As I was re-reading this post and looking at the Wraith Neodoc posted I realized, take off the Spirit of Ecstasy and the RR badges and that car is still imposing. There's something to be said for good design irrespective of badging.

 

Holy Cow! Five pages already?

Certainly a nice looking car. Kia/Hyundai has always plagiarized other designs, usually copying from different cars. Even the Bentley-styled badge makes you look twice. That said, how will the car look and feel 7 or 8 years from now or with 100,000 miles on it? My 2004 SL500 had timeless style and appeal (though mechanically it was becoming a pain, but at 18 years old she still ran beautifully).

 

It will feel however it feels to the next owner, because I would lease it and replace it with something else in 3 years. Same as the S Class.

But, your point is valid. A nice Lexus remains a nice Lexus, a nice Mercedes remains a nice Mercedes, thats some of the value in buying a luxury car. An older Genesis wont have the same appeal. BUT, its much cheaper...$40,000 cheaper so how much more is that worth?

 

Also, a very valid point. On the other hand, changing out a car after 3 years makes virtually anything a cheaper option.

I did get my SL400 used and saved probably 60% (woulda been more if the damned car prices weren't crazy). She had a little over 22,000 miles and was six years old. The thing is, 99% of the people out there have no idea how old the car is. They know it's not a 2022 or 2023 model, but I don't think they care. An SL is distinguishable from any other car on the road. The G90 looks too much like the Rolls posted above. And on second look, they are going to say, "Oh, it's a Kia." VW years ago made that mistake with the Phaeton. Nobody wanted to spend $80k on a VW.

 

Except thats how I want to deal with cars, I want a new one not a used one and I want a new one every 3 years or so. What other people know or think doesn't impact me.

The flaw in your logic is Lexus. People are willing to spend 80, 90 100k on a Lexus when "its just a Toyota". I drove Lexus vehicles for 22 years, I got plenty of my share of "its just a fancy Toyota", but that died off around 2010 or so and people really stopped saying that. Genesis is earlier in its development than Lexus was, but I was driving a great car which represented a great value, dealer service was great and it was a car I really enjoyed and people could call it a fancy Toyota all they wanted. There are plenty of people out there like me, and while the G90 doesn't sell well (no flagship sedans sell anywhere close to as many units as they did at one time, including the S Class) the other Genesis models are starting to be all over the roads...they are making an impact.

If it comes to a new S Class or a G90 and the difference in lease payment is $1,000 a month...sorry but I am going to seriously consider that G90. It doesnt look anything like a Rolls Royce to my eyes. As for Genesis copying other brands, you see Tesla all over the W223 S Class.

 

I had a W12 Phaeton, one of the best cars I had, the badge was VW (big mistake) but the car was a Bentley......

 

I'm not trying to dissuade you from getting whatever you want. Genesis is a fine car. With respect to resembling a Rolls, etc., look at post #88. I don't know about Lexus vs Toyota, but I do know an Audi A4 is not the same as a VW Passat with a different badge. Same ownership and many interchangeable parts, but they are not the same car.

I'm sure you are right. Eventually, Genesis will become distinctly different from its Kia heritage. I still have my 18 year old Audi TT and I tend to keep cars I really like. Some never go out of style.

 

Same is true of every Genesis model, that they are not rebadged versions of the same car, but not every Lexus model. The GS and LSs I had were unique to Lexus, as is the IS, LC, etc. No Genesis model is shared with any Hyundai, and they are all proper RWD platform cars which you can't say of Lexus. They are trying to do it right which appeals to me.

I don't think any Genesis looks anything like a Rolls. A Bentley, sure.

Its actually Hyundai, not Kia.

THIS is what I experienced with Lexus in the early days (my first Lexus was in 1998), constantly having to educate people about what a Lexus was. With Genesis it would be back to that.

 

A few days ago, I did one of those paid surveys. I drove a few cars and the passenger ask my opinion on various features. One car I drove was a new G80. Not a bad car, but it reminded me of the G90 in one irritating way: When the turn signal was initiated, the “CLINK-CLONK, CLINK-CLONK” sound was reasonably loud and objectionable. I’m hoping the volume can be reduced, but I’m not holding my breath.

 

I have noticed that when I have driven Hyundai/Genesis vehicles too...

 

This weekend I went to Manhattan and finally got to take a look at the G90. I actually saw it twice as I visited a Genesis "store" inside a mall at Hudson Yards, as well as the "Genesis House" in the Meatpacking District, which was a restaurant and tea garden with a display showroom for Genesis. First I have to say, Genesis clearly spent a lot of money in NY, especially at the house location. From the outside you can see these cars covered in glittered copper curtains with their LED head and taillights on. The curtains wrap nicely around them to show off the silhouette, very artsy indeed as it intrigued me enough to come inside the store. Inside its very open, spacious and minimalist, with hosts to give you more information about the vehicles and amenities of the house. In addition to the house and mall store, they are marketing these cars everywhere they can. I will say though, for the amount of money Genesis has spent in NY alone, I did not see more than one Genesis vehicle my entire four-days in the city, and the one GV80 I did see was a hotel courtesy car. Around New York, a black S-Class or Escalade is definitely the go to chauffeur vehicle of choice.




Back to the Genesis, my impressions of the G90 match that of the photos. In person the car is large and definitely has presence due to its gigantic grill. I still find this grill to be far too big and in your face, and it definitely works better with darker colors, but still a bit too brash for my tastes and not a fan of the double sensors which pull too much attention away. The side is very elegant and beautiful, the only issue I take is the gas door placement looks to be an afterthought. I definitely like the rear the most, Genesis' two lines design scheme is a great trait and it pays off in the rear with the taillights.



This model was equipped with automatic comfort doors. And while yes this is a cool show off feature, its a damn car door, its not a big deal to close it by hand (gasp!). Speaking of door, I definitely prefer the S-Class' handles, they feel more hefty and strong, with a pull towards one side similar to a traditional door handle and satisfying latching noise. The G90's handle are more similar to a Range Rover which feel a bit cheep to pull on. You also pull back which felt a bit weird, I'd prefer the pull to the side like the S-Class. Opening them was also weird because the electric motors in the door add weight which makes it hard to tell whether you are pulling the door or the motors are.



Inside, again you press a button to shut the door, nice, but not really necessary. Interior is very lovely. I wish the dash was less rounded as in my opinion it already looks a bit dated, and the screen heights don't line up despite being part of one large pane which messed with my OCD, but overall nothing too surprising going on. Controls are relatively easy, although the infotainment could be paired down in the number of menus on the home screen. I also don't like the gear selector being a rotary knob right next to the infotainment controller, they are far too similar and close for my liking. Leather are very nice and smooth, although Stream was right in that the German Napa leather feels smoother to me, but still materials are very nice about the cabin. Wood trim was decent, nothing special though. Backseat was nice and spacious, with plenty of configurability.



My big question for this car is still the V6. I didn't find this V6 to be the smoothest of engines when I drove the G80 so I am curious to see how they improved it here. I do wish a V8 was offered though. Overall though, this is a very nice car for a very nice price, you are getting a lot here for your money, no window stickers at the stores but probably a little over $100k. Now if only Genesis would put the effort they did in these NY stores into dealers in other states, because my local Genesis dealer which is mainly a Hyundai dealer, is quite awful.

 

^^^
Genesis G90 will do well in metro NYC area. Target Market are folks who want an upgrade from their older Nissan Maxima, G35, Q50, or Acura from a Decade ago. Better execution than the ill fated Kia K900. Plus Ford, GM, and now Dodge/Chrysler are about to abandon this segment. Speed Limits in the City are 50-55mph anyways and traffic is awful unless you head to DC, Mohegan Sun Casino, or Boston after midnight. After 3-4 hours of continuous driving most of my friends and family have reached their limit behind the wheel...they rather upgrade to a Plane ticket than a V8.

 

^^^^
I always appreciate your reviews, js_cls. They're very detailed & thorough. I said the same thing about the gear selector & rotary knob when first seeing it!

 

Auto doors are a cool concept and liked them on Rolls Royces. BMW now also has them on the 7 Series and the EQS will hopefully get them as they had already been introduced last year or so. Since the Maybach already has them I assume they will come to the S-Class as well...

 

Hmm, the NY store rents will likely cost more than what Genesis is making on all US-sold G90's. Appreciate that they are trying to create a brand experience but this will take a long time. Personally I think the only chance they have selling the car is as the electrified version where customers are more open to a new experience and brands.

 

I think its pretty unlikely people will replace a Nissan Maxima or 10 year old Acura with a $100,000 G90.

This car is targeted to people who want a full sized flagship sedan experience but don't want to pay that huge premium. Its like the G80, why would you buy a Lexus ES when you can buy a G80? Or a Lexus RX when you can buy a GV80? You get a class up quality vehicle for the same to a little bit more than the inferior Lexus or Acura etc.

Genesis isn't going to take buyers from the germans most likely, but like Lexus did they can capture buyers before they move up to the germans.

 

10-years ago they could only afford an Acura, Infiniti, or Maxima. Figure in 2022 they can now step up to a G90 if their assets at least doubled using the 72-Rule with a marginal annual 7% return or they got a Promotion/Rich Wife. Otherwise they should continue to drive their beaters or get a Metropass and walk past that Genesis in the Window.

 

Right, but we don't all make 100's of 1000's of dollars a year which is the really big deal Money is what makes the world go around not gravity. A lot of people think it's gravity but they're dead wrong. Money is the only metric for existence

Forgive me, I've had a few beers

 

Went car shopping for my 17 year old son, last week. Stopped by Volvo, Audi and Genesis. I was trying to push him to the Volvo XC40 which I think is a great car for a young individual but he really liked the Genesis. We can get either the G70 or the GV70 for similar money to the Volvo XC40, and the Genesis has better warranty, is more luxurious and is the larger vehicle. Still have to test drive it, but ultimately if he likes it I think we will order him the Genesis!

 

I REALLY like the GV70s. I saw one today, they are great looking IMO, and look great on the road.

 

Be careful, Steve is weary of privileged 17 year olds

 

Not as long as they don't pretend to be adults lol. I wouldn't buy a new Genesis for my kid but to each their own.

 

Check out the VW Golf R...truly awesome

 

I have noticed the new ones running around, they are very sharp