2023 Genesis G90

[nwhit]

Were there many people at the Genesis booth? Which Genesis models got the most attention.

Yes, it was very busy, especially for a Monday. Lots of people queued to sit in each of them. The two X model concept cars got a lot of good comments while there.

Neither BMW or Mercedes were at the show again, so Genesis was one of a handful of premium cars there.

 

[iSOBigD]

How quiet it is compared to your 17 G90 and how better it rides on the same roads?

Alright so I did a test drive with the 2023 G90, Canadian e-SC version with rear wheel steering and air suspension, and I own a 2017 Ultimate so I tested them back-to-back. TLDR: although it's a great high-end luxury car, I don't see a reason to upgrade seeing as I paid 1/3 of what the new one costs. Here are my thoughts and some images (sorry it's winter so my car is dirty):

Pros
- Materials are great everywhere, from large surfaces to small areas you'll barely notice or touch (inside of dome lights, around switches, under the dash, etc.). Every button that in my car is soft rubber/plastic is metal now which feels more expensive. The door has nice materials from top to bottom, though again the very bottom seems to be soft plastic/vinyl. I don't mind it as the storage areas are wrapped in nice material inside and all soft surfaces are softer and more padded than in my car, which I like in a Bentley/RR type of car. There's also wireless phone charging in the front and back with nice places to safely hold large phones


- The large displays look nice, and I'm glad they added some physical bits to break things up. The interface and software performance are also good, I didn't have any problems. If something is hard to reach, there's the physical controls, and they've differentiated the gear change one from the media control one enough that you shouldn't get them mixed up. The lower center AC controls are mostly touch screen now and they're fine - they also have high quality physical controls for temps which I prefer.
- Automatic soft-closing doors are awesome and will impress your friends. Will they end up more of a gimmick? Maybe, but I liked them and I just wish they also opened all the way with sensors to keep them from hitting things. That would put them at the top of the class for a standard feature.
- Air suspension made a comeback and I like that you can raise/lower the car with the press of a button. It's especially nice when driving in the snow. (Also see cons)
- Rear wheel steering is standard and feels fine. When returning the car, I did a U-turn and out of habit I anticipated way more space than I needed. It turned really well at low speeds, and didn't feel any different when changing lanes on the highway. I think the reviewers were doing high speed turns and donuts, which of course throw people around as the back is going sideways.
- All cameras have a high enough resolution that all angles look great, especially the 3D view where you rotate a virtual camera around a 3D model of the G90. The left/right signal video feed is also of a better quality than I remember in the 2022 G80 I tried earlier.
- New sound system sounds very good - about identical to mine - although my Bluetooth volume was very low! I had to turn it up past half (50-60?) to get OK volume, nothing very loud. Same phone and song in my car? I'm listening at 1/4 to 1/3 of the volume for the same feel.
- Navigation directions come out of the driver's headrest speakers which is cool
- The car is very quiet, as it should be, but testing it on the highway and on regular roads I couldn't tell that it was any better than my G90. I had to check if active noise canceling was on, and it was, but I couldn't tell. My wife said it made her ears hurt, I had no problem with it. From memory, my "soundproofed" 2012 Sedan felt quieter, but I don't think many people would complain about noise levels in the 2023 G90.
- The heated and ventilated memory rear seats felt great, but they're almost identical to the ones in my car, outside of the material for the trim, and for the added leg rest for the rear-right seat. It's a welcome addition as the Equus had it, but I wish it also had the foot rest you get in Korea, along with the foot massage. That would have set this car above the competition.

- Having a touch screen in the back is fine, though I like that they kept high quality physical controls as well since they feel more expensive. The wireless charging area in the back is also nice. It keeps your phone safe, charged and partially out of sight.
- When driving, you can see the wide rear fenders in your side mirrors which is pretty cool. It gives it a nice, smooth, wide body look which I liked.
- The new adaptive cruise control is great, it shows cars around you like Teslas do and it keeps the lane at least as well as my car. I couldn't get it to change lanes automatically but I did see the animation so I'm sure in the right conditions it can do it. You also just need to touch the steering wheel to let it know you're still there, without needing to move it. I wish it had full autonomous driving but what can you do?

Cons
- NONE of the seats had any sort of massage function! I couldn't find it in any menu or button (Canada only?). The rear seats also didn't have the pillows I've seen in some reviews (I got third party ones for my G90 and now I think all big sedans should have them)
- This particular car didn't have any scent cartridges so that was a shame, but the button for the scent was there
- It has air suspension but I really couldn't tell the difference over rough surfaces (bad concrete/bumpy ice/snow). I thought maybe it smooths out tiny bumps like flat rough roads better than my car but that could be down to the softer winter tires it had on. Overall, I was hoping to see a massive difference in softness and firmness in sports mode but I couldn't really tell so the more expensive suspensions may not be worth it
- Sport mode, but nothing sporty about it. Despite having an e-supercharger, to me it felt very similar to the 3.5L TT engine in the previous G90 and G80. It works well in the G70 but in the big cars I still find it has a delayed pickup compared to the N/A V8 and at this point we have no real noise inside or outside, so they might as well go full electric for instant response and silent motors. In all modes you have a nice luxury floaty feel. I find the 2017 G90 can be surprisingly sporty and can sound great. Here's my V8 start for reference:

- New sound system, same sound? At first glance, listening to songs for about 30 min, same ones I had heard on the way to the dealership, I couldn't tell much of a difference except I had to turn the volume much higher in the new car.
- Interior materials are high end and overall I really like them, I like the engraved metal stuff, but I wish I wasn't forced to go with the carbon look. My wife didn't like that at all and it's used all over the place. The rounded edge rectangle is also used everywhere and I'm not sure I love it. It's ok but it seems very simple and it'll have to grow on me.

