In any given year, I drive between 75 and 100 different vehicles. And we’re talking about everything from the Chevrolet Aveo to the Lamborghini Gallardo. So it is with complete sincerity and a fair bit of knowledge that I say this: You will not find a better car for the money than the all-new 2009 Hyundai Genesis.

Seriously.

I mean, here we have a handsome vehicle that — at a base level — has standard features such as leather seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, side-curtain airbags, iPod and auxiliary input jacks, a proximity key with bush-button start, Bluetooth phone system, heated front seats and traction control. Then you have the fact that it looks like a Lexus or a Mercedes. Plus, you could add in the rear-wheel drive platform and the base V-6 engine that delivers 290 horsepower.

Take a good look at the picture of the Genesis and forget that we’re talking about a Hyundai for a minute. With the way this car looks and the amenities that are included, what price tag would you give it? Have you got that number in your head? How does it compare to $33,000? If you gave an honest answer, it probably wasn’t even close.

Hyundai has been doing amazing things over the last couple years, but it has truly hit a home run with the launch of the Genesis.

The test vehicle came equipped with the base 3.8-liter V-6 engine, and it was absolutely brilliant. After my spirited but short trek to work on that first day of the test period, I actually had to double-check the sticker sheet on the car because I had a hard time believing there was simply a V-6 under the hood. It was responsive and fast and had all the power I could possibly want from a large luxury sedan.

You can certainly tell a difference between the V-6 and the up-level 4.6-liter V-8 when you drive them back to back, but unless you truly crave the extra 85 horsepower, I think you’ll be more than satisfied with the V-6 — especially when you look at the fuel economy numbers. The Environmental Protection Agency city/highway numbers ring in at 18/27 mpg for the V-6 and 17/25 mpg for the V-8.

The one thing you won’t find in the Genesis is a sporty ride, which is fine by me. This sedan is all about soft, luxurious comfort. The steering is a bit looser than you might find in a sports sedan, and it has the smooth ride of a touring sedan that, luckily, glides over all those Chicago potholes.

Fit and finish on the Genesis is on par with a luxury vehicle, and I was impressed by the interior quietness. Very little exterior noise makes its way into the cabin, and any engine and tire noise you might hear is negligible. There are zero squeaks and rattles.

While I would call the exterior of the Genesis handsome, the interior more closely resembles elegant. The simple center stack, the wood paneling and the brushed silver accents are easy on the eyes, and the clearly labeled gauges, buttons and dials are easy to use. I especially liked the glowing blue night lighting, which is a pleasant change from the typical red.

I liked the iPod integration in the test vehicle and thought the system navigation was relatively intuitive. However, I would like to point out that if you have a lot of songs and artists on your iPod, it does take a while to scroll through them all if you’re looking for something at the bottom.

While we’re on the topic of audio, I have to give a huge shout out to the optional Lexicon 14-speaker surround-sound system that was on the test vehicle. While I’m not an audiophile, my boyfriend is. On one of our suburban treks, he plugged in his iPod and cranked up various songs from Madonna to Metallica, and it was great. Well, maybe the Metallica wasn’t great, but the sound quality was.

In addition to an attractive price with an attractive car, Hyundai has done something else really well with this car: options bundling. It doesn’t nickel and dime you for every shiny bit on the car. Instead, you basically have three package options for the V-6 model: premium package ($2,000), premium package plus ($3,000) or technology package ($4,000). While the premium and premium plus packages are one or the other, the technology package requires the premium plus package.

Even so, your options will top out at $7,000, and you’ll have a car that includes everything from 18-inch wheels to a premium Lexicon 17-speaker surround-sound audio system to navigation to parking sensors to, well, almost everything else you could possibly want. Except seat massagers (hint, hint). And the final MSRP will top out at $40,000.

The test vehicle added the premium plus package, which included the 18-inch wheels, the Lexicon 14-speaker surround-sound system, sunroof and rain sensing wipers. The as-tested price of the car was $36,000.

The base price for the up-level V-8 model is $38,000. In addition to the extra horsepower, you’ll add standard features such as front seat and steering column memory, power rear sunshade, telescoping steering wheel, 18-inch wheels, Lexicon surround-sound audio system, power sunroof and automatic headlights, just to name a few. Since this model is so well equipped at its base, there is only one package option available: the technology package. So, again, even with the vroom, vroom power of the V-8, you have a vehicle that tops out at $42,000.

To say that this vehicle impresses me would be an understatement. The pricing, the option bundles, the appearance, the everything was well thought out and well done.

Plus, with the launch of the Genesis, Hyundai proves that even in this economic downturn you really can have it all.

