It is almost an exact copy of the Lexus LS460. Even Lexus itself which was known for copying Mercedes styling cues on its early cars never did such a blatant and embarassing rip off. I really hope Hyundai doesn't try to pull that crap in the US market or I will have lost all respect for the company (especially because I was just really starting to respect them).

At billt2:

"I think the only reason Hyundai is so low on the totem pole is because why are their car exteriors so ugly???"

Bill, it's not all about you. As we clearly see with the 2 Genesis', Hyundai is now starting to move in a different styling direction with the Genesis Sedan and Coupe some very impressive designs. The Sonata is by no standards an ugly car (except by maybe yours but really, that doesn't mean a lot) and due for a model update soon.

I'm not sure if you're an idiot but by reading your comments, you sure sound like one..

Anyone else here LIKE the fact that the dash layout has a lot of "dead space"? Anyone else here SICK of all the new models with busy, cluttered dash layouts that look like the flight controls of the Starship Enterprise?

"Clean, classy and understated" is how I would describe the Hyundai approach in this car. If disco lights and glowing speakers are your thing, there are other choices for you out there.

Jlflemmons,
Glad you like your Elantra GT so much. I had an '02 Elantra Gt and was awesome! It was well built, had no rattles, handled superbly, was fast enough for a compact car, and had a lot of thoughtful touches that made the difference. Really liked the hatchback, styling, and the blue gauges as well. I felt like it was one of the best deals on the market at the time (leather seats, foglights, CD player, alloys all for under $13k new!) and couldn't understand why someone would pay more for a basic Civic. Sure it wasn't a Honda, but I think I enjoyed every mile more, even without the value factor. Brand snobbery has its price

@wobbly_ears and others:
No, asshole jerk, this was no random club rat. This was a twit who'd been annoying me and everyone else in the club for years. No, normally I don't do such research on anyone. But finally I'd had enough of his bullshit. Plus I'd heard rumors of this anyway. The part about he had more money than I'd ever had was the last straw, especially since one of his direct co-worker's dad is one of my direct co-workers and had discussed his son's salary, so I knew this guy's claims weren't true. It sure shut him up. Why don't you genius folks tell me how you'd have handled it without getting banned from the club or going to jail? I called all of this out on him at the time. He only got it in writing because he just kept screaming. Furthermore, I and most everyone I know try to avoid him to no avail. I'll note that he makes it a point to speak every time I see him.

By the way, I find the best way not to have anything called out on me that I'd be ashamed of is to not have anything to be called out on. Remember, court records ARE public and on the Internet so that we know who actually has such a record to be ashamed of and who is and isn't telling the truth. The county, after all, does put tax records online in part to try to embarrass the non-payers into paying. This was all on the Internet as public record by law, except his salary and my salary. It’s certainly not like I hacked anything to get any of this. Do some of you who are so upset have things in public records that you’d rather not be found out, maybe?

dg0472 - get back on the meds, dude. Like, now.

@ jaeger1:

I agree - a big fan of the understated, simple and functional interior. Less is more in my books..

@ jaeger1:

I agree - a big fan of the understated, simple and functional interior. Less is more in my books..