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So my dad bought one of the first GV80's in America and I figured I would share the first impression of the car with people.
To give a follow up he had a 2008 Acura MDX Tech with 245k that he's given to my sister. That car is still trucking along and running well, but it definitely isn't as tight as when he got it. It's only had 3 things go wrong with it since he bought it new: drivers door actuator failed ($200 to fix), hose for HVAC broke ($200 to fix with a recharge), and the Bluetooth Module died (no cost, just unplugged). Overall, a great car.
The first step was finding his car. He wanted a 3.5T Prestige Package with blue exterior and a Dune interior. There were only 3 blue ones on the entire east coast with the Prestige Package. He couldn't get one with the Dune interior but he found with the black interior and decided he liked the black too. We are located in North Carolina and the dealer was in Florida. They agreed to $400 to ship the car to NC, which seemed fair. Overall the dealer experience was good. Everyone was nice and friendly minus the finance guy. He wasn't very knowledgeable or nice, but everyone else was great. I know that the dealer network is probably the biggest issue for Genesis but my dad had an overall good one.
Now to the car itself. First things first. If you want to be a sleuth.... DO. NOT. BUY. THIS. CAR. Seriously, this car turns A LOT of heads. In just the short time driving I've had multiple thumbs ups, along with people turning to look at it. My dad said when he first got there someone told him "you have a nice Bentley." Someone put a window down at a red light and said "that's the new GV80, do you like it?" I think a lot of people are staring out of curiosity because they don't know what it is. This car definitely sticks out in a crowd.
On my own personal opinion on the styling is that it's stunning. The entire car on the outside looks fantastic and the blue is beautiful in person. When you unlock the car all the LED lights on car line up all along the side with the front and the back and it's really cool looking. The rims are 22" rims that are beautiful and the brake calipers say "Genesis" on them. The Grille is beautiful in person, but we are lucky in that North Carolina only requires a rear license plate. I am not sure it would look as nice with a license plate in the middle of it. The rear of the car also looks very nice with the way the taillights wrap around the back of the car.
On to the interior and it's just as nice. Genesis used high quality materials throughout the entire car. Everything is either a very soft touch feeling or real metal. The leather seats are top quality too. I haven't found a surface yet that I have touched and thought "this doesn't feel good." The 3D digital screen for the dash is very nice and I do love the inverse tachometer. At first it was a little weird seeing the tachometer go the other direction but once you get used to it it's very cool looking.
The technology on this car is also unbelievable. It does almost anything you could ever think of. It has the "Smaht Pahk" feature from the super bowl commercial which is very cool. The 360 camera automatically comes on when pulling into the garage which is great for parking. A camera also shows you your blind spot on both the right and the left when you put your blinker on in addition to the traditional BSI system. The screen itself has an HD display and the maps are crisp and look very nice. You can check almost anything from the app on your phone, including using the app as the key to the car. The heads up display is done well and you can clearly glance down at the important information. The controls for the infotainment are very easy to use, it has a scroll dial you can use but it also has an option for the touchscreen. The HVAC and some radio buttons are the tradition push buttons to make it easier too. Apple CarPlay takes up the entire screen which is really cool, but the one negative I would say I've found is that it's not wireless CarPlay. You still have to use a cord, which is annoying for such a high dollar car. This is one of those things we are still learning all of what the car has to offer because there's so much there.
Driving the car is great too. The 3.5T engine has incredible power and a lot of low end torque. The car is still in the break in phase so nobody has driven it hard yet but even still you can just feel the power there. It takes corners very well and while nobody has pushed it yet, you can tell how well it handles a turn. The ride is smooth, but the only thing I've noticed is that it doesn't seem to love speed bumps. If you take those too fast it's not terrible but definitely not as smooth as it normally is and my dad has two in his neighborhood between the entrance and his house. However, if you're uncomfortable just turn on your massaging seat. Both the front and rear have the option for heat and cool, and when you hit the button it's almost instant. Don't leave it on level 3 for too long because you'll get too hot or cold.
Genesis offers 3 years maintenance included with concierges service. So they'll just come pick up the car at his house and service it for no charge. The car also comes with 10 year / 100K powertrain warranty which is the best in the industry.
These are just some initial thoughts and I am sure I am forgetting some stuff, but overall it's a really great car. The price point for this makes it very attractive compared to it's rivals and it's nice to see Genesis enter the SUV market which is growing so rapidly here in the US. I am excited to see them start selling the GV70 as well.
Most of these are photos the dealer took (been raining here so I'll have to wait for a better time to take more pictures) but here's some photos of the car:
Thanks...excellent write-up...and I see you are a new poster to Car Chat.
The ride is smooth, but the only thing I've noticed is that it doesn't seem to love speed bumps. If you take those too fast it's not terrible but definitely not as smooth as it normally is and my dad has two in his neighborhood between the entrance and his house.
