look who is trying to copy M

[palincal]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9jpYDtAiWY&NR=1

[AD1787]

I give Hyundai a lot of credit, they've really come a long way. That genesis coupe is going to be pretty sweet. I think more competition is great for us the consumer because, Infiniti will make their next Gen M even better to make sure they don't lose market share.

Thanks for the video cliip

[tytamto]

Great clip. Hyundai lacks prestige, but their cars and SUVs have come a long way. The Veracruz and the Genesis are very good cars, that have won comparisons against the titans of their segments. And were significantly cheaper.

The M is a great car to try to mimic.

[CakeDaddy]

Calm down ! It looks nothing like the 06-09 M's, but the BMW 7 series and Lex Ls460 owners should be the ones complaining.

[MagicM]

Can't really look down on Hyundai for copying when Infiniti is just as guilty.

[palincal]

Well yes, it doesn't look like M. The Genesis designers tried to make it drive like an M thinking that an M's handling is in-between a lexus and a BMW. But the reviewer ended up correcting the VP that M actually handles better than a BMW and an M is a "very very responsive" car.

Just sat in a Genesis at the San Jose auto show. Looks beautiful from outside. Very clean finish from inside but has good amount of hard plastic. I think it is a good bang for the buck. There was no 2009 7-series there

[M4T5]

I think the Hyundai has come along very well too. Though it will not have the styling sophistication as the BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, or Infiniti has to offer. In the performance aspects, lets see what stacks up and how effecient that 4.6L is.Though, that 4.6L rated at 375hp will really put on a show over the Infiniti's 4.5L. We're 50 hp in the hole!!! Yikes! But we're .1L smaller. That would be some serious competition for the new Pontiac G8 at least 6.0L (361hp) Their prices are close to the same...in a sense...It beats the BMW 5 series 4.8L (360hp)Mercedes' S-Class or CLK-Class 550's 5.5L (382hp) I would like to see how well the Hyundai performs against these two.The Lexus GS and LS sedans 4.6L (380hp) would be the best match. You have almost identical engine specs. I wonder if Hyundai didn't borrow their engine??? If you compare engine sizes and HP output ratings, the Hyundai Genesis really steps up to the table. Even the fuel effeciency is good. I wonder how smooth or quiet the Hyundai's 4.6L V8 runs to redline?Putting the car asside, you have to give it to them for the power and effeciency that their 4.6L V8 delivers.For $40K-$45K, it's a pretty damn good deal! Though I don't think I could live with the Hyundai badging...yet at least.Infiniti?? Are you listening?? Give us M45 owners more power and fuel effeciency please!I just wonder if the new generation M's will possibly be the M37 and M47?? Far fetched?? I don't think so.

J

[Bruno]

I looked at the Genesis before buying the M. If it wasn't for the fact that it was a first year offering, I may have looked at it more seriously. It is a lot of bang for the buck. Dealers up my way are putting $3k worth of extended warranty, and seat protection, etc. That is the only way they will sell it. That bugs me.

[tytamto]

I think the Hyundai has come along very well too. Though it will not have the styling sophistication as the BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, or Infiniti has to offer. In the performance aspects, lets see what stacks up and how effecient that 4.6L is.Though, that 4.6L rated at 375hp will really put on a show over the Infiniti's 4.5L. We're 50 hp in the hole!!! Yikes! But we're .1L smaller. That would be some serious competition for the new Pontiac G8 at least 6.0L (361hp) Their prices are close to the same...in a sense...It beats the BMW 5 series 4.8L (360hp)Mercedes' S-Class or CLK-Class 550's 5.5L (382hp) I would like to see how well the Hyundai performs against these two.The Lexus GS and LS sedans 4.6L (380hp) would be the best match. You have almost identical engine specs. I wonder if Hyundai didn't borrow their engine??? If you compare engine sizes and HP output ratings, the Hyundai Genesis really steps up to the table. Even the fuel effeciency is good. I wonder how smooth or quiet the Hyundai's 4.6L V8 runs to redline?Putting the car asside, you have to give it to them for the power and effeciency that their 4.6L V8 delivers.For $40K-$45K, it's a pretty damn good deal! Though I don't think I could live with the Hyundai badging...yet at least.Infiniti?? Are you listening?? Give us M45 owners more power and fuel effeciency please!I just wonder if the new generation M's will possibly be the M37 and M47?? Far fetched?? I don't think so.

