musher51
Been here awhile...
Like a few other old-timers here, I recently passed the one-year mark since I bought my Genesis and I thought I’d offer a short overview of my first year of ownership.
I was just 200 miles short of 20,000 on the anniversary date of August 2, and I’d estimate that I put on 99% of those miles myself (no mean feat since I’m driving the first automatic transmission I’ve had in nearly 30 years, which means EVERYONE I know can…and wants to…drive my Genesis -- which is the ONLY thing I miss about my previous cars!).
Key positives:
- Workmanship / Fit & Finish – a remarkably nice job for HMA’s first real foray into this realm (Azera and VeraCruz notwithstanding). While the only issues I’ve had with the car fall into this category, both incidents were minor and readily resolved by the dealer (intermittent failure of the fuel door to open and misaligned seals on the driver’s door). Considering I’m used to driving expensive European or Japanese cars, the build quality of my Genesis is very comparable (and in some cases superior) to every other car I’ve owned over the past 20 years.
- Engine/Transmission – If V8s had been available a year ago, I’m sure I would have bought one (particularly with just a $2K price delta). In retrospect, I’m glad that only V6s were available at the time, as I’m completely content with the performance of this engine and don’t lament the fact that I’m missing out on two more cylinders and 85 more ponies. The V6 delivers sufficient power and very reasonable economy. I’m particularly impressed with this car’s ability to go from 70 to 90+ MPH in just a few seconds. 30+ MPG on long freeway trips makes my day, too. I was able to mitigate my "Tau envy” for the most part by retrofitting a couple of V8-unique features onto my car (e.g. chrome door strips and illuminated door sills).
- Tech Pkg – I’d hate to be without it. Not only does the Tech Pkg get you the upgraded audio system, but I’m very pleased with all other elements of the electronics. Even though I don’t program a destination into the nav system very often, I’ve become quite addicted to the reassuring presence of the map, which clarifies at a glance where I am or where I need to turn. I’m also very fond of the voice recognition system and use it extensively to manipulate the audio and phone systems. The iDrive-like controller is very intuitive to operate (not just my opinion, but shared by the many co-pilots that have occupied the passenger seat).
- Value – as long-time forum members may recall from my earliest postings, the single most compelling aspect of this car – then and now – is its extraordinary value. The Genesis cost nearly $25K less than the BMW 530i that it replaced (not even accounting for the fact that the purchases were six years apart). I continue to be amazed by the value proposition of this car. Simply put, I can’t believe the combination of performance, comfort and features (and roominess!) I got for the price I paid. I can’t imagine what would compel me to buy a German car again. Unless HMA somehow 'loses the recipe', I expect to be a Hyundai owner for the foreseeable future.
- Bonus - No brake dust (if you’ve owned BMWs, you’ll understand how appealing this is).
Key Negatives:
- The ride is rough on certain roadways. This issue has gotten considerable press with little consensus. My take? I’m content with the ride 99+% of the time. The only exceptions are (relatively rare) sections of freeway -- exclusively concrete -- where the car tends to “porpoise”. Given that I drive on the same roads 95% of the time, I know where these spots are, avoid them when I can, and can live with them otherwise. For my part, the ostensibly-flawed Genesis suspension is just a minor annoyance, not a deal-breaker.
- The only other things I can list as negatives are a series of minor oversights, such as:
* Water drainage into the trunk after rain or a car wash
* The memory feature periodically loses track of the steering wheel setting
* The fast-forward/reverse function on the steering wheel doesn’t work
* Lack of cooled passenger seat
* I would have preferred a stock tire other than the Dunlops (heck, my snow tires ride better)
All in all, the past year has afforded me the most pleasant car ownership experience I’ve ever had. In the past, every new car I’ve bought has lost that intangible “new car magic” within a few weeks -- or a couple of months at most. But heading into Year 2 of Genesis ownership, I’ll admit I still get a little smile on my face as I approach my car, even after 20,000 miles. Not even custom-ordered BMWs did that for me.
