Here’s the unvarnished truth about how this car sounds, rides, and how its interior measures up
- We recently had the opportunity to drive the updated 2025 Genesis G80 sedan.
- Before our test drive, we asked for your input on what you wanted to know it.
- Here are the answers to your questions, available in both written and video formats.
The 2025 Genesis G80 is weird in that it’s basically the only Korean luxury sedan of its size on sale today. At the same time, it stands as a bonafide contender in a market dominated by long-established players like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi. Before we took the revised G80 for a spin in Lexington, Kentucky, we asked what you wanted to know about it. Today, we deliver those answers.
As a quick refresher, we drove the top-of-the-line G80 3.5T Prestige (shocker, I know—Genesis didn’t provide anything else). It features a 375 hp (280 kW) twin-turbocharged V6, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and a rear-wheel drive-biased AWD system. That’s right, on paper, this is a proper sports sedan.
Review: The 2025 Genesis G80 Feels Like A Cheat Code In The Luxury Sedan Game
How does it do in the real world and from every seat in the house? Carscoops put it to the test and considered your questions throughout the evaluation.
How does the Nappa leather seating measure up?
That term is one that gets thrown around a lot, so let’s define it. Nappa leather is a full-grain material that leans toward having a soft texture, a durable wear life, and natural appereance. In our testing, it felt great. It looked good too and we especially like the heavy bolstering featured in both rows of the G80.
How noisy is the cabin?
In the clip below, you can hear exactly what that sounded like to our camera. In short, it was quite quiet. Even when sitting in the back seat it was easy to hold a conversation with the driver at higher speeds. If you’ve experienced the 2024 G80, the updated 2025MY is just a touch quieter, thanks to the noise-reducing Pirelli rubber.
How does the quality stack up against German luxury brands?
Frankly, it’s very close and it’ll largely come down to what people prefer subjectively. Having driven recent releases from all of those brands, I think the G80 looks great when compared directly. I prefer it over the cabin of a Mercedes and Audi. The leather feels better than in late-model BMWs in my opinion as well.
Does the G80 feel sporty enough?
The word ‘enough’ is key here because that’s exactly what it feels like. It’s not going to challenge an M, AMG, or RS model, nor is it designed to. It’s more akin to something like the BMW 540i xDrive and even then it’s not as sharp. In reality, though, it doesn’t need to be that hardcore. It’s powerful enough that most buyers will be happy with it.
Is the new OLED screen distracting?
Not at all. Despite its 27-inch width, the screen is positioned low in the dashboard, making it easy to ignore while driving normally.
How do I find one?
It might be a bit of a challenge for some of you. Genesis operates with only 57 independent dealers across the nation. That doesn’t include Hyundai or Kia dealers where you can order one or get one serviced. Nevertheless, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes each boast well over 300 dealers.
Is the new G80 a true rival to BMW, Mercedes, and Audi?
Yes and no. Some of this is going to come down to personal preference, though the pricing is very similar. Are buyers going to be willing to pay BMW, Mercedes, or Audi money for a Genesis? They should consider it if they care about warranty coverage (5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper, 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain) and complimentary maintenance for 3 years/36,000 miles. The Genesis is the leader far and away in the segment. In addition, the G80 is a class leader when it comes to base horsepower.
