Lexus. Mercedes-Benz. BMW. These three nameplates evoke images of luxury, performance and brand cachet--with price tags to match. So it's either bold or foolish for South Korea's Hyundai to release a sedan and compare it to the best German and Japanese models--at just above family sedan prices. While not quite reaching the lofty boasts, the 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan offers enough value and luxury to not only avoid being a punchline but also be one of 2009's best cars for the money. Certainly, it's not a perfect car, but it's an excellent effort.

As someone who's been an owner of this value brand twice before (1995 Elantra and 2002 Sonata), I've seen Hyundai grow into a legitimate competitor to Honda and Toyota. I've always thought that they have been 3-5 years behind the Japanese in terms of technology and reliability--at a much-discounted sticker. Every year they're closing the gap, and this model year, with the introduction of the flagship Genesis model, Hyundai is much closer than they have ever been.

But let's get one thing out of the way right now: As much as Hyundai and the press may compare the Genesis to BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Porche, and other lux brands, the Genesis is not a BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, or Porche. Certainly, the styling of the Genesis is derivative of several popular luxury cars, not uniquely its own. You can't have a car that is a both luxury sedan with a floating ride and a performance-tuned sports model. The V8 Genesis may out accelerate a Porche Boxter, but they're not even in the same category. Rolls-Royce may offer the only other car with the premium Lexicon entertainment system, but the Genesis is not a Phantom. This car competes against certain aspects and features of its competitors, but as a complete package, it doesn't meet or eclipse any of them--except in price, and maybe that's the point.

Still, after at least six months of serious research on the Genesis, I found that what it does offer, combined with Hyundai's value proposition, was strong enough for me to buy one instead of other cars in the price range. I've been the proud owner of the 2009 3.8L V6 Genesis Sedan for more than 2,000 miles now, and I'm sure this will not be my last Hyundai.

The Basics
The 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan is a large, 4-door, rear-wheeled drive entry-level luxury sedan. There are two engine variants, a 3.8L, 290-HP V6 (which I'll refer to as "3.8") and a 4.6L, 375-HP V8 ("4.6").

In general, the 3.8 and 4.6 can be comparably equipped and share the same body, although the 4.6 comes standard with more options than the 3.8 base model. Fully loaded, the price differential between the 3.8 and 4.6 is about $2,000 list, which buys upgraded trim appointments (different alloy wheels, wood steering wheel accents, softer leather seating, illuminated door sill plates, etc.), firmer suspension, larger brakes, a ZF (instead of Asin) automatic transmission, a slightly bigger gas tank, and the larger engine. However, the handling changes with the different weight distribution and you sacrifice 1-2 MPG in fuel economy with the V8.

Performance, Ride, and Handling
With a claimed 0-60 time of 5.5 seconds for the 4.6, and only slightly higher for the 3.8 and top speeds above 130mph, either engine should be more than sufficient for most drivers. Indeed, it's quite easy for me to get up to and maintain 80mph at around 2250 RPM in 6th gear on my 3.8, so there's plenty of room left in the throttle to the 6750 RPM redline.

However, the biggest complaint I have about the car is the aggressive shift pattern through low gears, which is really noticeable when you start from a dead stop or accelerate at low speed up a hill. It's at those times when you expect the computer to know that you need the higher torque, but the Genesis upshifts around 2000 RPM such that you're in 6th gear well before you hit 40 MPH. While the aggressive shifting is undoubtedly to boost the fuel economy, I'd like the option for performance shifting without having to engage the SHIFTRONIC feature to manually go through the gears.

Speaking about shifting, there are no steering wheel shift paddles and no manual transmission option. That, and the lack of sport bucket seats, pretty much removes any doubt that the Genesis is not meant to be a sports sedan competitor.

The ride is fairly smooth and quiet: while not as cushiony as American luxury cars, it's closer to the numb Lexus feel and not as in touch with the road as a German or Japanese sports sedan. Yet, the ride feels less refined on extended rough surfaces than you'd expect from a luxury car, even more disappointing since Hyundai mades a big deal out of the amplitude-dampening Sachs ASD-equipped suspension. Bottom line: When you're on well-paved roads, you'll have no worries, but you'll both feel and hear the difference when the roads are not.

