2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 First Test

By now, the Hyundai Genesis is a car that needs no introduction. Upstaged only by the stupefying performance of the Nissan GT-R at our 2009 Car of the Year competition, this big rear-drive sedan has helped hasten Hyundai's transformation from budget alternative to first-choice brand. A 375-horsepower V-8-powered Genesis 4.6 is about halfway through its one-year stint in our long-term fleet, and so far the returns have been overwhelmingly positive. But what of the less-glamorous, less-powerful, and less-expensive Genesis 3.8?

Unsurprisingly, it's just as good.

Powering the Genesis 3.8 is a 290-hp, 264-lb-ft regular-unleaded-drinking 3.8-liter V-6 -- by comparison the 4.6-liter Tau V-8 in the Genesis 4.6 needs premium to unleash its full 375-hp and 333-lb-ft and at 17/25 mpg city/highway, is slightly thirstier than the 18/27 mpg V-6. Mated to an Aisin six-speed automatic instead of the 4.6's ZF-sourced box, the combination propels the big, 3774-lb sedan from 0-60 mph in just 5.9 seconds and through the quarter in 14.5 seconds at 96.5 mph -- as fast or slightly faster than the Audi A4 3.2, Mazda6 GT, and Nissan Maxima among others, and just a few tenths slower (0.3 to 60 and 0.4 in the quarter) than the Genesis 4.6.

At 119 feet from 60 to 0, braking performance is comparable to that of the Dodge Challenger SRT8, though it needed six feet more than the Maxima and seven feet more than its 4.6 sibling. It also performed respectably in our handling tests, putting down an impressive 0.89 g (avg) on the skidpad -- outperforming the 4.6 -- and a 27.4 second @ 0.65 g (avg) figure-eight time, 0.3 sec behind the Maxima and 0.2 behind the 4.6.