On the issue of the stiffness over the speed bumps, Three things. First, although there are a few exceptions, SUVs, in general (even car-based crossovers), usually do not ride quite as smoothly as equivalent-size sedans, and their ride-height tends to cause more bobbing-motions. Second, check the tire pressures, which you can do through the Driver Information System with the gauges. New vehicles are shipped/sent from the factory with over-inflated tires for several treasons, and the PDI (Pre-Delivery-Inspection) employees at the dealership are supposed to bleed the tires down to recommended pressures. They often forget to do so (I often do it myself when on a dealer test-drive). Overly-inflated tires will ride stiffer than intended. Third, see if there is a Drive Mode in the controls which allows for a COMFORT or NORMAL setting in the suspension instead of the firmer SPORT.
Did your Dad have to pay a mark-up over list? (if that is considered private, you don't have to answer). The (current) strong demand and very limited-supply of these vehicles often means $$$$$$ signs and price-gouging at the dealership.
Thanks for sharing. Does the Prestige have massaging front passenger seat? I stopped at our area Genesis (Hyundai) dealer and the SA had no clue; he sounded like a untrained new employee.
It's an eye-catcher for sure. That interior ambient lighting is much brighter in your photos than I've seen in others. Hope the inventory issues get sorted out soon.
Wow. Sensational blue exterior color. I like the front end pic from the top of the stairs.
Me too, thank you!
Originally Posted by mmarshall
Thanks...excellent write-up...and I see you are a new poster to Car Chat.
On the issue of the stiffness over the speed bumps, Three things. First, although there are a few exceptions, SUVs, in general (even car-based crossovers), usually do not ride quite as smoothly as equivalent-size sedans, and their ride-height tends to cause more bobbing-motions. Second, check the tire pressures, which you can do through the Driver Information System with the gauges. New vehicles are shipped/sent from the factory with over-inflated tires for several treasons, and the PDI (Pre-Delivery-Inspection) employees at the dealership are supposed to bleed the tires down to recommended pressures. They often forget to do so (I often do it myself when on a dealer test-drive). Overly-inflated tires will ride stiffer than intended. Third, see if there is a Drive Mode in the controls which allows for a COMFORT or NORMAL setting in the suspension instead of the firmer SPORT.
Did your Dad have to pay a mark-up over list? (if that is considered private, you don't have to answer). The (current) strong demand and very limited-supply of these vehicles often means $$$$$$ signs and price-gouging at the dealership.
Kind of new. I have come here before for help on several Lexus cars in the family. My mom has a GS 350 and my Uncle has an LS460 and his wife an RX350 and their kid has his old LS 430. So very useful forum.
It does have the comfort settings and I'll check that. I did not think of the tires though and I'll have to check those out. They could very well be over inflated. Good suggestion!
And he did not have to pay a markup. When the car first came out last month some dealers wanted over $9,000 asking (and according to our dealer some got it) but he waited for that to go away lol.
Originally Posted by CEOEngr
Thanks for sharing. Does the Prestige have massaging front passenger seat? I stopped at our area Genesis (Hyundai) dealer and the SA had no clue; he sounded like a untrained new employee.
It's for the driver seat only. They call it the "Ergo Motion Seat." If you look on the seat there's a button for it which isn't on the passenger. Both seats do have extenders though like the BMW sport models which is pretty cool. The seat bolsters also extend when you put the car in sport mode too. Like I said in the original post we keep discovering stuff about the car lol.
Originally Posted by UZ214
Congratulations...the SUV looks very nice, the Interior looks good too. I absolutely Love the dash and all the info there. Did your dad pay MRSp?
Thank you! And he did.
Originally Posted by patgilm
That looks really nice inside and outside. The only thing I don’t like is how the screen isn’t integrated into the dash.
Yeah, it's kind of the trend now. Love it or hate it the trend seems here to stay.
Originally Posted by SC300Es
It's a beauty. Love the color.
Originally Posted by SW17LS
Very sharp, love the color combo!
Thank you both!
Originally Posted by mbarron37
I can’t wait to test drive one of these. Definitely tops on my list and love the looks of it. Truth is in the test drive.
Stop by! The dealers are starting to get some in stock now. I think you'll really like it!
Originally Posted by Motorola
It's an eye-catcher for sure. That interior ambient lighting is much brighter in your photos than I've seen in others. Hope the inventory issues get sorted out soon.
The interior lighting is great and like you said it's very bright.
Originally Posted by Hoovey2411
Beautiful car and congrats to your dad.
But I look at this photo and think, Genesis deserves better than this background.
Originally Posted by SW17LS
Yep, therein lies the problem.
You're both right. The biggest issue for Genesis is they don't have stand alone dealers. My dad doesn't really care about that, but a lot of people do. I hope it's something they fix soon because their cars are worth it.
12-30-20, 06:32 PM
First Impressions on My Dad's Genesis GV80
...and I see you are a new poster to Car Chat.
