A big part of value too will be resale. Thats a big hit against the Genesis (G80). If resale is really poor, the G90 won't actually be any cheaper than say an LS460 to own over 3, 5 years. Thats an issue with some Toyota/Kia products.

 

I think I'm the first person on the board who has, like the title said, I lucked out and got to test drive a 2017 Genesis G90 today. I was in Chantilly on business again and drove by the Hyundai dealer, figured I’d pop in because I know that dealer is an Equus/Genesis dealer (none in Montgomery County, all of them are in VA) on the off chance they might have a G90. Well, they had two! Both identically optioned V6 RWD models stickering at $69,050. One was white with a black interior, and another was a very attractive Patagonia Blue (medium blue) with a cream interior. They featured all the options, radar cruise, lane keep, reclining rear seats with middle controls, tri zone climate, etc.

I drove the Patagonia Blue model on an extensive test drive, and then drove my LS460 over the exact same route. This was also a very similar route that I drove the Cadillac CT6 over a couple weeks ago as that dealer is just up the road.

Overall, very impressed. Genesis is here to play. Will share my thoughts as well as draw comparisons to my LS460 as well as the Cadillac CT6 and Lincoln Continental I recently drove.

Outside

The car is definitely big, and has great presence in person. Overall I liked the styling, but it doesn’t wow me. Trim quality is very good, as one would expect in any vehicle of this class. The front end has a few weird angles, its very flat and when you look at it from dead on the nose seems to stick out further at the top, and the headlights kind of pop out. They also could have done a better job hiding the radar cruise sensor. Overall I think the nose of the G80 is proportioned better and more attractive. The rear doors are very long and the transition from the roof to the rear window is pretty sharp, which is unusual nowadays (i.e. no “humpback” styling here as mmarshall is fond of pointing out). I think outside that makes it look a little staid, but inside the payoff in entry egress is there when compared to my LS or say a 7 Series or S class which have a more coupelike transition to the rear glass and the C pillar. Wheels are attractive sawblade style 19s similar to what was on the refresh Equus. Paint quality is easily Lexus good, and the paint on my Kia Sedona is also very high quality and resists chipping better than the Lexus, I’m sure that would also be true with the Genesis.

Overall outside, still think my LS is more attractive as I also do the CT6, I think the Genesis is better looking than the Continental.

Inside

Out of the park. None of the quality niggles we’ve discussed with the CT6 and Continental as compared to “full price” flagships exist in the G90. Every material is absolutely first rate, B pillars are fully padded as they are in my LS and as they are in a 7 Series or S Class, alcantara headliner is standard. No hard touch plastics anywhere, and the interior is devoid of black plastic buttons. Every piece of trim is soft touch and high quality, from the bezel around the gauge cluster and the nav screen, to the trim at the base of the seats. Dash and door panels are covered up top in nice stitched genuine leather that reminds me of the dash trims in the 7 and S Class.

Seat leathers are excellent and much better than the base leather found in my LS. Carpeting is first rate, and like I said the alcantara headliner is standard.

Wood trim is very nice, and comes in a few unusual stain colors which is a nice touch. All the doors and covers operate with a consistent precise dampening.

All of the controls and layouts are excellent. Nav screen is wide and very sharp, and their latest generation nav system works very well. Layout is split screen, just like Lexus’ widescreen system. Gauges are easy to read optitron units with a good size TFT screen in the middle. Oddly there is no full LCD virtual gauge option, that’s a must have in this class today and interestingly enough it was an option on the outgoing Equus, and is an option on the Kia K900.

Their nav controller works very well, think clone of the latest iDrive.

The G90 does have an electronic shifter, but I didn’t hate it. You push forward to reverse which takes some getting used to, pull back for drive and push a button ahead of the shifter for park. Oddly that button was the only plasticky button I didn’t care for.

The car does have paddle shifters which are also kind of cheap feeling. Also in general I don’t care for the steering wheel. IMHO it needs some sort of metal or wood trim on it somewhere, it looks a little low rent for the class, although material quality is excellent.

The rear seats are incredible spacious, and the controls back there are excellent. Front seat comfort is also excellent which multicontour articulating backrests, excellent ventilated seats. 3 position memory for driver and passenger.

Backup and surround view cameras are excellent.

There is NO compromise when it comes to interior here, you are getting an $85,000-$90,000+ level interior for $69,000. It’s the best quality interior I have seen in ANY car south of $80,000. Easily meets and exceeds the quality level found in the current LS460, and I would even put it up against a well optioned 7 Series or A8. Significantly better than a CT6 or Continental.

