10 Reasons the 2019 Genesis G80 Won the AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice Best Luxury Car Award

Is luxury a brand, or is it an experience? If you believe the former, you may be cheating yourself of the latter. Case in point: the 2019 Genesis G80. Genesis is the newest luxury car brand, launched by South Korean carmaker Hyundai in mid-2016. The 2019 Genesis lineup consists of just three models: the G70 compact sedan, the G80 mid-size sedan, and the G90 full-size sedan. That may be the extent of the brand, but it’s not the extent of the experience.

The Genesis experience is about attention to detail in all aspects of luxury car ownership. From a unique shopping experience to personalized care during service appointments to attention from a concierge during every touchpoint, buyers are responding to Genesis' luxury offerings in a big way. As such, they've chosen the Genesis G80 as the best luxury car for 2019. Here are ten reasons why the G80 was able to snag the AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice Award.

There’s something to be said for benchmarking. That’s the process of dissecting your competition to see what they do well (or poorly), and setting your sights to be as good (or better) in all significant categories. For better or worse, the Genesis G80 is a product of benchmarking. The competitive set is broad — including the Acura RLX, Cadillac CTS, Infiniti Q70, Jaguar XF, Kia K900, Lexus GS, Lincoln Continental, and Volvo S90. But the cars that most obviously influenced the G80 are the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

With influences this established and successful, the G80 has strong roots. By its next generation of production, the G80 will have to branch off from its influences and become a unique vehicle. For now, it is a positive collection of some very good inspirational material. 

The G80 competes in the mid-size luxury class, alongside the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The G80 is 196.5 inches long, 74.4 inches wide, and 58.3 inches tall, and rides on a 118.5-inch wheelbase.

The closest German competitor is the BMW 5 Series, which is 194.6 inches long, 73.5 inches wide, and 58.2 inches tall, riding on a 117.1-inch wheelbase. Because of smart packaging, the G80 translates that generous exterior into interior space and cargo capacity. An extra few inches really do matter to a car’s dimensions, and the G80 makes the most of this opportunity.

Because of its position in the Genesis lineup, the G80 is generally considered a mid-size luxury sedan. But it is actually bigger inside than its three German competitors in just about every dimension. With 45.7 inches of front legroom, the G80 is significantly larger than the closest German, the Audi A6 at 41.7 inches. In concert with 41.1 inches of front headroom (the closest German is BMW 5 Series with 38.8 inches), the G80 is a great choice for taller drivers. Only the 5 Series has a bigger trunk in this grouping (18.7 cubic feet versus the G80's 15.3 cubic feet).

The G80’s available panoramic sunroof adds to the feeling of roominess in the interior, bringing the outdoors inside on a nice day.

A big part of the luxury car experience right now is cutting-edge electronics, convenience features, and infotainment. The G80 really nails this part of the equation with a long list of standard features in 5.0 and 3.3T models (some of which are optional on 3.8 models).

Highlights include a Lexicon 17-speaker audio system with Quantum Logic Surround and Clari-Fi Music Restoration Technology, a head-up display, a 9.2-inch touchscreen navigation system, full LED headlights with dynamic bending light, a 7-inch color LCD display, Qi wireless charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a power rear sunshade, manual rear side-window shades, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, dual mode front vent control, and more.

Genesis has provided three engine choices for the 2019 G80. The base engine is a 3.8-liter V6 with Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (D-CVVT), four valves per cylinder, gasoline direct injection, an aluminum block, and aluminum heads. It delivers 311 horsepower and 293 lb-ft of torque running on regular (87-octane) gas.

A 5.0-liter V8 with D-CVVT, aluminum block and heads, four valves per cylinder, and gasoline direct injection is set up to deliver 420 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque on premium (92-octane) gas and 407 hp and 372 lb-ft of torque on regular gas. Both the 3.8 and 5.0 are naturally aspirated (non-turbo). A zippy 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged 24-valve V6 is also available. It uses D-CVVT with four valves per cylinder, gasoline direct injection, and an aluminum block and heads. The 3.3 delivers 365 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque on premium gas.

All three engines in the G80 use an eight-speed automatic transmission. Interestingly, the BMW 5 Series also uses an eight-speed automatic, while the Mercedes-Benz E-Class uses a nine-speed, and the Audi A6 uses a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Benchmarking often leads to choosing the middle ground when competitors differ — Genesis could have used a 10-speed automatic like many other new cars. 

The good news is that the eight-speed transmission is very good, providing smooth acceleration and deceleration, fast shifts, and a manual shift mode that allows the driver to take over gear selection. Other than special situations like long grades, most drivers will choose to ignore this option, and let the well-sorted transmission shift for itself. Rear-wheel drive is standard, while all-wheel drive is optional with any of the three engines.

Hyundai has always positioned itself as a leader in standard safety features (it was the first manufacturer to include standard electronic stability control on every model in its lineup), and it has ported this emphasis over to the Genesis brand. The G80 comes with standard vehicle stability management, electronic stability control, traction control, ABS, EBD, brake assist, and nine airbags. A rearview camera with parking guidelines is standard, and a multi-view camera is standard on 5.0 and Sport models, optional on 3.8.

Standard driver assistance features include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a driver attention alert, smart cruise control with start/stop, a lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring with a rear cross-traffic alert, and more. The G80 is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick+ and has received a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Genesis Experience is a suite of owner benefits that come with the purchase of any new Genesis vehicle. Buy a G80, and you’ll get access to three years of complimentary Genesis Connected Services. You’ll be entitled to three years/36,000 miles of complimentary scheduled required maintenance. Genesis Service Valets will be at your service for three years/36,000 miles. They perform remote diagnostic checks when needed, and will pick up your G80, send a loaner car, and return your G80 when it has been serviced or repaired.

"Enhanced roadside assistance" is included for three years/36,000 miles, including tire changes or transportation to the nearest Genesis dealer, and reimbursement for any “overnight inconvenience.” Three years of SiriusXM audio, traffic, and data services come with a new G80, as do free multimedia and navigation updates.

Hyundai has long boasted that it has “America’s Best Warranty.” Thankfully, when the parent brand launched its luxury offspring, the same strong warranty was its birthright. A new 2019 G80 comes with a five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty as a standard feature.

One of the big downsides of premium vehicle ownership has traditionally been premium prices on maintenance and repairs. Genesis seems poised to dodge this bullet — especially if any major problems crop up during the warranty period. Can you imagine Mercedes-Benz, BMW, or Audi offering a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty?

Three G80 models are available for 2019: 3.8 (starting at $42,050), 3.3T Sport (starting at $55,250), and 5.0 (starting at $57,000). Add $2,500 for all-wheel drive. Nine colors are available: Himalayan Gray, Casablanca White, Santiago Silver, Victoria Black, Serengeti Brown, Adriatic Blue, Siberian Ice, Havana Red, and Polar Ice. The 3.8 can be upgraded with Sport ($5,700) and Ultimate ($9,950) packages. There are no upgrade packages available for 5.0 or 3.3T Sport models — they’re already loaded.

Compared to its benchmarked competitors from Germany, the G80 looks like a genuine bargain. Of course, the Genesis label doesn’t yet have the cachet of Audi, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz. But we still had no problem finding 10 reasons the 2019 Genesis G80 won the AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice Best Luxury Car Award.