Having spend the most time driving front-wheel drive cars, I was nervous about how much of an adjustment it would be to switch to a big RWD sedan. But I haven't experienced any cases of understeer or fishtailing, though that could be due to the electronic stability control (ESC) and the favorable weight distribution of the 3.8's V6 as opposed to the heavier V8 in the 4.6. I've aggressively entered curves at high speed and never had an issue of the car not going where I pointed it. However, because the ESC cannot be fully disabled on the Genesis (even when the ESC button is set to off), it may be difficult to operate in snow and other loose footing. It hasn't rained since I bought my Genesis, so I'm curious to see how it performs in wet weather.

Safety
The Genesis has received NHTSA five-star ratings in Frontal Crash (both driver and passenger), Side Crash (front seat and rear seat), and Rollover. It's also a 2009 IIHS Top Pick. Standard safety features include ABS with electronic brake assist, ESC, front airbags, front/rear side impact airbags, side curtain airbags, active front head restraints, and tire pressure monitoring system.

Warranty
Given all of the parts, options, and technology in the Genesis, not to mention 2009 being the launch year, it's nice to know that Hyundai's impressive standard warranties are all there: 10 years/100,000 miles powertrain, 5 years/60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 7 years/unlimited miles anti-perforation, and 5 years/unlimited miles roadside assistance. Scheduled maintenance is NOT included.

Fuel Economy/Environmental Performance
18 city/27 highway for the 3.8, 17 city/25 highway for the 4.6. Through the first 1,000 miles of my 3.8, I averaged 20 MPG combined, only about 1 MPG less than the EPA projection of 21 MPG combined. That's about the same as my 2002 Hyundai Sonata V6 that had about 120 fewer horses. It's also not bad considering that most of my driving was on congested Los Angeles freeways and city streets.

Environmentally, according to the California Air Resources Board, the Genesis is slightly cleaner than the average new vehicle in the Global Warming Score (6/10) and about average on the Smog Score (5/10). Also, through the Hyundai Genesis Forest Project, Hyundai is offsetting the carbon emissions of every 2009 Genesis sold by paying for reforestation or deforestation avoidance projects in Brazil.

Exterior Styling
Hyundai has always taken styling cues from other manufacturers, and if you looked at a given Hyundai model, you could probably guess its styling inspiration at the time. The Genesis is no different, and rather than create a uniquely-styled platform the Koreans made one that will blend in with its competitors. From the side, it looks like a Lexus. From the front, it's a Mercedes. From the back, it's a BMW. The lines are smooth and elegant, abandoning the disturbing trend of sharp, angular lines and acres of chrome in recent autos.

While you might knock the Genesis as a copycat--or more politely as a derivative design or a tribute--it's likely that this tactic will extend the shelf-life of the car. It's not going to go out of style as quickly if it shares the same lines as well-regarded luxury cars. It's also anonymously upscale...it's a car well-suited for a junior executive or a well-to-do trying to keep a low profile.

Obviously, Hyundai doesn't have the brand cachet, track record, or esteem of any other nameplate, and while the Genesis may change many people's minds about what Hyundai is capable of, its brand is problematic for a luxury car. Although they decided against initially launching a new upscale nameplate as the big Japanese companies did in the Eighties, Hyundai should have done what they did in the Korean domestic market: badged the Genesis differently.

The Korean domestic models of the Genesis (BH 380 and BH 460) have a winged Genesis logo, similar to that of Bentley or Mini, on the hood, trunk lid, wheel caps, and driver's airbag cover. Although you can rebadge the North American version to remove the slanted-H Hyundai logo for $100-300 in imported Hyundai parts and less than an hour of labor, it would have been nice if Hyundai had introduced the Genesis with the KDM badging. Having done that to mine, it really does look much more upscale.

Interior Styling
The first thing you'll notice when sitting in the Genesis is the sweeping, flat dash, as well as the attractive faux-wood, aluminum, and leather inserts on some trim lines. Aside from a few minor distractions (such as the circa 1990's LCD clock and GM-quality steering wheel control buttons), everything else screams luxury. When the car is started (via push button and proximity smart key), the bright white electroluminescent instrumentation and Audi-like instrument cluster LCD screen come to life.

The cabin of the Genesis is quite large, especially for the rear passengers. Even with the front seats pushed back fully, the rear seats have almost a ridiculous amount of leg room. The rear bench has two semi-bucketed seats, and while it can accommodate a third adult in the center, the RWD driveshaft and rear A/C vents hamper legroom. The rear center position also doubles as the fold down armrest/cargo passthru/cupholder.

