Well, I pulled the trigger on a 2013 Genesis Coupe 2.0 (manual). I had it narrowed down the Genesis, a Mazda Speed3, a BRZ, and was also looking into the upcoming Ford Focus ST. I really wanted to wait to drive the Focus ST and BRZ before making a decision but my 2006 Mazda 3 was going to need some expensive repairs and I did not want to try my luck any longer with the car. Unfortunately it was in an accident in 2010 (not my fault) and has not been the same since, and the insurance company was not willing to fix the car in 2012 from what were lingering issues from an accident 2 years before. It was too bad as I paid cash for the car in 2006 and it has been a rock up until this point. It was a nice little commuter car but I really wanted something with more power.
Finding a BRZ in my area was not going to be easy
I found two dealers that were willing to sell them at MSRP, with a fully refundable deposit, but I was going to be 8 or 9th out of the list of 9 allocated cars at one dealer, and 12 out of 12 allocated cars at the other. Some of the other dealers I called that I may have been able to get a car sooner told me they would most likely be marking up over MSRP (no deal). While I would have really liked to have test driven one of these bad boys before deciding, in the end, I did not want to play Russian roulette with my current car as it was looking like a very long wait with the local Subaru dealers on the BRZ. They told me they expected one car a month (so looking at a 6-12 month wait). Which seems ridiculous (and maybe they will get the cars allocated faster, but the sales manager I spoke to said he was told one a month and that I should prepare for that). There was always a chance someone would back out of an allocated car, but I 100% want a manual and am very particular on color, so the wait seemed as though it would be long. In the meantime it makes no sense to dump $2-3K in a car that is worth about $7000-8000K and I want to get rid of.
As for the Genesis Coupe, I really liked the car the minute I drove it. For some background, I have previously owned two RX-7's (one being a turbo), a Mazda 3, a VW Jetta VR6, a VW GTI, a Nissan Altima SE 3.5, and a BMW 325i (other cars too, but those were the fun ones that I would compare to). I did not even have Hyundai on the radar when I started shopping. I was shopping a little bit of everything (coupes, sedans, etc) I test drove a MazdaSpeed 3, Ford Mustang V6 Performance Package, Subaru WRX (non-STI), VW GTI, Chevy Camaro V6, Ford Focus SE, Honda Accord V6 Coupe, etc. I stumbled across a review of the 2013 Genesis Coupe and figured why not. I liked what Hyundai had been doing in recent years and I have several friends and family members buy a Hyundai and they seemed happy with their cars and experience with the brand.
Handling? I thought the Genesis Coupe handled pretty well. Suspension was tight, and the car goes where you point it for the most part. I recently drove a Mini Cooper S, and a Mazda RX8. Those cars will handle better. The Genesis is not a light car, but it is RWD, and it does have a lot of power. There is some turbo lag, but I did not feel it to be extreme, and the car accelerates from a stop very quickly. Motortrend recently clocked 0-60 in 5.7sec with the 2.0 turbo with the manual. I believe it. Stability control is three stage, and you can disable it if you would like. So far, I have not noticed it kicking in too excessively, but I am not tracking this car. It is a daily driver and my commute is not really full of winding roads. But this car will pass on the freeway effortlessly. I love the power in the 60-75mph powerband. It moves. I have had nothing but smiles on my face and have done a little drifting with the car, and it is a blast. The car is pretty easy to maintain control of, but with traction control off, you need to know what you are doing. Because the power is deceiving on this little beast. I can see where people can get theirselves in trouble with the power. I constantly have to watch my speed limit as I routinely find myself going 10mph over the speed limit effortlessly. It is easily the fastest car I have ever owned.