Ride & Drive

I got to drive it on a good test loop of curvy roads, straight roads, rough roads and at highway speeds. The car rides and drives with all the creamy refinement you expect from a car of this level, but it suspiciously feels…exactly like the Lexus LS. Clearly the LS was the car that Genesis set their crosshairs on, and honestly they delivered. It rides every bit as good, and its every bit as quiet…perhaps even slightly better riding and slightly quieter. Like I said, I drove my LS on the same loop just to compare. Remember too, my LS is on 18” wheels, this G90 is on 19s and the tires were aired to 39/40. With proper tire inflation I think the G90 would at least meet or exceed the LS460’s ride quality. Road and wind noise are very well controlled, everything has that distant hush that I’ve grown accustomed to in the LS.

On twisty roads, its clearly a comfort biased car but it doesn’t fall to pieces…again, very similar to the LS.

The secret to the ride of one of these flagship cars is not really just soft springs, its how they make a soft riding car have an underlying firmness and solidity that makes it also feel unflappable and endlessly capable. That’s something that is absent from cars like the CT6 and the Continental, but that exists in this G90.

The 3.3T V6 is very smooth and refined, always muted. Power is very comparable to my AWD LS460. I’d have to drive the V8, but I don’t know that it would be necessary.

From a ride and drive perspective, again I would put it up against anything in the class, and it easily bests other value options like the CT6 and Continental. Remember…its $69,000. That’s a lowly optioned 2.0T E300. That’s also $14,000 cheaper than a loaded CT6 or Continental.

Conclusion

To say that I’m impressed would be an understatement. I would go so far as to say that anybody looking for a car in this segment needs to drive this car. If I were in a position to trade the LS, I would seriously consider it. If I were shopping today, I would almost certainly choose this over a new LS460, and I really would give it a hard look over the more expensive players. Need to wait and see what the lease programs look like, they aren’t out yet.

When you take into account that a similar LS460L rings in at $89,745…the value is undeniable. A similar 740 will be well into the $90s, and a similar S550 is around $110k.

I was able to talk to the salesman (who came from Maserati, BTW) about whats coming. Right now the dealer is 100% Hyundai. No Genesis badging, nothing. That will change, they’re waiting on the Genesis badging package so they can upgrade the dealer. Genesis owners will never have to come to the dealer though, as the valet service is included as is all scheduled maintenance for 3 years (conveniently the length of a lease). Satellite radio, all the apps, all the nav updates, all included for 3 years. If you have a G90, you get a G90 loaner, not a G80.

No Hyundai badging anywhere on the car. Even the windows have a Genesis logo. As an aside, in 1998 our LS400's windows still said "TOYOTA", 8 years into Lexus' existence.

All in all, like I said they are here to play. I wouldn’t even consider a CT6 or Continental after driving this car, and I would have a hard time with the tradeoff of brand for substance in the LS, 7, or A8.

Anybody coming out of an LS looking for a place to land if the new one is more expensive, or too sporty or too aggressive looking will love this car…because it essentially is a Lexus LS…

 

Thanks for the write-up, Steve. Good to know that particular Hyundai shop is carrying the Genesis-division models, just like the Ford/Lincoln shop across the street.

One question: It seems unclear, but, as I understand it, the old Equus sedan platform evolved into the new G90, and the old Genesis sedan, the G80, correct? And the old Genesis coupe, at least according to Hyundai's website, is still being sold as a Hyundai, correct?

I was extremely well-impressed with the 2nd-Generation Hyundai Genesis 5.0L sedan I reviewed a couple of years ago (and my pastor bought a less-expensive 3.8L version of it). If it is actually today's G80, I can only imagine the G90 you sampled as even better.

Since you've covered the new G90 pretty well, there's no need for me to do a full-review on it right now. I might (?) wait a couple of months and do the G90 as my Annual Holiday Review in December. It would be an excellent candidate.

 

Correct, the Equus is all new and is now the G90, and the old Genesis is now the G80 and is unchanged except for some badging. Not sure about the Coupe still being available, but an all new coupe is coming as are a couple of SUVs.

Even if you don't write the review, you should go drive one. You'll love it.

 

I sat in one earlier this year and was quite impressed as well. Yes, you do see some shortcuts here and there compared to the German big sedans, but they still did a pretty darn good job. The majority of interior buttons are metal, the dash and doors are stitched leather, the speaker covers are metal, contrast stitching and piping on the seats, etc. It looks very regal too on the outside, large with a commanding presence. People won't recognize exactly what it is, but it will look expensive and draw second looks.

Meanwhile, you have GM whose CT6 (even in the Premium Luxury and the $90K Platinum trim) is a joke compared to the G90, especially from inside. I can't remember the last time GM got a luxury car interior right, it hasn't happened in decades.

