arentz07

It's that time again. I've got another rental review tonight, and it's for a sedan that many sport sedan enthusiasts like myself have been intrigued by - the Genesis G70.



What is it?

The G70 is a compact sport sedan, a concept with which I am sure we are all familiar. It's essentially Genesis's answer to the BMW 3-series, the Audi A4, Lexus IS, etc. It's a fairly small sedan with a rear-wheel-drive configuration to its drivetrain, and it is, as they say, "premium". This particular G70 is essentially a base model. The G70 is available in several trims - 2.5T Standard, 2.5T Sport Prestige, 3.3T Sport Advanced, and 3.3T Sport Prestige. Each one is available as either rear- or all-wheel-drive. This is a rental car, so I'll give you a guess as to which one it is.

If you guessed 2.5T Standard AWD, you're right. This car is relatively low on sporting pretense, but I don't mind that in a rental. It does, however, have all the things you'd want in a luxury sedan... rental, such as adaptive cruise, lane keep assist, heated seats, and a decent-size screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. This one is silver, and it's a silver that has some depth and character, much like Lexus's Atomic Silver.



Interior

It's been a long day, so I will breeze through this part. The interior is nice for the segment. All the materials feel high-quality, particularly the squishy leather on the steering wheel. Considering this is a rental car, that's really saying something. The center console area between driver and passenger is pretty wide with usable storage in the armrest. There's a place to put a phone, which I'm not used to having in my Lexus IS, and everything seems well laid-out. I appreciate the little metal knurling details, such as around the cupholders. On top of that, the cabin mostly feels pretty roomy, especially considering how small this car looks from outside. The rear seats are less roomy but on par with my Lexus IS back home, if not quite as capacious as the rear bench in a 3-series.




Honestly, the interior is great. I prefer the abundance of soft-touch surfaces and the more classic, leather-lined look compared to what BMW's doing with their newer interiors. I think this will age far better. Do I wish the gauges were a little more fancy-looking? Yes. See, they are a partial-digital affair with an analog speedometer and fuel gauge. I certainly like the way they look while the car is off in comparison to fully-digital gauges, but they also seem somewhat dated due to their orientation of being half-and-half laterally. But, I realize in re-reviewing my photos that these gauges are, in fact, very nice. They fit the vibe of this car so well.



Comfort and Drivability

The G70 is a pretty chill car to drive. Setting off, it has a very progressive, rather than touchy, accelerator, and the transmission shifts seamlessly. It's smooth enough that I found myself wondering if the ZF 8-speed in our X3 was actually as smooth. The steering is well-weighted - not light, but not as heavy as you might get in a more sporting car. Steering response is immediate, with a steering ratio that's clearly quicker than your average car. The well-weighted feeling translates to everything I use in the car. The paddles have a good resistance to them (in spite of their plastic construction), and the indicator stalk, which features real metal, feels satisfying to use. The digitally-controlled gear selector even has some physical detents that feel solid and not plasticky at all. OK, when I type that, it might make you think they must be plasticky in some way, but I swear, they are not!

Seats are pretty comfortable, though I would have liked the seats even more if I could have figured out a way to move the headrest forwards. They are nice and supportive, though not particularly well-bolstered.



Headlight performance at night was above-average, I'd say. I could see adequately. And, in general, the cabin was a nice place to be at night. Was there multi-color ambient lighting? No. However, the warm white colors used for the interior lighting at night were just fine. Not every car needs to have 64 colors of lighting, if you ask me, as long as the cabin provides the calming ambiance befitting a night drive. In this regard, the Genesis succeeds.



Is it fun to drive?

Well, the G70 has garnered itself a reputation for being a budget fun-to-drive sport sedan. I'd say the reputation largely matches the reality of driving it. Again, the steering is simply done right here. It's not too light, and it weights up nicely at speed. The steering wheel rim is also pretty thin compared to my Lexus IS or some BMW models I've been in, making the car feel lighter on its feet almost by default. While this car lacked any Sport package, it still felt taut and agile. The transmission will call upon a gear pretty much instantly when the paddles are in use, and I find it to be quite smooth while doing so. I am genuinely impressed by this in-house transmission from Genesis - it does what I want and nothing I don't.

