The 2015 Hyundai Genesis: Luxury That Won’t Wipe Out the College Fund

Luxury cars are the kinds of things people dream about getting someday even if they have no idea when that someday will arrive. Once you have kids, the idea of putting their sticky little fingers in a pretty car, and the thought that the price could wipe out the college fund, make the prospect seem even more unlikely. Here’s why the Hyundai Genesis makes it possible for a family, even one with sticky-fingered kids, to enjoy a luxury ride.

Kids are tough on cars. They make construction workers in clunky, dirt-covered boots look elegant and refined by comparison. There’s no way around the fact that they’re going to mess up your car no matter how much you try to keep it looking neat and pretty. And that’s why you want fancy leather seats instead of fabric upholstery.

It may seem counterintuitive, but keeping leather seats looking good is far easier than keeping any kind of fabric clean. Ground in whatever-it-was-she-carried-into-the-car wipes off of leather. Leather also doesn’t absorb whatever-it-is-she-just-spilled when you didn’t even know she had a sippy cup in her hand in the first place. Guess what? Leather seats aren’t an expensive add-on but standard in this car.

You also want to keep you and your family safe with all the latest whiz-bang technology, and the 2015 Hyundai Genesis has plenty of that, too. There’s a rear-view camera to better see kids who might run behind your car, nine air bags, anti-lock brakes, rear-cross traffic alert to help avoid people cutting behind you at the last minute when you’re backing up, and traction control and stability control to help when the weather gets bad. And once again, it’s all standard.

It’s got all the convenience features of a luxury car too, one of my favorites being a trunk that will automatically pop open when you stand next to it for just a few seconds. No balancing on one foot and waving the other under the bumper. There’s also dual temperature control so you don’t have to fight with your passenger, and a 12-way power driver’s seat that’s heated. Yup, it’s all standard on the 2015 Hyundai Genesis.

And how much do you have to shell out for this snazzy new luxury automobile? It has a very not luxury starting price of $38,000 for features that will cost you an extra $20,000 with other brands. It’s not cheap, but it’s a darned affordable luxury car.

If you’ve dreamed of getting a luxury car someday, that someday could be a lot closer than you think once you get behind the wheel of a 2015 Hyundai Genesis.

I attended the 2015 Hyundai #NextGenesis media lunch with all expenses paid by Hyundai. Opinions are my own.