I will say that the manual is not the smoothest I have ever driven. It took me a little time feeling comfortable with quick shifts, and while it is not terrible, it is not a highlight for the car. By comparison, VW GTI, Ford Mustang, and Mazda Speed3, had smoother shifting manuals (with the Ford being the best I think), but the trade-off is FWD vs RWD for the Mazda and VW vs the Hyundai and Ford. And frankly, I was tired of FWD and wanted RWD drive again. I would say the ride of the car is pretty refined overall. I would not say it is too harsh, but it is not too soft either. I was pretty impressed with the way the car felt and handled vs the other cars I drove. I would not say it was a class leader, but it was also pretty solid. It definitely did not feel like I was driving a boat or a truck like some people have insinuated in this thread. Not as raw as a Miata or Mini either, but I actually liked the handling better than the Mustang, and GTI. I thought the Speed3 had some fun handling and user feedback, but it felt more untamed than the Genesis Coupe and you can definitely feel the torque steer on that Mazda Speed3. The Speed3 was a fun car. I would say the most fun of any of the cars I drove, but I was not sold on the FWD, and the interior really turned me off. The steering wheel has gobs of buttons and the interior felt very cheap next to the Genesis Coupe. Since this is a daily driver, I wanted something that I was going to enjoy sitting in for my commute (which is 160-180 miles per week on average, with some additional miles on the weekend).
The Genesis Coupe is certainly not without fault. I know the exterior style is polarizing. You either like it or you don't. I was skeptical from the pictures I saw online, but liked it better in person. It has grown on me even more as I have owned the car, and I have had a number of people stop me and ask me who makes it and compliment the car. I understand some of the criticism. But I give Hyundai some credit for doing something different and not just giving a bland car that looked like a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord. Interior wise, the car is very nice. I like the leather like stitching on the dash, and I find myself using the audio Bluetooth controls on the steering wheel all the time to make and place calls with my iPhone. I also like the audio controls on the steering wheel, and is something I have had for the past 10 years on my cars. I use it all the time. It is great not having to fumble with my hands free for my cellphone or hunt for radio stations. My iPhone works pretty seamlessly for music and you can use Bluetooth or the stock cable. Seats are very comfortable and the car has a ****pit like feel. For the rear seats, they are actually pretty spacious width wise, and there is some legroom, but if you are over 5'10" sitting in the back for more than a few minutes is not doable. This is not a sedan. But I have younger kids, and they fit easily, and I had no issues fitting a car seat or booster seat. The front seats have a handle on the back of them making it very easy for a rear passenger to get in and out of the car.
As for price. I was able to leverage a Hyundai Competitor rebate and I paid $23,740 for the car (this was about $600 under invoice if you factor in the iPod cable, and floor mats, and before tax, license, and title. There were no other fees). Base BRZ MSRP (no dealer was willing to let the car go for less than MSRP not including options) was about $3K more. Mustang and Speed3 were all about the same price so it was a wash there on price. GTI, was going to be a little more, but I am not ready to buy another VW after my Jetta VR6 fiasco (let's just say that car was in the shop almost as much as it was on the road). The Hyundai dealer also gave me 4 years of oil changes, a lifetime powertrain warranty (on top of the 5yr/60K bumper to bumper), and the best trade-in value for my car. They gave me full KBB trade-in (I had to haggle) which seemed more than fair considering the car needs new rotors, brakepads, clutch, belts (timing belt, etc), tires, and had some minor dings and scratches. Ford dealer was only willing to give me $7K, Mazda $7700, and I got just under $8K from Hyundai. I also secured 2.9% financing through the dealer which was pretty solid (I took out a 5 year loan but will pay the car off in less than 2 years).
It is hard to say if I would have ponied up the extra $3K to buy a BRZ. I am intrigued by the BRZ. I definitely want to drive one, and I will probably wait and see what an STI BRZ will offer down the road. Could easily be my next car.... That will give some time for the buzz to die down, dealers to have stock, and time to wheel and deal more on price. But $3K will by you a lot of aftermarket accessories for the Genesis Coupe as well. It seems like it would be easy to add an additional 40-50hp and more torque and also improve the suspension if I wanted. But I really don't see the need since this is a daily driver, and I just don't have time to track the car. Perhaps when the kids are out of the house.. Which is in like 15 years....
Highlights of the car:
- Acceleration
- Handling
- Interior quality and features
- RWD
- Good braking
- Audio and Bluetooth steering controls
- Gas mileage
- Warranty
Criticisms:
- Shifter not as smooth as other competitors
- Exterior styling
- Car could be a little lighter