Hyundai Escondido

Luxury purchase at Genesis (Hyundai) Dealership Finding a smarter way to luxury is how I characterize my Genesis G80 experience. Bottom-line up front (BLUF) is the 2017 Genesis G80 is the smartest Finding a smarter way to luxury is how I characterize my Genesis G80 experience. Bottom-line up front (BLUF) is the 2017 Genesis G80 is the smartest buy anyone can make if considering a full size luxury car when compared to its contemporaries unless you find paying approximately $15,000 - $20,000 more for a badge to stroke and feed egos a good or smart buy. Another BLUF is that you will get the executive treatment if you buy a Genesis. Although their separate facilities aren’t built yet (similar to Toyota-Lexus, Nissan-Infiniti, Honda-Acura, Circa late 1980’s), Hyundai’s staff goes out of the way to ensure your customer experience is unique and special at least at Escondido Hyundai thanks to owner Abraham Razick (Abe) and his customer care professional Gabriel. And yes just like just like most other luxury brands free complementary service, valet service which includes your Genesis being picked up and returned by the dealership for scheduled maintenance and your car replaced by another Genesis of the same level while your car is being serviced, SIRIUS/XM Traffic and Travel Link, Connected Services, 24/7 Enhanced Roadside Assistance and Navigational Map updates are all included for 3 years. Just like Lexus, Infiniti and Acura, once the Genesis facilities are built, based on my personal experience with Escondido Hyundai, I believe Genesis is poised to offer the same if not a better experience found at the older luxury brands. I am a senior analyst working in the aerospace industry and a 25 year military veteran. My wife and I had come to a point in life where we thought it was time for us to enjoy life a bit more. That included upgrading our transportation. We’ve owned a few luxury cars and at the time we were shopping for a new luxury entry, our current version of luxury and safety was the Volvo S80. At the time we bought it, it was my wife’s dream car. After a few years of Volvo quirkiness it wasn’t so dreamy. Being an analyst, I told my wife instead of buying with our gut first and common sense second, we would do a weighted comparative assessment with cost being an independent variable. So it was an issue of how much luxury could you get for your money – real luxury not near-luxury substitutes although a few near-luxury representatives were included as there are some great near-lux autos that would qualify. We also decided to include reviews into our study and of course test drives along with visits to showrooms and conversations with salesmen. Here is the list of things we were looking for in a luxury car: a) Understated, elegant exterior design with a bit of “Ominous” sprinkled in b) Simple, luxurious, roomy, comfortable understated interior with real leather and wood c) Exceptional fit and finish inside and out d) Luxurious ride with a hint of sportiness e) Great continuing customer experience f) Safety paramount g) Quiet cabin h) Meaningful amenities i) Great stereo system j) Strong engine with power throughout driving range k) German engineering l) Asian reliability m) Low total cost of ownership n) Low maintenance costs o) Good gas mileage p) Reasonable price q) Good residual value r) Pride of ownership And here is the list of cars we included in our assessment: a) 2016 BMW 535i – $69,475 b) 2016 BMW 528i – $62,645 c) 2016 Audi A6 2.0T – $57,475 d) 2016 Audi A6 3.0T – $64,475 e) 2016 Audi A4 – $50,575 f) 2016 Mercedes E350 – $68,475 g) 2016 Mercedes C300 – $54,885 h) 2017 Lexus ES 350 – $46,765 i) 2016 Lexus GS 350 – $60,089 j) 2017 Lincoln MKZ – $48,285 k) 2016 Jaguar XF – $66,133 l) 2016 Toyota Avalon – $39,144 m) 2016 Nissan Maxima – $42,420 n) 2017 Honda Accord – $34,830 o) 2017 Genesis G80 – $51,355 – Genesis was a late add, and originally not considered To quickly cull the herd in the first initial rounds of test drives we decided on one criteria, “Does it feel like a luxury car?” On that initial subjective measure the following were dropped: a) Audi A4 b) Mercedes C300 c) Toyota Avalon d) Nissan Maxima e) Honda Accord All vehicles dropped were fine cars but did not meet criteria, the Audi A4 and Mercedes C300 were too small and the Toyota, Nissan and Honda are definitely class leading in the family/near-luxury segment but we were looking for luxury. Note we did not include the Cadillac – it missed the understated portion of our assessment so there was no point including, again another fine car but from our vantage point, more for the “in your face,” look at me crowd. Our next criteria was driving dynamics. Something that had a smooth comfortable ride but could deliver spirited driving and handling when needed – something that could get out of the way of an accident and feel well planted when driving. Based on that criteria the following were dropped: a) Lincoln MKZ The Lincoln MKZ is a fine luxury car but in our driving assessment, while comfortable and luxurious, providing a wonderful driving experience, when it came to spirited maneuvering the MKZ chassis seemed to complain. That left us with: a) 2016 BMW 535i – $69,475 b) 2016 BMW 528i – $62,645 c) 2016 Audi A6 2.0T – $57,475 d) 2016 Audi A6 3.0T – $64,475 e) 2016 Mercedes E350 – $68,475 f) 2017 Lexus ES 350 – $46,765 g) 2016 Lexus GS 350 – $60,089 h) 2016 Jaguar XF – $66,133 i) 2017 Genesis G80 – $51,355 We were surprised the G80 was still in the running because it was originally an afterthought. We then turned to quality in an attempt to reduce our choices. All cars were of equal quality, we considered looks and human factors but all the choices were beautiful and had great ergonomics. We didn’t want to nitpick minor deficiencies as we had seen by some reviewers, every entry had a minor blemish, and we wanted to stick to the overall presentation the manufacturer was trying to achieve. The Audi’s, Lexus ES 350 and Mercedes fell out for differing reasons, we didn’t need all-wheel drive and the front wheel drive dynamics of the Audi's sometimes made it seem as if they were reluctant in the turns, and although adequate power, Audi 2.0T’s power seemed less than its rear-wheel oriented counterpart (BMW 528i). The Mercedes fell out because of size, although the front passenger area felt large, the Mercedes felt small (rear seating area) in comparison to the other competitors. The Lexus ES fell because of our rear-wheel drive bias. Although smooth and composed the ES felt a little light. That left us with: a) 2016 BMW 535i – $69,475 b) 2016 BMW 528i – $62,645 c) 2016 Lexus GS 350 – $60,089 d) 2016 Jaguar XF – $66,133 e) 2017 Genesis G80 – $51,355 At this point features vs cost is the big driver. Starting with driving dynamics again, all vehicles were well balanced and composed, all very powerful but delivering the power in different ways. The BMW’s and Jaguar seemed to deliver power in a rush and the G80 seemed to have a smooth power delivery as did the Lexus. As far as gas mileage all vehicles were comparable with the 528i coming at a high of 22/33 and the 535i a low of 17/26. The Genesis and Lexus had similar readings of 18/28. Cost of ownership was another consideration. The Jaguar had the highest cost of ownership at around $67,000 over 5 years, while the Genesis had the lowest at around a projected $57,000 over 5 years. Of note the Genesis was the only vehicle of the remaining that had an estimate cost of ownership under $60,000 for 5 years. Since the amenities and equipment lists for all vehicles were roughly the same for tested vehicles, we only looked at features we felt made a difference. Although the all final 5 vehicles are considered large and impart a personal luxury feel, interior space of both the Genesis and Jaguar seemed statelier, as if the Jaguar or the Genesis could be used as a personal vehicle or to transport dignitaries or impress mother-in-laws. The BMW’s and Lexus vehicles have that vibe too, mostly because of badge recognition and the fact that they are luxury cars, it seems as if the Genesis and Jaguar more naturally fit this character. One feature that stood out for me was the CO2 sensor only found in the Genesis. On long trips and heavy traffic I believe this is a must and for me set the Genesis apart. This may seem like a minor detail, but when we’re speaking of personal safety while driving, alertness at the wheel becomes paramount and at least one luxury brand maker thought about it. All this being said, the overall goodness of the BMW 535i and the value given luxury of the Genesis pushed these 2 in our minds to the top of our list. We drove the 535i 9 times in 5 days and the Genesis G80 4 times. There was very little difference between the driving dynamics of the 535i luxury edition and the G80 although the BMW felt like it had a bit more torque at the lower end. Under normal driving conditions, the BMW 535i luxury edition and the Genesis G80 felt almost identical, the 535i M-sport edition was a bit harsher in ride than the 535i luxury edition and the G80. In the end the Genesis G80 was the winner given the criteria laid out. In my mind there was no justification for to pay approximately $20,000 more for a similarly equipped luxury car unless a person feels a badge or logo is worth that much – not smart money. Also the Genesis G80 is a larger car. Its size fell somewhere between the cars in its class and the next larger size luxury class of most given brands while pricing was around that of the compact choices of any of the given luxury brands. In other words using BMW as an example, the G80’s size fell between the BMW 5 and 7 series while its price was in the same ball park as the 3 series. Same analogy was true when I compared the G80 along the Audi, falling between the A6 and A8 in size and priced around the A4. For Mercedes, if fell between the E-Class and S-Class in size and was priced around the C-class. For Lexus, it fell between the GS and LS in size (drove closely to the LS) and the ES in price. The drive and feel of the G80 felt more like the larger cars than the cars in its class. Great to get full-size luxury for compact luxury prices. Which brings me to after purchase amenities and care. To be honest, the Genesis G80, is a luxury car currently being sold out of Hyundai dealerships – yes I’m a little nervous. The dealership I bought mine out of was in transition, first under new ownership and second, under construction. The question I had, which probably scares many potential buyers away is “Can I get the same care and attention from