Hyundai Genesis Coupe likable but flawed

Although it shares its name with Hyundai's "near-luxury" Genesis sedan, the Genesis Coupe really is more a successor to the affordable Tiburon than a car to compete with the likes of the Infiniti G.

The Genesis sedan arrived in the summer of 2008 and begins at $33,800. The coupe, which starts at $22,750 with freight, went on sale about a year ago and also is a generally likable car inside and out - except for the stick shift, which is balky, especially when cold and especially on the way into second or first gear, taking much of the fun out of manual gear-changing. Automatic is, of course, available.

Other flaws: The steering wheel does not telescope and there are no coat hooks. The trunk opening is small and rear seat cramped as in most coupes. Two attractive alternatives to the Genesis Coupe are the 304 hp. Chevrolet Camaro V-6 and the 315 hp. 2011 Ford Mustang V-6 due in spring. The Honda Accord Coupe and Nissan Altima Coupe also are contenders.

Hyundai's stated target, Infiniti's G coupe, beats them all in horsepower, at 330, but also costs the most by far - $36,765, compared with $25,750 with freight for a Genesis V-6, $23,530 for Camaro V-6 and $21,845 for Mustang V-6. The least expensive Genesis comes with a 210 hp. turbo four, but be warned, some reviewers have called that engine buzzy and raucous.

The Genesis comes in four performance flavors - regular, R-Spec, Premium Grand Touring and Track. My Grand Touring tester cornered flatly and accelerated briskly - zero to 60 takes less than six seconds by Hyundai's numbers. At highway speeds, though, there is less steering "feel" than some of you might prefer. The V-6 engine's tone through its twin exhaust is just delightful. Both engines run on regular gas.

Gauges are clear - except for a tachometer redline too faint to spot at a glance - and controls are well-marked and self-explanatory.

The Genesis Coupe gets an almost-perfect safety rating from the federal government. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has a rating only for the sedan: "good."

Hyundai's cars and dealers scored above average in quality and customer satisfaction in recent surveys by J.D. Power and Associates.