As most of you know, I daily drive a 2015 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Here’s a just about two-year update on what it’s like living with a sports car.
Technically, this is a 1 year and 11 month update because I bought the car in January of 2017. That’s alright, though. I figured it was close enough to provide a reasonable idea of what it actually means to live with the Genesis Coupe on a daily basis. Spoiler alert: it’s not as bad or as much of a hassle as one might think.
Before going any farther, a few details about the car itself.
I bought the Genesis Coupe with about 33,000 miles on it. It has about 57,000 miles on it now. My car is the “Ultimate” trim level which just means that the model I got was fully loaded. So, it has things like leather seats, a larger touch screen, and xenon headlights. The color of the car is Tsukuba Red.
When the car was new in 2015, the MSRP was about $36,000. I got it used for a little under $20,000. Depreciation is a big factor with these cars because it still is a Hyundai. It’s also part of what makes the car such a good value and a great option for anybody looking for an affordable sports car.
Of course, it has only two doors. It’s equipped with a 3.8 liter V6 engine with 348 horsepower and 295 lbs/ft of torque. Fuel economy is rated at 16 miles per gallon in the city and 25 on the highway. It has an 8-speed automatic transmission.
I’m sure you’ve all experienced the real-world numbers of each and every car you’ve owned. In other words, the information you see from dealers, the window sticker, and published specifications are always going to be a little different than what you experience when you actually live with the car.
My car is the same as any other car in that respect. It’s why something like this is beneficial.
I will do my best to tackle different facets of car ownership and give you my honest evaluation of each as it pertains to living with my car on a daily basis. My goal is to be as unbiased and factual as I possibly can, even though I love my Genesis Coupe and have wanted a car like this for a long time.
Size:
One of the biggest reasons people don’t buy sports cars is the lack of practicality in the space department.
The Genesis Coupe has way less space than my Mazda 3 hatchback which I previously owned. The trunk space isn’t that terrible, but what makes it worse than it could be are the large hinges which protrude into the trunk space. A lot of cars have them, and they do cut out some space on the outside edges of the trunk area.
The rear seats aren’t actually that bad when it comes to legroom. The bad part of the rear seats is the headroom. The car is a coupe which means it has a heavily-sloped roofline. Passengers over five and a half feet tall can usually touch the ceiling with their hair.
Conversely, I’ve had numerous people comment on how much room they have in the front.
So, for what it is, space is about average. Compared to a “regular” car, the Genesis Coupe falls way behind, though I wouldn’t call it unusable.
Gas Mileage:
The published EPA estimates of 16 miles per gallon in the city and 25 on the highway are fairly accurate. If I drive the car extremely hard, it will be a little less than 16. I’ve also gotten close to 30 miles per gallon on long trips.
Generally speaking, I average about 18 miles per gallon through the duration of a tank of gas. I drive the car every day, and it’s normally to work and back, so there aren’t any surprises there.
The car does take premium fuel which may sound scary. But, my wife’s 2010 Hyundai Sonata has a larger gas tank, her car gets better gas mileage, and it actually costs her more to fill up with regular gas than it cost me to fill up on premium.
Gas is an unexpectedly easy part of this car to live with, even though it does take premium fuel.
Reliability:
I have had no issues in terms of reliability. There was one recall on the car to fix a small issue. I have had the front and rear brake rotors replaced under warranty because they were squeaky, but there wasn’t anything wrong with them. It was just annoying.
Considering how hard I do like to drive the Genesis Coupe, reliability has been a standout. Additionally, the car is still under warranty, which is fantastic!
Cost to own:
Cost to own hasn’t been nearly as much as you might think either. I haven’t had to pay for any repairs to anything. I’m sure having Hyundai’s 10 year/100,000 mile warranty helps just in case something were to happen.
Insurance is surprising as well. The Genesis Coupe is a red sports car, which usually sets off flags for everyone. I actually don’t pay that much more in car insurance than I did with my 2013 Mazda 3 hatchback.