Congratulations, Hyundai, you’ve designed and built a helluva car! I'm looking forward to the next 20,000 miles...
I was just 200 miles short of 20,000 on the anniversary date of August 2, and I’d estimate that I put on 99% of those miles myself (no mean feat since I’m driving the first automatic transmission I’ve had in nearly 30 years, which means EVERYONE I know can…and wants to…drive my Genesis -- which is the ONLY thing I miss about my previous cars!).
Key positives:
- Workmanship / Fit & Finish – a remarkably nice job for HMA’s first real foray into this realm (Azera and VeraCruz notwithstanding). While the only issues I’ve had with the car fall into this category, both incidents were minor and readily resolved by the dealer (intermittent failure of the fuel door to open and misaligned seals on the driver’s door). Considering I’m used to driving expensive European or Japanese cars, the build quality of my Genesis is very comparable (and in some cases superior) to every other car I’ve owned over the past 20 years.
- Engine/Transmission – If V8s had been available a year ago, I’m sure I would have bought one (particularly with just a $2K price delta). In retrospect, I’m glad that only V6s were available at the time, as I’m completely content with the performance of this engine and don’t lament the fact that I’m missing out on two more cylinders and 85 more ponies. The V6 delivers sufficient power and very reasonable economy. I’m particularly impressed with this car’s ability to go from 70 to 90+ MPH in just a few seconds. 30+ MPG on long freeway trips makes my day, too. I was able to mitigate my "Tau envy” for the most part by retrofitting a couple of V8-unique features onto my car (e.g. chrome door strips and illuminated door sills).
- Tech Pkg – I’d hate to be without it. Not only does the Tech Pkg get you the upgraded audio system, but I’m very pleased with all other elements of the electronics. Even though I don’t program a destination into the nav system very often, I’ve become quite addicted to the reassuring presence of the map, which clarifies at a glance where I am or where I need to turn. I’m also very fond of the voice recognition system and use it extensively to manipulate the audio and phone systems. The iDrive-like controller is very intuitive to operate (not just my opinion, but shared by the many co-pilots that have occupied the passenger seat).
- Value – as long-time forum members may recall from my earliest postings, the single most compelling aspect of this car – then and now – is its extraordinary value. The Genesis cost nearly $25K less than the BMW 530i that it replaced (not even accounting for the fact that the purchases were six years apart). I continue to be amazed by the value proposition of this car. Simply put, I can’t believe the combination of performance, comfort and features (and roominess!) I got for the price I paid. I can’t imagine what would compel me to buy a German car again. Unless HMA somehow 'loses the recipe', I expect to be a Hyundai owner for the foreseeable future.
- Bonus - No brake dust (if you’ve owned BMWs, you’ll understand how appealing this is).
Key Negatives:
- The ride is rough on certain roadways. This issue has gotten considerable press with little consensus. My take? I’m content with the ride 99+% of the time. The only exceptions are (relatively rare) sections of freeway -- exclusively concrete -- where the car tends to “porpoise”. Given that I drive on the same roads 95% of the time, I know where these spots are, avoid them when I can, and can live with them otherwise. For my part, the ostensibly-flawed Genesis suspension is just a minor annoyance, not a deal-breaker.
- The only other things I can list as negatives are a series of minor oversights, such as:
* Water drainage into the trunk after rain or a car wash
* The memory feature periodically loses track of the steering wheel setting
* The fast-forward/reverse function on the steering wheel doesn’t work
* Lack of cooled passenger seat
* I would have preferred a stock tire other than the Dunlops (heck, my snow tires ride better)
All in all, the past year has afforded me the most pleasant car ownership experience I’ve ever had. In the past, every new car I’ve bought has lost that intangible “new car magic” within a few weeks -- or a couple of months at most. But heading into Year 2 of Genesis ownership, I’ll admit I still get a little smile on my face as I approach my car, even after 20,000 miles. Not even custom-ordered BMWs did that for me.
Congratulations, Hyundai, you’ve designed and built a helluva car! I'm looking forward to the next 20,000 miles...
