Like I said in the previous post I will likely get anxious and buy another Lux car when I get back to the states rather than wait for the Genesis. I have seen the Genesis on the roads here in Korea, and I must admit it is a handsome car. However, all I see here in Korea is primarily Hyundais so its hard for me to imagine anything else. That being said, I have done quite a bit of research on the net because my wife is pregnant and I need a four door car. We have traditionally been a Hyundai family thus far with an 06 Tiburon and an 07 Santa Fe. With a child on the way I need four doors now and have a sizeable amount of money put away because I have lived off of $400 a month for the last year and received additional pay for being overseas (Army, and I make $4000 a month and got $700 more per month for the time I spent away from home. do the math). It looks like to me Hyundai continues its tradition of trying to carbon copy the competition. I have included two photos in this post, one of the lexus GS and one of the Genesis. I am really thinking of going for another car. Is the Genesis worth waiting for? You decide and lets talk about it here.

(IMG:http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee180/csmith4105/GenesisExterior2.jpg)

(IMG:http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee180/csmith4105/Lexus.jpg)

This post has been edited by csmith4105: May 8 2008, 05:59 AM

The C-pillar is very similar to the GS. It's even closer to the Infiniti G sedan. The nose is more LS. And from various angles, both the front and rear seem slightly derivative of the Bangle Motor Werx 5-series. Then again... taken as a whole package, it doesn't look EXACTLY like any one of them! So I guess it's a constraint we have to live with - similar design cues are going to appear in different makes & models.

We can congratulate Hyundai for making a vehicle that is at least somewhat distinct, and VERY sharp regardless of its uniqueness / distinction. At least it's nowhere nearly as dull as those god-awful early Lexuses. And I suspect we'll live a few years with Azera and Genesis and find that Azera v.3.0 and Genesis v.2.0 will strike out into some more unique, identifiable styling. Once Hyundai has a proof-of-concept for its entry into the luxury market.

If it were me I would opt for an IS-F, if I were playing in that price range (> $52k). But you could also be talking about the GS350 vs the GS460. The Genesis is a lot closer to the 460 in features and power, but for a lot less money.

IS-F
(IMG:http://www.jerrystout.us/media/pics/isf.jpg)

Yeah madderhatter - this is totally :offtopic: but I sure hope they have plans to make a GS-F. Took them long enough to get into the high-performance luxury mentality. Jag, BMW & Mercedes have been at it for over a decade now.

I don't think you NEED to wait for the Genesis csmith, I understand the hankering to get a nice car. Depends on what your priority is. Note that even assuming you wait for Genesis in June, they're saying the 4.6 won't be out for at least a month after that. SO you'd be in the midst of a bum rush to grab the first few 3.8s available.

If you have plenty of dough to spend on the luxury 4-door, then price shouldn't be a particularly strong factor; and if you're bored to death with Hyundais everywhere, then brand name SHOULD be a factor! In that event, perhaps a humble 530i would suit your needs quite nicely :) :beer:

If your main concern is the safety of your family, then I would the Hyundai as they have the better safety ratings. Now do you really think your newborn or 1-2 yr old would care, let alone know, that the nice Genesis that he/she could be riding in is a look-alike for a Lexus model? I highly doubt that.

To me, I can care less if Hyundai made the car exactly like the Lexus; if I can save $20K+ for a very similar, and maybe even fully loaded, then I'm all for it; and get a 10yr /100 mile warranty. The extra money can go into other things: I'm looking into actual tinted windows that you can control the level of tint. Imagine getting stopped by a cop that swore you had tints, but when he walks up, your car is tintless. I'd pay $5K for that feature and it would make the car a little better than other luxury sedans, in my opinion.

Speaking of other cars,I think the new Jag XF came very close to hyundai's genesis concept styling:
http://www.jaguarusa.com/us/en/xf/highligh...ntroduction.htm

This post has been edited by TheGetter: May 10 2008, 08:52 PM

The Genesis ain't the only car that "looks like a Lexus".

(IMG:http://www.myride.com/images/no-transform/myride/promotions/images/images/2009%20Lincoln%20MKS%20(400)%20007.jpg)

Yes, the Gen shares some Lex like attributes, but I view it as a car in its own image. Besides, I see an awful lot of BMW in the Lex LS!

Personally, rather than try and be like everyone else in the market for a luxury car and buy a Lex, I'd go for something different than what everyone else has and get a Gen.

Rethink Everything.