In fact, the only area that makes the insurance cost more on my car than my wife’s 2010 Sonata is what it would cost to repair should it be in an accident. It’s a newer, safer car, but it’s also more valuable than hers.
As the Genesis Coupe gets older, I anticipate that repair and maintenance costs will go up. I knew that when I bought it. For now though, everything has been simple, easy, and inexpensive.
I’ve also never had any issue with getting pulled over by the police. That could have something to do with having common sense and driving safely, though.
Overall practicality:
The car takes a hit in this category. It just can’t stack up to four door sedans, trucks, or SUVs in terms of space.
My wife’s Sonata is the “runaround” car and the one that we take on road trips. That’s actually because I want to keep as many miles off of mine as possible. We have done road trips with the Genesis Coupe and haven’t had any issues.
Still, long trips would be more suitable in a larger car with more than two people. On trips that don’t require the extra space, the car is just as comfortable as my wife’s sonata. A weekend trip in my car is just as easy as a long road trip in any other car.
Of course, the car can’t really tow anything either. Gas mileage takes a hit around town compared to other cars. It isn’t very good in bad weather.
All in all, the car is extremely livable on a daily basis. It’s even good for a family trip here and there. It can’t match the practicality of a family car, but that’s to be expected. As a sports car, it’s on the higher end of overall practicality within its own class.
My Five Favorite things about the Genesis Coupe
Nobody knows what it is:
By far, the best thing about this car is the questions and looks I get from people who are just befuddled by what exactly this car is. If they ask, I get to tell them. If they don’t ask, people just stare. Either way, I get so much joy from just driving around and seeing what people think about it.
Either way, the car makes me feel special because of people’s reactions to it. I’ve had people ask me if it’s a Corvette, a Dodge Viper, and a myriad of other things. It’s even better when I get to tell them that it’s really a Hyundai. #MindBlown
The Sound:
I don’t have any kind of exhaust mods or systems on the car, but it doesn’t really need anything to help it along. It sounds good as it is. It doesn’t drone on the highway. It’s noticeable on the outside when I step on it, and it’s subtle the rest of the time.
I have considered doing something to the exhaust to make it a little louder, but I’m not in a hurry to do so.
The Engine:
I’ve had a lot of good cars with a lot of good engines. I’ve had a 2012 Honda Civic Si with the 2.4 liter K24 series engine, a Mazda 3 with the 2.0 liter Skyactiv engine, and a Volkswagen Passat with the 1.8 liter turbo. The Genesis Coupe uses Hyundai’s Lambda II GDi V6 engine.
There are fewer and fewer manufacturers that are using V6 engines and fewer still that are using naturally aspirated engines – that is they don’t have a turbocharger or supercharger. It sounds great and it’s strong. I would put the Genesis’ engine right up there with the best of everything I’ve had.
It’s Comfortable:
This is one of the most comfortable cars I’ve ever owned. Hard to believe, isn’t it? My Volkswagen Passat was the most comfortable car I ever had. The Genesis Coupe is a close second.
The ride itself is pretty harsh because of the low profile tires and sport-tuned suspension. The seats make up for all of it. They are leather sport seats, but they are broken in and are just right for a short hop to work or an 8 hour road trip.
Everything feels well-made:
All the buttons, the doors when they shut, and the overall feel of the car is nice and heavy. It is a heavy car, and that does have its downfalls, but it also makes everything feel like I’m driving something that won’t break if I run over a pebble.
As great as my Mazda was, the doors felt “tinny.” Everything felt a little too light and “plastic-y.” The Genesis Coupe uses better materials. It doesn’t feel like I have to be gentle with it or something will fall apart. That’s a great thing!
My Five Least Favorite things about the Genesis Coupe
It’s hard to keep clean:
I obsessively seek to keep this car clean. I’ve conceded that it’s never as bad as it could be because I do drive it on a daily basis, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. It’s worse that I notice every little blemish all the time.
