2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan 3.8 V6

Summary:

BEST value in used cars... if you can deal with rear wheel drive

Faults:

Rear brakes needed replacing... nothing else has ever gone wrong.

General Comments:

If you can deal with (or prefer?) rear-wheel drive, this is an amazing vehicle, and a fairly well kept secret. The 3.8 engine is wonderfully silky smooth, and very powerful. This car passes in a heartbeat, and will keep up with Charger RT hemi's on the highway (not kidding).

The Sedans are all loaded, my car does not have joystick controls or navigation, which I do not need anyhow.

The suspension is a bit firm, and you feel rough pavement (like all newer cars now-days).

Gas mileage is fair, and my wife achieved 30 MPG on the highway on a 5 hour trip; I generally average 24 MPG in mixed driving... not bad for a car that is every-bit a BMW or Mercedes in style and performance. The 3.8 is equipped with perhaps the best 6 speed transmission built - by Aisin (Borg-Warner Japan company).

If you live in snow country - you WILL NEED winter tires - or at minimum run VERY high quality all season tires... do NOT try to run basic touring tires in snow - you WILL end up in ditch or in an accident!

All in all, I spent $7000 for this car and have put on over 30000 miles with ZERO trouble...

I am a believer!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th November, 2019

14th Dec 2020, 18:06

Hi there, could you provide an update regarding your experience with your Genesis since the review was written?

I am looking at buying one.

Thanks.

2013 Hyundai Genesis Base Sedan 3.8L V6

Summary:

Overall this Genesis is a great combination of comfort, handling, and power. Love it!

Faults:

This car is still very new, and I have had no problems with it at all.

General Comments:

I took a year to try to make a decision on whether or not to buy a Hyundai Genesis or a Toyota Avalon (much to my wife's disgust). I had been driving a Grand Marquis for 12 years and they quit making them, so this was a big decision for me. I finally test drove a used 2011 Genesis over 3 sets of railroad tracks, and that was when I decided on a Genesis. I wanted a good ride and I had noticed that Toyota had changed the ride on the 2013 Avalon, and it definitely was not as smooth as a 2012 Avalon. I do not regret not buying the Avalon one bit.

The power in the 333 HP V6 is unbelievable. I love it when my wife goes to sleep and I can crank it up. I was even caught by my daughter in the back seat with her GPS. "Dad you are going 92 mph".

I have no idea why anyone would want to buy the Genesis with the 5.0L V8 with 429 HP. I was told by one Hyundai dealer that most of them are retired pilots. Ha.

I am getting 27.5 MPG on highway trips and I doubt the car is broken in yet. My brother has a 2012 and he got 32 MPG on a trip from Denver to Wichita. I was shocked since that is over the EPA estimate of 28 MPG. I do put my foot into this car, and I believe if I would quit it, that my mileage would improve.

The more I drive this Genesis, the more I like it. I had not intended on buying a new one at all, but at the end of the year a small town Texas dealer knocked off $9,000 off MSRP and I bought the new one.

I am not the type of individual who gets a car serviced at a dealer, I use a private mechanic, but I needed to get a smart key programed for this car and the dealer only charged me $26 for the programing. I was very surprised, because friends of mine have told me how they have had to pay $150 and up at car dealers for a programing fee, and that did not include the key. I read recently that Hyundai has become the #1 inexpensive cars to repair and moved Toyota to #2. From my experience so far, I believe it.

I am totally impressed with the 8 speed transmission. It is extremely smooth and I cannot feel many of the shifts. I have even tried watching the tach to tell when it is shifting.

My 1st impression of the 7 speaker base sound system was that it was just average, but after I spent a short time tweaking it to my likes, I am impressed with it also. Definitely plenty of bass. I am glad I did not spent an extra $4,500 for the Premium Package.

I am 64 years old and I'm driving like I did when I was 25. This car seems to be faster than my daughter's 1993 Mazda MX6 with a large V6. Yes, it will probably take a speeding ticket to slow me down.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th February, 2014

27th Feb 2014, 12:09

Great initial review; I've been looking at the Genesis coupe myself. Please keep us posted on reliability and service.

3rd Mar 2014, 06:09

I bought the Genesis sedan and not the coupe.

1st May 2015, 02:33

I went today with someone to look for a 2015 Sonata, so while in the show room I sat in a Genesis sedan and had a look. It seems it was a 'base' model, with black leather of fine but not spectacular quality and some terrible wood(?) trims that looked and felt exactly like the cheapest laminate flooring that's sold at your local hardware store.

The interior was surprisingly small in the front seats for a car this class; it seemed similar to the one in Sonata. The center console looked cheap; nothing compared with a Mercedes or BMW. The one in the 2015 Sonata looks better (although the one in the Hybrid version of the 2015 Sonata also looks cheap). But what was more shocking is that some of the center console knobs as well as the knobs for the seat adjustment did not have a 'tight' feeling; they felt like they were about to fall off.

The front seats were OK in comfort, while the rear seats were very comfortable, but the rear leg room was nearly the same as in the Sonata. Sitting in the back, the dimensions and even the looks were rather similar to a Honda Accord.

The metal sheet on the door panel is thin and feels like it will easily dent when someone will be slamming it with his door in a parking lot.

I'm 6'1. In the Sonata, Elantra and Genesis there was barely head room with the seat at a normal driving position. The Genesis has the least head room of all; with the same seat height adjustment, my head was basically touching the ceiling.

All in all, only by the way the interior looks, I don't see how this car can compete as a luxury brand at this tag price.