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Say you're planning your wedding. Your wedding is in another state, so you're going to need a rental car for running errands as well as driving away after the reception, but you'd rather not get two cars. You're a "car guy", but your significant other is not. You know you could get a sports car, but maybe that's not the most practical option or the most acceptable for your potential spouse. So what do you do? You rent a fast, comfortable luxury sedan. Make sense?
This is a 2015 Genesis 5.0 Ultimate. Now this car is known as "Genesis G80", but thankfully, this one bears no Hyundai badge on the outside. Even so, the Hyundai DNA has some upsides moreso than downsides. While the Genesis bears some familiar Hyundai qualities such as easy-to-read gauges, great ergonomics, and a reasonable price, it's got other features and qualities expected of entry-luxury and even mid-size luxury sedans.
Styling and First Impressions
I had seen the Genesis in photos before, but in person and up-close, it's an impressive car. It is fairly long, at four inches longer than a Lexus GS and two longer than a Mercedes-Benz E-Class. It presents its size in a more appropiate way for a luxury car, too. It doesn't have a ton of swoopy lines or crazy cuts in the bumpers to evoque false pretenses of sportiness. No, this car is going to make you relaxed and comfortable, and it makes that fact clear from the get-go.
My real first impression was actually riding in the back seat. We were picked up at the airport by our Turo guy, Ein, and he thought it be easier to do the check-in outside the terminal. So we were gently wafted down Atlanta's I-85 for a few miles. The car was amazingly quiet at interstate highway speeds, and the rear sunshades were welcome. There was not enough rear space for me to cross my legs, but I was able to stretch out a bit. Once we arrived at our rendezvous point with his ride home, it was time to check-in and actually drive the Genesis.
Storage and Interior Impressions
The car feels just as spacious from the driver's seat as it does from the rear seats. First off, it has an easy-access system that moves the seat back and the steering wheel up when the car is turned off, so when you get in, it automatically moves them back to your actual driving position, like many cars do at its price range. Meanwhile, the driver is greeted by a little welcome song. I found this feature odd, but also comforting in a way... It's like the car was saying, "Glad to have you back."
Looking around, there's good-looking wood trim throughout, and soft-touch materials everywhere (maybe except the lowermost portions of the doors, common in this segment). The seats aren't especially well-bolstered - in fact, they were pretty wide. But, this means ingress and egress are no problem and adds to the feeling of space in the car. The leather in this nearly-59,000-mile example was somewhat worn, but the seats felt cushy and smooth. (Sorry for the lack of interior seating photo from my example.)
The trunk of the Genesis is pretty large, and it uses hydraulic dampers to... sorta open on its own. In most situations it will completely open when called upon, but it didn't seem to close on its own. It also opens if the driver stands behind the car while it's locked after about 5 seconds and a few beeps. This feature was genuinely useful during my trip, as there were times my new wife and I would both have our hands full with wedding decorations or clothes.
As mentioned, the gauges are no-nonsense, with a clear font and white-on-black scheme. The center information display was surprisingly crisp and fairly easy to operate, controlled by a set of rocker and roller switches on the steering wheel. I really enjoyed just flipping through the various information in the "i" tab, such as the fuel economy and digital speeds. I found I didn't really need the digital speedo however, given the well-placed and large analog one.
Driving Impressions
Let's start with the good. The Genesis is smooth and deftly deals with just about any road surface or speed. Even navigating through the parking lot, I could tell from the well-tuned steering and throttle pedal that it would be easy to drive this car comfortably. The car really wafts along, and I know that's an overloaded term in car reviews. However, it describes how this car smoothly trundles along on the street. The eight-speed transmission can be a little rough when the transmission oil is cold, but it smooths out as you drive, eventually providing a seamless low-throttle takeoff. It manages to accelerate meaningfully without even cresting 2000 RPM, something that was a boon to the interior sound levels of the car.
When the car is stopped at a red light, the engine, a 5.0-liter Tau V8, can be only faintly heard. It's whisper-quiet. While cruising, too, the car remains hushed. Only the most severe imperfections brought unpleasant sound into the cabin, and even then, it's much more bearable than something like the IS F Sport I have in my garage. Surprisingly, with this soft suspension setup, this car doesn't get tripped up by corners. The often twisty suburbian back roads around Duluth and Lawrenceville were absolutely no problem for the big sedan. The steering certainly seems to resist the turn, but the car leans and rolls much less than I would expected, certainly less so than the ES 350 loaner I had not long ago. This car doesn't really beg to be driven spiritedly, but it's up to the task.
