Saturday, October 29, 2011

Steering wheel tilt

After driving the 2012 Genesis, I found that the steering column on my Genesis did not have the same travel range as the 2012. At first I thought this might have been something they changed for the new model year and that was what I was told by one of the dealerships nearby.

I went to South Bay Hyundai for an oil change, and initially, I did not mention this issue to the service advisor. However, I quickly walked over to a 2011 Genesis I saw on the sales lot and tested out the tilt and telescope functions. It turns out, there was definitely something wrong with my car! I ran back to the service desk and informed the service advisor of this issue. A couple hours later, they remedied the problem with some sort of a computer reset, along with an oil change, a quick lube of the driver's seat, and a car wash! Needless to say, of the 3 different dealerships I've been to, this was by far the best service visit I've experienced so far. The oil change also included a multi-point inspection of the brake pads, tires, and fluid levels, and it was a mere 30 bucks plus tax w/ an online coupon. I'd say their inspection is not all that far off from what's required for the 7500 mile service, so it's a steal. I'll be sure to go back to this place for the 15K service!

mileage update 10/29/11

Another routine fill up with the good ol' "cheap stuff" 87 octane

297.6 miles / 16.914 gal = 17.6 mpg

No road trips, just commuting in traffic these days.

Friday, October 21, 2011

10K, Auto hold, 91 octane.

After 10 months and 10,000+ miles, my Genesis has been a very good one. There have been a few issues, but they've been rather minor. The more I drive this car, the more I appreciate the little details that make my everyday commute that much better. Take, for instance, the "AUTO HOLD" feature. When the auto hold button on the control panel next to the parking brake button is pressed on, the car will automatically hold the brakes for you after you've come to a complete stop and the brakes are released as soon as you press the accelerator. This is obviously useful when stopping and starting from a steep hill, but I've found use of it at the end of the day or end of a long drive when my right foot needs some rest. Those precious few minutes at the stoplight is just a little more relaxing and it allows me to stretch out my right foot and ankle.

On a separate note, if you recall from the last mileage update, I filled'er up with 91 octane instead of the usual 87 to see if it would make a difference in the mileage. It turns out that daily commute traffic had been pretty bad in the past week and I ended up getting only ~16.5 mpg. It certainly does not seem to make any difference what fuel grade I use when I'm sitting in traffic most of the time. I curse the LA traffic!! It would still be interesting if there is any difference in the mileage on longer trips.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

2012 Hyundai Genesis Short Test Drive Impressions

A couple of weekends ago, I was at the OC Auto Show and took time to test drive several cars. One of those cars, of course, was the 2012 Genesis R-Spec 5.0. As most of you know, they've made some minor, but significant changes for the 2012 Genesis. New front and rear facias, Hyundai-built 8-speed automatic, standard direct-injected 3.8 V6, and the addition of direct-injected 5.0-L, 429-hp V8.

Besides these obvious changes, it's always the subtle changes that seem to stand out when owning a car, and two things stood out to me: steering wheel tilt adjustment travel and the throttle response. Until now, I've never had a complaint about the steering wheel adjustability on my 2011 Genesis. BUT, I always felt it was a bit low even at it's highest tilt level and it is hard to see the gauges from my seat setting. On the 2012, however, the steering wheel tilts maybe another 1" further up.

The throttle response is something I've written about a while back and it is very evident that there is a split second delay when starting up from a stop. At times, when slowing to a near stop and accelerating results in a delay and a sudden surge of power. This is something even the 2011 Equus and the newer BMWs apparently suffers from. It could be that Hyundai have been using the same electronic suppliers as BMW and other manufacturers, but in the 2012, this throttle delay was pretty much missing. The 8-speed automatic that was much maligned by Car and Driver's short drive review a couple months ago felt just as smooth and responsive as the ZF 6-speed unit.

So, the big question is, how does the new 5.0 compare to the 4.6? On the few, short straightaway stretches of local roads, it pretty much felt the same as the 4.6. This is not to say that the 5.0 is slow or anything, because the 4.6 feels much more than adequate. However, it is a bit disappointing that there was no noticeable difference. The ride and handling felt mostly the same and that is also a little disappointing, given that the ride hasn't improved and the steering remains somewhat numb.

In all, I'm not so sure that the new R-spec is really worth the extra cost over a 4.6, and for 99% of the population, the new 330-hp 3.8 V6 is likely more than sufficient, but a loaded 3.8 is only $1000 cheaper than the 4.6! You'd save some gas with the V6, but the effortless power and smoother operation is well worth the money.

Mileage update 10/7/11

Starting a new experiment... filled up with 91 instead of the usual 87. We'll see if it improves the mileage at all.

324.9 miles / 18.122 gal. = 17.9 mpg