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Genesis G80 review

3K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  Anita 
#1 ·
Alex on autos
 
#3 · (Edited)
2021 Genesis G80 vs. Mercedes-Benz E450
Motortrend
Miguel Cortina
Oct 26, 2020




In an era where luxury midsize sedans are hitting the guillotine, Mercedes-Benz and Genesis are doubling down on the segment. Both automakers are bringing the best of their portfolios to make their midsize sedans—the E-Class and G80, respectively—more special.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class, known for its peaceful ride, elegant design, and comfortable cabin, has been a staple in the segment, and Mercedes has used its legacy to keep improving and raising the bar every time it has a chance. The new Genesis G80, on the other hand, is the rookie of the group. It arrives with confidence to enter a competitive segment that's dominated by Germans, but the South Koreans have a master plan and brought the best engineers and designers from around the globe to build a proper luxury brand.

Elegant midsize sedans, however, are hard to develop. They must deliver precise handling, offer a quiet and refined ride, and possess the aura of a well-equipped cabin with luxury touches for everyone. The job is not easy, especially when manufacturers try to distinguish midsize from full-size sedans.

With the Acura RLX and Lexus GS discontinued, we brought the refreshed 2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 4Matic and the new 2021 Genesis G80 3.5T Prestige to the ring in order to find out which sedan is the best. Is the E-Class still the benchmark of the segment? Or can the G80 topple the current segment leaders?
Riding in the Mercedes-Benz E 450 makes it easy to forget what's happening outdoors. Even when the world outside is falling apart, the Mercedes' cabin offers a mixture of peace and tranquility that isolates everyone inside. The serenity and calm are felt in every seat of the cabin, which is amplified by its design and quality.

And it's not only the looks—nearly every surface you touch has a sense of luxury and quality. From the soft leather to the expansive wood trim that seems to cover nearly every inch of the dashboard and the door panels, Mercedes' designers really paid close attention to the details. The clean look of the center console and dashboard, the fancy aluminum trim on the Burmester speakers, and the iconic rounded air vents play a big role in making the cabin a nice place to spend a long ride.

As with other new Mercedes models, the refreshed E-Class adopts the new MBUX infotainment system, which is composed of two 12.3-inch screens—one taking over the entire instrument panel and the other located on the center console. MBUX adds more than a touch of modernity to an otherwise iconic cabin, something testing director Kim Reynolds didn't really like. "I like the big screens, but they don't sit comfortably with the rest of the interior, which is classical," he said. Using MBUX can be a bit of a pain—its learning curve is quite high, and a lot of its features are buried in menus. Voice controls help, but why make such a complicated system?

The E-Class also comes with technology that makes everything and everyone more comfortable. When going into a corner, inflatable side bolsters in the front seats support the driver and passenger's ribcages to prevent them from moving side to side. And the optional seat massage options keep the occupants up front relaxed.

It's with these details that the E 450 treats its passengers right.
On the other hand, the Genesis G80's interior delivers a great first impression. Its clean dashboard gives way to a 14.5-inch floating infotainment screen that is more sharp than useful. Although it looks elegant, the driver must control it through a rotary knob that's buried in the center console and doesn't have much grip. Although the crisp graphics and smartphone connectivity are nice to have, it's hard to get to where you want easily.

But its overall design is clean and special. The hidden air vents create a sense of spaciousness in the cabin, while a sea of leather expands throughout the interior. Our G80 3.5T came with a combination of black and caramel-like leather, which created a plush and young feel. Instead of using a traditional lever, the G80 now adapts a rotary knob with a Park button in the middle. All of the materials and plastics have a nice quality, but we still prefer the softness and feel of the Mercedes' cabin.
Although the E-Class is a refresh, the chassis feels all-new. The Air-Body Control suspension, which adds $1,900 to its price, is money well spent. It delivers a soft and elegant ride that will make you forget about chop and bumps on the freeway and city streets. Its refinement reminds everyone they're in a Mercedes, and it plays a big role in the cabin's sophisticated atmosphere.

Instead of trying to be a sport sedan, the E 450 is a pure luxury car. On the track, the Benz went from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, while completing the quarter mile in 13.3 seconds at 103.2 mph. Those numbers are not eye-popping, but rather than mixing the sport and luxury world under one hood, Mercedes offers different flavors of the E-Class depending on your needs. Want something sportier? The AMG E 63 S gets to 60 mph in 3 seconds flat and crushes the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds at 124.2 mph. Of course, its 603-hp V-8 twin-turbo deserves much of that credit, but what stands out is the flexibility of the E-Class chassis, which supports different body styles (coupe, convertible, wagon, and sedan) and powertrains (four-, six-, and eight-cylinder options).

On the street, it's hard to notice any drawbacks. "There was never a noticeable issue with its ride, and yet it delivers enough composure to be pleasantly agile on the curve bits," Reynolds said. Whether you're on the freeway or simply going to the grocery store, the E-Class makes you feel special. The Acoustic Comfort package—a $1,100 option—adds an acoustic windshield and side windows along with extra insulation to block as much outside noise as possible. The result is a quiet and peaceful ambiance.

With its 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, the 2021 Genesis G80 feels punchy on the street, delivering smooth acceleration even under full throttle. The Korean completed the 0-60 run in 5.2 seconds, and it almost caught up with the E-Class in the quarter mile, crossing the line in 13.7 seconds at 103.8 mph. The eight-speed automatic is happy to hold gears when it has to, and it will downshift whenever it's needed without hesitation.
Luxury midsize sedans are known for their refined ride, quiet cabin, and plush experience. They should make all of the occupants feel special, while also treating them with the most modern technologies. The Germans have a long history of creating these types of sedans, while the Koreans are surprising the industry with what they can achieve in a short period of time.

For this comparison, though, the behavior of both cars was so different that it wasn't hard to determine a winner. The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 was far superior than the 2021 Genesis G80 3.5T Prestige. The Mercedes' killer ride quality, peaceful cabin, and updated technology raised the bar in the segment. Mercedes has been playing on this field for years, and the midcycle update to the E-Class is proof that a good car can become a better car.

Genesis still has some work to do. In order to compete against the best of Germany, it must improve its chassis to deliver a softer ride quality. The G70, our 2019 Car of the Year, is proof that it can do better; the G80 still needs more time in the oven to taste right. We're sure the ride quality won't be the same in a few years, but for now the Mercedes E-Class is the clear winner.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Genesis does have some ride quality issues they need to sort out. It probably cost then SUV of the year, if it matters to them, and will probably turn off a lot of prospective buyers during test drives. They're still relatively new so they have some time to get this fixed
 
#14 ·
Shame, H/K/Genesis doesn't seem to be able to consistently tune suspensions to the level of their competition.

Motor Trend sure didn't think that highly of it, they're really rough on stuff lately.

I like this G80, the styling is a bit tacky from the front and I don't like the steering wheel. Aside from that it's a solid entry.
They just didn't like the suspension tuning, everything else was positive.
 
#13 ·
The materials look nice but, aside from that, the interior design feels "safe" and unexciting. I feel the MB interior has more character (even if I don't like some of the design elements). I'm not feeling the exterior either. The themes that feel nice and taut on the smaller G70 feel bloated on this one (in the way the Infinity Q45s used to look towards the end). And I still can't get over the overuse of mesh grille all over the front.

In case it's not clear, I'm not liking this at all.
 
#16 ·
I like the E Class more, and it just keeps getting better, but give HK credit. Genesis has come a long way in a short amount of time!!!
 
#17 ·
It blows my mind to think back to the Hyundai Scoupe days and see what a focused, well run company looks like and then compare that to our domestic brands. Ford was on top of the world as recently as the Mulally years only to let their non-F-150 products die on the vine once again. They focused on Lincoln to the point the developed a RWD platform and have three great competitive products in the Navigator, Aviator, and Corsair... and nothing else for the foreseeable future. They'll piss away all that momentum and be back at square one before you know it.

It's pretty damn tiresome being a domestic fan!
 
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