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It was an audacious claim. More like a bet, or a dare, really. And now here I was, 3,000 miles from home, staring down one of the best roads in America, to play it out. Could the Genesis G80 actually be a good car to drive?
My coworker Mack Hogan runs our reviews desk, coordinating car loans, making sure that the entire staff doesn't fly to Mallorca to drive different Lamborghinis on the same day. That kind of thing. He drives a lot of cars, a lot of new cars. I spend most of my time driving (and fixing) my 1974 Volkswagen Beetle, and can be out-of-touch when it comes to current models. That is all to say when I got this Slack message from Mack I was surprised but not exactly incredulous:
Saying that a midsize Genesis drives like a vintage BMW (the '90s and '00s are vintage now, I fear) is a bold line, but not one that's totally unfounded. I've driven the Hyundai Veloster N in its home country of Germany–on track on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, even–and was shocked at how much I liked it. That is, I was surprised until I realized the person responsible for its development, Albert Biermann, used to run BMW's M division until he felt that corporate was making the cars too soft and bland. That's when he jumped ship. Driving current BMW products seems to reify his position just as much as driving current Hyundai ones.
I took Mack up on the claim and a few days later was staring up California State Route 74, winding through the mountains outside of Palm Springs like a necklace splayed out on a dresser. The asphalt gleamed gold in the sun.
It all seemed a little poetic for a sedan knocking on 4500 pounds, but as soon as I started driving the G80, here in Sport trim with all-wheel drive and the 3.5-liter turbo V6, it felt validated.
The ride, in its firmest setting, was remarkably compliant. It flowed with the road while keeping the body composed. Most sports sedans are barely soft enough in their softest settings, and the hardest mode can be pointlessly firm. An Audi, a Mercedes, a BMW is jarring; the Genesis was smooth and compelling. It has some magic in it.
Each bending switchback, each undulating bend, I wanted to drive more. Route 74, with its 24 miles of winding road from the base of the desert floor and the Art Smith Trialhead up to the pines of Thomas Mountain, complied. There's another 20 miles of driving, past Lake Hemet and the Pacific Crest Trail before you're out of the mountain range itself driving towards civilization and sprawl at Valle Vista. Double that if you turn north at Mountain Center, crawling through Idlewild and then practically falling off the San Jacinto Mountains it's so steep a descent.
Whether I was pushing uphill, 375 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque at play, or descending, waiting for brake fade that never came, the G80 worked that road. Over those hours on that road, I was convinced. I tried the Mack Method, I was transformed. I loved this car, and was taken with how good the G80 handled. It's as good to drive as any German sports sedan, except it wasn't developed by people who hate your spine.
The remaining week with the car was less kind. This was a $70,000 car and it did not feel it inside. As comfortable as the suspension is, the G80's interior does not feel luxurious. The trim in this particular test car was ugly. It included some sort of gloss-covered texture perhaps meant to read as carbon fiber, but looked more like a placemat. It's not abundantly spacious inside, considering it is a rather large vehicle. All of the infotainment worked fine and without issue; the G80 is a competent machine, it just doesn't come across as a special one, a desirable one. "This doesn't feel like a $70,000 car," my friend remarked from the back seat while I played chauffeur around Los Angeles.
The G80's ride and handling is immaculate, but is that the only thing you look for when buying what is ostensibly a practical, midsized luxury car? I don't think it was enough to offset everything else off about a vehicle with an interior that (on this test car at least) looked like a recently-remodeled motel. Sure, I loved this car on a backroad, but it's not like I commute on Route 74. Do you only drive a family sedan up and over mountain passes? Maybe your calculus is different than mine. Maybe these brief moments of weekend joy linger, and you hold them close even when you're stuck in traffic staring at fake carbon fiber that looks like carpet.
The G80 drives better than it has any right to, though I still don't see why anyone would go out of their way to get one, unless they're seduced by the styling. I wasn't. Mack was more right than he knew. This is an under-appreciated car, myself included.