Review: 2009 Hyundai Genesis

The sporty, well-designed Genesis is a reasonably priced, stylish, entry-level luxury car—and a big step up for Hyundai

By Thane Peterson

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Quick, good fuel economy, stylish interior, reasonable price

The Bad: Uncomfortable front seats, rear seats don't fold down

The Bottom Line: A big step up for Hyundai

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Up Front

There's nothing on the market quite like the new Hyundai Genesis. The Korean carmaker's rear-wheel-drive Genesis Sedan, which is all new for '09, is an entry-level luxury car that competes with the likes of BMW (BMWG), Lexus, and Infiniti. And for 2010, there's the new Genesis Coupe, a smaller, less expensive, sportier, two-door version of the car that's so different from the sedan it almost seems like a separate model. The Genesis Coupe competes with everything from General Motors' new 2010 Chevy Camaro Coupe to the Infiniti G37 and Nissan (NSANY) 370Z.

If you're thinking it's crazy that a Hyundai could challenge such varied and excellent rivals, think again. The Genesis is a sophisticated, well-engineered car with a tight feel, close tolerances around the doors and hood, and a co-efficient of drag of a mere 0.27, making the car's exterior slipperier than most more expensive competitors'. The Genesis Sedan is extremely quiet inside and gobbles up potholes, yet has plenty of verve. And it sells at a much lower price than most of its rivals.

The entry-level Genesis Sedan, which I test-drove, probably has the broadest appeal. It's powered by a fuel-efficient 3.8 liter, 290-hpV6. There's also a V8-powered Genesis Sedan, with a muscle-car-style 4.6-liter, 375 hp engine, but it doesn't seem worth the extra money. The V6-powered Genesis Sedan is as quick as a BMW 328i, which is plenty of get-up-and-go for me. However, the Genesis lacks an all-wheel-drive option, something that's available on rivals such as the Audi A5, Acura TL, and BMW 328xi.

The Genesis Sedan comes only with a six-speed automatic with a manual shifting function. A six-speed stick shift is standard on the Coupe, with a five-speed automatic available with the small engine and a six-speed automatic with the V6. The Coupe's automatics have steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

With V6 power, the Genesis Sedan starts out at $33,000 (compared with $38,000 for the V8-powered Genesis) and comes crammed with standard equipment, including leather upholstery, power accessories, a seven-CD sound system that includes satellite radio and an iPod hookup, dual-zone climate controls, and power-adjustable and heated front seats. The V8 Genesis has even more standard equipment, including rain-sensing wipers, leather dash and door trim, seat memory, and an upgraded sound system.

However, you can load up the V6 Genesis relatively inexpensively. A $2,000 package includes such options as a power sunroof, a better sound system with a six-CD changer, seat and mirror memory, stylish leather inserts on the doors and dash, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. A $3,000 package includes all that plus 18-inch alloy wheels. A $7,000 package adds such amenities as a backup camera, parking alerts, self-leveling headlights, a hard-drive-based sound system, a navigation system with traffic alerts, and Bluetooth capability.

Only one $4,000 option package is offered on the V8-powered Genesis. Among other things, it includes a navigation system with traffic alerts, a hard-drive-based 17-speaker sound system, self-leveling headlights, and Bluetooth.

The Genesis is very fuel-efficient. With the V6 engine, the Sedan is rated to get 18 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway (and in 382 miles of mixed driving, I averaged 22.6 mpg).

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