Didn't you buy a Buick? I think everyone knows how you feel about Hyundai already.

Let me guess.......if you had a half a glass of water....................is it half full or half empty? I'm thinking the reply would be completely empty.

I finally had my opportunity to test drive the Genesis, both the V6 and V8 at the ride & drive event, this past Saturday, held at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. At the event, for competitive comparisons, they featured the Cadillac CTS and the Mercedes E550.

First up, was the CTS, a 3.6L DI V6@304 HP. The first test on this course was the “Wet Test”; this was designed to see how well the traction control technology was implemented in the CTS. Although it seemed to work well, it sounded as if there was a lot of commotion occurring underneath the car. It certainly didn't sound smooth or behave as if it was well balanced but it got the job done. Throttle response was good however, but the handling was not as agile, neither was there any spare room in the cabin. Talk about tight interior space!

After the CTS, I drove a Genesis V6 with Tech package, its 3.8L V6 @290 HP was under foot. It passed the “Wet Test” with nary a hint of protest as the traction control kicked in almost immediately and any wheel slippage was instantly buffeted and controlled, so much so, that it was barely perceptible! The handling felt very well balanced and much tighter than the CTS throughout the course! Certainly, the Caddy should’ve been able to manage this much better than the Genesis, since its MSRP is at least $10k more.

Next up was the Mercedes E550, a 5.5 V8 with 382 HP and like the Genesis does not offer Direct Injection. It aced the Wet Test, just as smooth as the Genesis. The throttle response was excellent and the handling felt superb, especially when throwing it through the angled curves of the course. This car made me smile. However, although it displayed tight and nimble handling, once again because of the relatively tight confines, it left me wanting, as in more room especially for the extra $30k!

Ok, so now, up comes, the Genesis V8, Tech Package, featuring its 4.6L and 375 HP. Save the best for last right? Well apart from the Wet Test, which it once again traversed with hardly a murmur, the throttle was almost equal to the E550, the handling did not feel as tight, but it certainly never felt as if it would slip from under me and wherever I pushed it in the course, especially on the turns, it obeyed, giving me more confidence as it accelerated out of the turns.

The brakes on all were very good, but extra credit goes to both the E550 and the Genesis. I rated the Genesis’ quiet ride and handling to be exceptional. Given the price point of both the CTS and E550, I somehow expected these cars to outdo the Genesis because that is exactly what anyone would expect. Somehow that didn’t happen and that is what the biggest surprise is for me about my experience with the Genesis.

It gives you all this room, tight fit and finish, excellent handling, a luxury ride and yet still delivers value-over-badge. Comparing it to vehicles in the same class, I think the Genesis succeeds at delivering. If I had any doubts about this vehicle it was erased after my test drive experience.

Anyone looking for more than what the Genesis has to offer will need to spend even more. The question is why?

So I finally did my test drive this past Saturday, as I was waiting on a Tech PKG unit to come in (local dealer in Jacksonville FL).

I spent a good 40 minutes messing around with the electronics, and brought a standard CD, a self-burned MP3 CD, and a USB thumb drive loaded with music in two folders. I found the knob/button combination for managing the electronics pretty intuituve - better and easier than what BMW has right now. I was expecting just "pretty good" being expereinced with the BMW layout, and I was very happy with it. If asked to rate it I'd give it a 9 out of 10.

I found the GPS to be pretty good - up there with some of the better units on the market now but like all of them, a little cumbersome to initially program. Another 9 out of 10.

The radio/HD radio/XM/an auxillary inputs were very impressive. The "from the factory" settings have a little too much bass for my taste, and it took a while to get it set to how I listen. Once set, it was great. All of the audio sounded good. I was probably most impressed with the music from my USB thumb drive. Why would anyone ever complain about not being able to store music on the HDD? Why not use solid state memory? This function was very impressive, and I figured the logical solution is to cut loose with another $100 and just buy a dedicated USB thumb drive for the car! Why even mess with the hassle of transferring music to the HDD when I can use a plug & play device...it's just more work and the response time is faster with no moving parts. Very impressive - the sound electronics are a 10+ out of 10 in my book, and I'm pretty geeky. There is so much technology in there that it's a little daunting at first, and leaves you with that groan in your mind of not looking forward to programming everything for the first time.

Interior leather and layout was very nice. My 6'2" frame fit comfortably and the leather and ergonomic layout were superb. Drivers seat AC was a pleasant surprise, it worked better than I thought it would. This is a nice amenity for a hot cllimate, but probably wouldn't mean much if you lived in Ohio. I'd give the interior a 10 of 10.

The drive was nice, but I was not blown away. It was every bit as quiet as my Lexus but left me wanting more in a few areas. Handling was a little softer than I expected - and I was NOT looking for BMW tightness. I understand the luxury sedan market ride is a little softer than a sports sedan, but this felt a little too soft. I did not detect anything really wrong, just a little too mushy for my personal taste. I'd have to say this is yet softer than Lexus. Very good, just not great. It just leaves you wanting more. I'd give the ride a 7.5 out of 10.

I'll need to give the V8 a drive when they come in sometime in October. This was a very nice car and probably cannot be beat for the money, but I'm looking for a little better ride.
Will the V8 drive better? Will next year's direct injection drive better? Things to contemplate!

By the way - check out the Korean review of the Genesis on youtube, listed in two parts around 8 minutes each with english subtitles. I think it's called "Hyundai Genesis test drive" or something similar. (I wasn't thinking, so, no, I don't have a link.) It was interesting to see that the fully loaded V8 costs $70K US in Korea, and the bottom line 6 costs $50K. The reviewer even recommended re-importing the Genesis from the US back to Korea to get a much better deal, and stated the warranty is honored world-wide.

Interesting. The handling was tighter than I expected, but expectations do vary.

The Lexus you own is the RX? You were comparing the Genesis to the RX (an SUV), or to some other Lexus model you're familiar with?

comparing it to the 2007 GS350 we own (purchased in 2006). The RX is a crossover/CUV, based on the Camery frame. I wasn't trying to compare those two at all - apples & oranges comparison there.

There is a lot of personal perception & opinion in a driving experience unless we use data for comparison to other vehicles, and I was merely expressing opinion. The cabin to the GS350 is smaller and gives more of the sport cockpit feel than the Genesis more luxury ride. I'm not saying I don't like it - it drove nice, just not as tight as I expected. I liked it enough to replace the GS350! Lexus electronics **** me off with everything being proprietary (read that as "unable to upgrade with aftermarket parts) and yesterdays technology. At least the Genesis is state-of-the-art technology.


PS - RX is a CUV (car based frame) and not a SUV (truck based frame).

And he is not the only one ! This piece of crap Azera will be my last.