In the front, the seats are nicely adjustable, including power lumbar support in the driver's seat, although the vertical height adjustment is more of a pitch change. Shorter drivers may find it hard to find a comfortable position since the floor pedals are not adjustable and moving the seat forward puts the driver really close to the steering wheel and dash. Another nice feature included in the optional packages of the 3.8 or on the base 4.6 is an automatic "easy entry" feature: when enabled, the steering column and/or driver's seat fully retract to allow the driver easy access to the cabin on entry and exit.

Technology and Ammenities
Ah, the gadgets! I'd be lying if I didn't say that the main reasons I bought the Genesis were the technology and luxury features it comes with. Aside from the features already mentioned, the Genesis' standard features include front fog lights, heated front leather seats, power driver's seat, cruise control, trip computer, electro-luminescent instrument gauges, proximity entry (smart key) with push button start, leather-wrapped steering wheel with controls, a nice base audio system, dual-zone automatic climate control with smog-detection, HomeLink transmitter, electro-chromatic dimming rearview mirror, electronic compass, power side mirrors with turn signal indicators, and a non-integrated Bluetooth hands-free system. That's standard equipment!

On the 3.8 with the optional Premium Plus package and standard on the 4.6, upgrades include 18" alloy wheels, a CD-changer, a 14-speaker audio system, leather-wrapped dash and doors, power sunroof with tilt/slide, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, automatic rear window shade, rain-sensing wipers, auto-defogging windshield, and 2-driver memory system for outside mirror, seat, and steering wheel preferences.

But the granddaddy of the options is the Technology package. In my mind, it's what really separates the Genesis from any other car in its price range. For the approximately $4000 MSRP uplift, you get a rear backup camera, front and rear parking sensors, HID headlights that are both self-leveling and steering-adaptive, a cooled driver's seat, integrated Bluetooth hands-free phone system, and a driver's information system (DIS) with a 6-way joystick-like controller. The centerpiece is the 528-watt, 17-speaker, 7.1 surround Lexicon entertainment system that includes a GPS navigation unit, XM satellite radio, HD Radio, and a 6-disc DVD changer that will play DVD-Audio discs as well as CD's and DVD movies (video when the car is in park). Visually, it uses a high-resolution, daylight-viewable 8" widescreen display that serves as the display for the DIS, audio-video system, and backup camera.

The Lexicon system is simply a beast. Although the bass is weaker than expected, the 17-speaker system is nothing short of amazing otherwise. The directionality and reproduction of mids and highs are the best I've ever heard in a car. With a proper multi-channel audio source (for example, I use a Blue Man Group DVD-Audio disc for demos) the cabin sounds better than a concert hall. And with a DTS or Dolby Digital DVD (I like the popular IMAX Super Speedway that's a mainstay in home theater demos) the Genesis sounds bettter than the cineplex.

As you would expect with the Tech package, the navigation, phone, and audio functions are also controlled by voice recognition. The VR is quite good, with very few "Pardon?" error messages. You have the option of having the system show text prompts on the screen and/or read back your commands. Commands are non-linear, meaning you can skip intermediate menus like "Navigation Commands" or "Radio Commands" and say things like "navigate home" or "channel by name...CNN" straightaway.

The navigation system is good, although not as good as the highest-end portable systems these days. It does the basics: points of interest, detours, area avoidance, favorite destinations, and so forth. It also has XM NavTraffic integration (displays freeway speeds in covered areas and information on nearby traffic incidents). Other nice features include lane guidance, automatic night mode, and predictive entry (skips letters and numbers not possible given the location). Routing is fast and accurate, although I've seen a handful of cases where the street names have been wrong or a POI is missing. My biggest gripe about the nav system is that there's no text-to-speech in the audible turn-by-turn directions except for generic phrases (route, I-number, exit).

Overall, this is a very complex car. The manual for the car itself is over 300 pages, and the technology package another 282 pages with a 27-page quick reference guide. But once you learn the basics of the systems and the voice recognition especially, it's not that hard to get used to.

