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The 2021 Genesis G80 ranks near the top of the luxury midsize car class thanks to its quiet and comfortable interior, top-notch materials, user-friendly features, pleasant driving dynamics, and great predicted reliability rating.
The 2021 Genesis G80's #1 ranking is based on its score within the Luxury Midsize Cars category. Currently the Genesis G80 has a score of 8.5 out of 10, which is based on our evaluation of 9 pieces of research and data elements using various sources.
The redesigned 2021 Genesis G80 is a great luxury midsize car. The G80 has a hushed and high-end interior with generous seating space, a sizable trunk, and an easy-to-use infotainment system. It’s relaxing and comfortable to drive even on rough road surfaces, and its pair of turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engines enable swift acceleration. A wealth of tech and safety features come standard, including a wide 14.5-inch touch screen, navigation, blind spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. The G80 also rates highly for predicted reliability, and it’s backed by an excellent 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
We’ve analyzed nine Genesis G80 reviews, as well as data points like reliability ratings and fuel economy estimates, to help you make the best car-buying decision possible.
U.S. News Best Cars has been ranking and reviewing vehicles since 2007, and our staff has more than 75 years of combined experience in the auto industry. To ensure our objectivity, we never accept expensive gifts from carmakers, and an outside firm manages the ads on our site.
You should absolutely consider the 2021 Genesis G80 if you’re shopping for a luxury midsize car. The G80 offers much of the refinement, technology, and comfort of segment stalwarts like the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class at a price that undercuts each of these rivals by thousands of dollars. If you want luxury and value, the G80 is hard to beat.
Genesis redesigned the G80 sedan for 2021. As a result, there are a host of differences between the 2020 and 2021 models. The new G80 is wider and lower than before, and it boasts more aggressive exterior styling with a much larger grille. Powertrain options include turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engines, whereas the previous G80 offered a pair of V6s and a V8. Other updates include a new widescreen infotainment system and higher-quality cabin materials.
Compare the 2020 and 2021 G80 »
Here are the key changes for the Genesis G80 over the last few years:
If you're considering an older model, be sure to read our 2018 G80, 2019 G80, and 2020 G80 reviews to help make your decision. Also, check out our Best New Car Deals and Best New Car Lease Deals pages to learn about savings and discounts you can find on new vehicles.
The 2021 Genesis G80 2.5T has a $47,700 starting price, which is below average for the luxury midsize car class. The price rises to $65,100 for the range-topping G80 3.5T Prestige trim.
Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Genesis dealer.
Some of the G80’s fiercest competition comes from stablemates like the Genesis G90. The G90 is the brand’s flagship luxury sedan, and it casts a more imposing silhouette than the svelte G80. The G90 is about a foot longer, it has a bit more seating and trunk space, and it offers a standard V6 engine and a brawny optional V8. Both cars have similar exterior styling and many of the same safety features, though the G90 takes a more conservative approach with its interior design and infotainment system. It’s elegant and reserved, whereas the G80 feels modern and daring.
All in all, the G80 and G90 are both great luxury sedans. Choosing between them may come down to price. The G80 starts at $47,700. The G90 is considerably pricier at $73,000 and up.
The Genesis G70 has a slightly different appeal than the G80. It’s more of a sports sedan, and it offers sharper handling, zestier acceleration, and even an optional manual transmission. It’s more affordable as well, starting at just $36,000. That said, there are a few trade-offs. The G70 has a rather cramped back seat, and its trunk is quite small. Its cabin materials are nice, but they don’t match the G80’s quality. The G70’s infotainment system doesn’t feel as cutting-edge as the G80’s either.
Both are fine cars, but they’re built with different buyers in mind. Go with the G70 if you want a fun-to-drive luxury sedan. Stick with the G80 if you want a plush cruiser.
Compare the G80, G90, and G70 »
The Genesis G80 has 13.1 cubic feet of trunk space, which is about average for a luxury midsize car. The trunk area is wide and deep, making it easy to fit in two sets of golf clubs or a few carry-on bags. Bulkier items may be harder to stow, however, because the rear seats don’t fold down.
The Genesis G80 is a four-door sedan with five seats. The front seats are nicely cushioned and quite supportive with plenty of head- and legroom for taller occupants. The driving position remains comfortable, even after a few hours on the road. The rear seats are similarly comfy and generously padded, and they can accommodate two adults with wiggle room to spare. Outward visibility is great to the front and sides of the G80, but it’s just OK to the rear due to the sloped coupelike roofline.
Synthetic leather upholstery and heated front seats are standard. Genuine leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel are available.
There are two complete sets of LATCH connectors for the rear outboard seats and a tether anchor for the rear middle seat.
The Genesis brand may be pretty new to the luxury car segment, but the G80’s interior would suggest otherwise. The overall design is handsome, cohesive, and uncluttered. Most surfaces are trimmed with top-notch materials like leather, wood, aluminum, and soft-touch plastic. The main controls feel hefty and substantial to operate, and they feature a knurled texture that makes them easy to grip. Better still, the cabin remains whisper quiet, even at highway speeds.