Genesis that I would from Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Lexus, etc., although Genesis is housed within a Hyundai dealership?” Is Genesis truly a luxury brand or will share the same fate as Mazda’s ill-fated luxury brand effort? This is a leap of faith yes for me. Genesis is offering valet service as part of the “Genesis” experience. Owners will get complimentary valet service for three years and can have their vehicle picked up for service appointments. A complimentary Genesis loaner car is part of the deal. The Genesis warranty program includes a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, a five-year new-vehicle warranty and seven years of anti-perforation protection. "Respect and courtesy are the foundation of the Genesis Experience," said Erwin Raphael, general manager of Genesis in the U.S. Do I believe them? Another leap of faith yes. The “Genesis” experience should equal or surpass that of its contemporaries and once Genesis brick and mortar facilities are completed, whether stand alone or integrated into Hyundai stores, I’m told by owner Abe Razick. This is another leap of faith, but I do believe Abe. He is honest and a man of his word, from what I can see, he is putting together an all-star team for the “Genesis” brand (This philosophy extends to Hyundai under his watch as well). Will they be able to handle giving customers the “Genesis” experience? Will they be able to make the Genesis feel as if it is a cut above Hyundai to warrant the price paid and better yet make luxury buyers switch from a competing luxury brand to Genesis? Only time will tell and personally I’m betting on Genesis. I have to update some of my observations based on a trip to San Francisco in the middle of writing this review. The G80’s fuel economy appears to be better than published. During the trip we recorded 21mpg city, 31mpg highway at 60mph (30.5mpg at 72mph) 25 combined, attached are a few pictures of cluster showing performance: These readings moved the Genesis from lower-mid pack to near top of the pack – a pleasant surprise. On the emotional side, my daughter, a student at Cal Berkeley, an admitted brand snob summed up the Genesis best when she saw me and her mother drive up. She said, “Dad, know I like Mercedes, Audi’s and BMW’s but this car is monster! It’s Sic! It’s real smooth, I hate to admit I like it! – can I drive it?” Needless to say based on my collegiate daughters’ impression I think Genesis may have hit the right note. By the way we let her drive it. From my point of view, this is a great car. It does not excel in one particular thing – except maybe safety (we even checked IIHS results), but it does everything well and that is what makes the Genesis G80 great. When it comes to luxury there are no deficiencies with the G80. Make no mistake – this is a German engineered car built in Asia. Many reviewers have made the mistake of assuming this is Hyundai attempting to copy German engineering for their luxury brand. It is not. Hyundai wisely hired some of the top engineers from the German auto industry to build their Genesis luxury brand and it shows in its design, combining heavy Germanic queues with Asian fluidic design concepts. Head of design for Genesis is a guy named Peter Schreyer (VW/Audi). Genesis has its own R&D and design studio which is chaired by a guy named Luc Donckerwolke (Was Bentley chief designer), a former Volkswagen Group designer – you can see hints of Audi and Bentley in the G80. Genesis also hired Lamborghini brand and design director Manfred Fitzgerald as senior vice president. Sangyup Lee, also another Bentley designer is joining Genesis. Genesis is aiming to fast-track itself directly into the conversation with its European competitors. These moves bode well for Genesis so I felt confident Genesis would be around for a long time and get better over time to boot. I view the Genesis G80 as an outstanding first effort that immediately puts it in the ranks with its German competitors and ahead of its Japanese competitors. I would challenge anyone to find a better car than the Genesis G80 in its class. There are some that are faster, handle better have better fuel economy or sharper lines, but take away the badges and weigh each competitor on its own merits, I believe as I have found in my search for a “smart” buy in luxury cars none of its competitors can match the Genesis G80 for quality, luxury, roominess, comfort, safety, amenities and performance given its price point. I fancy myself a smart buyer so I purchased a Genesis G80 and couldn’t be happier. If this is Genesis’ first shot over the bow it’s a good one. Based on this first outstanding effort, I can only wonder how well subsequent efforts will be, but based on this first iteration of the G80 the bar is set high and I look forward to buying from Genesis again in the future as with evolution Genesis should only get better. If buying a badge for $15,000 - $20,000 more than necessary is important then be my guest, again I challenge anyone to find a smarter, more progressive luxury car buy than the Genesis G80. I tried. One other note. Later found out this is a veteran-owned, veteran-run business. They take great pride in serving the community - still. Enough said. More

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