My last several cars have been Hyundai Sonatas. They’re reliable and practical. And rather mundane. Hyundai (the manufacturer) makes three lines: Hyundai (middle), Kia (less expensive), and Genesis (up scale). My 2018 Hyundai Sonata LTD was getting a bit long in the tooth and I wanted a new car with a bit of excitement, but still practical. To that end I bought a 2025 Genesis G70.

The G70 has two major configuration options:
Engine: 2.5L four or 3.3L V6 (both turbo)
Drive: Rear wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD)

If I still lived in Minnesota AWD would’ve been my choice for good wintertime traction. But in San Diego AWD isn’t worth the cost and complexity to me. The 2.5L engine (300 HP), coupled with the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is plenty fast. So the 2.5L RWD model for me. That particular configuration has about 50/50 front/rear weight distribution and handles very nicely.

There are some nice Genesis perks. E.g: At maintenance intervals (7K miles or one year), my Genesis dealer will send a valet to my home with a courtesy car. I get the courtesy car while he takes my G70 in for service. After service he returns my car and picks up the courtesy car. Yeah, I know – I pay for that one way or another, but I consider it good value. I dread car service waiting rooms. There are other perks too.

The G70 is a nifty sports sedan at a lower price point than similar European models. Final assembly was in Korea with 85% Korean content.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Pipe Smoker,

I have been considering a G70 as a replacement for my 2012 BMW 550.

Keep us updated with how you like the vehicle after driving it for a bit.

I've thought the G70 is a great looking car, since they debuted. I give a slight preference to the prior model, but wouldn't turn either down.

Congrats & enjoy.

G70 is a great looking car in my opinion.
I have no experience with ride quality or reliability but as far as the looks, I think it’s one of the best looking sedans.

I had a G80 for about 5 years. Bought it used as a Buy Back/Lemon so got a GREAT deal on it. Only reason I sold it was because it had been hit twice and repaired. Had some weird audio issues they couldn't figure out due to the amp getting smashed / replaced.

But I really enjoyed the G80. Was a great car. I sat in the G70 and it reminded me of my G35 I had as far as interior size. They are great looking cars!

Congrats!

Congratulations, Pipe Smoker. I looked into that and the Kia Stinger before I bought my 2018 Accord. The Accord has been plenty for me and it's a family car. The G70 is perfect for you. The Stinger never really caught my fancy--nor anyone else's, as they've discontinued it.

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
Congratulations, Pipe Smoker. I looked into that and the Kia Stinger before I bought my 2018 Accord. The Accord has been plenty for me and it's a family car. The G70 is perfect for you. The Stinger never really caught my fancy--nor anyone else's, as they've discontinued it.

The Stinger & Accord Sport 2.0T were strong contenders when I was looking in 2018. Unfortunately the G70 wasn't out yet at the time.
Ended up in a CPO 2015 Mercedes C300 Sport for a bit less than the Kia & Honda would've been.

My local dealer wouldn't make a deal without the $7500 dealer add on so no g70 for me.

I shopped the G70 in a 3.3 turbo back in '20 and really enjoyed the drive, but as a single car household I needed a bit more size. A year later I did buy the '21 GV80 3.5T and I think it has a terrific feel and drive. Has 1-2 quirks, but I find those in every car I've owned.

Now 44k later my issue is the dealer network. In the effort to be like Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus they have cut off the Hyundai dealers, and that meant much farther for me to get any warranty service which may arise. They also had huge service delays with remaining dealers having extra work. If you have a good dealer close by I'd believe you're OK.

Nice car Pipe. My son bought a 2022 G70 365 HP twin turbo with both of the big packages. A brutally fast and luxurious car. I work indirectly for Cadillac so buying a Genesis is not happening. Awesome car!

I tested the G70 with the 3.3 motor. Very entertaining car.

quote:

3.3L V6

When I drove cars for Enterprise, I had the opportunity one time to drive a Genesis G70 3.3L AWD from Huntsville to the other side of Birmingham. It was insane! Scary acceleration (actually MUCH more exciting than scary), and handling that I just could not believe. If I could have afforded one, I would have bought that one on the spot!

Congrats on the new car. They are very nice.

Is the Genesis made by or near Hyundai? When we got my wife's Santa Cruz, I noticed a bunch of the Genesis cars on/in the same lot but was told by the salesman they are not related, which I thought was odd.

quote:

Originally posted by patw:
Congrats on the new car. They are very nice.

Is the Genesis made by or near Hyundai? When we got my wife's Santa Cruz, I noticed a bunch of the Genesis cars on/in the same lot but was told by the salesman they are not related, which I thought was odd.

Genesis is the luxury subsidiary of Hyundai.
For a time, they were sold out of Hyundai dealerships, but have had a push to get standalone dealers built. The ones I've seen have all been next to or attached to a Hyundai dealer.

Hate to be Captain Obvious, but:

Ever since Hyundai/Kia brought in a bunch of German engineers, their top-line cars have started to be real competitors for BMW and the like. I've had Hondas and Acuras going back decades, but at this point I'd be happy getting a Hyundai, Kia, or better yet a Genesis.

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
Ever since Hyundai/Kia brought in a bunch of German engineers, their top-line cars have started to be real competitors for BMW and the like. I've had Hondas and Acuras going back decades, but at this point I'd be happy getting a Hyundai, Kia, or better yet a Genesis.

The Elantra & Sonata N are a pretty good deal for the $
The Kona isn't bad looking either.

The G70 would top my list from the Koreans, though.

DanH demanded a proof-of-reality photo, so…



Genesis names the color “Makalu Gray”. I say metallic dark gray. I think it fits the car well. After a long succession of white and silver cars it’s a welcome change.

Because of the longitudinal drive shaft hump on the rear seat floor the car is definitely a 2 + 2. I seldom have more than one passenger though, so no problem for me.

When I became interested in the G70 I began to keep an eye out for Genesis cars – on the street, in mall parking lots. From that time until now I’ve only seen a couple – they’re not common. In that same interval I’ve seen many BMWs. And Audis. And Mercedes, etc.

That rarity, plus the fact that the Bentley and Genesis badges bear a passing resemblance, causes me to suspect that my neighbors think that I have a very expensive car.

About damn time PS!

Nice looking ride for sure!

Very nice. I'm partial to the green Genesis offers, gray would be my #2 choice. Someone in my neighborhood has a high trim GV70 in green. Gets an extra look every time I see it.