With a striking exterior,
bold grille, and swanky cabin the 2022 Genesis G80 is not messing around. But are its two main issues enough to avoid buying the lavish $48,250 new sedan
altogether? Jerry
, the car ownership super app
, investigates Consumer Reports’ two biggest problems with the G80. The 2022 Genesis G80: Redefining what it means to be premium
The midsize luxury sedan has been redesigned to compete with the likes of BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. The newly structured 2.5-liter G80 is a refined, quiet, and plush ride.
“The base 300-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine leaves the line without hesitation and provides enough punch for drama-free passing maneuvers, aided by a responsive and super-smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic,” Consumer Reports
notes. If you opt for the all-wheel-drive Sport model, you’ll get a 375 hp turbo V6 engine. Four-cylinder models come with standard rear-wheel drive, while all-wheel-drive is optional.
The 2022 Genesis G80 provides sharp yet agile handling and a suspension that offers plush isolation from bumps. The sedan also sports one of the best active driving systems on the market.
According to Consumer Reports, “The system—which is the combination of lane-keeping assistance (LKA) and adaptive cruise control (ACC)—is capable of keeping the G80 within the lane lines, even through most curves in the road.”
However, the Genesis G80 doesn’t offer much when it comes to fuel economy. With a combined EPA of 26, the sedan gets 23 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. The G80 Sport trim is even worse with an EPA of 17 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.
A feature-packed cabin
The interior is undeniably upscale with soft-touch materials, slick control action, matte wood trim on the center console, textured knobs, a streamlined dash, and chrome finishes throughout. Consumer Reports was impressed with the lightly padded lower door panels and lower dash as well as the outer part of the glove box door.
“The steering wheel has an odd aesthetic and the rotary shift knob is never as intuitive as automakers think, especially when positioned near other circular-shaped controls, but overall the inside of the G80 looks wonderful,” Car and Driver
notes. In this case, the front and rear seats are equally as luxurious. Consumer Reports took a liking to the comfortable front seats with large side boosters and the supportive seats in the back.
The sedan features ambient interior lighting, heated and ventilated front, and rear seats, a head-up display, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. The G80 also provides drivers with much more head and leg room than the previous model.
MORE: 4 Problems with the 2022 Genesis G90
Awkward controls and hidden trunk release
Unfortunately, the 2022 Genesis G80’s unintuitive infotainment system has some pretty distracting controls. The system’s controller dial is the biggest offender.
“The infotainment system screen defaults to a screen-saver-like display every time the ignition is turned back on, which means you always have to perform an extra step to get to the category you want,” Consumer Reports tells us. Also, it requires too much visual attention to use the tiny chrome volume and tune controls.
Consumer Reports also had an issue with the unconventional operation of the rotary gear selector knob. Apparently, it’s easier than you’d think to end up in Reverse when you meant to shift into Park. Not only did this catch many testers by surprise, but it’s also super dangerous.
It’s also tricky to make an accurate selection when adjusting seat temperature. Many times the testers turned on the seat coolers by mistake, when they meant to use the seat heaters instead.
Interestingly, the button for the exterior trunk release is camouflaged above the backup camera. According to Consumer Reports, the release “is tastefully integrated with the trim, but the downside is that few people will realize where it is, and even then, it's hard to find at night.”
Once you do find it, it will pop the trunk lid open. The power trunk lid comes standard, and owners can take advantage of the hands-free feature if they have the patience to wait three seconds for the fob to activate.
If that doesn’t bother you, imagine chatting with your boss after work next to your vehicle and the trunk popping up for no rhyme or reason. Yep, that happens too. “At least you can choose to deactivate this feature in the settings. The key fob button and interior release will also open the trunk,” Consumer Reports notes.
With an overall rating of 68 from Consumer Reports, the 2022 Genesis G80 received a 4 out of 5 score for predicted owner satisfaction. It also scored 89 out of 100 on its road-test score.
So unless you’re looking for an athletic sedan with impressive fuel economy, this smooth ride offers plenty of comfort and convenience. If you can find your way around the quirky infotainment controls and memorize the location of the trunk release, you’ll have a posh ride that you’ll always be excited to drive.
4.7
