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.

General Comments:

I don't own this car, but rented one for a few days in Texas. I put several hundred miles on it in a few days - mostly highway and back roads, and I have mixed impressions.

All in all, it was very comfortable to drive. The interior is well done - the stitching on the brown leather seats was attractive. The seat adjusted well and I could drive for hours without much discomfort. The dash had a strange appearance. There's a large shiny wood grain panel on the passenger side that reflects light. I found it distracting, as passing streetlights, etc. would reflect into my eyes.

I found the engine to have adequate power and passing wasn't a concern. The trans shifted smoothly. Only got low to mid 20's for fuel mileage though, with mostly highway driving at 70 - 80 mph. My 96 Saab gets high 20's in my daily driving and mid 30's highway.

After I got home, I looked up the specs. 333 HP? I thought less - mainly because the power came on pretty high. It was capable of breaking the tires loose though... My 96 Saab 9000 has more torque and feels stronger on the bottom end. 8 speed trans? Really - wow. I would have never have guessed - shifting was transparent, and downshifting to pass was effortless. The trans was nice - even for an auto.

I thought the ride was harsher than it should be for a car like this. Also road noise was excessive at times.

Not sure how much these things cost - maybe in the 40's? It was a nice car, but not that nice. Then again, I believe in the $5000 car. If you're looking for a smooth, comfortable ride, you need to consider this - if you can handle the fuel mileage.