Lexus=Toyota
G90=Hyundai

MB still=MB

The best or nothing

 

None of that has ever bothered me. "The best" is debatable.

 

Big thing that would keep me out of this G90 is I want a V8...

 

Agreed, and for me the grill is not my style. I would like it to be much smaller and less in my face, especially since the side and rear are nice and elegant (the rear especially looks great). I would settle for an Inline-6. Only V6's I really love are the Alfa Busso engines, and the Quadrifoglio's 90-degree 2.9L V6 (which is a California T V8 with two cylinders lobbed off), but those are performance engines, V6's just aren't the best for high-end luxury cars. That being said, for $100k its a very nice package.

 

I've been in some Lex's.....not that nice.

 

Yes, that old adage of theirs still cracks me up haha! There are many things 'better' than a Mercedes Benz

 

That would be true if the driving aspect would be the only criteria and one likes a very soft ride which prior Lexus drivers might seek...

 

Agreed. But then most corporate slogans are debatable

 

Yeah I think the W223 is better looking, but the G90 is attractive too. Have to see one in person.

In fact, my 2017 LS460L was nicer inside in several ways than my S560. Nicer headliner, better finished rear seat area in places, much nicer back on the parcel shelf, audio system was WAY better. If its an S Class without at least napa leather the leather in the Lexus is much better, napa and exclusive napa Mercedes takes the edge there. Lexus covers up a few things better than Mercedes too. LS500s are extremely nice inside, a peer to the S Class for sure they are just way too small and tight. My 2013 GS350 with the luxury package was much nicer inside than any E Class that was available at the time.

When you consider my S560 was $123,000 and my LS460L was $89,000, I have a hard time saying that the S560 is objectively worth $34,000 more. In fact...its just plain not. Now, subjectively the S Class is much more prestigious and it feels more special, those are intangible things. I'm paying $300 a month more in a lease for the S560 vs what I was paying for the LS460L, and I can say the difference is worth that, but $34,000 in cash? No.

The reason I buy this kind of car is 95% for how it drives.

And, my LS460L was no softer than my S560. They ride very, very similarly. The S560 is better at speed, it feels more solid, and in Sport mode the S560 handles a twisty road much better. But...$34,000?

 

I had about that amount (34K) in options on the 2014 W222 I had......was a sweet car

 

Except that you hated it and ditched it for something much cheaper. You said it was boring lol.

 

Agreed, I definitely think its more attractive than the new 7er which just looks overwrought and Audi A/S8 which is too bulbous for my tastes. The Genesis has very nice and sculpted lines to it, just a little too imposing in the front like the 7er.

In my opinion I still think the S-Class is the only car left in its class that is classically beautiful. It has the right amount of restraint to its design, its both imposing but also at the same time understated and elegant. I have very little to no qualms with the design of my S-Class, only change I would make is get rid of the hood-line. Other than that, walking out to my car makes me happy every time, and looking down at a hood ornament is a special feeling, it reminds me of when I was younger and drove my uncle's W123 and W124 E-Classes.

I honestly think, despite my dislike of SUV's, the only other car I would consider other than an S-Class for my current requirements and needs would be a new Range Rover, I was really impressed with my initial viewing of the car back at the launch event, although I haven't had the pleasure of driving one yet.

One car I was actually really interested in was going to be the new Jaguar XJ which was to be an EV, but sadly JLR cancelled the project, and we will never know what it was gonna look like at all. While I've never owned one, I've actually always loved Jags, especially the XJ's, from the looks to the drive, they were definitely the odd choice of the flagships but they definitely catered to the side of me which loves an engaging drive. The last XJ, although controversial, I thought was a beautiful and unique design, incredibly sleek but still had presence and elegance to it. Sad to see the demise of the Jaguar brand, but with the poor perception and shift towards SUV's, as well as the shadow of the more prestigious Land Rover brand, I can't say it wasn't inevitable.

 

I completely agree with you about the S Class being the only car left that is classically beautiful. I think the LS500 is pretty great looking but it’s not really the same kind of car anymore.

Walking out to mine makes me happy too, and I too love looking down at the hood ornament. My Lexuses made me happy too though!

The only car in the segment I look at and say “that really is a great looking car” is the S Class. The new 7 is a train wreck, the A8/S8 is an attractive car but very forgettable, and like I said the LS isn’t really that sort of car. I will have to see the G90 in person.