There is one caveat to this whole experience: the engine. See, the 2.5-liter turbocharged I-4 in this car is the base engine, so I didn't have sky-high expectations. However, what I didn't expect was the degree of turbo lag that this car exhibits. Stomp the gas on the highway to make a pass, and you'll be waiting nearly two full seconds for the boost to build. The transmission does its best to get the right gear online, but the turbocharger acts like it's just waking up from a nap. Curiously, I found this to be less of a problem in lower-speed driving, so it's possible this was a tuning choice by the engineers. No matter which drive mode the car is in, the turbo lag persists. However, I don't think this is a deal-breaker, as, in more relaxed driving, the turbo four provides all the torque I ever needed. While not the most refined of its kind, it was enough to perform the duties of an entry-level sport sedan's engine.



Conclusion

This car, no matter how you configure it, is an insane value. Fully kitted-out, a 3.3T Sport Prestige will not even touch $60,000. The lower-end models are easily under $50,000. Somehow, this car feels worth every one of those dollars, and the driver inputs are executed even better than expected. Were there imperfections? Naturally, yes. The turbo lag was a bummer, and the seats were not incredibly comfortable for me. But, this is a refreshingly usable and easy car to drive thanks to its use of physical controls along with its no-gimmicks driving experience. I strongly recommend you check it out if you're looking at a vehicle in this class, though, I'd also steer you towards the V-6 model.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

great review, thanks for sharing!
have you driven the 3.3T one?

arentz07

Sadly, no. I have, however, driven a Stinger GT with the same engine, so... I can sorta extrapolate.

Bottom line, I think the 2.5T will be fine if you're just commuting and don't care much about having a responsive or exciting experience, but it does leave a bit to be desired in terms of response and character. The B48 and EA888 from competitors cast a pretty harsh light on this engine - while they have less power in general, the overall experience of using them is better.

I will say, however, that compared to the 2.0-liter turbo in the IS 300, I think I may rather have the Genesis.

LexBob2

Thanks for the write up. Before I bought our current X3 I looked at the G70's cousin the GV70 and was curious about what they're both like to live with. One thing that kept popping up was the dealership experience especially when it comes to service and warranty work. Not a deal breaker but it gave me something to think about. Both of them are compelling choices vs. the competition.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

with genesis you never have to visit the dealer. they will come to you, get the car, leave a loaner, and reverse that when car is done. it's wonderful.

LexBob2

This is one of the things that kept popping up from what seemed to be quite a few owners. No valet service, no loaners available, parts availability and dealerships dropping the Genesis line because they couldn't or wouldn't build a standalone facility. Most of this should smooth out over time and we all know that forums are where people go to b***h.

RNM GS3

Not sure if I want some young kid driving my new $50k car for 50-100miles back and from a Genesis dealer.

The dealer network is #1 reason that Genesis brand has not grown more significantly. They have great products for the most part although a bit overpriced.

Margate330

Another great review from @arentz07 ..

arentz07

I hate to say it, but I can see where you are coming from, from experience. When I had my IS 350 in for service, the dealer scratched my wheels in the car wash. Then, they were supposedly going to repair the scratches and drive the car home later. So I went home in a loaner, and they arrived later with my car. Unfortunately, they also curbed a wheel at some point between the time I left and their arrival at my house. So, I've been a little distrusting of them driving my car ever since.

Striker223

Wow, I was not expecting the EA888 to get any praise. This thing must be BAD then if you think the VAG 4 is better lol!

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

my experience with the g90 was the concierge drivers were either some guy who would otherwise be retired or one of the service managers. i had no concerns.

yup, but they ARE working on it. my local's new standalone genesis dealership should open any day.

arentz07

lol I've come to realize that the EA888 in its more premium states of tune (Audis, GTI/GLI, etc.) is a pretty refined engine. The 2.5T in the Genesis is fine, but just not as smooth or responsive as others, most notably the B48. It may have more power and torque than our X3, but when I plant my foot in the X3, it just moves immediately. The G70 took a long pause before the acceleration picked up. That's what I wasn't prepared for.

Striker223

You know you actually made me stop and really think about it and I was wrong. The EA888 is actually up there in terms of 4 cyl engines, I was being myopic and forgetting that all the ecoboosts, skyactives, multi air etc etc I have driven are also all 4 cyls.

With that perspective yeah nvm you are right. I honestly don't even consider most 4 cyl engines to be engines if you know what I mean. The Audi one is good enough I actually did compare it lol!

LexBob2

The B48 and ZF 8 speed transmission are a great combination.

tex2670

My Lexus dealer used to do pick up/drop off. It was never a kid--it was always some guy in his late 50s or older.