Conclusion
Before buying the Genesis, I looked at other cars, including the well-known luxury brands. I'm pretty sure that I could have gotten a better automobile from a more widely-regarded brand, but not with the features of the Genesis nor at the price I paid for it. There are plenty of options in the 30's and 40's for entry-level sport luxury sedans, but few for comfort sedans. A comparably-equipped Lexus ES350 is well-north of $40,000, and it's a smaller, FWD car. While there's nothing wrong with the Lexus, it just goes to show the sweet spot that Hyundai is trying to hit with the Genesis. Features and body style of $40-50k sedans at entry-level luxury prices, combined with a 10-year powertrain and 5-year new vehicle warranty, and finished off with good execution resulted in the 2009 North American Car of the Year.

While some would gladly pay for the nameplate prestige (certainly, there are plenty of luxury models everywhere you turn here in LA), there's almost a smugness from getting into that world without paying full price. Another joy is seeing people trying to figure out what car you're driving, only to be shocked to find out that it's a Hyundai. I enjoy this car, and I don't have any regrets for buying it.

So you may wonder why I'm not giving the Genesis five stars in this review. First, with the concerns about the long-term residuals, I wouldn't have minded if Hyundai had managed to deliver the V6 Genesis Sedan at under $30,000 base as they had originally announced. Second, there are plenty of relatively minor gripes I have with the car, and rather than try to wordsmith them into the review, I'll list them below for your consideration.

If you haven't seen this car in person or taken one on a test drive, be sure to check out a model with the Tech package. I'll be shocked if it doesn't elevate your perception of Hyundai, and I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up buying a Genesis.


Celebrations (Things that Hyundai got right)
* Tremendous value for the money, perhaps as much as a 20% discount over comparably-equipped competitors
* One of the best OEM surround-sound entertainment systems available today
* Plenty of power and acceleration whether you pick the V6 or V8
* Somewhat generic but attractive styling, especially with the Korean Genesis badging
* Great interior room, especially in the rear cabin
* Best standard warranty available
* Nice fit and finish overall
* Satellite radio is standard equipment - Includes 3 months of free service (Tech package upgrades to 12 months of free XM Everything and XM NavTraffic service)
* Backup camera overlay - Color coded guide lines allow you to perfectly reverse into parking stalls or align with curbs, tasks that can be tricky without overlays on the wide-angle image that show both distance and perspective.
* Good visual sightlines with minmal blind spots
* Accurate gas gauge - Why do you need to spend more than $30K for a fuel gauge that remotely resembles the actual fuel level?
* Excellent cargo tray and cargo net (optional equipment). Tray is attractive and sturdy, and net can be used as either a small package net or as a cargo tie-down.
* Multiple rear passenger vents with separate climate controls
* Power rear sunshade - keeps car cooler and cuts down on eye strain during driving
* Factory window tinting - Solar control glass adds enough darkness and reflection that aftermarket tinting may not be necessary
* Up to 8 phones can be pre-paired with the optional integrated Bluetooth system, and the system can auto-pair with the first available handset on the list

Show Stoppers (Major problems)
* None to date

Disappointments (Moderate issues)
* Overly aggressive shift program - causes slight hesitation during acceleration uphill or from a dead stop
* Unexpectedly harsh & somewhat loud ride over uneven/rough road surfaces (some 4.6 owners say that porpoising/bouncing is especially severe, but it's not that bad in the 3.8)
* Less-than-solid feel in a few areas - door handles and doors do not feel especially solid during opening and closing, and plastic bumper panels seem flimsy
* Can't create a backup of settings and phonebooks - Firmware upgrades of the audio unit or Driver Information System unit, replacement, or loss of battery power causes all settings to return to factory default. That wipes out any customized settings, telephone numbers, radio/XM presets, etc. Since there's a USB port, it would have been ideal to have the ability to save your settings to a USB flash drive.

Annoyances (Minor problems or oversights that should not exist)
Engine/Transmission
* Slightly more noise that I'd like to hear from the engine at idle and low speed
* Needs performance shift mode - To cancel fuel economy shift program and allow for higher revs in each gear without manually selecting gears

Navigation System
* No Text-to-Speech - The nav system does not read out street names during route guidance, even though there is TTS support when using the voice activated command system (the system reads back street names that you input via voice).
* No integration with instrument panel - Turn-by-turn directions are not displayed on driver's trip computer LCD display on the instrument cluster, only on the main screen.
* Nav data is from April 2008 - no availability or announced plans and pricing for 2009 map update
* Hard to access NavTraffic info - It takes a lot of effort to find out about nearby traffic events, such as moving the cursor over an event icon on the map, then clicking. Or if you go to the event list, you get a text list of events sorted by as-the-crow-flies distance from you. Not particularly helpful, and probably dangerous when trying to find this information while driving.

