[Tufast]

V6 Throwdown: Motor Trend pits Hyundai Genesis against 2011 Mustang, 2010 Camaro and Challenger
by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Apr 12th 2010 at 1:26PM

By now, we've all read the various incarnations of the muscle car shoot-out, which means that had the crew from Motor Trend decided to simply line up the V6 versions of the 2010 Dodge Challenger, 2010 Chevrolet Camaro and 2011 Ford Mustang against one another, odds are you could have picked the podium without breaking a sweat (or reading the article). And that's why we're guessing the editors decided to throw in the Hyundai Genesis Coupe for spice.

At first glance, this feels like the easiest game of "which one doesn't belong" ever played, but on closer inspection, the Genesis 3.8 looks right at home among Michigan's Neapolitan pack of muscle cars. The Hyundai boasts 305 horsepower from its sizable V6, which is more than any of the big domestics. How does it fair against the entry Mopar, Bowtie and Blue Oval? We'll go ahead and spoil it for you by saying that MT didn't just invite the Korean coupe to the dance. It named it belle of the ball, too.

Why did the Genesis Coupe take the gold, even ahead of re-powered 2011 Mustang? According to MT, the Hyundai simply feels more like a sports car than the rest of the suspects. Funny – we thought they were testing muscle cars...

All versions of these cars come with a V6 engine, Autoblog first thought that the Genesis did not belong in the lineup, but looking more closely at the specs – it was right at home. So how does this 305 horsepower car handle itself compared to the best muscle that America has to give in the V6 range?

You will be suspired to here that the Genesis Coupe beat the other three cars – that will not make the American automakers happy. Below is the order in MT comparison review:

4th place: Dodge Challenger SE
3rd place: Chevrolet Camaro RS
2nd place: Ford Mustang V-6
1st place: Hyundai Genesis 3.8 Track

 

[Tufast]

I know this has been covered in other articles, but though it was worth reflection & I just love the color orange on this car, so had to post pic.

 

[Slider]

That's yellow mang.

 

[Tufast]

That's yellow mang.

Damn, so it is...LoL I guess its the lighting or maybe I need to put on my glasses,,,hehehe

 

[Makotoseven]

the gencoupe didn't beat out the other cars. the v6 mustang beat them all in performance, quality, and price. MT used opinion to give the second place car (with a 5K starting price gap) the mustang's spot.

whats with them comparing sports car vs 3 muscle cars and the top model vs the base models?

lame.

 

[nealc]

That's yellow mang

Looks cool! Will we see it in 2011?

 

[Slider]

^ It's out now.

 

[nealc]

It's out now.

In the U.S.?

 

[dic51]

the gencoupe didn't beat out the other cars. the v6 mustang beat them all in performance, quality, and price. MT used opinion to give the second place car (with a 5K starting price gap) the mustang's spot.

whats with them comparing sports car vs 3 muscle cars and the top model vs the base models?

lame.

The price of the Mustang as tested is $32,545 which is exactly $2K more than I paid for my 3.8 Track ZF. If you want the base V6 mustang you have to give up everything that made the Mustang "beat" the Genesis(GT suspension, brakes and wheels, premium sound, seats, ipod connect, etc...). So to say that there is a 5K price difference is wrong. Using that logic you could say the Genesis starts at 22K. The only opinion that MT used was the fact that the Genesis drove like a sports car while the others didn't. They drove like what they are...muscle cars. .

But you do have that whole lame warranty thing going for the Ford tho.

:read:

Want a richer ambiance and equipment on par with that in our Genesis tester? You'll need to throw down $3700 for the Premium Package (leather, Bluetooth, satellite radio), $2340 for the Electronics Package (navigation and auto climate control), $595 for heated seats, and $525 for Xenon headlamps. Total? $32,545, or $1075 more than the Hyundai's sticker

Read more: 2011 Ford Mustang V-6 test - Motor Trend

 

[Slider]

In the U.S.?

Yes, and Canada.

 

[Mchart]

Yep, part of the reason why I got the Interlagos Yellow. Most people that haven't seen that color in real life don't know the fact that it's not just a pure yellow type color. There is a bit of orange mixed in, and depending on how the sun is hitting the car the car actually can have a number of different perceived shades to it.

 

[Makotoseven]

The price of the Mustang as tested is $32,545 which is exactly $2K more than I paid for my 3.8 Track ZF. If you want the base V6 mustang you have to give up everything that made the Mustang "beat" the Genesis(GT suspension, brakes and wheels, premium sound, seats, ipod connect, etc...). So to say that there is a 5K price difference is wrong. Using that logic you could say the Genesis starts at 22K. The only opinion that MT used was the fact that the Genesis drove like a sports car while the others didn't. They drove like what they are...muscle cars.

