Quote:
Originally Posted by normancw
After reading a lot of the comparisons in this subforum, I really wanted to try some of the FR-S competitors myself, including the MX-5, Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec, and Mustang V6 with Track Pack. Here is my review of the Genesis Coupe.
I wanted to test drive the Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec, but the dealer didn't have an R-Spec - I drove a Coupe 2.0T Premium 6MT instead. The R-Spec has Brembo brakes, stiffer suspension and 19" rims (vs 18" on the Premium).
Immediately, my wife didn't like how big it was - it's longer than my 330i, about the same weight, and almost as tall. She really didn't think it was a competitor to the FR-S, but rather an alternative to a 3-series coupe.
She didn't want to drive it. I drove it for ~15 minutes, both on the highway and on back country roads. My impressions: - The interior is very nicely finished, with lot's of features, and the dash is very well laid out
- The view is very good, with no blind spots. The driver's seat has quite a lot of vertical travel, providing a good view over the hood
- The steering wheel is nice and small and the center stack has 3 nice analog gauges (engine temp, oil pressure, and something else)
- The engine and exhaust sound is quite nice - before this, I had never driven a turbo!
- The engine feels soft at low RPMs, but once it hit 4000, the turbo boost was great. The torque curve was not nearly as flat as what I was expecting. Below 3000 rpm, the FR-S is more responsive. Off the line, my 330i feels quite a bit faster, but once the boost hits, the Genesis is faster
- The ride is very good, quite a bit softer than the FR-S and MX-5
- The coupe rolls a lot more than the FR-S and MX-5, I could really feel the extra 600lbs. Even though it weighs the same, my 330i feels more buttoned down. I'm sure an R-Spec is quite a bit better
- The steering is quite light - it's nice, but doesn't provide as much feedback as the FR-S, MX-5, and 330i
- The shifter feels pretty good when the car is not moving. Underway, under full throttle, the shift from second to third is quite balky
In summary, it's a very nice and fast car, providing a lot of value for the money. I agree with my wife - I don't really see it as a direct competitor to the FR-S, but rather more of an alternative to the G37 and 3-series coupe. |
Thanks for taking the time to right an honest review and share your opinion. As for the RSPEC, you are quite right. The car is definitely tighter and I feel it provides more driver feedback. But there are tradeoffs, and the tradeoff is a car that is not nearly as forgiving over rough roads, and you will have more road noise. But you also gain those excellent Brambo brakes which are quite nice. If you want a little more of a sports car feel with the Genesis Coupe the RSPEC is the way to go, and is a lot of car for the money. You should be able to buy one with normal discounting for the price of a BRZ at MSRP.
I also agree with you on the interior on the GC. It really stood out to me as I was test driving all these cars. I think the only car that I felt had a nicer interior was the VW GTI. But the Genesis was a pretty close second, and some of the other cars in the $25K range were actually pretty substandard. Obviously interior is not the highest on everyone's priority list, but it was important to me as this car is my daily driver that I drive 160-200 miles a week in. And a good chunk of that can be in heavy traffic. I am not as young as I used to be, and I do appreciate some of the amenities like steering wheel audio and Bluetooth controls. I find myself using the steering wheel Bluetooth controls all the time to make and take calls from my iPhone in the car.
As for the turbo, I have noticed that it does not appear to give you full boost until the engine and turbo are warmed up. I did some quick research and some folks on the Genesis Coupe forums say that you may not feel full boost until 160 degrees or so. So it appears you get boost, but it may take a good 10 minutes to get the full effect.
The shifter.. The shift from 2nd to 3rd was one of my pet peeves as well. Now that I have had the car for several weeks, it is much easier, but it took me some time to get used to the shifter in this car and I have been driving sticks for 22 years now. I don't think the shifter is rubbish, but it is not as good as many competitors and is something Hyundai needs to continue to improve on.
I cannot speak for the FR-S or BRZ because I have not driven one, but I have driven the Miata, Mini Cooper, etc extensively and owned several RX-7's which handled very well and were lighter cars. And yes, the Genesis Coupe is a different car if you are looking for something that is lighter and gives more driver feedback. While the Genesis Coupe is not a poor handling car (it can be quite fun to drive actually), they are just different cars trying to do different things. You will get much more horsepower and torque with a Genesis Coupe and you wont have to wring the engine out at high RPM's to find the power you are looking for. But it is not going to drive like a Miata or a Mini (or a BRZ/FR-S).
When I was approaching buying a car I knew it would be my daily driver so I was factoring in interior quality and features more than others might.