Long-Term Road Tests

When I got into the Genesis last night and fired it up to go pick up my preschooler, I pushed the radio knob once to turn on the radio, but all that greeted me was silence. The nav screen indicated that the radio was, indeed, on, but there was nothing coming out of the speakers. Even if I turned the volume knob all the way up (see picture above), nuthin. I switched around from satellite to FM to AM, and still bupkis. I turned the radio off and then back on again. Zilch. I searched for a "mute" button that I may have inadvertently pushed. Nope; there isn't one. While at a stoplight, I even pulled out the manual to see if there was a troubleshooting section for "If your radio is silent," but I couldn't find one before the light turned green.

After I got to the kid's preschool and cinched her in her car seat, I started the car up again and the radio instantly came to life, like nothing had ever happened. Sounds like one of Dan Edmunds' "reboot" situations that we've seen with other cars? Everything was fine when I started it up this morning, too.

Bryn MacKinnon, Senior Editor, Edmunds.com

Categories: 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6

Below are the fuel economy numbers for October 2009. We've listed the best, worst and overall average tanks.

As usual, a couple of cars are out on the road or unavailable at the time of this writing. I'll continue to add them as they come in and let you know in the comments.

After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.

Continue reading Big List of Fuel Economy: October 2009 .

Categories: 2007 Honda Civic GX,2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR,2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2009 Audi A4 Avant,2009 Audi S5,2009 BMW 750i,2009 BMW M3,2009 Dodge Challenger R/T,2009 Dodge Ram 1500,2009 Ford Flex Limited,2009 Honda Fit Sport,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6,2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD,2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring,2009 Nissan 370Z Touring,2009 Nissan GT-R,2009 Suzuki SX4,2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS,2010 Honda Insight EX,2010 Mazdaspeed 3,2010 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD

I had our long-term 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6 over the weekend and kept noticing that the doors were unlocked while I was driving.

I like having the doors lock automatically for three reasons:
1. I usually forget to lock them myself
2. I'm used to having the car do it for me since most new vehicles have this feature
3. I don't care for uninvited guests in my vehicle

C'mon Hyundai -- how could you leave this feature out?

It turns out I should never have doubted our Genesis.

Continue reading 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6: Auto door locks.

Categories: 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6

I rarely get to drive our 2009 Hyundai Genesis so every time I get into it it feels like the first time. So pardon me if I'm saying something that's already been covered before. But last night when I first opened its doors and those bright LEDs lit up, I couldn't help but exclaim, "Wowwww!" It's so luxurious...and it's a Hyundai!

This is definitely a lonnng way from the Hyundai Excel I used to own back in the day. Now it has interior materials that look and feel high-quality. Features like a power tilt-telescoping steering wheel, cooled/heated driver seat, XM radio and Bluetooth, too?

I had never really quite recovered from my ol' Excel even though Hyundai had improved its products awhile ago and I've jumped in several Hyundais since then. And, I know a beater hatchback and a loaded sedan are vastly different, but I would never have recommended Hyundai before now. Actually my dad is looking for a new sedan. I think he'd really love this one.

Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 18,202 miles

Categories: 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6

Had a friend in town over the weekend who just bought a two-year old BMW 5 Series. It's his third BMW in a row and he loves it. Given his car owning history, I was curious what he might think of our Genesis since it's pretty close in price, size and performance to his 528i.

His initial reaction was pretty standard. He said, "Looks pretty good, better than I would have expected from a Hyundai." As we drove around L.A. he started to notice some of the Hyundai's smaller details like the iPod interface, the LED interior lights and how quiet it is on the highway. "Hmm...this thing really is nice. Feels like it's built solid too."

At one point, I let him drive for a bit to get the final word. "Wow, this has way more power than my BMW. Rides a little too soft, but my wife would probably love it. I'm pretty surprised though, it's really a much better car than I would have ever imagined."

Like I said, that's a pretty standard refrain when it comes to the Genesis, but when it you hear it from a long-time BMW owner you know Hyundai is headed in the right direction.

Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line @ 17,657 miles

Categories: 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6

The layout of the Genesis' display screen has always struck me as being a bit counterintuitive, at least as far as it relates to the radio and HVAC.

Instead of having it be an afterthought at the bottom of the page, I'd rather have the song title be where the "Category" info currently is.

And I'd really like for there to be a full-screen display showing HVAC settings when the climate control is being adjusted. As it stands right now, all you get is is a narrow bar at the top of the screen (shown above) -- as it's presented, the info is kinda hard to read when you're driving.

But these are minor gripes concerning an otherwise pretty stellar car.

Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor

Categories: 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6

Our 2009 Hyundai Genesis adopts the same interior lighting tradeoff found in our old Veracruz, about which I've already whined.

But allow me to re-whine. The instrument cluster is too bright at night, even when dimmed to the lowest setting. And when you peg the dimmer low like that, the little blue-lit buttons elsewhere in the cabin are all but illegible. Letters lit in blue have poor edge definition and so look fuzzy.

Hyundais get blue and Kias get red as a means to differentiate them. I get it, but it's silly. Form should follow function when it comes to information. Give Hyundais red backlighting, or anything other than blue.

At least the two primary gauges above didn't fall victim to this blue nonsense.

Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor @ 17,520 miles.

Categories: 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6

Floor mats? We're talking about floor mats?

Well, why not? After all, Toyota just issued a humungous recall of 3.8 million vehicles because of a link between floor mats and sticking throttles. And I received a lot of questions in the immediate aftermath of that announcement, such as: Is this a Toyota-specific issue?

Well, this recall is specific to Toyota and Lexus, but my mind flashes back to numerous times when my own floor mats got fowled with the pedals in several of my personal vehicles over the years, Toyota and non-Toyota alike. And I know of the fear and panic that can come with a stuck throttle experience, because it happened to me at top speed on a racetrack, though that incident wasn't quite floor mat related.

So I grabbed a dozen random keys to some of our long-term test cars to see what I could see. No Toyota keys were handy, though. I'll catch the Prius later.

Before we make the jump, take a gander at the photo above. This is a typical Toyota/Lexus floor mat installation: An top-hinged "pendulum-style" gas pedal is paired with a generous cut-out in the mat to produce a large clearance. The floor mat is kept from creeping forward by two plastic hooks just in front of the seat. As long as it remains hooked and the floor mat is the right size and shape, things should be fine.

Moving on, in alphabetical order...

Continue reading Floor Mat Walkaround.

Categories: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2009 BMW 750i,2009 BMW M3,2009 Dodge Challenger R/T,2009 Ford Flex Limited,2009 Honda Fit Sport,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6,2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD,2009 Nissan 370Z Touring,2009 Suzuki SX4,2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS,2010 Honda Insight EX

Below are the fuel economy numbers for September 2009. We've listed the best, worst and overall average tanks.

As always, a couple of cars are out on the road or unavailable at the time of this writing. I'll continue to add them as they come in and let you know in the comments.

After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.

Continue reading Big List of Fuel Economy: September 2009.

Categories: 2007 Honda Civic GX,2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR,2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2009 Audi A4 Avant,2009 Audi S5,2009 BMW 750i,2009 BMW M3,2009 Dodge Challenger R/T,2009 Dodge Ram 1500,2009 Ford Flex Limited,2009 Honda Fit Sport,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6,2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD,2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring,2009 Nissan 370Z Touring,2009 Nissan GT-R,2009 Suzuki SX4,2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS,2010 Honda Insight EX

A few notes of correction from the Genesis post from earlier. The battery is in fact located in the trunk, not under the shock tower somewhere.

Also, a negative lead is not necessary to boost another car. Any piece of exposed metal will do the trick, as several commenters have already pointed out. I've boosted cars using my personal car many times, and it has a rear-mounted battery and a front-mounted positive battery terminal. I attach the negative to a fatter-than-usual bolt conveniently placed nearby. 