Lexicon Logic7 Audio System/Driver Information System
* Weak bass performance - Although bone-rattling bass is not expected from this refined system, the bass compared to the fantastic mid- and high-ranges is sub-par.
* No support for MP3 ID3 tags - Artist is based on USB folder name and song title is the file name minus extension. Messy if you use a different file naming convention or don't use artist folders.
* No support for multi-channel WMA files
* No support for gapless MP3's
* No scrolling song/artist titles (truncates to about 16 characters)
* No track/song progress indicator
* Can't delete or hide unwanted XM channels - You can deselect entire categories of channels, but not individual ones.
* No audio mute button or function
* No volume leveling or independent input volumes - Volume levels can vary considerably between audio inputs (XM/AM/FM/HD/USB/CD/DVD). To avoid blasting, you have to remember to turn down the volume when changing from quiet sources to loud ones.
* No speed-sensitive volume control
* No stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) profile support -- so no wireless audio from cellphones and music players
* Imperfect iPod control from head-end unit (no shuffle, slow scrolling through large music libraries)
* iPod cable not included - C'mon...the car costs at least $32,000, and a $29 cable is not included?
* No video file support via USB - The only way to display video (while parked, obviously) is via the DVD changer or the Aux jack. I would have loved to have Divx/H.264 support, but I guess that's asking too much.
* No video support from iPods (audio only)
* Minor User Interface navigation gripes - It's sometimes hard to find what you're looking for, and some things take a few more spins, clicks, and joystick movements of the iDrive-like controller to perform than necessary.
* No delayed audio shutoff - Unlike other systems that play the audio for a set time after the ignition is turned off or until a door is opened, as soon as you shut off the engine, the audio system turns off.
* Periodic warning when running the system without the engine running - It takes up the whole screen for several seconds and can't be disabled.
* You can fast forward and reverse through songs on USB via steering wheel controls but you can only go to the next or previous track when using steering wheel controls in CD mode.
* Occasional glitches in USB song playback
* Slow navigation through USB folders
* No cover artwork/iPod CoverFlow support
* No HDD access - The 40 GB hard disk drive that was mentioned in early specs and reviews is not user-accessible and seems only used for the navigation system data

Bluetooth Phone Integration (Technology Package only)
* No phonebook import - Although this capability is limited and doesn't work with most handsets in other cars with this feature, it's very tedious to manually input more than a few entries. You can't backup the phonebook for safekeeping making it very annoying if the system is ever reset to factory default. On the positive side though, it's nice to be able to use the car's phonebook to dial any pared phone.
* No DTMF pause - Most phones' address books allow you to insert a 2-second pause in the number string. This helps for things like calling card numbers and voicemail access codes. Since the Genesis' phonebook does not support the pause, you must program the entry in your handset phonebook, initiate the call using the handset, and then use the Bluetooth system like a "dumb" Bluetooth speaker.
* DTMF tones don't always work - Passing DTMF tones doesn't work reliabily. For example, trying to call the famous MovieFone service for movie showtimes is a frustrating experience as it doesn't recognize numbers selected using the DIS.
* No caller name via Bluetooth - Only if you have the number of the incoming caller programmed in the Genesis' phonebook will a name appear alongside the number.
* Can't shut off engine without completely turning the whole system off - So you can't listen to the radio or continue a Bluetooth call when you turn the engine off. If you're on an active Bluetooth call, the call reverts to the handset.
* Very loud and jarring ringtone - Would be better if you could adjust ring volume or change the ringtone.

Driver Information System (DIS) (Technology Package Only)
* Side DIS buttons hard to locate by feel - Need textured buttons or higher ridges between them
* Voice Recognition system unavailable right after start - Takes about 20 seconds to load

Climate Control
* Automatic climate control is just that - Any changes to the recirculation, fan speed, or vent mode cancels the ACC.
* Highest fan blower speed is very loud
* Air conditioning is somewhat lackluster - While the cabin eventually gets plenty cool, the A/C takes a few minutes to get icy.
* Even with solar control glass, cabin with a black interior gets really warm and requires venting (cracked windows or tilted sunroof) to keep temperatures reasonable.
* Button lights on controls are nearly impossible to see in direct sunlight
* No actual inside temperature display - Only temperature readouts are outside temperature and desired inside temperature, not actual.