BY JILL CIMINILLO
SunTimes.com

DAMASCUS, Md. — “Gee, it is real quiet in here,” was my thought as I first tooled down the interstate in Genesis.

Simultaneously two other thoughts emerged. “How fast am I going,” and “Oh boy!” The new Genesis is so swift and so refined that I no idea that I was well beyond the posted limit. Fortunately, those friendly folk with the radar guns were not around for what would have been a most embarrassing and costly experience. Drivers: set the cruise control!

The bottom line here is that for the first V-8 (known as Tau) and first rear-drive vehicle that Hyundai has produced, the Genesis is one heck of a car, with a couple asterisks that we will get to in a bit.

Under the hood was the 4.6-liter, 375 horsepower V-8, good for 333 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 RPM. Only when really pressed will the engine make its presence known, and then it is a good growl. Those not wanting a V-8 can opt for the 3.8-liter, 290-horsepower V-6 and save a few bucks without losing much in performance.

The V-8 is smooth out on the highway and is EPA rated at 17-25 miles per gallon. In city, country, and interstate travel, I got 22 mpg. For the best performance, Hyundai recommends premium fuel for the 8, and regular unleaded for the 6.

The 8 will scoot the 4,012-pound sedan to 60 in under 6 seconds, aided by a responsive 6-speed automatic that can be manually shifted by moving the husky center console- mounted shifter to the right. In its literature on the Genesis, Hyundai calls it a sport sedan. Then it should have paddle shifts, something that is not available.

The suspension is another issue. For the large majority of those attracted to the Genesis, they will be happy with the ride. Those who enjoy driving will quickly find that Hyundai calibrated the suspension on the soft side, with too many up and down floating motions if you hustle along over less than very smooth roads. Dampening is the problem. You can bet your next candy bar on the fact that the upcoming Genesis coupe will have a stiffer suspension.

Yet, given the soft suspension, the car hung in there better than expected on country roads, helped by very good grip from the 235/50R18 tires.

Inside, the Genesis was full luxury. Exposed stitching on the dash was a nice touch, with lots of soft surfaces. The instruments were easy to read and controls came readily to hand. Yet the seats, like the suspension, were on the soft side, and a bit of added firmness with more side support would make them more suitable for long days behind the tilt and telescoping wheel.

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The center console also housed Hyundai’s answer to the BMW i-drive, and it’s much easier to learn. Buttons to the right of a large silver knob select what you want to listen to, while those on the right control the navigation system. The Lexicon audio system cranked out some good sounds and the total feel of the interior was one that was well upscale of the price. I loved the fact that on satellite radio, for instance, one could simply turn the knob one notch to channel surf.

Things remained serene inside even with the sunroof open.

Interior fit and finish were first class.

Real adults, two of them, could fit quite comfortably in the back seat and the trunk will haul home a fair amount of stuff with 16 cubic feet at your disposal through a very low and wide opening.

With the $4,000 technology package, our top-of-the-line Genesis sold for $42,000, including $750 for freight. That tech package included the upgraded audio system, navi system, a good rear backup camera, and front and rear sensors that triggered beeps when I parked the car. Fortunately, this system was easy to turn off.

If that price is too much, Hyundai quotes $33,000 for the base model with the 6-cylinder engine, and that includes a fair amount of standard equipment.

I think if Hyundai were to firm up the suspension and the seats, this would be a perfect car. Even without that, fit, finish, a solid build, and good power were among the reasons why Genesis became the North American Car of the Year. In the words of that old Smith Barney TV pitchman, “They earned it.”

Ron Amadon
MarketWatch

Hyundai has certainly come a long way since their first vehicles appeared in the U.S. marketplace. The Accent was an early product, and while it was ok for what it was, it did little to stir one’s emotions. That was then, this is now. Hyundai Motor America has managed to create what is likely to become a significant rival to the world’s premier sport sedan market. It offers a high-output V8 engine and rear-wheel drive in a package that seats five comfortably and, at first glance, could be mistaken for a Lexus or Mercedes sedan.

The all-new Genesis sedan for 2009 will reign as Hyundai’s flagship, and comes with features and capabilities that rank up there with other premium global sports sedans. It is built on Hyundai’s new, performance-oriented, rear-wheel-drive platform – the first for a U.S. model Hyundai. Two power trains are offered: Hyundai’s Lambda 3.8-liter, 290 horsepower V6 and the new Hyundai Tau 4.6-liter V8, which cranks out 375 horsepower on premium fuel or 368 with regular unleaded gas.