Also up to the task is the aforementioned V8. While it has a smooth demeanor when performing chauffeur duty, it provides thrust when called upon. Anything over about 3500 RPM will shove you back a bit, which only escalates to around 6000. This sedan, for how soft it is, gains speed with alacrity. It's no rocket ship, but it's a satisfying amount of pull when needed. The well-tuned eight-speed works in concert with the V8 to provide quick acceleration for highway maneuvers and for humiliating a Maxima at the green light. Oh, and yes, it sounds rather burly while doing so. Long live the naturally-aspirated V8, right?
Now let's address to the negatives. One of the best and worst things about this car is the eight-speed automatic. The bad parts are really this intermittent roughness mentioned before as well as its reluctance to downshift. Sometimes, when taking off from a stop with maybe 1/4 throttle, the shift from second to third is oddly firm, in spite of being smooth through the first two gears. Then, in coasting situations, the transmission is again strangely abrupt to re-engage when you press the rightmost pedal. This kinda takes me out of the smooth, luxury experience I was otherwise having. Indeed, too, the transmission stays in the highest gear possible when outside of Sport mode, meaning it has a lot of cogs to switch through on its way to second or third when you mash the gas. This could be frustrating at times, since it was often followed by a shocking amount of thrust... almost like turbo-lag. Transmission-lag?
One other thing, which isn't really a negative as much as a reality, is the size. This car is big. I barely nicked a curb going through a parking lot, even though I could swear I gave it a barn-door's worth of turning radius. I also bumped into a few parking blocks. This car feels substantial, which is great when crusing down the freeway, but its size can take some getting used to if you are more accustomed to smaller vehicles.
Finally, thre's the fuel mileage. It's not that bad, but it's still a 5.0-liter V8. The mileage numbers I saw never really crested 21 MPG, even on the highway, with the eight-speed doing its best. Normally, cruising along at in-town speeds, it was closer to 19, which admittedly isn't a bad city number at all. Still, fill-ups of 93 octane were pretty steep.
Side note, this Genesis was our drive-away car. It did a great job at that task. I thought it had great presence as it awaited us at the curb, and it was so comfortable and pleasant to float along and reflect following the reception.
Conclusion
This car really changed my perceptions on what I appreciated about luxury vehicles. The badges affixed to the German and Japanese establishment really trigger a sense of prestige, but do they really deliver on that promise? Mostly, yes, but this car proved to me that a car could be both an outsider and also a hell of a competitor to the old guard of mid-size luxury cars. Most of all, I knew this car would be several things: fast, comfortable, good-looking, and spacious. However, I didn't know that it would also be refreshingly fun (yes, fun) to drive without being overtly sporty. This is one stunning car, and I just might put the Sport version on my short list next go-around.
Great write up. I would love to drive the newer G80 or G70 for a weekend getaway. I rode in the first generation Genesis several years ago. The ride was too firm for me as a passenger but it oddly felt different from behind the wheel.
a rental car with 59k mi.? seems like a lot, but car seems to have held up well.
about the negatives, not sure size should be one of them, as you said it's only 2" longer than the e-class. i think the g80 is a GREAT looking car, the long wheelbase and short overhangs really do it for me.
lazy transmission, hmm... you said there was a 'sport mode' - did that drive more responsively? as for normal mode going to as high a gear as possible and being reluctant to downshift, a lot of that is epa-driven these days.
and 21mpg for a honking v8 in a big car isn't bad. better than what i used to get in my gs400.
but more importantly, congrats on getting married! in hotlanta no less, place i lived before florida.
a rental car with 59k mi.? seems like a lot, but car seems to have held up well.
about the negatives, not sure size should be one of them, as you said it's only 2" longer than the e-class. i think the g80 is a GREAT looking car, the long wheelbase and short overhangs really do it for me.
lazy transmission, hmm... you said there was a 'sport mode' - did that drive more responsively? as for normal mode going to as high a gear as possible and being reluctant to downshift, a lot of that is epa-driven these days.
and 21mpg for a honking v8 in a big car isn't bad. better than what i used to get in my gs400.
but more importantly, congrats on getting married! in hotlanta no less, place i lived before florida.
Thank you! I'm glad we could have it there, since most of my family is in the area.
Yeah, I might amend the review to talk about Sport mode. I used it a couple of times and then didn't again. It does help with responsiveness, since it won't even go into 8th gear on the highway - cruising RPMs were noticeably higher. However, it seems to hold 1st and especially 2nd gear artificially long, which I thought was annoying, particularly since I was driving other people around most of the time I had it and didn't want them to feel like they were on a ride. The Sport mode in the IS is much smarter. It really only holds gears long if it "thinks" you are driving in a spirited manner, not if you're just casually accelerating after the light turns green. I noticed our Turo guy was using Sport when he picked us up, but maybe he's gotten the hang of how to drive it smoothly.
