Just drove the Hyundai Genesis 2011
So I am currently looking for a new vehicle. My two main choices after driving a few rides are the BMW 328 and now the Genesis.
I drove the V8 which apparently has 375 HP first. I wasn't actually interested in the V8 Genesis and didn't even know thats what they had put me in. I really don't need to spend the money on that extra engine since I am only driving 20 miles a week now.
I then drove the V6. MAAAAN! Both of these cars have some SERIOUS power. I was floored. They both literally threw me back in the seat. This car is a VERY un-assuming car. It is smooth, incredibly quiet, and fully loaded for about 20K less than the BMW 5-Series BASE series (which they are competing against).
Now - for that damn Hyundai name! The dealer I went to does change out the decals to a "Genesis" decal and strips the Hyundai ones, which is nice. Those emblems actually look like a Bentley. I know it sounds snobby, but the Hyundai name just doesnt sound as good as BMW or Mercedes. Sorry. They do have some serious branding to re-do on the car, because it deserves it. The Hyundai Genesis is SICK. The more and more I think about it the more I want it. I am going to be driving the 328 during the weekend again so I will have a good comparison.
One thing I wasn't crazy about - the dash. Not the speed area (its sleek) but the entertainment and control area in the center. I felt it looked a little older and could be more hip/sleek. I am 28, so maybe this car is a bit older for me? I dont know. Either way, it is on the top of the list for sure.
Any comments from current Hyundai Genesis owners are appreciated! Or even BMW owners.
Tags: Hyundai Genesis, Hyundai Genesis review
Views: 1591
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ron Johnson on -
Great day Drew and welcome to the world of disturbed complacency.....Genesis Style!
I have owned my 2009 Genesis 4.6 with digital for 2 years with nothing but raves for the car. In the two years of driving it, I have seen less that a dozen of them on the road but lately, they are becoming more prolific. As a famous man once said, "Eeeeuuuuu...there are too many Lexii and Bmwiiii out there....they all look alike."
Wherever I go, people come up to me asking about my Bentley (the wings). And then I explain, "this car is like Toyota's Lexus and Nissan's Infiniti....except it is more than just lipstick. This car is totally different and is made by Hyundai and is badged a Genesis in Korea. They chose to keep the Hyundai badging for a few years due to the cost of building a brand." Everyone understands that and most people reply, "Yes. Hyundai has really come a long long way in the last few years." You will become an evangelizer and for a darn good reason.
I spent several years in the car audio industry. This Lexicon factory system is as good as any $10k aftermarket system I have heard AND it plays MP3's and DVD's! It rocks!
As you can visually see, the Genesis sedan is a styling blend of the Mercedes 300 series, the BMW 5 series, and the Lexus 460. Inside, it has all the high end benefits. Only thing is they could have made a cooler in the passenger seat and powered mirrors.
I have changed the boot badging, the wheel badging, and the steering wheel badging to Genesis. The only place it says Hyundai is on the handheld keyswitch.
Finally, all the Hyundai dealers have been instructed to "drop everything and get the Genesis customer in and out." My treatment at my dealer is akin to the treatment I received at the Infiniti, Lexus, and Mercedes dealer when I owned them.
Get yourself the 4.6 Digital package and head out looking for heavy Mustangs and Camaros. They won't know what hit them as you look at them in your rear-view mirror.
Drew, you will love this car!
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on -
Ron!! What a response! Ya, I have really been considering this car more and more. I am going to go drive the Audi A5 next week just to get a final "car I like" comparison. I've driven them all now, so I will be able to make a pretty informed choice!
Awesome that you lvoe yours so much. The dealership was pretty nice as well. The couple of sales guys that were on the lot seemed a bit 'salesy', but overall a good experience. The dealer that was helping me had been with the brand for 10 years or something and commented on how he has seen the brand change dramatically in quality and style.
The badging - I agree - looks like Bentley when they change it out!!!
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Permalink Reply by Zach G on -
So, did they get you?
I drove a Sonata as a rental while my car in shop. Pretty nice vehicle...EXTREMELY quiet. I could not tell the engine was running while stopped in traffic.
I have seen a grand total of 3 Genesis's (Genesi?) on the street. Or maybe I have seen more and mistook them for another brand?
