It's made in Germany, has below average reliability and costs alot to fix? What is it? Respected form who? Car & Driver? Trust me it's the name more than the products. Lexus is selling cars that are just as luxurious, almost as sporty, and have infinately better reliability. It's just that snobs want to drive cars that say 'I'm successful and wealthy'. It's the old Monster Cables thing of selling hyped overpriced stuff that you can get just as much performance out of a cheaper cable.

 

I don't know if I can agree. BMW has done lots of things right. Their cars aren't perfect, but neither is any car. Proper maintenance, and most of their cars will reward you with enjoyment, and durability. To an extent, it is the name, but they had to earn it, just like lexus did when they jumped into the luxury market. It's no small thing when other manufacturers look to your cars as a benchmark for their own.

 

Like most German cars it's not the engine that gets you it's the electronics. It's hard to find 5+ year old used BMW's that are fully funtional. Trust me I helped my brother search for months before he settled on a new Audi.

 

I'm not trying to say that BMW is a crappy brand. If you take any of the M series models for example, you are getting some nice super cars that are worth the price tag. My beef is with the lower end models such as the 1 or 3 series. You can't tell me that it is worth paying over $30,000 for any of these. I'd rather take a fully loaded Hyundai Sonata for $20,000 than pay over $30,000 for a BMW logo. If reliability is a concern, Hyundai offers a great warranty.
Same goes for Porsche. This has been my favorite car since I was a kid, but I would never pay the kind of money they are asking for a Boxster or the Caymen. That is not a Porsche. And don't even get me started with the SUV. I'm waiting for Lambo and Ferrari to come out with an SUV of their own.
It's like the Hummer H3. You are paying for the Hummer name, but getting a typical Suburban.
That being said, I think that the RA is well worth the money they are asking.

 

Lambo made a handful of them, years ago. Ferrari never will...I'm damn near positive of that one.

 

BMW's are terrible cars.. end of story.

 

There is no comparison between Hyundai, and BMW. Especially between a Sonata, and a 3 series.

Give me the BMW any day.

 

I agree. Until you have driven one you will never know the near perfection they can balance luxury and performance. The thing about BMW's are that most people that buy them new always trade them in once they are close to warranty expiaration because they don't age well.

 

Or that is the point, when they are will actually face with the fact , how much is really the ownership of the BMW cost...

 

But dollar for dollar the Hyundai Genesis is generating a lot of buzz....including 290hp or 368hp and a better warranty, and more room than a BMW 5 series. And up to $30,000 less than similar German cars.

See here:
http://www.canadiandriver.com/testdr...ai-genesis.php
http://www.auto123.com/en/multimedia/videos/863439
http://www.autonet.ca/autos/search/n...4/6153501.html
http://www.auto123.com/en/hyundai/ge...2&artid=103633

 

Problem is that it's a Hyundai. I'll give them credit for improving their products and affordable pricing but people buy Hyundais because they are affordable transportation. If you're a regular joe who doesn't have any brand preferences and want cheap transportation a Hyundai is a great option as they have cloned the Honda's and Toyota's of the world and offered them at bargain basement pricing.

People with money have options and look for brand image which is why the Genesis will not lure anyone considering a BMW, MB, Audi, etc. into their showroom. They may lure a few prospective Acura, Lexus, or Inifinity buyers but I don't think that the German brands have anything to fear.

 

The genesis is a very nice car, people talk alot of **** about Hyundai but they do make a pretty solid car if you treat it well.

 

I just recently stopped by the mitsu dealer by my house which also sells hyundais. Of course, I was more interested in the R/A. After getting no attention from any sales rep (maybe all on vacation?), I walked over to the genesis on display to really look at it. While it's a good attempt at building a "premium" car, there were a few areas that showed me that they still have little ways to go. Of course, it had the non-offensive look, which if it had to be compared to anything, would be a lexus, just maybe a bit "friendlier". It took the japanese up until just recently to really come up with their own unique style. It will be a little while before hyundai does the same. They also went a bit overboard in their attempt to manufacture some complex pieces like their fenders, and hood. They added what could be argued as unnecessary geometry, and ended up with pieces that can't be aligned right because of the lack of precision manufacturing the parts require. They look great, but not together - since they don't fit. IMO, no car, especially no premium car should have "plasti-chrome" interior door handles. It's funny, but to me, this is something that really makes me feel like I'm sitting in a cheap car, followed by plasti-chrome pieces everywhere else (Oh, how I wish car makers would stop using that crap).

But to be fair, I think it's a great car (since I didn't drive it, I just based my opinion on looks), especially for the money. To put it on the same playing field as the other more well established brands might be a bit erroneous. However, it's not far behind. If they keep pushing forward like they've been doing, one day they will be. Although, they might have to come up with a new brand name for their premium cars like all the japanese companies had to do.

 

well i just recently found out that the Genesis coupe offers the turboed 4b11. it seems like that platform well be highly used.

the four door genesis didnt look to bad to me. i think the front grill needs improvement.

 

I don't understand why that is a problem. That is exactly the point I am trying to make. Most people (especially those with money to blow) do not buy cars based on what the car has to offer. They fail to do the research and spend the dollars on the badge of the car alone. If you see it on MTV Cribs then it must be good, right? Hyundai may not have the reputation of lets say BMW or Mercedes, but dollar for dollar you get way more of a car than you would in a BMW (the Genesis being a very good example). And I do think that the base 1 or 3 series are very close of a comparison to what you get from a Sonata at a fraction of the price. The 1 or 3 series has absolutely nothing to offer besides the badge of a BMW.

Point being again, the RA is well worth the money. I just saw an add in our local paper that they are trying to sell the 09 Matrix (yes the Matrix) for $24,000. $2,000 less than the RA. Which would you rather have?