2021 Genesis G80 vs. 2021 BMW 5 Series

"To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man," so goes the old saying. And in the world of luxury sedans, the BMW 5 Series is the man. It has been a dominant force in the class for decades; it remains a favorite among industry experts and is a best-seller among consumers. Plus, it's also received a few updates for the 2021 model. But the rivals keep coming. 

Back in 2017, Genesis became its own stand-alone luxury brand. A spin-off of Hyundai, it has quickly established itself with a compelling lineup of impressive vehicles, including its G80 sedan, which is all-new for the 2021 model year. It’s about the same size as the BMW 5 Series, is quite attractive, and is fun to drive. And like the BMW, the G80 is available with powerful turbocharged engines along with rear or all-wheel drive. But which is best? Let’s examine the 2021 Genesis G80 and the 2021 BMW 5 Series in key areas and decide.

The last time BMW completely redesigned the 5 Series was way back in 2017, but the sedan gets a substantial visual updating this year. Upfront its familiar twin-kidney grille is taller and wider and its vertical slats are more pronounced. It also connects to the front bumper more convincingly and is surrounded by a single piece of trim. It’s flanked by a reshaped set of LED headlamps. BMW has also made the 5 Series a little over an inch longer, and the overall look is undeniably attractive and surely contemporary, if a little too conservative.

Clearly, Genesis gave its design team more room to play. The shape and detailing of the new G80 is more daring. With its big grille, hard-edged tail and distinctive strips of light, it not only looks properly upscale and elegant, but sporty and youthful. Its proportions are perfect and its stance muscular. We also like its abundant chrome, aggressive wheel designs and the way the shape of its exhaust pipes cleverly mimic the shape of its grille.

Winner: Genesis G80

These two sedans are essentially the same size. Both seat five comfortably. That being said, the Genesis has a slightly longer wheelbase and offers an additional 2 inches of rearseat legroom. However, the BMW’s seats are more supportive, and its driving position is superior to the G80's, which causes less fatigue on long drives. The G80's seats can start to feel a bit flat as the miles stack up. Both sedans also offer an impressively long list of luxuries, including heated steering wheels and seat massagers.

The G80 and the BMW 5 Series also offer about the same amount of cargo space. There’s 14 cubic feet of space in the trunk of the BMW and 13.1 cubic feet in the Genesis. Both sedans come with split fold-down rear seats and power decklids.

Winner: BMW 5 Series

BMW basically invented the in-car infotainment system, and it continues to improve its iDrive technology. This year, the 5 Series gets a larger touchscreen, growing from 10.3 inches to a substantial 12.3 inches. Navigation, a WiFi hotspot, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto come standard, and the iDrive system offers some of the best graphics in the business. It’s also simple to operate and responsive to your inputs.

Genesis has packed the G80 with desirable standard features, including the brand’s best infotainment system. Features include a massive 14.5-inch touchscreen, navigation, onboard WiFi, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. This is one of the more intuitive systems in the industry, with immediate response to inputs, simple menus, and clean, smart graphics. It’s extremely easy to use. Like the BMW’s iDrive system, it can also controlled by a large dial on the sedan’s console.  

Winner: Tie

Surprisingly, neither of these sedans has been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested a BMW 5 Series in 2019, and it earned the best rating of Top Safety Pick+. The 2021 model is essentially the same car and should offer the same level of crash protection. IIHS hasn’t tested the redesigned G80 just yet, but the 2020 model also earned the Top Safety Pick+ rating. We expect the 2021 model to perform the same or better.

Both sedans get a full suite of advanced safety features. Both come standard with automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist. The G80 also gets standard adaptive cruise control, which is available on the BMW. 