I just got done typing a rather long post about the Genesis and thought I should revisit this one. While I was in Seoul I inquired on whether or not the Genesis dash wood is available through the parts department and was told that an entire dash would have to be ordered. So there goes that idea. Oh and here is a fun fact, Korean cars do not have VIN numbers.

- Chris

So are you leaning more twords the Gen now or the Lex (based on your observations in the other post).

I'd have to say I am really sitting on the fence. If I was willing to wait and see how things held up it wouldn't be an issue but this is a first production year with no history..... First year mechanics is not so much an issue because I have owned many Hyundais and Hyundai has always stood behind their product for me. The choice of materials, such as painted plastic in high-use areas like the climate control, and around the DIS (Driver Information Center) is a BIG turn off for me however. I would rather have long lasting black plastic buttons or frosted "rubberized" plastic buttons like those found on lighted remote controls rather than painted buttons. Its if nothing else a phsycological thing. I don't want to worry about the paint rubbing off in five years. If I bought a good looking car I want it to be good looking throughout. I don't want to be embarrassed infront of family or friends who ride in my car and see scratched up butons inside. The other "luxury" car manufacturers are more consious of things like that.

Then there is the motivation. Hyundai could very well replace the buttons under warranty if they start to fade or scratch, but I am more willing to waste time without a car or find time even to go to a dealer if my car just is running bad than to get buttons changed out. Buttons wouldn't stop me from driving somewhere if needed but I would worry about a car breaking down to or from an errand if it is running bad. So I'd have to say that, no I am definitely not leaning toward the Genesis right now. I am not leaning toward the Lexus either. Actually I am leaning somewhere I have never leaned before but I will not go there.

Just my two cents.

- Chris

This post has been edited by csmith4105: May 30 2008, 08:55 PM

Well, you've come this far with us. You might as well tell us where you're leaning. (Wild guess: Pontiac G8?)

As for the Gen's buttons; personally I think you are over reacting on a non issue. :innocent:

Actually I want to see how the new Maxima looks and get a sniff of it's features. I will even be looking at the infinity. But yes you were really close on your guess, I am not ruling out the G8 GXP when it rolls out either. 4.7 0-60 is enticing for me as is the prospect of cylinder deactivation. What I am really leaning towards now however, for the money, is the Cadillac CTS-V. I want both power and plushness. I would rather do without features than those done incompletely.

With the button issue, it isn't all that small of an issue for me as it would be for most. They are in a prominently visible area of the cabin as well as being located in "high traffic" areas. For that amount of money it becomes an issue. My wife's 07 Santa Fe's controls are better prepared for wear in my opinion. I figured out a better way to describe the painted button's texture. It is exactly the texture of the faux inlaid aluminum used on the faux wood dash trim on the Santa Fe. Her painted trim is already wearing off, due to her putting her feet up on the dash when I drive.

I am not an engineer but I have been thinking about this all day, the buttons. I like the clear frosted rubberized lit remote control button idea. The material used could be mixed with the paint pigment prior to pouring it into a mold. That way the paint is on the inside and not the outside and will not risk rubbing off. Tiny tubes could also be placed within the mold to spread the paint pigment allowing light to shine through the final product when backlit which would allow for font typing (i.e. ABCD 1234) without the need for painted font which could also rub off. There simply would be a void where paint pigment did not exist in the button allowing for letters and numbers to be visible. I don't know, its all theory and doesnt matter. I have really gotten off on a tangent.

Just my two cents.

- Chris

This post has been edited by csmith4105: May 31 2008, 12:03 AM

I certainly understand and get the obsession with the finer points of detail, like a button or a switch. I also understand the comparisons between other potential rivals over Genesis.

I also felt the same about the Lexsus LS 460's window switches and cruise control; The cruise control is on a frackin' stalk stack behind the steering wheel, both of the switches and cruise stalk are pieces from the Camry. This car costs thousands more than Genesis. Its funny now that 'quality' of the buttons are being discussed here that for comparison purposes, I wonder why Genesis, a car costing thousands less than the LS460, has the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel, where as the Lexus does not?

Meanwhile, reports from a local dealer I contacted about availability, are that his allocation of 10 units are already pre-sold. So no test drives available, at least it would seem unless I have a "pre-sold" one on hold. Hyundai dealers are already reporting overwhelming inquiries for this vehicle more so, than any other Hyundai ever.

I never thought that I would see the day when any Hyundai would be "pre-sold".

This post has been edited by acronis: Jun 1 2008, 12:25 PM