2009 Hyundai Genesis Reviews 4dr Sdn 3.8L V6 (change)

This car is deceptively roomy on the inside! Looks classy and sylish on the outside. The sound system is awesome! A true delight to drive, comfortable, fast, lots of perks for the driver and riders. A smooth, quiet ride.

Improvement Suggestions

Make it more quiet inside, when driving. Have the radio volume change with the sound outside. Locate the phone speaker closer to the driver.

What a great large car to drive! I've taken a couple of these cars out on extended drives, including a multi hour tour through the back country, and this car is a lot like a BMW 7 or Infiniti M to me. At speed this car will pull, it carries itself through corners with poise, and glides over the road soaking up miles without wearing you out. Its a great car for long trips as well as some more spirited drives.

The exterior styling is subtle, taking the best cues from other large cars like the S Class, Lexus LS, and Infinit Ms, and blending them in a cohesive manner that some may call derivative, but certainly not ugly. If anything, this car fails to stand out for its lack of unique body lines, but its waterfall grill and the sum of its parts makes for a very handsome car with a great road presence.

The interior of the car is tastefully done with real metal, leather, and soft-touch plastic everywhere you expect it. The rear seats offer plenty of space to comfortably seat adults, and the trunk will swallow massive amounts of luggage through its wide and easy access opening. My largest gripe is actually with the stalk for activating the bright or low beam HIDs - it lacks that solid feel and is the only place I've felt Hyundai stumbled on the NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) path to greatness with this car.

The many features found in this car show where Hyundai spent money to directly improve the passenger experience. One touch windows and sun roof, the auto lights and wipers, the three-way tilting side view mirrors for reverse, and the sun shade are part of a long list of features you directly benefit from. There's no 8-speed transmission, 7-setting suspension, struts holding up the trunk lid, or retractable handle to assist with closing the trunk, but thats part of why this car at $30-40 thousand dollars is is so often compared with $60-80k German sedans or Lexuses. Its a good, honest large car that doesn't put a bunch of electronic red tape between you and driving, yet makes sure the experience is pleasurable and not wanting.

Hyundai uses a relatively straightforward powertrains for its V6 and V8 models. They engines are dependable, not over engineered, and have plenty of gusto. With more aggressive gearing, the V6 accelerates with the same aplomb as its heavier big brother, and it actually handles and rides better in my estimation. Both engines get good mileage for their class and run on regular fuel, another plus.

And then there's the warranty and 5 years of excellent reliability ratings. Why anyone would buy an Accord EX-L or Avalon over this car escapes me.

Improvement Suggestions

There's not much to fault with the Genesis - its a car that competes on price with cars that can't come close to its complete package of size, power, amenities and finish, or cars that can't compete on price because they cost thousands of dollars more for those very amenities. That said, there are a few things i'd like to see added to this car to round it out.

First, add laminated glass to the rear windows as well. The front laminated glass is great for insulating the car, but having ridden in cars with fully laminated greenhouses, I think its worth the cost to make the Genesis that much more vault-like.

Second, I'd like an adjustable suspension. As great as it is, I think being able to select between distinct comfort and sport modes will do a lot to widen the appeal of this vehicle, which rides much like a large BMW or Infiniti, not a Buick or Lexus.

Third, even for the base model, this car should have HIDs. Offering them as an option only on the highest package is a shame considering how great HIDs are and how easy they are to install.

Excellent value for the dollar. Best vehicle sound system on the market today. Technolgy package is superb.

If you are wooried about getting 30 miles to the gallon in all types of driving conditions do not by this car. (4.6) 28 MPH on the highway but about 14 -16 mph in DC type driving conditions.Overall I get about 20 MPH per tank in general driving conditions.

Improvement Suggestions

Improve the smotthness of the drivetrain. Change the side view mirrors to accomodate for a greater field of vision.

Hyundai finally has a car to compete with all of the other large Asian manufacturers!

When I first saw this vehicle, I was in a shopping mall parking lot and I had no clue what it was. My first thought was that it was a new Maybach or something of the sort. Wow I was really surprised to see the Hyundai name on the back of this car. I first saw the grill and that's what had me confused since they didn't put their "H" on the front this time.

I love the curvature of the dash, the center flat screen data center, the interior color contrast and the view from the drivers seat. Excellent work Hyundai!

The body looks like a $150,000 car. The rims are something that you would normally see on a high-priced import. Plenty of trunk space and the cabin is very roomy. This car just may actually put Huyndai ahead of some of the large automakers finally.

Improvement Suggestions

Nice job Hyundai! I am confused at why they weren't proud enough of this car to put the "H" on the front.