Body/Trunk
* No side body moldings at mid-door - Careless door openings or shopping cart collisions will dent door panels.
* Unfinished trunk - Many 3.8 vehicles did not include a cover on the roof of the trunk compartment, leaving the bare metal, bottom of the rear speakers, and wiring exposed. Hyundai will install the proper cover if asked, but it should have been a service campaign to install them if they were missing.
* Dripping trunk lid - Water at the front of the trunk lid does not flow back to the rear and side of the lid when opened, but drips straight down into the trunk compartment.
* Cargo Passthru only - 60/40 split fold-down seats, please!
* Trunk Passthru does not lock - You can prevent the trunk from being opened with the disable switch in the lockable glovebox, but the passthru has no lock, so it's possible to fish the manual release pull or take small objects out through the passthru.

Interior
* Smart key - Maximum of only 2 key fobs paired per car. And when separating the smart key from the mechanical key (locks the glovebox) to hand to a parking valet, there's no way the valet can hang up the fob in a key cabinet since the key ring and loop are retained by the owner.
* Not enough front storage space - Although the glovebox is fairly large and the door pockets expand, the center console bin is split into two levels and 12V and USB/aux outlets when populated by a music player means very little other room. My Sonata had more front storage!
* Ashtray & Lighter - As a non-smoker, it's a waste of scarce console space. How about an interchangeable coin train instead of the ashtray and another 12V power outlet instead of the lighter?
* Ignition-controlled 12V outlets - Power to outlets shut off when ignition is shut off. I'd prefer always-active outlets with battery run-down protection.
* Aggressive automatic dimming - Driving under a bridge for more than a second or two causes the instrumentation panel and DIS screen to dim to night mode during the daytime when automatic headlight mode is enabled.
* Manually set LCD clock - A nicer, automatic-setting clock would have been nicer
* Trip computer has limited modes - Instantaneous MPG is not very helpful either (measures instant fuel consumption at 2 second intervals and displays on a rapidly moving bar graph with no history)
* Sunroof noise at speed - Without sunroof wind deflector, car turns into a giant kazoo except at low speed.
* Seats need additional side bolstering - You feel like you're sliding out of the seat on aggressive turns.

Wish List (Things that ideally should be present, possibly as optional equipment/feature)
* Korean badging
* Fully automatic trunk lid - Trunk neither opens or closes automatically
* Adaptive cruise control - This will probably be available in future model years
* Lane departure warning - Also probably an option down the road
* Blind-spot or parking aisle warning
* Nav that adjusts destination ETA based on NavTraffic speed conditions rather than pre-defined speeds per road type (residential, freeway, etc.)
* Dedicated information push button on the Driver Information System to avoid multiple button pushes to access information about a given function.
* Cooled passenger seat - The Technology Package includes a heated and cooled driver's seat, but the passenger only gets a heated seat with no cooling option.
* Optional over-the-air television tuner for Technology Package - Watching DVDs is great, and satellite radio offers a lot of entertainment choices, but being able to tune into TV while waiting would be fantastic.
* Touchscreen display or Internet connectivity - Clearly, there are other systems, like Sync, that are more advanced, and I'm sure in a few years, the Genesis system will look as out of date as a cassette player.
* Adjustable driver's pedals
* Digital speedometer readout or more graduated analog speedometer
* Remote engine start
* Front or blind spot cameras - It's somewhat difficult to judge the front bumper clearance and distance to the side curb.
* One-touch/comfort blinkers - Found mostly on European cars, flashes the turn signals for a short duration so you can make a lane change without having to manually move the turn signal lever.
* Power folding outside mirrors
* Manual rear passenger side sunshades
* Panic stop brake lights
* Engine cylinder shutdown for fuel economy (likely available on future engine)
* All-wheel drive version
* Voice memo feature
* Automatic selection of the appropriate driver seat and steering wheel memory positions based on which keyfob is used

Further Reading
* Official Genesis Sedan site - http://www.hyundaigenesis.com/sedan
* Unofficial Owners Forum - http://www.genesisowners.com
* Info on Genesis carbon offsets - http://hyundai.carbonfund.org
* Genesis manuals and tech support bulletins in PDF format - http://cid-5103094dcbb8400e.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Public
 
Amount Paid (US$): 36,800 woTTL
Condition: New
Model Year: 2009
Model and Options: 3.8 V6 with Premium Plus and Technology Option Packages