1. the genesis 2.0T starts at 22K with no good stuff at all
2. the genesis 3.8 starts at 30K (anything else gives up LSD, good brakes, good suspension)
3. mustang starts at 22K WITH LSD, brakes, and upgraded suspension
4. the mustang track pack is what you're referring to and its only like 2grand extra. NONE of which have anything to do with the mustang beating the gen in a straight line (which is what most people will be doing anyhow) the options you're talking about are all aesthetic and electronic tinker toys.
5. the GT 5.0 starts at 30k and rapes every one of these cars. hard. lol

so to recap:

1. the cars that are in the same price range RAPE each other.
2. the base model mustang with the track pack owns the 3.8 track with over a 6K price gap
3. the mustang gets better mpg than every genesis, is faster than every genesis, and the chassis and drivetrain technology has been proven tried and true well before ford beat the hell out of it in the last 2 years.

the fact of the matter is they shouldn't have put the gen in the comparison test because it isn't the same kind of car. everybody knows that people buy cars based on price range and while the genesis was groundbreaking a year ago ford has changed the game in a big way.

look, i liked the genesis before it even came out. then i had to wait a bit to get one. then ford made this new V6 model that is faster than every genesis coupe,

 

[nealc]

part of the reason why I got the Interlagos Yellow

Oh, so it's really Interlagos Yellow. Silly me, I thought it was some new orange color.

 

[dic51]

Mako, while I agree with most of what you said, I could give a rat's ass about going fast in a straight line. Another thing I will never own is a stripped down V6 mustang that every prom queen is gonna be driving. My main problem with the mustang is the fact that they are everywhere. I don't care if it's an 1994-2011, you see them every ten feet and the base models twice as often. I was wrong that the 22k version wouldn't outrun the 3.8 gen but come the first curve and that 22k mustang is in the ditch. Tufast was able to stay right on a 2010 Mustang GT in his 2.0 rspec on the track at Road Atlanta. Straight line, the Mustang would pull away, then Tufast would catch right back up at the curves. So no matter how you try to pump up the new mustang, I ain't buyin it since the V6 gets most of it's performance from the 2010 GT.

All that being said, I will admit that the Mustang has taken a huge step in the right direction but if I want a Mustang that looks like a 1970's Boss Mustang that will go real fast in a straight line...then I'll buy a 1970's Boss Mustang.

This is post I made a few days ago that covers most of how I feel about the comparison of the Genesis to the pony cars...

You have to look at it for what it is. When the 3.8 GenCoupe hit the streets, it's only real competitors were the G35/37 and the BMW 3 series. Both of these cars were WAAAAY out of Hyundai's price range. The Mustang and Challenger didn't even come close a year ago and the Camaro was enjoying it's 8th year or so as a concept. So that made the Genesis the best choice at the time. Hyundai raised the bar then and now Ford has in turn raised it again. It's the name of the game. Ford knew what the competition had to offer and they knew if they wanted to sale some Mustangs they were gonna have to top the Coupe and they have...sorta. The same thing Hyundai knew when they released the Coupe. Now the ball is back in Hyundai's court.

I still believe that the 3.8 Coupe is the best buy in the price range. The car is the most original out of the four. It has the best warranty and it still performs as good or better than it's competitors. I can appreciate where Ford is headed with the Mustang but when I'm sitting at a stop light I don't want to be there next to 3 other folks who have the same car as me. Such was the case when I had my Mustang, they are everywhere. There are 5 members on this forum living in my town and I still see far less GenCoupes than new Mustangs or even Camaros.

And last but not least...the warranty. 5/60 on a car that has a track record of having major problems before 100K. Everyone says the quality is better but until I see a Mustang with 100k on that don't have knobs and window regulators falling out will I be a believer. Just sayin'.

 

[Makotoseven]

Mako, while I agree with most of what you said, I could give a rat's ass about going fast in a straight line. Another thing I will never own is a stripped down V6 mustang that every prom queen is gonna be driving. My main problem with the mustang is the fact that they are everywhere. I don't care if it's an 1994-2011, you see them every ten feet and the base models twice as often. I was wrong that the 22k version wouldn't outrun the 3.8 gen but come the first curve and that 22k mustang is in the ditch.

1. the car isn't stripped down. the rspec is stripped down and costs more than the v6 stang lol
2. again, you're comparing the top model much more expensive sports car to the base model
3. again, you're comparing the track version (top model) gen to the base model mustang v6
4. the mustang did better in every performance area. including handling. check the skidpad numbers.

in the real world being in the ballpark of each other is really close enough for handling because thats all hinged on driver ability. the real problem the gen has is that its top car isn't as fast as the base model mustang. hyundai needs to step up the 2.0T to some good power. times have just changed, dude.

