Hyundai’s new Genesis Coupe returns rear-wheel-drive handling dynamics to budget-minded enthusiasts.
Yes, there’s the new 2010 Ford Mustang in this class too, and in six-cylinder form it does undercut the Hyundai.
But, starting at just US$22,750, the two-door Coupe packs a modern 210-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine,
a six-speed manual transmission and a fully independent suspension.

So in the low US$20,000 range, there’s not much that can match this Hyundai.

But there’s more. For another US$3000, the Genesis coupe is available with a 306-hp V6. Fully optioned with a
six-speed automatic transmission, sunroof, heated leather power seats and an iPod hookup, it costs just US$31,750.
So not only does the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe resemble the Infiniti’s G37 Coupe in design—it packs much of the
same equipment too. Hyundai has a habit of undercutting established players. This year, the automaker’s Genesis
sedan earned the North American Car of the Year Award. To see if this upstart can in fact take on a more expensive
luxury manufacturer, we rounded up both coupes for a romp through some of the twistiest roads in Southern California.
Let’s see how they stack up. — Larry Webster

The Specs
These two cars are stunningly close when the technical specs are examined. Dimensionally, they’re within inches of
each other. The Hyundai has a slightly bigger truck (10 cubic feet versus 7.4) and the Infiniti is slightly more roomy in
the backseat.

Under the hoods, the Infiniti appears to have a slight edge. Its 3.7-liter V6 employs variable valve timing and a lift
system and cranks out 330 hp at 7000 rpm; 270 lb-ft at 5200 rpm. The car is rated at 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway.
A six-speed manual is standard, but since we wanted to test these cars in the configuration most people buy, we opted
for the seven-speed automatic.

The Genesis Coupe uses a 3.8-liter V6 that doesn’t rev as high as the G37’s—it redlines at 6500 rpm—but it makes
plenty of power, 306 hp at 6300 rpm and 266 lb-ft of torque at 4700 rpm. Hyundai’s V6 is also rated at exactly 18 mpg
city and 26 on the highway. The automatic gearbox has six gears and, like the Infiniti, steering-wheel-mounted paddles
for manual control.

The Genesis Coupe is not simply a two-door version of Hyundai’s Genesis sedan. While they share a name and are
built in the same factory, little of the structure and none of the sheet metal is shared. This is good because the Coupe
isn’t saddled with the sedan’s weight. Our V6 coupe weighed in at 3480 pounds—less than the sedan—and nearly
300 less than the Infiniti coupe. But because the two Hyundais are so different, it means that the sedan’s burly,
optional 375-hp V8 won’t fit in the coupe.

We ordered both cars with the optional performance handling packages. In the Hyundai, the Track package adds
19-inch wheels with summer tires, Brembo brakes with larger rotors, sport-tuned suspension, aluminum pedals,
a limited-slip differential and rear spoiler. At a mere US$500, it’s nearly free. The Infiniti’s Sport package runs
US$1850 and includes much of the same equipment—limited-slip diff, 19-inch wheels and tires, larger brakes,
and slightly stiffer suspension.

Obviously, one of the most significant differences between these two cars is the price. The Hyundai stickered at
US$31,750 and the G37S ran US$45,045. To be fair, the Infiniti has several features not included in the Hyundai,
such as the US$2200 navigation system, and there’s some clear evidence that Hyundai has saved some money.
For example, the Hyundai has a manual tilting steering wheel that doesn’t telescope. The Infiniti’s wheel adjusts both
ways and is power operated. The Hyundai’s power seats have manual backrests that are power-operated in the G37.
In addition, the overall finish of the materials was higher in the Infiniti—as one might expect. It’s tough to perform an
exact feature-to-feature comparison here. But even if we disregard the G37’s navigation system, the Hyundai is still
about 10 grand less expensive. The question is, does it feel that much less expensive from behind the wheel?

The Drive
With 280 fewer pounds, an extra cog in the transmission, and only slightly less horsepower, we expected the
Hyundai to have an edge in the acceleration tests. The opposite proved true, and the Infiniti was two-tenths quicker
to 60 mph (5.69 seconds versus 5.89) and faster through the quarter-mile (13.90 at 101.2 mph compared to 14.06
at 99.82 mph). But in the real world, away from our test gear, we noticed essentially no difference in acceleration
between the two cars.
Both offer crisp throttle response, an eager, snarly exhaust note, and more than enough power to get in trouble with the law.

We ran the pair on the fantastic, sinewy, mountain roads around Ojai, California on the highway and through L.A.’s city streets.
Our test loop was well north of 300 miles—neither car seemed to have the performance edge over the other. In fuel economy
alone, the two were separated by less than one mpg, the Infiniti at 23 mpg and the Hyundai at 22.7 mpg. On the twisty roads,
we could confidently dive into a corner in the Infiniti and the Hyundai would be filling our rearview mirror with a big chrome “H”.
The same was true when we switched cars—the Infiniti would be tail-grabbing the Hyundai’s bumper. On the surface, these
Coupes appeared to be equals in handling. But we noticed some subtleties that separate the two. For example, the Hyundai’s
steering had a slight but perceptible dead spot on center. The Infiniti’s steering was a tad more fluid, and maybe a tick more
direct—call it an overall edge in refinement. But the G37’s steering effort was on the high side compared to the Hyundai.
And when we got the Hyundai buried deep into a tight bend, it felt every bit as natural as the Infiniti.

The braking performance too was nearly identical. The Hyundai had a slight edge in our 60-to-0 mph braking test
(112.44 feet versus 119.37) but both cars offered stellar braking feel. The brake pedals of both cars are firm and you can
effortlessly brake right up to the threshold of the antilock system and gradually ease off at turn-in.
These may be “sports coupes” but the Hyundai and Infiniti both have true sports car brakes.

Neither one of these coupes is billed as an outright sports car. Yet they have tremendous handling prowess. They both felt
eager, tossable and, thanks in part to the rear-drive layouts, less prone to the usual dominant understeer. But sports
car–like handling usually comes with a price. And there certainly is a ride penalty paid for each one.
Both cars felt a bit stiff over the big bumps and potholes. If you live where potholes are common, you may want to avoid
anything called a sport package.

There were areas were the Infiniti had an edge. In particular, the G37 had an extra layer of overall refinement.
This is a hard area to quantify, but quite a few of the G37’s details were simply better. The dash looked and felt like
it was crafted of a more expensive material. The Infiniti’s shifter glides through its gate with Teflon-coated slickness.
And the steering-wheel shift pedals are fit for a Ferrari. On the long ride home from our 300-plus-mile comparison test,
we noticed the Infiniti is quieter and offers more comfortable seats for long-distance touring.

The Bottom Line
Do the Infiniti’s extra refinement and features warrant the extra dough? That depends. If the pricing spread were closer
—even by US$5000—we might give the edge to the Infiniti. But if judged purely on mechanical traits and test numbers,
the extra US$10,000 on the price tag of the Infiniti doesn’t seem quite worth it. The Hyundai wins by a nose.

Test Results