First Test Drive: 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan

I'm excited about this car...it really offers a lot and if they can keep it at the $30k price point they first were saying...things could get interesting.

I'm not as impressed with its 'want to be like lexus' DNA as mentioned in the article, but structural rigidity, raw horsepower/EPA, and sound system sound amazing.

I was very exited too and had it on my short list. However, it will arrive in Canada too late for me so I bought a nicely loaded Passat.

You are mistaking poor engineering for luxury. Lexus and Hyundai are NOT luxury cars.

You said it star

I agree with TheBoss to a great extent. Hyundai could have easily made the Genesis handle a whole lot better, BUT at the expense of ride quality. The engineers (and marketing folks) had to make a decision - who is going to buy this car? Is it the BMW, Audi type of owner or Lexus buyer? It sounds like they tried to tune it so they wouldn't offend anyone. Was this the best decision? Time will tell.

Not many luxury car companies are going to be concerned with the Hyundai at this point. This car is going to take business from the Accord, Camry and such. It will convert a few entry level luxury buyers but the people that buy this car are not the true luxury buyer. Middle class hoping for more. It will take more than a one car introduction to build it's reputation... It has not done that yet.

When will car manufacturers learn to accept the fact that image is one of the key factors when making a purchasing decision (whether we enthusiasts like it or not). This will be a disaster. Even Toyota was smart enough not to try to go up-market under the Toyota name, and in 1989 Toyota had far more respect from the image crowd than Hyundai has today. $40,000 for one of these?.... they should have called it the Hyundai Phaeton.

no matter what people are saying.......Hyundai has no intentions despite its lofty marketing to compete with the cars people are mentioning here....this car is desighned to compete with the big American Cars, a freind of mine that Sells Hyundais told me the dealer information they are given is listing these as the competitors
1. chrysler 300
2. Pontiac G8
3.Lexus GS
4.Infiniti M

WIth the bottom 2 being targets not direct competition, so with that said the pricing is accurate as is the competition. there also will be 2 V6 cars and a V8 so there will be a value leader. Hyundai has a reputation for comparing itself to cars it has no intention of competing with to show what it can do not who they intend to fight....and for record i think it is hilarious that people think people took Lexus serious back in 1989 the original LS was outstanding, but the tradionalists laughed at it even with the Lexus nameplate, people still dont take Lexus serious despite their commercial success, to some people they will never be a BMW or Mercedes (the image concious are a bit mre about prestige as well) which is why Edmunds saids these buyers wont even look at a Lexus or Infiniti let alone a Hyundai but the Japanese luxury buyers are more open to new things instead of prestige, and arent so IMAGE CONCIOUS...i a bmw guy but i honestly think most people who drive a BMW, or Mercedes, or even a Jaguar have no idea what they are driving it is solely a prestige thing...they dont care about engineering and would probably be better served in something alot less or a different make...which to me is foolish....

bravo bmwdrvr, that was perfect.

It's going after Lexus-Toyota customers. These folks aren't bothered with BMW performance. A big jump for Hyundai to compete at the $30k range. Not sure if it'll work. Maybe if they market something like "get a Lexus at Camry price", but I doubt if Hyundai can discount that much.

Also Lexus is a luxury car. Asian and European high end brands are both luxury with different styles and rides. To each there own. Good luck Hyundai.

I'm sorry, but I find it hard to believe that a $30k sedan made by a people hauler car company has what it takes to compete with the top of the line luxury cars from BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes. Something just doesn't sound right about that. But you can definitely see where they cut costs in order to SAY that they're as good: the interior is very bland and boring. To say that this car will take sales from BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes is laughable. It's more like Buick, Toyota, Chrysler, and Lincoln.

I couldn't agree more. As if a Mercedes, BMW, or Lexus consumer would drive something with the "rip-off Honda logo" on the steering wheel.

*sorry, not consumer, customer. Stupid cellphone keyboards.

people said the same about Toyota, and Honda by the way not to mention, Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus....and now look at them....its funny hearing hypocritical remarks like this one becasue these same people will call ignorrant bias when a European fan is overdone and saids things like a Lexus will never be as prestigous as a Mercedes as an example and all the lexus fans claim how it is wrong to say things like that and now look....

Here's the problem with your comment: those cars you mentioned never did anything wrong. Hyundai's reputation is against them. Which still puzzles me. Hyundai, with their many problems in the past, has gained acceptance by a lot of people and Lexus still struggles. How?

"The instrument panel's white-on-black electroluminescent gauges look like they came straight out of a Lexus. "


Well that's surprising. Especially since this whole car isn't an original design. I can see strong design qualities taken right from Infiniti, Lexus, and BMW. Trust Hyundai not to have an original thought.

Not like Toyota's were original anyways with their early Lexus models.

When Lexus GS owners put Mercedes-style grills on their cars there's definitely something wrong. I've seen many GS with the Merc grill. Then again same goes for the 99' Acura TL.

Hyundai is the opposite of original...