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Can Hyundai Out-Lexus Lexus?
It's almost hard to write: Lexus vs. Hyundai. That's the New York Yankees taking on the Albuquerque Isotopes — same game, different leagues. It's pitting an exalted brand name to which millions aspire, up against the bargain brand millions settle for. And yet despite that, putting the 2008 Lexus GS 350 up against Hyundai's audacious new 2009 Genesis 4.6 in a luxury sedan throw-down has resulted in one of the closest finishes ever in an Inside Line heads-up comparison test.
Yes, the Hyundai Genesis holds its own quite well against the Lexus GS 350 — without all that pesky prestige.
Directly Incomparable
Hyundai isn't shy about its targets for the Genesis. "While Genesis will compete for customers with cars like Lexus ES, Chrysler 300 and Cadillac CTS," the company stated in a press release about the car's pricing, "Genesis' performance capabilities and luxury features are comparable to sedans costing tens of thousands of dollars more." In other words, Hyundai's strategy for hitting the luxury market target is to hit the competition where it ain't.
So the Genesis is a large, rear-drive luxury sedan that's priced like a smaller front-drive one — at 195.6 inches long it's just 2.4 inches shorter overall than Lexus' flagship LS 460, but the $33,000 base price for the V6-powered Genesis is more than a grand cheaper than the base price of the entry-level ES 350. There isn't really anything directly comparable to the Genesis at Lexus or, for that matter, at any other manufacturer.
So the GS 350 winds up in this test for being the closest thing Lexus has to the Genesis in price, mission, character and specification. Still, the rear-drive V6-powered GS 350 is somewhat smaller than the V8-powered Genesis 4.6 and it costs more. Way more. The Genesis 4.6 carries a base price of $37,000, while the Lexus starts just under $44,000. And if we had opted for a V8-powered GS 460 as Lexus' contender, the price chasm would have grown to more than $12,000.
As tested, the GS 350 came fully equipped at $49,670. The Genesis showed up with a $4,000 Technology package and a $42,000 sticker. That's a thick $7,670 price difference, in case you haven't already made the calculation yourself. Yet the Genesis essentially matched the Lexus luxury for luxury, gizmo for gizmo.
Quality Issues
Approach the Genesis and you're immediately impressed with how substantial it seems. The body panels are perfectly formed, the paint has a lustrously deep sheen and all the parts that are supposed to be shiny, shine blindingly. The styling is strictly conservative — it sort of looks like a previous-generation Mercedes S-Class — but the oversized lemon zester grille, large tires and sizable chrome dual exhaust pipes successfully give it presence.
Full Story: Edmunds Inside Line - Comparison Test: 2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6 vs. 2008 Lexus GS 350
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