spwolf

........

mmarshall

This part right here isn't too terribly complex, but the console-**** and video-screen, for the stereo, NAV, and climate-control can get a little complex. The Infiniti-style analog clock, though, is nice.

dunnojack

that center stack just doesn't look sophisticated enough.
has a very budget look with a budget tacky looking analog clock

GiantsFan

iTrader: (9)

I agree... from that pics it def. looks cheap

Och

iTrader: (3)

AFAIK, the turbo four in the Genesis coupe is still a mitsu engine.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Great review as usual,Mike.
No doubt one gets a lot for their money with the Equus.
I'm not too fond of the exterior styling.Especially the front which looks too gaudy to me but the interior looks nice but I would have to sit in it and get a close look.

rdgdawg

Awesome Mike kudos!!!

My $.02... there's just "something" about the Equus that turns me off... maybe the grill? To me, I've liked the Genesis since day one.... and the incoming Genesis? R-Spec... I can't wait!!!!

This just doesn't get it for me... IMO opinion, compared to the LS and incoming Genesis upgrades, this ranks 3rd on my list. If I want to be "stuffy" I'm still going LS over this. And if looks and being able to "run on the twisties" come in, Genesis R-Spec. My neighbor's Genesis, again, is surprising when you wanna run....

You've been around all 3, I haven't seen a Equus in the flesh... is the luxury THAT much better than the Genesis?

mmarshall

Thanks.

True, but 60K is still a lot of cash....more than I would spend on a new car.


It's still somewhat conservative by current styling trends.....and certainly more conservative than the gaudy-loking Sonata's new front end.



As several posters have noted, there's plastic inside, just like all cars today, but it has a rich, well-finished look.

mmarshall

Thanks, Russ.

There really doesn't seem to be that much difference between the Equus and Genesis sedan's front end.

Hyundai is not intending for Equus customers to be the same as those which would look at or consider the Genesis R-Spec. The R-Spec is intended as a high-powered sports-sedan, though its suspension is not going to be that much different from the current Genesis.

The auto industry, IMO, needs more cars like the Equus....though cars like this cost good money. Everything, today, seems to be centered around "sport" and handling, acceleration, braking, etc..... to satisfy the auto press and enthusiasts. Straight-luxury cars, designed primarily for comfort, are being more and more ignored. And even the Equus, IMO, could use some softer tires.


Well, as you probably saw, some posters here in this thread disagreed with my assessment of the Equus interior, claiming it has too much cheap plastic. It DOES have plastic (I won't deny that), but, IMO, the plastic is rich-looking, well-finished, and well-fitted. It also has the large, wide, wood-panels all over the interior that I like, The Genesis sedan does have one nice feature inside, though.......that brownish-colored leather covering on the dash, which, IMO, looks sharp.

spwolf

how can plain black plastic be rich looking mike? they could have grained it, put some color on it, do something... anything but a lot of plain black plastic with big black plastic buttons on it.

mmarshall

Very simple. There's a whole lot more to the Equus interior than just black plastic. In fact, the black plastic isn't that widespread at all. And the wood-trim coverage is excellent. Most cars have only a small amount of wood-tone inside...the Equus has tons of it, over many areas, as befits a luxury-car.

UDel

That center dash pic is exactly what I am talking about mmarshal. It looks cheap, outdated, uninspired, and certainly not a design that should be in a car competing with expensive flagship sedans. I can pretty much tell from the pics it is cheap cost cut painted hard plastic and those buttons and ***** will feel cheap when using them. Those two big temperature control ***** alone on those slabs of cheap bright silver plastic look horrible and are an eyesore. I am afraid that center dash and shifter area will immediately turn off buyers and they will come away thinking it is a decent car with cheap economy car designs/bits in the interior and will not feel it is worth spending over 50K on. I thought and hoped they would have updated that dash and shifter area for the car to be sold in the US and am shocked they kept it.

The Lexus LS and Acura RL which you and I agree have very nice well done interiors blow the Equus away in design especially the center dash and shifter area. Even in pictures you can tell they are good designs with high quality and attention to detail and don't look cost cut or cheap. The rest of the Equus interior looks pretty good and I agree it has some nice looking wood trim. The rear seating area with all the controls and features looks very good and I wish the front dash area could have looked as nice as the rear passenger area.

GFerg

Always appreciate the reviews. Thanks.

Like many, Im not a fan of the interior either. I was able to check it out at the Philly Auto Show last week. I do not understand why they even bothered to put the ottoman back there (as well as turning it into a four seater). Its absolutely useless. Very poor packaging. Even with the front seat all way forward I had to bend my knees at a 90 degree angle just to fit. It was aggravating, and its best to just leave it down. The money spent on some of these useless features (obviously for the wow factor) could have been spent elsewhere such as working on that center dash.

I will also say that the sheetmetal is ridiculously thin too. Some other guy was pushing on the fender and you could see it flexing under his thumb. Knock on any of the panels, and it sounded hollow.

mmarshall

OK...I can agree with much of what you say. The center-controls were the one thing inside I didn't particularly like, but the rest of the interior, IMO, was superb.

mmarshall

Sure....anytime.

How tall are you? I'm 6' 2" and didn't have any significant legroom problems in back, even with the front seat adjusted to where I wanted it.

All new cars are getting like that, to some extent....that's to keep weight and cost down. But the doors, of course, despite the thin sheet metal, have to meet Federal side-impact standards. So, when I say in the reviews that the sheet-metal panels feel "solid", that, of course, is in context and in reference/comparison to those of the average new-vehicle today. You can't expect them to feel like the thick sheet metal, for example, on an American car from the 1950s....or a Mercedes from the '70s and '80s.