2017 Genesis G80(1207)
An Automotive Love Affair
By Joe Mavilia
Overview:
This is the 2017 Genesis G80. If you are considering buying a new luxury car like BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Audi or any other brand, ‘old school luxury cars’, think again about the hottest brand for today. Compare the cost of ownership and that will tell you why I suggest this luxury car option. The other ‘old school’ luxury cars cost a lot to buy and equally bad is that they are NOT cheap to maintain. If you are not stinking rich and have a need to impress others you can stop reading here. However, if you are like 99% of the population you will want to test drive Hyundai and Kia Cars like this Genesis. It’s really just that simple. Wise up. I can say that because my ownership of an automotive repair business in La Canada for several decades was a great lesson on the real world of cars.
Friend Richard has a quote that applies here: “It’s costly wisdom that’s bought by experience, and experience is the name everyone gives their mistakes”.
General Information:
It is assembled in Ulsan, Korea; Parts – US/Canadian 3%, Korea 87%; Engine and transmission – Korea; Classification is Large Cars. Cars from Genesis: G80, G90.
Opinion:
Electric Cars – Bah, humbug – (continued). Well, as a follow up to last week’s look at electric cars and yes I beat up on Tesla and company that would make us believe electric cars is the answer. NOT!
You may recall a couple of columns of discussion of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell option. First, about 10 years ago I test drove GM’s Hi-Wire Fuel Cell concept car. More recently I teamed up with a lessee of a Hydrogen powered SUV and was once again excited about the concept. It is progressing for sure but there are only 34 fueling stations presently. So it won’t be for everyone, but if you must be adventuresome the Hydrogen option is worth the time. At that time the Lease was about $500 a month including all fuel and maintenance.
My point is that in over 100 year’s electric cars have done precious little to improve on the then range of 100 miles.
GM and others have put their hope into Fuel Cell propulsion for good reason. They obviously agree with me that the limitations on battery powered cars is just too great.
Look for a complete discussion on Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology and the cars they power in the near future.
Handling & Performance:
Of course I favor Hyundai and Kia Product in today’s world, because they are great cars. I was high on Japanese cars in the early days (in 1960 I bought a Datsun), but that ship has sailed and it’s old news. You just have to test drive the Korean products and look at the price tag for purchase and then visit dealerships that sell Japanese and German cars. You’ll get a pretty good idea who pays for all that fluff.
All those high-performance cars listed as competition get 20-21 mpg average combined numbers, because it’s hard to keep your foot under control. Cars like this are exhilarating to drive. Nice.
Styling:
Lovely. New. Exciting.
Fit and Finish:
Outstanding.
Cost:
Affordable
Conveniences and comfort:
All the bells and whistles of those other guys.
Consumer Recommendations:
Take my advice. Try ‘em, you’ll like ‘em. I might add the Hyundai and Kia warranties are among the best on the market. The new kid on the block has to try harder and they have come a long way in the past two decades.
Recognized Competition:
Genesis G80 $56,000, Kia K900 $23,000, Cadillac CT6 $56,000, Cadillac XTS $56,000.
Others from Germany and Japan for comparative value: BMW 6 Series $92,000, Audi A6 $62,000, Lexus LS $80,000, Mercedes Benz GLS $68,000.
Good News:
Fun, fast, luxurious class act that is priced well and great warranties.
Bad News:
n/a
Standard Equipment:
3.3 liter GDI Twin Turbo 365 HP engine, 8-speed auto transmission, shift-by-wire, sport CDC suspension with intelligent drive mode, 19-inch allow wheels, stability management system, electronic stability and traction controls and ABS brake assist, 9-airbags, auto emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver attention alert, blind spot detection with rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, smart cruise control with stop/start feature, multi view camera, front and rear parking sensors, electronic parking brake with auto vehicle hold, rain sensing wipers with auto defogger windshield, pre-active seatbelt with anti-whiplash front head restraints, proximity key with push button start, auto headlights and high beam assist, LED headlights with Dynamic bending light, Leather seating, sport front seats and steering wheel with contrast stitching, leather wrapped power tilt and telescopic steering wheel, 16 way power driver seat and 12-way power passenger seat that are heated and ventilated, climate control, full color heads up display, 7” color LCD multi-information display, 9.2” touchscreen and Navigation with HD display, Android Auto and Apple Car Play, 17-speaker audio system, AM/FM/XM/HD radio/ CD/MP3 with SiriusXM radio, Wireless charging pad in front, power rear side sunshades, hands free Smart power trunk lid.
Gas Stats:
$3.05-Gal avg. September 11, 2017
for more information.
17 City and 25 Highway MPG
Pricing:
MSRP $55,250.