The car is also a rock magnet. There are so many chips on the front of the car and on the door sills, that it just drives me crazy. That may be part of my neuroticisms as a car person, but whatever it is, it’s probably my biggest pet peeve when it comes to owning the car.
The automatic transmission:
The Genesis Coupe is the first car in 10 years that I’ve had that hasn’t had a manual transmission. I got the car used, so I had to take what they had. Still, I hate that the car is an automatic.
Apart from that, the transmission itself is a little sub-par. It’s not the quickest to shift, and in regular mode, it upshifts way too early for my liking. I’m also personally not a fan of the whole more-than-6-speeds thing that is so common today.
Sport mode is a little better overall, and the paddle shifters are ok. I still miss my manual transmission, and the next car I get will have one.
The windows:
The driver and passenger windows are pillarless. That means the window seals to the roofline and isn’t enclosed. To provide the seal to the car, the window slides down ever so slightly when I open the door to get out. Then it slides back up into place with the door shuts.
This drives me nuts. It’s one of the few things in the car that feels cheap and flimsy. When it’s cold and icy, the window can’t slide down. That makes it hard or impossible to get into the car. A lot of sports cars are like this to save space.
The paint:
The color of the car isn’t so much the issue as the paint itself. It’s really thin. Part of the reason the car has such an issue with rock chips is because of that. Enough said.
Parking:
I want to keep my car nice, so I always park as far away from other people as I can. I really don’t mind that. It’s the actual parking that I’m not a fan of.
The rear of the car is wider than the front. On top of that, the seating position is super low. That means that it looks like I’m backing straight into a parking space when I’m actually crooked. It also means that I can’t see the parking space lines or pylons by the time the back end of the car enters the space.
Before you say anything else… yes, I have to back into the parking space because reasons. You car people will know exactly what I’m talking about. Anyway… I’ve learned to compensate for these things, but it is still a small inconvenience sometimes.
Final thoughts:
The Genesis Coupe is not as hard to drive as you might think:
To the average person, 350 horsepower is either a lot or means nothing at all. Most people who see the car in person are impacted a little more by its appearance than if I were to just give them raw numbers or try to describe it. I’ve offered several people a chance to drive it, and most are either super intimidated or are overly cautious about doing so.
I appreciate both views, but I’m more confident than not that it wouldn’t be as bad, as difficult, or as risky as most people think it might be to drive. The car is definitely faster and more powerful than your average SUV or sedan, but it’s not so unbelievably crazy that anyone can’t drive it.
It’s not as much fun to drive as my Mazda 3 was:
This may come as a shock to some people, but I actually enjoyed driving my Mazda 3 a little more than my Genesis Coupe.
The Mazda was more nimble and agile than the Genesis Coupe. It had 200 less horsepower, but it was more fun just to drive. The six-speed manual transmission in the Mazda certainly helped.
Don’t get me wrong… I love driving the Genesis Coupe. There is some inexplicable magic in driving certain cars as opposed to others. They just made you smile a little more for any number of reasons. The Mazda was that way, and I really think that is just a Mazda thing.
How does it compare to other cars I’ve had:
The Genesis Coupe isn’t my favorite car I’ve owned. My Mazda 3 and Volkswagen Passat both fight for that position.
The Genesis Coupe is probably the most special car that I’ve owned. My Passat was special, because I learned how to drive a manual transmission car in it. My Mazda was special because it was the first car I actually bought, and it was so fun to drive. The Genesis Coupe has a presence to it that none of my other cars had. It’s also part of the reason I’m doing all of this.
I’ve never been truly disappointed with anything the Genesis Coupe has given me or not given me, which is a good thing. That’s also not to say that I don’t absolutely love it. I do!
In retrospect, I’m glad I got the car when I did. It was a great deal for an underrated, unappreciated car. It has been nothing short of fantastic for everything I’ve wanted so far.
I definitely wouldn’t recommend this car to everybody. It’s a sports car with drawbacks in a lot of different departments. I would however, recommend this car to many people. For a sports car, that’s a really awesome compliment.