Winner: Tie

BMW offers the 5 Series with a wider range of powertrains, and most of its configurations are available with rear- or all-wheel drive. The 530i is powered by a 248-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Then there’s the 530e, which is a plug-in hybrid with 288 hp. It hits 60 mph in about 5.7 seconds, which is slightly quicker than the 530i's time. Under the hood of the 540i is one of the best engines in the world, BMW’s smooth-like-butter turbocharged 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder with 335 hp. This model hits 60 mph in about 4.7 seconds. Lastly, there are the V8 models, the 523-hp all-wheel drive M550i and the M5, which packs over 600 hp. These are two of the quickest and fastest sedans in the world.

Genesis offers two impressive engines, and the G80 has more standard horsepower than the BMW. Under the hood is either a 300-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder or you can pay up for a 375-hp twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6. Both are smooth, refined, and offer plenty of punch. Both are also connected to a well-tuned 8-speed automatic transmission, and buyers can choose between rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive with either engine. With the four-cylinder, the Genesis can sprint to 60 mph in about 5.9 seconds; it’s about a full second quicker with the V6.

Winner: BMW 5 Series

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the two luxury sedans get about the same fuel economy, but the BMW has the edge. G80 models with the four-cylinder engine have ratings of 23 mpg city and 32 mpg on the highway with rear-wheel drive and 22 mpg city and 30 mpg on the highway with all-wheel drive. With the more powerful V6, it's rated 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway with rear-wheel drive. 

With its four-cylinder engine, the 530i has ratings of 25 mpg city and 33 mpg highway with rear-wheel drive. Surprisingly, the efficiency of the six-cylinder 540i is about the same, with ratings of 25 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. That makes it quite a bit more fuel efficient than the G80 with the V6. The V8-powered M550i is rated 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, and the M5’s ratings are 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway. The hybrid model, which can be driven up to 18 miles on electric power alone, has an EPA rating of 25 mpg combined.

Winner: BMW 5 Series

Some complain the BMW 5 Series isn’t as sporty as it used to be. There’s some truth to that, but it's still very responsive and fun to drive. It feels solid, and its adjustable suspension soaks up the road beautifully. It never feels floaty or disconnected from the tarmac, and BMW’s V8 models simply deliver more power and handling than anything Genesis has to offer. Few sedans in the world offer more refinement than the 5 Series; however, Genesis isn’t very far behind. 

It’s no coincidence that the man responsible for the driving dynamics and engineering of all Genesis models spent most of his career at BMW. The guy knows his stuff. The G80 feels solid and offers plenty of grip on the road. It’s responsive and agile. Its steering is quick and nicely-weighted, and its ride quality is comfortable and controlled. Choosing sport mode adds a little additional effort to the steering, quickens the throttle response, and modifies the transmission for more aggressive gear selection. It also firms up its suspension slightly. Both engines offer plenty of get up and go.

Winner: BMW 5 Series

The BMW 530i has a base price of $55,195, including a $995 destination fee. All-wheel drive costs an extra $2,300. The more powerful 540i costs about $5,000 more, so it’s a solid value, and the 530e hybrid is priced from about $58,000. The M550i costs about $78,000, and the 600-hp M5 is priced over $100,000.

The Genesis is cheaper. G80 pricing starts at a very reasonable $48,725; however, add all-wheel drive and the price jumps beyond $51,000. The most affordable model with the turbocharged V6 is about $60,000, and prices cap at around $66,000 for the range-topping 3.5T Prestige model. Considering the power, performance, and standard features included with each model, the Genesis is the better value overall. It also comes with the longer warranty. 

Winner: Genesis G80

The 2021 Genesis G80 has fought hard. It’s an impressive sedan that truly rivals the BMW in most categories and even exceeds it in a few. We like its design, driving dynamics, comfort, space, refinement, features, build quality, and safety technology. We also like its smooth, powerful engines and its value proposition. It’s an exceptional car.

However, the 2021 BMW 5 Series feels a little more special. It offers even more performance, more comfort, more efficiency, more prestige, and a far greater range of models and powertrains. It’s also more fun to drive than the upstart Genesis and is just a bit more refined.

Winner: BMW 5 Series