The Hyundai Genesis is a car that was designed specifically to defeat the attitude of men like me.
Men who used to use “Hyundai” as the punchline in anti-car jokes.
“ Fuck you. That’s my name. You know why, mister? You drove a Hyundai to get here. I drove an eighty-thousand dollar BMW. THAT’S my name. And your name is you’re wanting. You can’t play in the man’s game, you can’t close them – go home and tell your wife your troubles.”
By matching or exceeding the specs of the competition, offering a complete package at a price which outshines the competition and offering service that exceeds that offered by the competition, Hyundai has managed to capture my attention, and once again has managed to capture my checkbook.
My first business with Hyundai was actually back in 2013 when I did a 3 year lease on a loaded Hyundai Azera. Navigation system with rear camera, ultrasonic sensors, Panoramic Roof, Heated/Ventilated seats…the works. $3500 down and $425 a month with a total cost somewhere near $39,000 (but lower taxes because I purchased in New Jersey). The car performed flawlessly for the length of the lease with regular scheduled service and when I handed it back in, it still felt like it had plenty of miles to go. I sat more comfortably in the Azera than I did in the Buick Lacrosse, Taurus SHO, or Lincoln MKS, and the interior was far more upscale to the point many passengers who weren’t familiar with cars thought it was a Mercedes or Audi. The only issue that I had with the car was the lack of an AWD option. It was a missed-opportunity considering the powerful V6 under the hood. The “professional car reviewers” scoff at the steering, ride quality and some aspects of handling, but what they fail to realize is that the average driver coming from “lesser vehicles” is more interested in good gas mileage, a nice interior with luxury features, reliability, and an “easy” monthly payment. The average driver carves no corners and doesn’t understand why people go for RWD or supercharged HEMIs.
When I took back the Azera at the end of the cycle, Hyundai was more than anxious to get us into a Genesis instead of another Azera – probably to make way for the new G90 – as Hyundai takes the Genesis up the “luxury ladder” this fall.
The new deal: 3 Year lease for $3000 down and $350 a month!!! Obviously a far better deal for more car than the Azera was. (I get discounts because I have business leasing advantage, but Hyundai will do similar deals to keep you from crossing the street to a Camry, Accord or Maxima).
The interior: I can directly compare with the space of any of the three German full-sized luxury sedans. I am more comfortable driving the Genesis than the Audi A8L or the BMW 7 due to the way the door frame is cut and the available headroom. The uncompromisingly large Mercedes S-class gives me more space both front and back, but the Genesis manages to come so close that I could easily go either way. While the original 2008 Genesis’ (BH) interior was decent, it felt like the designers couldn’t decide whether they’d copy Lexus’ LS or Mercedes S-class. Most of the surface materials were great, but could have been better. The new model’s (DH) material cut/fit/finish are meticulous enough to be compared with Lexus, but not so high in quality that you’ll feel self-conscious getting them prematurely dirty.
Button layouts are straight-forward, logical and easy-to-use. The Blue-Link Navigation touchscreen of the base HTRAC lacks the “Genesis Ultimate’s” dial knob on the center console, but it all works well-enough without it. The main reason I see for the knob is not having to reach so high to input Navigation coordinates. Otherwise, every main-feature is accessible from the steering wheel. Entering an address or using the voice-activated station tuning works well-enough that most buyers wouldn’t miss the knob.
The Genesis HTRAC ultimately makes a better choice than the pricier K900 and Equus if you need AWD and don’t necessarily need rear-seat comfort features.
The Genesis is my choice when I have to drive into the city. Sitting in bumper-to-bumper Manhattan traffic and watching the fuel efficiency gauge drop like a stone in my HEMI mobiles… while the black interior materials soak up sun rays that raise their temperature to scorching levels… is no fun. While I’d rather be in our W222 S-class, there’s less fear of having to repair expensive scratches, dings and dents should they occur.
The car looks and feels great – like something that would normally cost a lot more. The panoramic roof lets in plenty of light making for a cabin that feels airy, spacious and expansive. I definitely appreciate the space afforded here more than older vehicles with cockpit-styles seating that unnecessarily bunkerized the front row (Taurus and MKS). When winter comes, the Genesis is ready to dig its way out with the AWD system and the standard heated steering wheel, and heated seats all-around.
Unfortunately, the HTRAC All-wheel-Drive system can only be paired with the V6. This 3.8-L is no slouch and produces 311 horsepower and 293 lb-ft of torque, but when you want to stand out you have to offer “more than adequate”. You have to outshine everything everyone else is doing and offer options that raise the bar. To not offer this car with an AWD V8 means that acceleration of the whole package just can’t be as good as it could have been, leaving the HTRAC V6 feeling more like a well-appointed appliance.
Acceleration to highway speed is decent enough. I can get to 60 from a dead stop in about 7 seconds. Our speed limits have been arbitrarily dropped to 25mph and due to our Orwellian camera system, anything higher than 40mph will result in a $50 ticket in the mail, courtesy of our soon-to-be-one-term-mayor, Bill de Blasio. This is a touring car. It’s not designed for racing – something even the V8-powered 420HP R-spec would get murdered at by the typical 392 HEMI rolling around. It’s not a track car either. It’s designed for any number of retirees who’ll be more-than-happy making their way from physical therapy to the golf course in comfort and quiet. I can ignore the too-thin-for-me steering wheel and the accurate, yet numb steering feel, but the harder and faster you try to drive it, the more you’ll wish for more: more power, bigger brakes and weightier steering.
The HTRAC is happy coasting on the center-lane across interstates or making its way over pothole afflicted roads. There are very few cars where I feel comfortable in all of the available seats, but the Genesis definitely won me over with its quiet, stylish and refined ride quality. It’s soft, cushy and has enough sound-deadening material in it to muffle a gunshot.
Special features includes the Blue-Link system app (Android or iOS) which can start/stop the engine, lock/unlock the doors or control the HVAC system from a smartphone. It works – when it works. It’s often slow and updates poorly over T-mobile. The system will also function from my Applewatch but still relies on the LTE connection strength to work.
Overall, the Genesis HTRAC V6 is a fantastic family sedan. I cannot speak to long term reliability, but I can say that initial reliability and daily feedback has been positive. There’s no other car that offers the interior space, interior quality, equipment, engine power, or road presence for so little money. Everything else in this class either costs more, doesn’t look as nice, isn’t as roomy or not as comfortable.