The Genesis' set-up actually makes getting or giving a boost easier since it doesn't matter which way the car is pointing when it dies.

James Riswick, Automotive Editor

Categories: 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6

My personal vehicle's battery discharged over the weekend; I needed a jump.
Lucky for me, I had our long-term 2009 Hyundai Genesis.

Now where's that battery at?

Is this thing going to be difficult?

Continue reading 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6: Another pleasant surprise.

Categories: 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6

Wrapping up the week with another What You Said.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS: No Remote Start

Why Ask Why?
By lowmilelude on September 21, 2009 7:25 AM
"Why does someone in California need a remote starter?"
For the same reason anyone would want fog lights, MP3 inputs, automatic wipers, seat warmers, seat coolers, power windows, a convertible top, steering wheel controls, cup holders, back-up sensors, mult-zone climate control, navigation, or anything else that doesn't come standard on, I don't know; a 1977 CJ 7. It just makes driving that much more comfortable and/or fun.

Full disclosure: Had remote start on a manual transmission in my previous vehicle, and I live near the beach. It was meh. Used it a handful of times when I first got the car, then never used it again.

2009 Hyundai Genesis V6: Passes the Trunk Test

Fill 'Er Up
By tjpark01 on September 21, 2009 9:28 AM
The trunk is cavernous in this car. I worried about the rear seats not folding when I bot it, but it does have a pass through. Brought home a 10 foot pool net last week, no problem. Is there a better 35k car out there?

By stovt001 on September 21, 2009 11:33 AM
The hinges barely take up any room anyway. That is one really nicely designed trunk. Pay attention GM.

More after the jump...

Continue reading What You Said (9/20-9/26).

Categories: 2008 BMW 135i,2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe,2009 Audi S5,2009 BMW 750i,2009 BMW M3,2009 Dodge Ram 1500,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6,2009 Mini E,2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS

Thanks to sherief for this week's favorite caption.

Here are the others that made us giggle:

Drive it, Relish it! (ergsum)
The competion will have to Ketchup. (ergsum)
Jeremy Clarkson: "So what do they sell here, M3 Drivers?" (lowmilelude)
Ancient Korean proverb says that too many wieners eaten can give one a multi-link rear suspension. (ergsum)
Dog-length buns and bun-length seats: a necessary combination. (eidolways)
That's one way to improve your gas mileage. (altimadude00)
The Genesis visits the CNG refilling station. (altimadude00)
Seoul Food (ergsum)
GI Tract testing of the Genesis. (stpawyfrmdonut)
Genesis owners are not impressed with the quality of the local Hyundai dealership. (dougtheeng)
When I said fill up with gas... (mnorm1)
Yes, as a matter of fact, my first name is Oscar. (mnorm1)
So, this is entry level luxury (mnorm1)

What was your favorite?

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Categories: 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6

Dan Edmunds has ranted in this space about the pain of not having music from an iPod pause when a call comes in over a car's Bluetooth system. Add the 2009 Hyundai Genesis to the list of offenders.

Driving back from the desert yesterday while listening to Wilco's killer new album on my iPod, a call came in. And when it ended I found I'd missed out on a few minutes of music. No big deal, since I could just go back to the track I was on.

But when another call came in I found that there isn't a quick and easy way to pause the music. While the steering-wheel controls allow skipping forward and back, there's no pause button. If you do want to pause the music, you have to go deeper into the iPod menu, as shown above. (The previous menu is pictured below.)

A minor gripe, but as in yesterday's (positive) post on the ease of pairing a phone with the Bluetooth system in the Genesis, these little things add up to whether owning and operating a car is enjoyable over the long term.

Doug Newcomb, Senior Editor, Technology, Edmunds.com

Categories: 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6

Test Driver Josh Jacquot sent me this photo from his trip in the 2009 Hyundai Genesis.

We suggest: Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Hyundai

What's your caption?

We'll post our favorite at 4:00 PM.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Categories: 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6