So, I finally took the Genesis on a "real" road trip this past Labor Day weekend. I drove from Reno to Boise and back over the long weekend and racked up a total of approx. 900 miles. Just before the trip I received my new Pioneer AVIC F500-BT portable NAV system. I have to say that the map data is not as up-to-date as my Navigon 2100Max, but the screen is larger and more clear (more on that later).

Anyway, here are my impressions/photo diary of the trip.
DISCLAIMER: This post is not 100% car related.

Saturday morning, leaving the Reno/Sparks area. The Genesis is fueled, washed/waxed, and ready to run.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/jwaters943/Boise008.jpg)

Hmmmm, speaking of "fuel": My Favorite Muffin, aka the breakfast of champions! ;)
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Fuel economy: 29.3 mpg @ 2111 miles. The display was about 1 mpg optomistic according to my calculations. Not bad considering I had the cruise control set for 79-80 mph. The car is amazingly quiet and refined at speed and devours long stretches of pavement with ease. I love how "tight" the car feels.......no rattles!
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/jwaters943/Boise013.jpg)

Stopped in Winnemucca, NV and had lunch. Most of you have probably never heard of this town unless you watched Tales of the City (e.g. Mother Mucca). As far as small Nevada towns go, this is one of the more charming ones out there. I drove by this old church which I thought was kind of nice so I took a quick shot of it.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/jwaters943/Boise014.jpg)

Jason, aka the butthead I fight with over control of the radio. Thank God he didn't make me listen to Mariah Carey again. :D Speaking of the audio system, it's VERY impressive. I only have the mid-level Lexicon system, but even when cranked all the way up there is no noticeable distortion or rattling/buzzing from any of the interior panels.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/jwaters943/Boise012.jpg)

A quiet Sunday in Boise, Idaho. It seems like a great place to raise a family. EVERYONE I talked to seemed very friendly, open, and down to earth. Parking downtown was plentiful and many people I saw rode bikes/scooters. Overall, I really enjoyed my stay. On topic sidenote: my lead foot had a hard time keeping the Genesis under 60 mph. I'm not used to freeways w/ 55 mph speed limits.
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Breakfast at Goldy's on Labor Day. I know this isn't car related, but I have to mention Goldy's. I think breakfast is grossly underrated and Goldy's had some fo the best Eggs Benny I've ever had. YUM! If you're ever in Boise you have to stop by....it's worth the long wait!
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/jwaters943/Boise116.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/jwaters943/Boise115.jpg)

The road back home. Long stretches of winding/uneven pavement ruffle the Genesis a bit. The steering could be a bit tighter on winding roads IMO. I often find that I have to make small mid-turn steering corrections through a turn. Still, it's impressively quiet up to 100 mph. :P I had no trouble keeping up with a new FX35 FWIW. The seats are also quite comfortable. Initially I thought they lacked adequate lumbar support, but they seem to be "molding" to my body as the miles accumulate. And still no rattles/buzzes! :thumbup:
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/jwaters943/Boise125.jpg)

Fuel economy: 29.4 mpg @ 2815 miles. I have to say, I'm very impressed! If I stuck to the speed limit (75 mph) I'm fairly confident 30 mpg would be possible. That's VERY good for a large RWD sedan IMO. I'm sure it will get even better after the engine breaks in and I change the oil a couple of times. Fuel economy drops of sharply above 79-80 mph. A couple section of highway I was passing large trucks and got it up to 85 mph regularly. During this short period fuel economy dipped to 25 mpg.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/jwaters943/Boise129.jpg)

My OEM Nav alternative. The Pioneer AVIC F500BT. It worked well aside from a few times when it lost the GPS signal in downtown Boise and the fact that the maps are about 3-4 years out of date. Still, at $550-600 it's a pretty good alternative to an OEM system. It can display weather forecasts, movie times, and traffic data via MSN Live, but you have to pay something like $15/month (first 3 months are free). The bluetooth connection works well, displays the number of your incoming call, and allows you to import your phonebook. You can also customize the startup menu with a photo of your choice.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/jwaters943/Boise006.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/jwaters943/Boise002.jpg)

My favorite part of the trip, other than the drive? Definitely our new Beagle, Colby. We saw him in a pet store in Boise and fell in love. He did well in the car (passed out after 20-30 minutes) and is getting along well w/ his "big brother", Jack.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/jwaters943/Boise134.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/jwaters943/Boise138.jpg)

In summary:

Genesis Pros
No rattles (aside from a very minor buzz coming from the expandable door pockets....can only be heard on rough pavement w/ the radio off)
Exceptionally smooth & quiet at speed
Great Audio System
TONS of room to spread out

Genesis Cons
Suspension can get a tiny bit "bouncy" over undulating/broken pavement
Steering needs more feedback and linearity at speed

Nice write up!

Where / how did you install the Pioneer GPS to the car?

Thanks,

This post has been edited by ecommando: Sep 13 2008, 02:53 AM

Great photos...thanks for sharing.

2,100 rpm at 80 mph? Wow... :57:

Well done.... :thumbsup:

trajetXG, your footer link produces the following:

Site error: the file /usr/home/hyundai/public_html/modules/registry/lib/core.php requires the ionCube PHP Loader ioncube_loader_fre_5.2.so to be installed by the site administrator.

d'oh!

PS, cool write-up JW.

cool car and nice write up :thumbsup: :trophy: