I drove the Genesis G90 on an autocross course. If you’re buying a luxury sedan with the specific goal of driving it on an autocross course, you’re too much of an iconoclast (or lunatic) to heed my advice. you can’t. For what it’s worth, it wasn’t bad. But this isn’t a car you drive on the track. It’s probably the car you take to the racetrack. In an ideal world, you’d drive a car to a race track with someone else in the back seat while the car’s massaging seats turn your back into some kind of expensive gelatin. Gelee.
This is the third installment in our series on car buying advice for the fickle. The goal is not to give you obvious choices, but to help you make choices you may not have fully considered. Previously, I suggested that the Dodge Charger V8 is an affordable barnstormer and that the Kia Niro Hybrid is an all-encompassing crossover for people who want something small and affordable.
Today it’s Genesis G90. A classic luxury car that doesn’t require a classic luxury price.
Reason #1: Everyone thinks it’s a Bentley.
If you absolutely want a Bentley, you should absolutely buy a Bentley. They’re nice. It’s less flashy than the Roller and sublime to drive. The Flying Spur also costs over $200,000. Maybe you don’t even have 2 million yen. Or maybe you do, but you only have that amount because you’re not going to spend the money on a $200,000 car.
Because you have wisdom and self-control, you deserve a little something nice. You can’t take it with you, right? Genesis G90 might be the right choice.
First of all, everyone thinks the Genesis G90 is a Bentley because it looks like a Bentley. The feathered badge creates a sense of luxury. The gleaming grill stretches for a mile in aristocratic splendor. The interior is supple and restrained. Even the wheels look like precious ornaments rolling along the road.
This is not a flattering imitation. This is a coup.
There’s a reason it looks like a Bentley. Genesis’ Chief Creative Officer recently had a fun job as Design Director for a small concern based in Crewe, UK. If you came looking for the king, you must make sure you don’t miss out. The same goes for the king’s car. Thankfully, Luc and his team didn’t miss out.
Reason #2: Adequate driving performance
When I was invited to preview Hagerty’s Bull Market listing at Lime Rock, I requested a smaller, faster car that I could use to sneak a few laps around the FCP Euro proving ground. That car suddenly became unavailable at the last minute, so they sent me this instead.
I had no intention of actually driving it on a narrow circuit because this car wasn’t built for that in the first place. No, just kidding, of course I was going to drive it in an autocross. They could have sent me a box truck and I would have taken it to autocross.
The ride to the truck was smooth as fresh butter. My daughter once described it as “like sliding on a cloud.” It’s a cliché, but she’s 8 years old, so I’ll forgive her. Also, she’s not wrong. The G90’s air suspension is designed to absorb every shock, smooth every roll, and make you forget you’re going anywhere.
But I was going somewhere. track!
Like most cars in this class, the G90 is heavy. It is a land yacht, not a land sloop. You’d think that weighing over 5,000 pounds would make you sway as if you were listening to sweet, sweet Michael McDonald. Not completely. The G90’s front/rear multi-link suspension keeps the Genesis upright when pushed hard, and at least bounces around like you’re listening to Don Henley.
Bentley likes to say that its vehicles have plenty of power. That’s kind of a humble brag. The G90 has plenty of power, literally. The E-Supercharged version I owned uses an electric supercharger on top of the 3.5-liter V6 engine as part of a 48-volt hybrid setup. This is the mildest of the mild hybrids, producing 409 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. I don’t mind having more power, even if I rarely notice it (a future G90 Magma may solve some of this problem).
But the G90’s real trick is its Rear Wheel Steering (RWS) system, which rotates the rear wheels in opposite directions to shorten the steering radius. It works pretty well. At low speeds, the G90 feels about 4 feet shorter than it actually is.
None of this makes the G90 a true replacement for something like the Mercedes-AMG S63. The Mercedes-AMG S63 is dynamically superior, if slightly clunky. It doesn’t matter to me because I don’t like the look of the interior of new Mercedes cars.
And that’s probably the biggest advantage the G90 has. If you’re not a brand fan. If you don’t care about badges. If you’re good at explaining to people that it’s a Korean car, you can get a lot of inches (207+) for a relatively modest amount of money.
Let’s put this into perspective. A fully equipped E-Supercharged G90 with all options has a base MSRP of $99,500 and an as-delivered price of $101,400.
By comparison, the most basic Mercedes S-Class base model (S500 4matic) costs $118,900 without any options. They tried to make an S-Class as similar as possible, but it cost $153,100. The AMG S63 E might be a better car, but at $186,200 without any extras, you have to ask yourself that question. “Is $84,800 better?”
can’t believe it? The folks at Car And Driver drive everything and rank the G90 above the Mercedes-AMG S63, Audi S8, Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Maserati Quattroporte, and even the mighty Lexus LS. The only car that beats it is the base S-Class, which, despite its price, remains the platonic ideal of a large luxury sedan.
In fact, an automotive magazine gave the G90 a rating of 9/10, saying in their verdict: “The G90 strives for value while matching rivals’ luxurious cabins and smooth driving experiences.” Motor Trend writes about the car’s ride quality, “What a Ride: A Love Letter to Our Genesis G90’s Air. “Suspension” is written.
In fact, if you read our review of the G90, you’ll see that it’s a superstar.
Reason #3: We have everything we need.
My first stop with the G90 was to pick up my daughter and her friend from dance practice. Although she has never been in a limousine, the kids quickly learn what it’s like to be chauffeured everywhere.
She started pressing buttons. First, shift the passenger seat to chauffeur mode, recline the rear seat, and extend the footrest. Second, I have replaced the radio 900 times. So they discovered the massage mode. My daughter especially liked having the seat heaters turned up and set for an upper back massage.
Do the same for the front seats. This is Niisis.
When you get the G90, you get everything you want in a car in this class. This includes, but is not limited to:
Logoed puddle lamp Large 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster Bang & Olufson 3D audio system that can emit special scents “Mood Curator” digital phone key Nappa leather Full tank of gas (as indicated on the window sticker)
If you want a nice car, you should get it. It has things. They’re not all the best versions of themselves (the infotainment system is clunky), but they’re there. It also features those silly power-opening doors that many of these cars have. I don’t like these doors, but clearly rich people enjoy this.
It also has the largest and most visible dash light dimming button you’ll ever need. Is this okay? I don’t know.
That’s what you get with the $101,400 Genesis G90. It has a look. The contents are complete. And if you absolutely need a big luxury sedan, there’s no better price.
