We ran the Genesis down to San Diego and back this weekend with a trunk loaded with gifts for babies both recently and soon to be born. The gaping trunk probably could have held a whole orphanage full of toys, something to note with holiday shopping season right around the corner. With nearly 20K on the clock, I was curious to see how the ride quality of the Genesis was holding up from the driver's perspective.
From the highly adjustable pilots seat, things remain pretty rosy. After our dog-years mileage run up, impact harshness has increased just perceptibly, which is common on any machine as bushings age. The Genesis still rolls down the superslab with the best of them, eating interstate for breakfast, and floating in the kind of muted aplomb that makes it easy to wander over the posted limit. Cruise-control is most useful as a license-friendly speed limiter.
Most impressive still is the sophisticated feel of the rear suspension. The Genesis loves long, fast sweepers, and rear-wheel-drive means undiluted feedback through the mildly over-boosted but accurate steering. The aft suspension cuts through a veneer of puff to reveal some deftly controlled travel, and like the best multi-link setups, you can sense the 18-inch wheels working in the wells with little disruption to your line or heading. After decades of front-wheel-drive proliferation, the Genesis is a sweet reminder of why we like rear-wheel drive so much.
The V6 continues to feel strong and is remarkably smooth while cruising. Just off idle around town, when ambling between stop signs, the V6 is starting to sound a little gruff, almost as if it was in need of better gas, but this is the sole aural clue to its rapidly advancing mileage. Though it does not pull up top as hard as the V8, most will be perfectly happy with this snappy V6.
One of my few early gripes with the Genesis when it was showroom new was the quality of the seat leather, which I found to be a bit rubbery, and poor for ventilation even by tanned-hide standards. I was impressed when I heard that one of the few updates for the 2010 Genesis was the "ultra-premium" leather on all V8 models and V6 trims with the premium, nav or tech packages. Having said that, now that we've thoroughly broken in the seats, they seem fine and are even wearing pretty well.
A bargain from the sales floor, as Genesis sedans starts hitting the used market with a fat chunk of a decade warranty intact, you'll be looking an even stronger value.
Paul Seredynski, Executive Editor @ 19,858 miles
ssaxsma says:
06:52 AM, 11/17/09
Yes, but that "decade warranty" shrinks to half that as soon it changes hands, as it's only 10 years for the first owner, and the second and subsequent must make do with only 5.
jaeger1 says:
07:16 AM, 11/17/09
Solid value new and even a stronger value used - I couldn't agree more.
opfreakx says:
08:46 AM, 11/17/09
All those buttons in all these cars. I'm amazed we dont have MORE accidents. Look at everything to 'control' and distract you from the road.
Its not just hyundai, but all car markers. At this rate, cars are going to have more switchs, and buttons then airplanes and space ships.
maybe lincolns launch commericals are more spot on.
farvy says:
09:00 AM, 11/17/09
@ssaxsma:
Since when is buying a used car with a 5 year factory warranty a bad thing?
cr_driver says:
09:37 AM, 11/17/09
+100 farvy
ssaxsma says:
10:04 AM, 11/17/09
@farvy:
Sry, didn't mean to imply it was a bad thing. It's still one of the longest you can find, but it's good to remember before buying a used one assuming you have the balance of a 10 year warranty. I almost bought a used one, so I definitely agree with you.
bc1960 says:
10:18 AM, 11/17/09
The 10/100 only covers the powertrain anyway. The 5 year comprehensive is limited to 60k miles, which is proportionally better, but unless you're getting one off a 3-year lease that was driven less than average, there's not that much left, unless it's a Certified Pre-Owned, which gets the 10/100 back. The only car I've kept as little as 5 years had 70k miles, and I only replaced it because it was crushed by a GM medium-duty running a red light at 60 mph. But I would guess the Genesis has a higher proportion of relatively short leases than other Hyundais (except when they were running that lease promotion years ago), and if not heavily driven would be chosen for the Certified program. E. g., Acura seems to have a fairly large volume of Certified Pre-Owned cars.
stingray454 says:
12:04 PM, 11/17/09
"impact harshness has increased just perceptibly, which is common on any machine as bushings age. "
"the V6 is starting to sound a little gruff, almost as if it was in need of better gas, but this is the sole aural clue to its rapidly advancing mileage."
Reading this, it sounds like you're talking about a 10 year old car with 200,000 miles on the clock, not a nearly new car with 20k.
I mean really, 20k is NOTHING these days. Not even a year old, and the bushings are starting to age and wear out?
sgude says:
01:58 PM, 11/17/09
I understand what you're saying, Stingray454, but you have to remember this car is in the hands of a bunch of different drivers whose driving styles all vary, mostly on the enthusiastic side (I would reckon...).
But then again, does a car really car who is driving it? I initially started this post to disagree with you, but now that I think about it, I'm inclined to agree with you.
sgude says:
01:59 PM, 11/17/09
"does a car reallly CARE..."
captainharlock says:
04:29 AM, 11/22/09
So guys, do you recommend it for people who are used to the Lexus line of rigs?
I'm quite interested in one.
sfm5 says:
12:27 AM, 12/ 8/09
Drove one of these over the break. Although would definitely agree quite soft from the drivers seat, also had a chance to ride in the back. In the rear, impact harshness greatly increased. The rear is not nearly as comfy as the front. Probably harder to keep the rear in control, but an interesting dichotomy. Next time, try riding in the back over some cobbled roads. You'll be surprised.