The Genesis G80’s dashboard is dominated by a wide 14.5-inch touch screen. This display is well within the driver’s line of sight, making it easy to see and operate on the go. It has crisp graphics, large icons, and a mostly intuitive menu structure. The display can also be controlled using a click wheel on the center console, similar to the setup of the original iPod. The only real issues are ergonomic. The touch screen is quite a reach, even for drivers with longer arms. The click wheel isn’t close at hand when using the center armrest either.
Look beyond the infotainment screen, and you’ll find even more high-tech amenities. The climate controls and seat settings are adjusted using a sleek touch screen and two knurled dials, located at the base of the dashboard. The gauge cluster displays a helpful view of the car’s blind spots when the turn signal is used. The optional digital gauge cluster can even be viewed in 3D.
For more information, read What Is Apple CarPlay? and What Is Android Auto?
The 2021 Genesis G80 is offered in two configurations. The G80 2.5T has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, while the G80 3.5T has a twin-turbo V6 with 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive are standard with both engines; all-wheel drive is available.
We suspect most drivers will be pleased with the G80 2.5T’s performance. This four-cylinder engine supplies more than enough power for everyday driving situations. It accelerates the G80 up to speed briskly and enables swift passing maneuvers on the highway. The engine feels well-matched to the transmission, which delivers prompt and seamless gear changes.
Upgrading to the 3.5T has its benefits though. This V6 seems a bit smoother under hard acceleration. Throttle response is even snappier, and the engine shuttles the G80 around with more authority.
The G80 2.5T gets an EPA-rated 23 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway, which is decent for a luxury midsize car. The G80 3.5T returns a markedly lower 19/27 mpg city/highway. Both ratings dip slightly for all-wheel-drive models.
The Genesis G80 provides a well-balanced driving experience. The ride is comfortable and quiet, even over rough road surfaces. This is especially true of the G80 3.5T model, which features adaptive shock absorbers that can quickly adjust to iron out bumps and dips. The G80’s steering is quick and nicely weighted, and the sedan feels stable and reasonably athletic when negotiating tight turns. The brakes provide fine stopping power as well.
The 2021 Genesis G80 has a great predicted reliability rating of 4.5 out of five.
Genesis covers the G80 with a five-year/60,000-mile limited warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has crash tested the 2021 G80 as of this writing.
Standard advanced safety features:
Available advanced safety features:
The Genesis G80 is 16.4 feet long. Its curb weight ranges from 3,957 to 4,497 pounds.
Hyundai builds the 2021 Genesis G80 in South Korea.
The 2021 Genesis G80 is available in two trims: G80 2.5T and G80 3.5T. The main difference between these models is found under the hood. The G80 2.5T has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, while the 3.5T model has a twin-turbo V6. We think the base model G80 2.5T is the best option for most shoppers. It offers strong engine performance, lux amenities, and a ton of standard tech features at a sub-$50,000 price.
The G80 2.5T starts at $47,700, and it comes equipped with a 300-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive. Upgrading to all-wheel drive costs $3,150.
The standard infotainment system features a 14.5-inch touch screen, navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, three USB ports, HD Radio, satellite radio, and 12 speakers. Also standard are keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control, synthetic leather upholstery, heated and power-adjustable front seats, a hands-free power trunk lid, and 18-inch wheels.
Standard safety features include a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, forward collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, driver drowsiness monitoring, and LED headlights with automatic high beams.
Options are limited to two packages. The $4,600 Advanced package adds ventilated front seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof, rear sunshades, 21 speakers, and 19-inch wheels. The Prestige package costs an additional $4,300, and it adds genuine leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, power soft-closing doors, wireless device charging, rear occupant sensors, rear collision warning, a surround-view parking camera system, and remote control automated parking.
The G80 3.5T sedan starts at $59,100 for rear-wheel-drive models and $62,250 for all-wheel-drive models. This trim features a 375-horsepower turbocharged V6 engine, an adaptive suspension, larger front brakes, 19-inch wheels, wireless device charging, 21 speakers, genuine leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof, rear sunshades, power soft-closing doors, and rear occupant sensors.
The only option is the $6,000 Prestige package, which adds heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a head-up display, a surround-view parking camera system, remote control automated parking, rear collision warning, and 20-inch wheels.
Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Genesis dealer.
See 2021 Genesis G80 specs and trims »
The luxury midsize car segment is packed with big names, from the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Volvo S90. It’s an uphill battle for a newcomer like the G80 to make an impact, but it’s a fight Genesis is winning. The G80 offers lively engine performance and a supple ride, plus a spacious and high-end interior, and it does so at a price that none of those rivals can match.
Don't just take our word for it. Check out comments from some of the reviews that drive our rankings and analysis.
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