J

The fact that you have just compared the Genesis V8 to the above lux-mobiles means that Hyundai designers and engineers have done their job!!!

Now, is prestige more important than cost? That is the question that is resonating throughout the halls of their Fountain Valley HQ.

[M4T5]

I wasn't saying that they have not done their jobs well. Though, I haven't seen what features they have available. Nor have I looked in the interior either. The seats do look a bit bland from the photos.They might be very well heading into the luxury seen. This is just their introduction.They seem to have done a great job so far. Time will tell how the public takes on their new flagship car.I just couldn't get past the Hyundai badge just yet to buy one. Though I was taken it into consideration during my hunt for my M45.Though, I never took that next step to actually going to a Hyundai dealer.I'm still happy with my M45 purchase. In the end, I made a great choice!

J

[palincal]

Is the double visor only an M feature? Haven't seen any other car with two visors at the auto show. People are impressed when they see two visors on my M. A touch of luxury

[MinisterofDOOM]

The Genesis really isn't aimed at Infiniti OR BMW. It's a Lexus/Mercedes fighter. Soft, numb, and cushy, there's very little sport to be found. Definitely not Infiniti-like suspension tuning or handling capabilities. It is a PURE luxury car, not a sport lux like the M or any other Infiniti.

From a first-time-entry point of view, the Lexus/MB approach is by far the safest. It's easy to get luxury right, and easy to pull off the copycat styling that will win over the driveway showoffs who will make up the majority of your sales. Sportiness and performance are much harder to get right, and occupies a much smaller and pickier niché. Hardly surprising that Hyundai went for such a popular, open, and (relatively) easily accessible segment as full size luxury instead of trying to be the new 5-series-fighter. Only the M and the older Q have ever come close to the big BMWs, so it's not worth the effort that Hyundai would end up devoting to guaranteed failure in that market. Pure lux buyers are much easier to please than we enthusiasts. Hyundai can easily offer everything they want, and cheaply, thus securing their special corner of the popular market.

Also, the performance market has it's risks. Sportier, more aggressively tuned and styled cars tend to scare away as many (or more) people than they attract. Not the route to take if you're going for volume, which is Hyundai's goal (and necessary to support their psychotically low pricing compared to the big L and MB). The "I might be a Lexus or a MB but I'm not sure" styling is inoffensive but still undeniably luxurious. It's very soft with little edge. I personally find it attractive enough (certainly far more so than any MB or Lexus) even with it's lack of edge.

I do find cars like the Genesis frustrating on one special level, though: when you give me V8 power and torque, I want to go play. I don't want wallowy suspension and numb, slow steering with all that power underfoot. The two sides are exclusive in my book. But again, I'm the enthusiast. The Lux buyers begging to hand over money for a new driveway jewel feel much differently, and it is with them--not us--that the profits lie.

Is the double visor only an M feature? Haven't seen any other car with two visors at the auto show. People are impressed when they see two visors on my M. A touch of luxury

The '04-'08 Maxima was the first car I ever saw that had it. I assumed it made it's way into other Nissan models as well.

[M4T5]

The Genesis really isn't aimed at Infiniti OR BMW. It's a Lexus/Mercedes fighter. Soft, numb, and cushy, there's very little sport to be found. Definitely not Infiniti-like suspension tuning or handling capabilities. It is a PURE luxury car, not a sport lux like the M or any other Infiniti.

Huh??? The Hyundai representative couldn't have been anymore blunt about the Hyundai Genesis being derived from the all inspiring Infiniti M. Did you watch and listen to the above video in the original post??They are after the Infiniti M. As well as Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes.The reviewer told the Hyundai representative it doesn't come close to handling like the Infiniti M. Just watch the video. If you did, you wouldn't have typed the above statement.

