The rear-drive 2015 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 is the perfect luxury car for those who have little concern for labels. While the winged Genesis badge is a nice touch, this large Korean-built sedan lacks some of the cachet that accompanies comparably sized and equipped vehicles from Europe. But also, it doesn’t carry the same high sticker price as those entries.
The other label to ignore is the smaller 3.8 designation, which indicates this handsome four-door has V6 rather than V8 power of its Genesis 5.0 stablemate. That more expensive model comes only in rear-drive, while the 3.8 can be had with either rear- or all-wheel-drive. Unless you’re looking for some really neck-snapping performance (the 5.0-liter V8 is rated at 420 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque), the V6 offers up 311 horsepower and 293 lb-ft of toque, more than enough to make the Genesis 3.8 feel light on its feet. The added bonus is the fuel economy from the smaller engine, which clocks in at 18 city/29 highway and 22 mpg combined, a full 3 mpg city/6 mpg highway/4 mpg combined improvement over the V8. (AWD V6 models carry ratings of 16/25/19). And from exterior appearances, the only difference between the two is a small badge announcing the displacement on the rear decklid.
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Luxury for the no labels crowd
And that’s the beauty of the 2015 Hyundai Genesis. It offers all the high quality materials, craftsmanship, and accessories for thousands less than the competition. The Genesis 3.8 starts at $38,000 and includes features such as an 8-speed automatic transmission, 18-inch wheels, heated seats with 12-way adjustment for the driver, leather seating, a high end sound system.
Our test car also had three option packages including a $4,000 Signature package that features a power panoramic sunroof, memory seats with ventilation, power tilt/telescoping steering, HID headlamps, blind spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert and a power rear sunshade. The $3,500 Tech group includes a 7-inch TFT display in the instrument cluster, additional power bolsters on the seats, lane departure, smart cruise control and front/rear parking assistance. The Ultimate package, also priced at $3,500, includes genuine maple finish wood and aluminum accents, premium navigation, a 17-speaker Lexicon sound system and a dual mode vent control.
All in with delivery, the 2015 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 lists at $49,950, nearly $6,000 less than a comparably equipped 5.0 V8 model and about $2,500 less than the AWD V6. The moral of this story is that you don’t need a fancy logo or a European pedigree to ride in the lap of luxury.
