I went to a Hyundai/Lincoln dealer and drove comparably equipped MKS and Genesis' back to back. Both had 18'" wheels. Drove city streets, country road and interstate. If you cannot take criticizm of Genesis, please read no further.
The Genesis rode much rougher than either the MKS or my 07 Azera, but was not as bouncy as the Azera with brand new L460 shocks. This was on all three road types. The dash and console of the Genesis are much more impressive, especially with black leather instead of the brown. The MKS is larger inside and feels it. Even cruising at about 40 MPH, the Genesis was very harsh over moderate pavement irregularities. It was much worse than either the MKS or my Azera and had the feeling that if I pushed it hard on straights or curves, it would start heaving and wallowing severely.
I agree with Car & Driver and Automobile magazine that Hyundai needs to revisit the suspension on the Genesis.
the Genesis was $5,000 cheaper than the MKS and had better power.
The MKS performance was OK, except when you had to accelerate uphill to enter the interstate, it took more pressure on the gas pedal to get up to speed. The wood trim on the MKS impressed me more than the leather on the Genesis.

Interesting analysis. I have driven two of the three mentioned vehicles and own a 2004 XG350L. I test drove the MKS and the Genesis and found the MKS to certainly be a bit larger but it was not comfortable (for me) in the drivers seat. The way they layout the floorboards is odd and there was something protruding from the seat supports that caused me issues with where/how I like to put my left foot.

Also, my Son (5' 9") hit his head getting in and out of the back seat on the MKS but did not have problems in the Genesis.

As for the ride, I found the MKS to be louder in general, a lot of noise from the front suspension even on the smallest bumps (pulling in/out of the dealer lot). I also noted that in-general the Genesis was quieter overall.

I agree both the MKS and Genesis need improvement but I would not personally give the MKS that much credit, especially since the V6 (at least the one I test drove) was about $7K higher than the Genesis with a similar configuration (premium package - incl. nav system, etc.).

Just my 2 cents.

Were you testing the V6 Genesis or the V8 version?

V6

Just me personally but I weigh heavily in favor of the V8 and RWD. If you ask me luxury cars, or even pseudo-luxury cars, should not be FWD. Even the G35 (entry level luxury) is RWD. The Lincoln is about 100hp shy in the power department and if I'm going to make the jump it will definitely be the V8 model. Surprisingly the Cadillac DTS with the Northstar V8 is nearly 100hp behind as well. Of course the Caddy I like (CTS) isn't offered in the V8 either but they are RWD.

NOW ... the CTS-V, that's another story and probably another mortgage payment ! Coming in at 556hp is just crazy, with it's 12 sec. quarter miles and 3.9 sec. 0-60. I haven't really looked but probably looking at the upper end of 50k for one.

I have sat in three CTS' and no matter how I adjust the seats, my knee hits the front corner post getting in and out. At 5'7" and 175 lbs., this shouldn't happen. In fact, the only other vehicle I had a similar problem with was the DTS.

This post has been edited by Carolina Bob: Oct 11 2008, 10:26 AM

That's interesting, thanks for the insight. I've never sat in one, much less driven one. They are a sharp looking car, very angular. I just wonder how long that will last, before the next "trend" shows up and they look really outdated. They definitely don't blend in with all the other sedans. Time will tell.

I also drove the Genesis and MKS the same day, and strongly preferred the ride and handling of the Genesis. But such impressions can vary from road to road. There weren't any really bad roads where I drove the cars. Also, the MKS I drove had 19" wheels, which might harm the ride more than they help the handling.