I agree with much of what you say about the G80 5.0L. I did a full-review, a few years ago, on its RWD Hyundai Genesis 5.0L predecessor...before it officially shifted to the Genesis badge. You mentioned that it doesn't have a Hyundai badge on the outside......interestingly enough, for that matter, the old Hyundai version didn't either LOL. I also sampled the later Genesis G80 version with the 3.8L and AWD (not for five whole days, though, like you did), and thought the ride was just a hair stiffer than on the earlier Hyundai RWD version....perhaps the added unsprung weight of the AWD components.
I agree with much of what you say about the G80 5.0L. I did a full-review, a few years ago, on its RWD Hyundai Genesis 5.0L predecessor...before it officially shifted to the Genesis badge. You mentioned that it doesn't have a Hyundai badge on the outside......interestingly enough, for that matter, the old Hyundai version didn't either LOL. I also sampled the later Genesis G80 version with the 3.8L and AWD (not for five whole days, though, like you did), and thought the ride was just a hair stiffer than on the earlier Hyundai RWD version....perhaps the added unsprung weight of the AWD components.
Thanks!
I will need to go and take a look at your review. Mine probably left some things out, since I was really quite busy most of the time I was down there, but I did drive it at least an hour every day. Cheers!
Excellent review and good-looking car. I always stare a bit when I see these on the road. Especially like the way they styled the exhaust outlets and rear valance. It's probably the sportiest area of the car.
So I cannot wrap my head around the 50k+ miles for a rental. Never heard of a company that has done this, let alone hold on to a two-year old car for it's customers.
Excellent review and good-looking car. I always stare a bit when I see these on the road. Especially like the way they styled the exhaust outlets and rear valance. It's probably the sportiest area of the car.
So I cannot wrap my head around the 50k+ miles for a rental. Never heard of a company that has done this, let alone hold on to a two-year old car for it's customers.
He rented the car from Turo, not a traditional rental car company. Turo is more like a broker, as it allows the owner of the car to rent it out through their website. You can rent all kinds of interesting things from Turo, just did a quick search in my area and found I could rent a Tesla Model X for $150 a day. They also had a Tesla Model S, a Porsche Boxter, a 2013 Range Rover Sport, Audi S5 convertible, a very ugly yellow 1978 Volvo 242, 2016 Porsche Cayenne, a C7 Corvette, a really nice looking 2013 Porsche 911, a new Acura NSX, a Nissan GTR, along with a bunch of boring Camrys and SUV's.
He rented the car from Turo, not a traditional rental car company. Turo is more like a broker, as it allows the owner of the car to rent it out through their website. You can rent all kinds of interesting things from Turo, just did a quick search in my area and found I could rent a Tesla Model X for $150 a day. They also had a Tesla Model S, a Porsche Boxter, a 2013 Range Rover Sport, Audi S5 convertible, a very ugly yellow 1978 Volvo 242, 2016 Porsche Cayenne, a C7 Corvette, a really nice looking 2013 Porsche 911, a new Acura NSX, a Nissan GTR, along with a bunch of boring Camrys and SUV's.
You beat me to it. I think of Turo as Airbnb for cars. You're renting personal vehicles. However, the guy I rented from works with a friend to manage their combined 7 cars they rent on Turo, which range from a Jeep Cherokee to a Maserati Ghibli to a BMW i8.
You beat me to it. I think of Turo as Airbnb for cars. You're renting personal vehicles. However, the guy I rented from works with a friend to manage their combined 7 cars they rent on Turo, which range from a Jeep Cherokee to a Maserati Ghibli to a BMW i8.
How was the experience with Turo? Would you use them again?
How was the experience with Turo? Would you use them again?
I absolutely would, if I was going to be renting anything for a particularly special occasion. I like the option of getting something non-boring and the fact that the prices are generally cheaper than something like Enterprise. And, the guy we worked with was pretty flexible on pickup and dropoff locations and times.
Good looking vehicle with some frills, but nothing that can't be smoothed out over time now that Genesis has established itself in the market. They'll improve on things like the transmission over time (heck maybe they have, this model was a 2015).
I absolutely would, if I was going to be renting anything for a particularly special occasion. I like the option of getting something non-boring and the fact that the prices are generally cheaper than something like Enterprise. And, the guy we worked with was pretty flexible on pickup and dropoff locations and times.
Definitely. I just hopped over to Turo's website and it's basically AirAnB for cars. It's fun for special occasions or if you want to try a car out for a day or two to help with your purchase decision. I think it's a great idea, and I might just get my hands on a Tesla Model S.
10-25-17, 11:46 AM
My 5 days with the Genesis 5.0 Ultimate
i think the g80 is a GREAT looking car, the long wheelbase and short overhangs really do it for me.
The Sport mode in the IS is much smarter. It really only holds gears long if it "thinks" you are driving in a spirited manner, not if you're just casually accelerating after the light turns green. I noticed our Turo guy was using Sport when he picked us up, but maybe he's gotten the hang of how to drive it smoothly. 