That generates 79.5 to 81 horsepower per liter, ranking it above its competitors. Both engines are environmentally friendly, achieving Ultra Low Emission Vehicle certification levels.

The design of the Genesis is a progressive interpretation of today’s rear-wheel-drive sports sedan, with an athletic, sculpted form and bold character lines in a graceful package. It looks expensive. It’s loaded with technology – XM NavTraffic, Adaptive Front Lighting System, Lexicon audio packages and electronic active head restraints. Electronic Stability Control is included as standard.

Genesis’ unibody construction provides both stiffness and lighter weight, giving it a 12 to 14 percent higher dynamic torsional rigidity and lower body structure weight than BMW’s 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, despite its larger cabin.

The Hyundai Genesis delivers a host of features and equipment as standard that grace European and Asian marques, but at a considerably lower price point, beginning with its Lexicon audio system featuring Logic 7 technology. A soft-touch instrument panel with wood grain accents, Bluetooth hands-free mobile phone interface and USB/iPod auxiliary inputs are all standard fare. A state-of-the-art navigation system with an eight-inch display is available. The navigation unit is accessed by a user-friendly, multi-media controller that also controls the radio. A backup camera using an eight-inch display provides the driver a clear view immediately behind the car.

The driver is surrounded by a leather-wrapped dash, door panels and console lid with a heated and cooled driver’s seat. An automatic windshield defogger with humidity sensor and rain-sensing wipers allow crystal clear sight lines. Genesis also offers the conveniences of power rear sunshade, standard proximity key and push-button starter. It is the most advanced Hyundai ever produced.

The 3.8 Genesis comes in four equipment levels: Standard, Premium, Premium Plus and Technology.

My test 2009 Hyundai Genesis was the 4.6 V8 model with an exterior finish in Black Noir Pearl complemented by a gray and brown interior with faux polished wood accents. The base sticker was $37,250.

Summary

The new Hyundai Genesis 4.6 sedan is a finely crafted, fairly-priced premium sport vehicle. It delivers luxury and comfort, coupled with pleasing performance capability and satisfying handling characteristics without any options added. The final sticker amount is up to the individual consumer and the options chosen.

As if the new Genesis weren’t already attractive enough, it comes with the Hyundai Advantage, America’s Best Warranty. Coverage includes five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper protection, 10-year/100,000-mile limited power train warranty and a seven-year/unlimited mileage anti-perforation coverage. Genesis buyers receive 24-hour roadside assistance coverage at no extra charge for five years with no mileage limit. There is no deductible for any of the coverages.

The Genesis is a worthy flagship indeed.

2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6

Base price: $37,250

Price as tested: $42,000

Engine/transmission: 4.6-liter, 375-horsepower V8; six-speed with manual shift capability

Length: 195.9 inches

Width: 74.4 inches

Height: 58.3 inches

Curb weight: 4,012 pounds

Fuel capacity: 20.3 gallons

Fuel consumption: 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway

Arv Voss
The San Francisco Chronicle

One of the pleasant surprises of the 2009 model year is the Hyundai Genesis. This new, rear-wheel drive sedan fits neatly into the luxury category with such standard items as plush leather upholstery, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, steering wheel radio controls, a full complement of safety equipment (including eight airbags, anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control) and alloy wheels among the many features. The surprises? One, it’s a Hyundai!

The South Korean automaker that came onto the scene with budget vehicles had already inched its way into “bigger” territory with the Azera sedan, but now is aiming at what previously would have been pipe-dream rivals like Lexus or even Mercedes.

The reason for this reach comparison is price, which takes us along to surprise No. 2. The Genesis starts at $32,250 for a car with a 290-hp, 3.8-liter V-6 engine. The 375-hp, 4.6-liter V-8 that we drove starts at $37,250 and adds a sunroof, driver’s memory system, in-dash six-disc CD changer, rain-sensing wipers and 18-inch wheels.

Even with a $4,000 Technology Package that includes navigation system, cooled driver’s seat, back-up camera and front and rear parking sensors and auto-leveling headlights among other items, the final retail price was $41,250. Compare that to some vehicles with similar features for $20,000 more.

Quality concerns? Don’t underestimate Hyundai, plus there is a stellar warranty. The third surprise is the modest (make that calculated) approach by Hyundai. There is no Hyundai badging on the front. To see this vehicle is to first be impressed by the looks of another classy sedan. Only the Hyundai H and Genesis labeling on the rear fill you in. Actually, check that. You won’t be completely filled in until you give the Genesis a try. You might be surprised.

By David Mikesell
Cox News Service
New York Daily News