Tufast was able to stay right on a 2010 Mustang GT in his 2.0 rspec on the track at Road Atlanta. Straight line, the Mustang would pull away, then Tufast would catch right back up at the curves. So no matter how you try to pump up the new mustang, I ain't buyin it since the V6 gets most of it's performance from the 2010 GT.

so your speculation is hinged on the abilities of 2 completely different cars that are hinged on 2 people that may or may not drive better or worse on any given sunday.

come on man lol

And last but not least...the warranty. 5/60 on a car that has a track record of having major problems before 100K. Everyone says the quality is better but until I see a Mustang with 100k on that don't have knobs and window regulators falling out will I be a believer. Just sayin'.

again, speculation and flat out ignorance. just sayin.

ford changed the game when it unleashed its new mustang. the V6 is finally a great car and the GT is now a STELLAR car. i dont get what the problem is, the gen is obviously a totally different market. you get less performance for way more money but you get the style you want. if ford hadn't released this new V6 model with all the stuff i want and nothing i dont i'd still be on the R-Spec wagon. thats life.

and i was never impressed with the V6 version. i foresaw this happening when they released it. ford has been working on this tech for like 15 years and this year was the perfect year to just ruin the market for everyone else. i'm proud of em. hyundai is still doing good, enjoy having a car that not many people will have. i'll just get the one that i think is better in every way and cheaper to boot

 

[dic51]

1.The base model Mustang is srtipped down. Cloth seats, lame wheels, no tech to speak of, etc... Even MT acknowledges this.
2-3.You are the one that said the 22k Mustang would compare to the 3.8 Track, not me. I was just rebutting your statement that the Mustang would out perform the Genesis and save you 6k.
4. You are correct here and I gave Ford credit for this and previously quoted myself...

Ford knew what the competition had to offer and they knew if they wanted to sale some Mustangs they were gonna have to top the Coupe and they have...sorta. The same thing Hyundai knew when they released the Coupe. Now the ball is back in Hyundai's court.

Hyundai has to respond or be left behind. I am impressed with the skidpad #'s. Hell, I'm impressed with the entire car from a performance standpoint. I was only trying to say that if you want a Mustang that looks, feels and performs like the 3.8 Track that MT tested then you would have to spend the same kind of money. I wanted a sunroof, ipod connect etc. and still do.

so your speculation is hinged on the abilities of 2 completely different cars that are hinged on 2 people that may or may not drive better or worse on any given sunday.

come on man lol

Not as much speculation as you believe. One may drive better than the other but both are in HPDE training. Also comparing a 4 banger to a V8 so I think we can give a little here

I also said that I recognize Ford has supposedly worked on their quality but this is speculation since nobody has put 100K on a 2011 Mustang. So to say that their quality is improved is speculation.

I think Ford was on the right track when they released the first SVO Mustang back in 1986. They did a great job then backstepped into the GT line for the longest time. That car was ahead of it's time then Ford decided it would be better to create sub-standard performance cars. Don't get me wrong, I don't think the new Mustang is a bad car, it's just not for me. But judging by the number of them on the road, I am in the minority which suits me just fine.

I was also very concerned about re-sale and the Mustang's re-sale will be low by default. High consumer sales and loads fleet sales (rentals) will flood the market in coming years. Idk what the future holds for the GenCoupe in re-sale #'s but my lease gave the Gen a great resale. Time will tell if it actually holds up to that particular speculation. :dunno: But that was one of the risks I was willing to take on the Hyundai.

All of this is academic anyway. People are going to judge for themselves and most likely base their decision on points we haven't even discussed. I think what it comes down to is if you enjoy your Mustang as much as I enjoy my Coupe, then you made the right decision.

 

[Austin_Milbarge]

maybe you two should go to PMs to play with each other.

 

[Tufast]

^^^Mako, I would like to commend you on a very good post in which I pretty much completely agree. If I wasn't so stuck on the GenCoupe & sports cars in general, I would probably opt for the new Mustang GT (not the 6'er - sorry). It is a hell of a bargain & unlike GM & Chrysler's offerings, its much more refined with less issues. Sure I don't like the live rear axle, but they have done a very good job with it.

You are also correct that dic51 should not base his opinions of a particular car's capabilities off of one experience that wasn't his own at an event he did not attend where on a single outing my car paired up with late model GT (not the on that just came out/coming out) & was able to keep up around the track because of the the driver/car's cornering abilities. But, for the same reason that Motor Trend gave the GenCoupe top honors above the 3 domestic "Muscle Cars" I believe I was able to keep the gap between me & that GT to a minimum, the GenCoupe ALLOWS you to drive it faster around a track because it inspires more confidence & you always feel in control with ability to push it a little more. This car really feels like a true sports car >> see 370Z, 335i & Cayman.....

 

[dic51]

I've always been a fan of the Mustang for as long as I can remember until owning one ('01 & hated it). I will most likely never own another.

maybe you two should go to PMs to play with each other.

But in the interests of the other forum members, I digress.

 

[Slider]

What car does Makotoseven own?