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on
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Yup - now that I am looking out for them I have seen at least 3 as well in the last week......
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Permalink Reply by Ron Johnson on
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I've had Audi's in the past.....IMHO, today's Audi interior looks and feels "cheap" by comparison to the Genesis. Just looked at a Q7 and was really disappointed.
May I recommend you take a minute to visit with the Service Manager and get his take on the Genesis experience. I'm finding the Hyundai floor sales guys are way out of their league when it comes to the finer points of dealing with a fine car buyer.
One has to ask oneself, "Why is Hyundai the only car company with 20% sales increases in the last year and who are they taking it from?"
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Permalink Reply by Bobb N on -
Hi guys. Great discussion here. Let me qualify this by first stating, and a few of you already know this, that my wife has worked for Hyundai since 1987, the year they came to the US. I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around the comments in this thread about rebadging what you all seem to agree is a fine automobile. When I started seeing the Sonata, a boatload of Santa Fe's, and now the Genesis sedans showing up in the driveways and driving down the streets of upscale neighborhoods around Chicagoland, I realized that the "stigma" of the H logo is gone, with the exception of a few who somehow believe that people will, and who really cares, look down on them for owning a Hyundai. The brand is, and has been, an intelligent choice for many, many years. The automotive press had been painfully slow on the uptake of this fact, but has finally come around to the realities and certainly this is to the delight of the manufacturer. I say drive the brand proudly, H's and all. People are beginning to compare as you have said, and have begun to seriously question (rightly so, I say) what the 10, 20 or 30 thousand dollar advantage is to the brands/models that Hyundai sites as the competition. My wife and I drove Bimmers for years, but as Hyundai began to seriously address quality and design, we took a good hard look at what was happening. When was that? Our last Bimmer purchase still has a place in the garage. It's a 1998.
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Permalink Reply by Steve on -
Excellently put Bobb!
This upcoming superbowl commercial from VW does a good job for an older iconic brand that will be releasing a new version
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Permalink Reply by Ron Johnson on
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Well put Bobb....
When I bought my Genesis, over 2 years ago, re-badging was all-the-rage on the Genesis boards and around Houston. "Installing the factory logos that Hyundai didn't" was the mantra.
You're right in that folks are beginning to understand the value that Hyundai brings to the table and because of this, I'm now seeing at least one Genesis a week.
Go Hyundai! Keep up the great work!
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Permalink Reply by Ron Johnson on
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Love it Steve. Thanks!
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on
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Bob and Ron - I can def see that Hyundai is making a strong push with higher quality cars, no doubt. I'm just not sure if everyone is actually seeing it...yet. I think that Mercedes, BMW, Lexus (another brand that came from a 'Toyota' stigma) and the like have put a lot of money and time getting their brand names to where they are today. It will simply take time. My friends have "heard" of the AMAZING quality of the Genesis, but they have yet to ride or drive one. I think once they do they will also see. It will just take time.
My real question would be - why are they re-branding it in the UK? The Hyundai dealer told me that they don't even come off the line with the Hyundai badging, rather, they come direct with Genesis badging. I'm not sure of the sales numbers there - but I would be curious to know if the percentages are better there than elsewhere.
I drove that car and have a COMPLETE different respect for the brand. AMAZING quality and drives like a dream.
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Permalink Reply by Bobb N on
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I know in the home market, the Genesis models, that is, the sedan, the coupe, and the Equus all have the Bentley-like badging, and on the sedans, the hood ornament is a chrome flying something that would no doubt be laughable here in the US and they wisely left that off for our market. The company is keenly aware of the perceptions in the US, past and present, aware of the major blog sites that are both supportive and harshly critical of the Hyundai brand, and the company responds to these with mid model run tweaks and refresh treatments. Over the years, we have been asked our opinions of the cars we drive, and we have seen first hand, our criticism addressed the next model year if not before. The brand is well received in Europe, Asia, India, and the African nations and doesn't carry the "stigma" that it has here. I wasn't aware that the Genesis badging is used in Europe, but it's a good question to pursue...and I will. I know the company has not completely tabled the discussion of a separate brand, and my wife and I have been intrigued from the start with the way they chose to play it out in the US. Perhaps they knew something long range that will have us all scratching our heads going "oh...I get it ".
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