2018 Genesis G90 Best Buy Review

IT’S A BEST BUY BECAUSE:

The Genesis G90 closely emulates the look, feel, and driving experience of premium large sedans from the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, but retails for considerably less money.

BUT…

The Genesis brand doesn’t yet have the recognition or cachet of established luxury makes, and no stand-alone options are available.

WORTH NOTING:

The G90 is one of two inaugural offerings from Hyundai’s new luxury brand—the other is the smaller Genesis G80 sedan. Additional Genesis passenger cars and SUVs are scheduled to debut in the near future.

WHAT IS IT?

The G90 is a 4-door large luxury sedan that debuted for 2017 as the flagship of Hyundai’s fledgling Genesis luxury brand. At least for the near future, Genesis products will be available at select Hyundai dealerships; stand-alone Genesis stores may follow in a few years. The base G90 engine is a 3.3-liter turbocharged V6; a 5.0-liter V8 is also available. Both engines mate to an 8-speed automatic transmission and can be had with rear- or all-wheel drive. Heated and power-folding mirrors, a hands-free power trunklid, adaptive suspension, Genesis Connected remote vehicle access, power soft-close doors, and adaptive xenon headlights with automatic high beams are among the standard features. Inside, every G90 comes equipped with heated and ventilated front seats with memory, heated rear seats, a 17-speaker surround-sound Lexicon-brand stereo, synthetic suede headliner, and auto-dimming mirrors. V8 models add rear-vanity mirrors and power-adjustable ventilated rear seats with memory functions. Standard safety features include forward collision warning and mitigation, blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning and mitigation, adaptive cruise control, and a 360-degree surround-view camera.

WHAT’S NEW?

All Genesis G90s get a standard CD/DVD player located in the glovebox. V6 models now come standard with the adaptive LED headlights that were already standard on V8s, and V8 models add a standard rear-seat entertainment system with dual 10.3-inch HD monitors.

FUEL ECONOMY

The EPA rates the V6-powered G90 at 17 mpg city/24 mpg highway with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The V8-powered G90 is rated at 16/24 with RWD and 15/23 with AWD. In Consumer Guide® testing, an all-wheel-drive V6 model averaged 16.7 mpg in 65-percent city driving, and a rear-wheel-drive V8 model averaged 18.0 mpg in 60-percent city driving.

VALUE IN CLASS

The Genesis G90 might not offer the same pioneering technology features or über-performance available powertrains of its long-running German rivals, but it does achieve an overall level of luxury and refinement that comes surprisingly close to the premium large car standard bearers—at sticker prices that are around $5000 to $20,000 less. G90 shoppers are unlikely to enjoy the same luxury dealership experience as a BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes-Benz customer, but the dollar savings should help offset the disappointment.

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