J

[NotEnough]

Wife and i drove the Genesis a few days before buying our M35 a week ago. They would only let us drive the V6 (290hp). Pretty good for their first stab into the upper regions. Looks pretty good, interior is a little down market, feature set is pretty impressive for the $, but they've got alot to overcome wrt to the Hyundai name. I won't drop $45k in their dealership. Not trying to be an elitist, but people willing to put down that kind of money will expect more from the dealership and customer service experience.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Huh??? The Hyundai representative couldn't have been anymore blunt about the Hyundai Genesis being derived from the all inspiring Infiniti M. Did you watch and listen to the above video in the original post??They are after the Infiniti M. As well as Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes.The reviewer told the Hyundai representative it doesn't come close to handling like the Infiniti M. Just watch the video. If you did, you wouldn't have typed the above statement.

J

I watched the video. My statement was not based on the video alone, or anything else alone. Every single person who has driven a Genesis and reported back has said the same thing: the Genesis is NOT sporty, does NOT handle well, has soft, wallowy, cushy suspension, and comes nowhere even approximating BMW/Infiniti territory.The Hyundai representative can claim whatever he wants. It doesn't make it true. Of course he'll say the car aspires to be an M, that it's sporty and fun. But reality, according to everyone I know (and don't know) who has driven the car the car EXCEPT that Hyundai representative has said that the car is a Lexus, a MB, and a luxury car with zero sport aside from it's power to speak of.

I could very well be wrong about who Hyundai wanted to emulate most with the Genesis...but I doubt it. The Hyundai rep's statements in that video are pure sales promo and should be taken as such. Csere was quick to point out that the car is very un-M in it's feel. Listen to someone who is NOT on Hyundai's payroll for an accurate assessment of the car.The Genesis is a Lexus/MB ripoff in every sense of the word. Nothing of it's design or styling shows signs of the car having been built as an M-fighter.

At any rate, the Hyundai guy never said the car was pointed specifically at the M. He repeatedly named ALL the cars in the M's segment. And when talking about suspension, he said they were going for a sweet-spot between Lexus and the M. Which is all, again, marketing tilt. He said what I said above in different words. He even mentioned the car having found a sweet spot in a big market by maintaining JUST the right not-too-agressive balance, just like I said. He never said "we designed this car to target the M." He said the design team used the M and other cars (like LEXUS and even the Chrysler 300c) as benchmarks for the various aspects of the cars. Those are two entirely different things.

[M4T5]

To whatever extent that it may be.... it has some serious power. I wouldn't mind borrowing that engine for my M45! What are the performance specification ratings on the car compared to the M45?

J

[M45Caliber]

And then there is resale (not that Infiniti is top of the class there...) but one of my golf buddies bought an Azera Limited last year. I believe he said that it dropped 40% in value after a year. So, if you are desirous of owning a Genesis, I'd wait and pick up a low mileage V8 1 year old model for around $25K.

[M4T5]

And then there is resale (not that Infiniti is top of the class there...) but one of my golf buddies bought an Azera Limited last year. I believe he said that it dropped 40% in value after a year. So, if you are desirous of owning a Genesis, I'd wait and pick up a low mileage V8 1 year old model for around $25K.

I don't desire one due to the exterior styling really. At first glance it looked really good, but after seeing it in person I had second thoughts.

J

[maxnix]

...one of my golf buddies bought an Azera Limited last year.

A guy in Phoenix racked up a few thousand dollars in fines running one of those up and down the interstate past the photo cameras at 140+ mph on several occasions.

God bless Hyundai for not installing a speed limiter!

[M4T5]

A guy in Phoenix racked up a few thousand dollars in fines running one of those up and down the interstate past the photo cameras at 140+ mph on several occasions.

God bless Hyundai for not installing a speed limiter!

That sucks! I'm glad we don't have speed sensitive photo cameras! We do have red light cameras though! I've never received a ticket for that though. I will not run through a red light. I have ran through some long yellow ones though!!

J