2021 Genesis G80

Is the Genesis G80 a Good Car?

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.

Why You Can Trust Us: 9 Reviews Analyzed

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.

Should I Buy the Genesis G80?

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.

2020 vs. 2021 Genesis G80: What's the Difference?

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:

• 2017: Hyundai Genesis renamed Genesis G80
• 2018: G80 Sport trim debuted with a twin-turbo V6 engine; pedestrian detection and driver drowsiness monitoring added to standard features list
• 2019: no notable changes
• 2020: no notable changes
• 2021: fully redesigned with new engine options, different exterior and interior styling, and an all-new infotainment system

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.

How Much Does the Genesis G80 Cost?

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.

Genesis G80 Versus the Competition

Genesis G80 vs. Genesis G90

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.

Compare the G80 and G90 »

Genesis G80 vs. Genesis G70

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 and G70 »

Compare the G80, G90, and G70 »

G80 Interior: Bold and Beautiful

G80 Cargo Space

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.

How Many People Does the G80 Seat?

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.

G80 and Child Car Seats

There are two complete sets of LATCH connectors for the rear outboard seats and a tether anchor for the rear middle seat.

G80 Interior Quality

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.

G80 Infotainment, Bluetooth, and Navigation

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.

• Standard infotainment features: a 14.5-inch touch screen, navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, HD Radio, satellite radio, 12 speakers, Bluetooth, and three USB ports
• Available infotainment features: wireless device charging, 21 speakers, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster
• Additional standard features: proximity keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a hands-free power trunk lid
• Other available features: tri-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof, rear sunshades, and power soft-closing doors

For more information, read What Is Apple CarPlay? and What Is Android Auto?

Read more about interior »

G80 Performance: Smooth Sailing

G80 Engine

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.

G80 Gas Mileage

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.

G80 Ride and Handling

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.

Read more about performance »

G80 Reliability

Is the Genesis G80 Reliable?

The 2021 Genesis G80 has a great predicted reliability rating of 4.5 out of five.

Genesis G80 Warranty

Genesis covers the G80 with a five-year/60,000-mile limited warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Read more about reliability »

G80 Safety

G80 Crash Test Results

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has crash tested the 2021 G80 as of this writing.

G80 Safety Features

Standard advanced safety features:

• Rearview camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Blind spot monitoring
• Rear cross traffic alert
• Lane departure warning
• Lane keep assist
• Driver drowsiness monitoring
• Forward collision warning
• Pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Automatic emergency braking
• Adaptive cruise control
• Automatic high-beam headlights

Available advanced safety features:

• Rear seat alert (reminds you to check the back seat for children and pets before exiting the vehicle)
• Surround-view parking camera system
• Rear collision warning
• Remote control automated parking
• Head-up display

Read more about safety »

G80 Dimensions and Weight

The Genesis G80 is 16.4 feet long. Its curb weight ranges from 3,957 to 4,497 pounds.

Where Is the 2021 Genesis G80 Built?

Hyundai builds the 2021 Genesis G80 in South Korea.

Which Genesis G80 Model Is Right for Me?

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.

Genesis G80 2.5T

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.

Genesis G80 3.5T

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 Final Call

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.

• "If a fresh but straightforward approach to luxury tickles your fancy, the 2021 G80 could very well be the spacious sedan to earn your hard-earned dollars. It’s sharp, athletic and full of tech that instantly makes you feel right at home behind the steering wheel." -- Autoblog
• "The 2021 G80 is a great car and shows how Genesis continues to improve in luxury while still offering great value." -- Autoweek
• "More than past models, the 2021 Genesis G80 stands on its own as a viable luxury contender in a cutthroat segment. No, it does not feel as fully polished as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, our top-rated model in the segment, and it lacks the pedigree that matters a great deal to many shoppers. But the G80 is very close, and it has a lot of eye-popping features in a genuinely impressive package. It also looks great, which frankly goes a long way in this class." -- Edmunds