 

So just to make sure I have this straight:

Model Year 2016

Hyundia Genesis Sedan
Hyundia Genesis coupe
Hyundia Equus Sedan

Model Year 2017

Hyundia Genesis Sedan becomes the Genesis G80, pretty much the same car except for the name/badge change.
Hyundia Genesis coupe- dead
Hyundia Equus sedan becomes the Genesis G90. This is an all new model, correct??

So the Genesis brand is all new for 2017, and launching with two sedans, the midsize G80 and large G90, correct??? I hate when automakers change the names around on cars, but I can see the reason why Hyundia did it. Both of these cars are unlike any other lower line Hyundia model and they're chasing after a totally different buyer than somebody looking for a Sonota or Santa Fe.

 

So glad to hear you had a positive experience. Also I really like your reviews, they're concise and I like how you easily draw comparisons to other cars you've driven. Would love some pics next time!

 

I would consider a loaded CT6 near $90k a joke, but I think when you get down to the mid $60s its a pretty good car and package for the money. What it lacks though is that aura that its a more expensive car than it is, the G90 feels that way.

Correct, you've got it.

Thanks! Glad you liked it. I thought about pics, but I would feel a little conspicuous doing that with the sales staff right there.

One thing I touched on but didn't get fully into is that of value. They're going to focus on leasing for this car, will have great lease deals, very low MFs and high residuals. All of their services are tailored around a 3 year lease, basically you make the payment and everything else about maintaining it is included, all the way down to the satellite radio which is pretty cool. I think thats a smart approach, because when you get outside of a lease, the "value" question vs something like an LS460 or another established flagship car becomes more of an issue.

If you're going to buy a car and keep it a long time, a 5, 7, 10 year old LS or 7 Series or S Class still looks good, has a level of prestige and panache to it. You can roll up to the country club or an exclusive resort in a 10 year old version of one of those cars and look like you belong, and likely find similar cars in the parking lot. That to me is one big argument for the "brand" being a part of value. My LS I could drive for 200k miles and it will always be "a nice Lexus". When you get outside an established brand, that becomes a question. Look at say, an older Cadillac, Lincoln or the first generation Hyundai Genesis. They look dated and tired in a way that a similar age Lexus, BMW, Audi, or Mercedes doesn't.

So thats something that Genesis will have to combat...

 

Go check out the new Buick LaCrosse's interior. Yes, it's got some cheap parts around the steering column and stalks, and a clumsy E-shifter on the console. But, with those exceptions, I think you'll agree GM got this one right. It's arguably the best fit/finish I've ever seen on a Buick.

 

The new Lacrosse's interior may be nice, but its not a luxury car interior. Best fit and finish on a Buick is the issue. Go look at a G90...its got fit and finish that puts it up against the best in the world...thats an entirely different thing.

 

Well, it beats what I've seen on some Cadillacs....the ATS's interior, in particular, IMO, is not worthy of the Cadillac nameplate.

Yes, I fully intend to.

 

perhaps we can leave the buicks out of this thread... it's not even close to in the same league as the G90.

great write-up, thank you! about the ride being close to an LS, that doesn't surprise me. and the value is undeniable, just as the LS400 was when it was introduced. i think hyundai saw an opportunity to do lexus 'again'. the g90 is an insanely great bargain, and also an excellent car from everything i've read (and watched). motorweek loved it too.

as you said, they're here to play... lexus - your move. i suspect lexus will go upmarket with the ls - $90-100K to start, all virtual everything inside - probably the '4 door coupe' thing... and 'aggressive' but hopefully without floating roof and overstyling. but i think cadillac and lincoln need to be concerned the most. i truly think the continental is DOA. it's fugly and weak. the ct6 is impressive, but not full full size, and pricing gets loony at the top end.

 

And I think they're well poised to pick up those traditional Lexus buyers...

 

Thank you Steve, that's a great review. I felt as if I were in the car! I am also surprised that the instrument cluster is not fully digital. But it looks like that 7" TFT screen is sufficiently large to display maps and directions. Is this screen customizable?

I can check the numbers, but did the G90 trunk volume impress? My 460L trunk is puny (~14 cubic feet) due to the reclining rear seats. I am interested to see how the G90 compares to this.

Having purchased a fully loaded 460L in Feb 2016, I cannot even consider the G90. But I figured I wouldn't be able to buy a used one (V8, AWD) in my price range until 2018 at the earliest, and I needed a big car to travel with my teenagers now.

 

Excellent write-up and info there, thanks for sharing. I'd be curious, why nothing was mentioned in comparison to the German makes? Audi, which is known for exquisite interiors could perhaps be on par with this new Genesis. And if the A8 is indeed an equal class vehicle here, an all new model is due out shortly. I would expect Audi to raise the bar there once again, making today's new G90 interior vital.