After 11 months and 20,000 miles

I have now owned my black 3.8 Genesis with tech package for 11 months, and put 20,000 miles on it. I thought I would give you my impressions now after about a year and lots of driving.

I still love this car. The two things I like best about this vehicle are how quiet the cabin is, and how spacious it is. Everyone who rides in my car, either in the front seat or back, comments on how roomy and comfortable it is. I am enjoying all of the features – the NAV system is great, the sound system is excellent, etc. The other tech features work well and make the car a total pleasure to drive. And it really is a beautiful looking vehicle.

There are two things that I’m not thrilled about. 1) The car rides like a dream on smooth roads, but when I hit a manhole, or a small pothole, I get a bone-jarring bump that just about knocks my teeth out. I know this phenomenon has been discussed a lot here, but a bump driving the Genesis feels no different than a bump driving my pickup truck – and that ought not be for a car this nice. 2) When I slow down close to a stop, the light turns green, and I give the car some gas, it hesitates then jerks forward. If I slow down for a car in front of me, then give it gas before coming to a full stop, it hesitates, then kicks in with a jerk. I assume this is transmission related. At all other times the transmission shifts as smooth as silk. It has done this since it was new, so I don’t think the throttle is sticking, but maybe you mechanical folks would know better. (Has anyone else experienced this?). The dealer says it is normal.

If I were doing it all over again knowing what I know now, would I buy the Genesis? Absolutely -- without a doubt. There is no perfect car, and you get so much car for the money with the Genesis. An occasional bump has not diminished my enjoyment of this vehicle. It’s a delight to drive every day.

+1 on those advantages. We're 4-month owners, 12K miles. On a smooth road, it's eerily quiet inside--no wind noise, no engine noise, just tires on pavement. On our recent 45-day coast-to-coast-and-back drive on everything from interstates to gravel country roads, we came home with no complaints at all. We didn't have your hesitation problem, and the ride on rough roads was "ok enough", though we didn't travel roads with potholes.

A further comment on the roominess: our driving vacations are "meanders"; we never know each morning where we'll rest at night. In the middle of nowhere, that sometimes means sleeping in the car when nightfall shows us no neon. We had several such occasions, and were amazed at how comfortable the Genesis seats are when reclined. We agreed that we slept better than in any of the motels we took along the way. A nice surprise.

Wow, you do some driving! Congrats - glad the car is working out well for you.

Nice summary, very detailed. I am assuming your truck doesn't feel like silk at 130mph? Yeah life is full of compromises. 2 suggestions for you.
1) When it comes time to change the dunlops on your car, try going for an H rated tire, thats for GT all season.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/SelectTireSize.jsp?autoMake=Hyundai&autoModel=Genesis+Sedan+3.8&autoYear=2009&autoModClar=
2) Try using higher octane fuel if you are a spirited driver or wish to see if the engine/tranny responds differently.

When it came down to buying this car, I had to ask myself, what full size sedan was offered at 35k. It really came down to Maxima, ES 350, Avalon. When you look at it that way. Those cars can't compare. Ride quality is probably better sure, but you also have to deal with all the tire rubbing front wheel drive understeer. You made the right choice.

I yet to experience the bone jarring reaction to chug holes, RR tracks etc. Mine is a 4.6 tech package.. NO COMPLAINTS here. Love the car.

Mark
Ball Ground, GA

Great review/update! Thank you for posting it up! Now about your complaints - this is exactly why Toyota is as successful as it is with Lexus. This jerky suspension issue along with the hesitation issue are things that should have been worked out before such an important model was introduced. If the Lexus LS had issues like this in 1989, they would NOT be what they are today. In any event, the Genesis is an excellent vehicle that will hopefully be even better as the 2010s start rolling out...

Coug said:

There are two things that I’m not thrilled about. 1) The car rides like a dream on smooth roads, but when I hit a manhole, or a small pothole, I get a bone-jarring bump that just about knocks my teeth out. I know this phenomenon has been discussed a lot here, but a bump driving the Genesis feels no different than a bump driving my pickup truck – and that ought not be for a car this nice. 2) When I slow down close to a stop, the light turns green, and I give the car some gas, it hesitates then jerks forward. If I slow down for a car in front of me, then give it gas before coming to a full stop, it hesitates, then kicks in with a jerk. I assume this is transmission related. At all other times the transmission shifts as smooth as silk. It has done this since it was new, so I don’t think the throttle is sticking, but maybe you mechanical folks would know better. (Has anyone else experienced this?). The dealer says it is normal.

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