CTC Review: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

[Jaeger]

Not sure where you guys are getting your reference from that it doesn't feel like 300hp, I find it feels just fine like the 300hp, perhaps the ride is so good you can't tell how fast you are going?  I'm about to write my day 3, but summary it is a quick car and torquey, almost end up going 130 by accident

I find those comments baffling as well.  It certainly felt stronger than my 270hp Altima - which feels plenty strong to me.

Jaeger

[Erik]

My sentiments about the driving experience pretty much echo JustBob's.  Feels great, sounds great and goes well... just not as fast as one would expect for a 300+ hp small car.

.....

I'm sorry...what's that?  The interior has hard plastics....why would we care what it drives like?

Wow.
My thoughts exactly.
Failed the knuckle rap on the dashboard test horribly!

[Flinter]

I think the problem is that some of the 300bhp cars out there have turbo's which automatically make them feel faster.  Does anyone have the torque curves for this car, the WRX 265 and the BMW 135i?

Some dyno results can be found at the following links. Looks like both the 3.8V6 and 2.0T in the Genesis make lots of grunt down low.

G37 Vs Genesis 3.8 Dyno (Edmunds)
http://bit.ly/fO835

Genesis 2.0T Dyno (Edmunds)
http://bit.ly/GVSbJ

BMW 135i Dyno (Edmunds)
http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/135.dyno.stock.jpg

WRX (265) Dyno (Car & Driver)
http://bit.ly/23ZncI

[Factger]

Wing

How does the 3.8L V6 compare to the the 370z (3.7vq) V6 in your opinion (ie torgue, sound ...)?

The 2.0L R-Spec version of the coupe is by far the best bang for the buck if you want a sporty car.
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/04/hyundai-genesis-coupe-2-0t-r-spec-sema-2009

[Turbo Bob]

Will they sell that R Spec in Canada?

[Giant Dwarf]

Maybe it's because most of the cars are just so darn good these days.

That's ALOT of it...very astute observation.  When it comes down to buying a car, since so many are sooo good (and pretty equal in terms of performance), inevitably something will be the "deal breaker".  And a nice interior usually wins over a not-so-nice one.

Bingo!  I'd like to believe that's the case.  Despite the visual abortion that is the Camaro's interior, I am still dying to get behind the wheel of an SS to feel (and hear) that wonderful V8.  Overall, I'm sure it's a well-built car that will deliver miles of smiles, but it's simply a shame when a builder comes so close, then drops the ball on one aspect (like Toyota making the Supra's slushbox stronger than the stickshift). 

Jaeger, I guess we all have different measures of what a fast car feels like.  Having driven the WRX265, MazdaSpeed3 and 135i a few times, I just expected the Genesis V6 to feel a little more frenetic and 'thrusty'.     Of course, when I drove it, Just Bob was in the car too... and he is hideously, morbidly obese, so maybe that's the problem?

[wing]

I think you are confusing torque with HP, the Genesis shines up high, although it does provide a nice torque band.

Interestingly I find the powerful Porsche "slow feeling" the engine is too smooth and this may be the issue here.  Seems like you are looking for that big bang hit at some point that doesn't exist.

[Filip]

I think you are confusing torque with HP, the Genesis shines up high, although it does provide a nice torque band.

Interestingly I find the powerful Porsche "slow feeling" the engine is too smooth and this may be the issue here.  Seems like you are looking for that big bang hit at some point that doesn't exist.

I agree with this, some insanely fast cars feel very slow because of that. So many subjective inatangibles come into the equation for a driver. Which is why I would sooner pick a couple of years old s2000 over this.

[Giant Dwarf]

I think you are confusing torque with HP, the Genesis shines up high, although it does provide a nice torque band.

I dunno... the 'hips don't lie'... or in this sense, the seat-of-the-pants-meter.  The rush of torque from the 135 comes on so low, so smoothly, that you can't help but feel you're strapped to the front of a speeding locomotive.  With the 265, once the turbo spools up, it just slaps you in the back.  The smoothness of the Genesis's engine is nice, but that has nothing to do with how it feels. 

I said before that the Genesis coupe 'felt' about as quick as my much less powerful 330i (which is arguably an even smoother drivetrain), and by looking at Car and Driver's test results, it looks like my sensation is in line with the test numbers C&D achieved:

0-60:  5.5 (Gen) 5.6 (330)
5-60:  6.1 (Gen) 6.0 (330)
1/4mi: 14.2/100 (Gen)  14.3/98 (330)

Conversely, as we know the equally powerful 135i destroys the Genesis in acceleration and the much less powerful WRX 265 also is quicker (much of that owing to the traction of AWD).

The bottom line for me is, Hyundai has produced a great produce and it's a tremendous value.  I love the styling outside, I like it inside, it's likely to be very well built and a lot of fun to drive.  Personally though, I expected 300 hp to offer a bit more thrust.

[johngenx]

Low 14 Q with a trap of 100mph is nothing to sneeze at, but I know what you mean about "feel."  We briefly owned a C36 that I ran at the strip at 14.2 @99 and I was really surprised at the numbers, as the car didn't feel that fast at all.  At WFO, the trans still shifter butter smooth, the exhaust note was subdued and the quiet cabin just dulled the sensation of speed.  The torque characteristics of the engine were very linear which also took the edge off the feel as well.

But, I've never owned, or driven, another car more capaable of driving at the limited speed of 250 with so little effort.  Bigger, newer German bahn-burners can match it, perhaps, but the high-speed tuning AMG did on that little sedan was phenomenol.

[Turbo Bob]

GD what are the HP & torque numbers for your car? Interesting comparison.

[Giant Dwarf]

GD what are the HP & torque numbers for your car? Interesting comparison.

330i:
hp:  255
tq:  220
curbweight:  1550 kg

Genesis Coupe V6
hp:  306
tq:  266
curbwt:  1543 kg

[Turbo Bob]

I think the problem is that some of the 300bhp cars out there have turbo's which automatically make them feel faster.  Does anyone have the torque curves for this car, the WRX 265 and the BMW 135i?

Some dyno results can be found at the following links. Looks like both the 3.8V6 and 2.0T in the Genesis make lots of grunt down low.

G37 Vs Genesis 3.8 Dyno (Edmunds)
http://bit.ly/fO835

Genesis 2.0T Dyno (Edmunds)
http://bit.ly/GVSbJ

BMW 135i Dyno (Edmunds)
http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/135.dyno.stock.jpg

WRX (265) Dyno (Car & Driver)
http://bit.ly/23ZncI

Thanks, but that WRX graph doesn't seem to make sense? 209hp stock?

[wing]

25% drivetrain loss on AWD -- makes sense.

[Alex_S]

This is the first non-German vehicle I would consider owning and will likely be in the market for one of these in a few years.  Hope they add the soft touch dash.  Mine will likely be the 4-cyl with track pack for the brakes and the 19" shoes.  Kudos to HMC staff with the tire wheel combination - simply perfect.  I couldn't have gone to a Tire Rack and done a better job.