I like the new Range Rovers too.

 

It was comfy, but an old man car and boring yes. I guess your memory is better than mine, I guess that's what I said. My 63 is all I need now. Have not seen a
better looking car than this and its 10 years old.

 

That is a great looking car. See, don’t always have to have the latest and best to be happy.

 

And that is why I love my two LS460, they're just amazing !

 

My brand name is better!!!

I find the new S class soooooo boring. As I have seen them more and more in the wild I am more and more underwhelmed. It is just so plain. I parked my W222 S next to a W223 a few weeks ago and the 222 just outclassed it in every way. It has no presence, if you pulled the badge you'd never think flagship Mercedes.

The new Range is stunning. When my business partner gets her ordered one in I will be borrowing it for a few days. That may be my S class replacement since the field has just gone blahhhhhh.

 

The S is closer to a C than ever both inside and out from a design perspective. Agree, remove the badge and who cares anymore. As for the Range, gorgeous. They nailed it, both modern and classic without straying from its roots.

 

the W223 has grown on me a lot, the sheer size of it lets one know its an S Class. I don't "love" the design like I did and do my W222, but when the time comes I would get one.

 

from today's Wall Street JournalGenesis G90: The Quiet Pinnacle of Korean Luxury

THE GLOBAL CAR INDUSTRY isn’t, really. North American-market pickups and SUVs find relatively few buyers elsewhere. There’s a slew of nifty little cars sold in Europe and Asia that are likewise unavailable stateside. Our guest this week—the well-drawn and lubricious 2023 Genesis G90 3.5T e-Supercharger— represents one of the few vehicle types embraced everywhere: the Long Black Car.

Ours was metallic midnight blue, but you get the idea.

Notionally, the new flagship from Hyundai Motor Group’s premium/ luxury brand lines up against established LBC’s including Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8, with the Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte thrown in for good measure. In the U.S. this segment accounts for about 50,000 sales annually, with prices between $100,000 to $250,000.

But the alignment is far from perfect. As a group and with varying degrees of passion, the European entrants privilege performance and driver involvement over passenger comfort, compromising the maximas of luxury and isolation to achieve magazine-blurb performance.

The G90 is all about the plush. In its home market of South Korea, this car plays the role of personal limousine: a large status-forward luxury sedan, often privately owned, with a hired driver/body man in the left front seat. A more apt comparison than the Teutons would be the Toyota Century, a splendid grand piano of limousine only available in Japan. Both cars are portfolio pieces and objects of national industrial pride.

Our G90 drove pretty great, don’t get me wrong. Equipped with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 dressed with electric supercharger (409 hp/405 lb-ft.), an eight-speed automatic and full-time all-wheel drive, the G90 is both respectably quick (4.7 seconds to 60 mph, estimates Car and Driver) and adequately fast (a CD-estimated 146 mph top speed).

The optional dynamic rear-wheel steering system allows the sleek five-meter sedan to round corners feeling smaller than it is, both at highway speeds and walking pace, while parking. The multi-link front suspension, including electric-assist rack-and-pinion steering, feels impressively stout yet lightly greased and easy to turn.

But what the G90 really does great is ride, um, great: the G90’s over-the-road serenity is ridiculous, downright ethereal. For that you could credit many things: the car’s hard-as-nails, heavy-as-sin steel structure; the long wheelbase; the active/predictive suspension with multichambered air springs. I don’t blame you if you dozed off.

The drive modes—Eco, Comfort and Sport—might as well be marked Serene, Stately and Swifter, for all the difference it makes to the car’s disposition. There is also a special extra-cush Chauffeur mode, to be used when the boss takes his Ambien. Real insomniacs should opt for the 20-inch tires, which would be quieter than the low-profile 21s.

In the rear, the two business-class reclining seats are 16-way adjustable/ programmable, ventilated/ heated, with “full massage function.” Yikes. Also included are a motorized footrest, motorized shades, three-zone climate control, and a selection of spritzed aromas. I like a hint of jasmine with my HR reports.

All the glass is acoustically laminated. The doors, engine compartment bulkhead (firewall) and voids between body panels are wadded with sound-attenuating materials aimed at various frequencies.

Other, more furtive radiations get swallowed up by the energetic noise-canceling audioware, which uses data from wheel sensors and cabin microphones to identify and produce the nulling frequencies. The loudest the G90 gets upshifting is a dull and distant mmm-mmm-mmm.

In furtherance of a solemn quiet, the G90’s engineers heaped on mass for its many delightful dampening effects. The G90’s power-assisted doors—springing open and closing softly at the touch of the proverbial button—feel like they weigh a ton apiece. Even with its modest 3.5-liter turbo V6, our G90 tipped the scales at almost 5,200 pounds.

If you cross shop our test car against likely competitors, you will quickly realize: (a) the G90’s metabolism is indeed slightly slower and softer than the average luxury Visigoth; (b) whatever performance deficits there might be are nearly irrelevant, being unobservable in the real world; and (c) OMG, I could save thousands. Look at all the standard equipment: all-wheel drive, mega-super-premium Bang & Olufsen audio system, the rear-cabin suite deluxe.

Even with big-ticket options like the air suspension and rear-wheel steering, our tester came in at $100,370, and was oh-so loaded: from limpid pools of high-resolution navigation, to quilted fields of Nappa leather upholstery, to its windows full of power shade. Or was that my neighbors?

2023 GENESIS G90 3.5T E-SUPERCHARGER AWD

Base price $98,700 Price, as tested $100,370 Powertrain twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter DOHC V6 with 48-volt electric supercharger; eight-speed automatic transmission; full-time all-wheel drive

Power/torque

409 hp @5,800 rpm/405 lb-ft 1,300-4,500 rpm

(premium fuel) Length/wheelbase/ width/height 207.7/125.2/ 76.0/58.7 inches

Curb weight 5,192 lbs. 0-60 mph 4.7 seconds (Car and Driver)

EPA-estimated mileage

17/24/20 mpg city/highway/ combined

Trunk capacity 10.6 cubic feet


It’s a beauty. These sorts of cars, built around large door openings, risk looking like recently fed anacondas, with a big lump in the middle. The G90’s silhouette and shoulder lines work together to give it a lovely taper. The shieldlike grille comprises two weave patterns of different colors, overlaid to create a 3-D effect. That works.

There are so many smart touches: the windshield-wiper trough concealed under the curving scuttle; the flush-fit glazing, brightwork and door handles; the near-absence of exterior cut lines, with panel gaps brilliantly camouflaged by the hood overslam and around the signature lighting at the front and rear fenders. If you were wondering where all the chrome went on luxury cars, I’ve found it.

One’s expectations of who gets out of an LBC depends on where you are. In Beverly Hills and Burbank, LBC’s are called studio cars, regardless of if any studio sent them. In Singapore, they are called hotel cars; in London, embassy cars.

The American market for private-use, chauffeur-driven large luxury sedans dropped off about the same time as did Lamont Cranston. Much of the remaining demand has been taken up by SUV-style vehicles, made by the usual luxury suspects.

These days, an LBC inevitably gives off the vibe of being on the job—a car with duties to perform, whether executive, diplomatic, formal or funereal. I’ve learned such cars exhibit a totemic power, a tacit civil authority, which at a minimum grants them preferred parking around clubs and restaurants.

But I would never.

In its home market, the G90 plays the role of personal limousine.

SOFT PARADE The Genesis G90 luxury sedan is engineered for a hushed, plush ride.

GENESIS

 

Agreed. We really need someone to bring the fight to Mercedes. And BMW / Audi aren't cutting it - the S class is outselling them 10:1.

 

Genesis won't do better if sales are any indication...
2022 US Sales
January 187
February 145
March 97
April 82
May 48
June 21
July 22
August 80

 

I hope Genesis improves their numbers. It will only benefit everyone else. I get a lot of compliments on my car (E coupe not S) and I'm aware that much of that has to do the the three pointed star in front. Brand cache is a thing. I'd venture to guess most are unaware of what the three pointed star stands for, but then is the S forum let us not be bothered

 

Agree. Wish Genesis well; more competition is never bad. Genesis definitely gets enough good press but in the end the company needs to deliver a great experience throughout the ownership lifecycle if they want to compete in this finicky market. But brand cache plays a huge factor in this price segment.
The VW Phaeton was a dud, the Bentley Continental a huge success. Same parts bin, build in the same factory. Clearly the label had an influence (apart from many other factors of course)

 

The VW Phaeton was a really cool car not just because of how it looked, but it's reason for existence. That said, and to your point Lexus is to Toyota, Genesis is to Hyundai. The flip side is Rolls-Royce is to BMW as Bentley is to VW. Drive what you like.