- Having rear controls is awesome, but I wish I could set destination and control more things beyond the media/volume/shades/seat. Voice commands could have easily been implemented
- The new exterior looks are debatable. You may love or like certain parts (I don't think anything looks bad). I think it looks great overall, but I question some choices like going away from continuous LED light strips in the front and not having the matching 2 line design along the front, side and rear (the rear lights not have an angled cut-off and a 3 or 4 strip look which doesn't match the sides and front)

- This is personal preference but I think the black winter wheels stink. They don't match the car, they don't look expensive like the ones on previous models, and they don't look cool like the summer options I've seen online. Maybe they look better on a black car?

- Personal preference again: I don't think the front lights are particularly "cool" like the ones on the 2017 model. Maybe they're meant to not look aggressive and they'll grow on me, but my first impression was that the simple pixelated look wasn't that impressive in person and I wish it were a solid white line like the G90 has (I feel like that has the best use the Genesis design language and proportions)

- While I think the powerplant for this is adequate and it is programmed to be smooth, I still noticed the same turbo lag as without the E-SC and a weird thing is the car keeps building speed when you let off the gas. When flooring it, it slowly builds up speed, turbos kick in, and if you let go at say, 80 kmph, it'll start getting off the power by 100-110 which can either be a problem or something to get used to. You can't give it little revs or anything like that, it pretty much smooths out pedal presses and either builds up power gradually, uses the turbos or does almost nothing. Great for a limo drive, not so great for controlled fun (I tried different modes including Sport, but not manual with paddle shifting).

Misc.
- It seems to be the same size as my 2017 G90. Interior feels the same size also, the seats are very similar minus the carbon trim instead of wood and different style of stitching in some areas. The seats recline but I kinda wish they reclined more as you're still seated up not really lying down, despite all the space you have in "rest" mode.
- The touch button on the steering wheel didn't bother me, I'm glad they went with physical controls as I find the all-screen models very cheap looking (get cheap displays + add software = design and manufacture nothing physical)
- It drives 100% like a luxury car and there's not much sporty about it as far as instant response and sporty sound, it's just not made for that so I guess it's OK but it's something to keep in mind
- I don't care for the UV disinfecting stuff, I would have rather had a cooler like the old Equus or trays like in the Maybach
- I wish I tested the voice commands but I forgot - I generally rely on simple car commands and my phone for navigation
- Great car if you don't already have a G90! If you do however, although most things have been improved a little or a lot (as Genesis tends to do, which I love), it may not be worth too big of a price difference.

I would say that the "cons" are only cons if you already own a fully loaded G90, or are comparing this new car to much more expensive new cars in its segment. At its price point and in its segment I don't think anything under $150k CAD is remotely similar (The G90 is around $115k here as pictured). It's a very good large luxury car that has some surprising features for its price point, but a the same time it lacks a couple of what I think would have set it on par or above the North American competition (foot rest, massage for 4 seats, cooler, trays, headrest pillows). The weirdest part is the US and Korean versions seem to have some of these things, but I can't get them in Canada.

 

[BruceR]

Alright so I did a test drive with the 2023 G90, Canadian e-SC version with rear wheel steering and air suspension, and I own a 2017 Ultimate so I tested them back-to-back. TLDR: although it's a great high-end luxury car, I don't see a reason to upgrade seeing as I paid 1/3 of what the new one costs. Here are my thoughts and some images (sorry it's winter so my car is dirty):

Pros
- Materials are great everywhere, from large surfaces to small areas you'll barely notice or touch (inside of dome lights, around switches, under the dash, etc.). Every button that in my car is soft rubber/plastic is metal now which feels more expensive. The door has nice materials from top to bottom, though again the very bottom seems to be soft plastic/vinyl. I don't mind it as the storage areas are wrapped in nice material inside and all soft surfaces are softer and more padded than in my car, which I like in a Bentley/RR type of car. There's also wireless phone charging in the front and back with nice places to safely hold large phones
View attachment 49766
View attachment 49765
- The large displays look nice, and I'm glad they added some physical bits to break things up. The interface and software performance are also good, I didn't have any problems. If something is hard to reach, there's the physical controls, and they've differentiated the gear change one from the media control one enough that you shouldn't get them mixed up. The lower center AC controls are mostly touch screen now and they're fine - they also have high quality physical controls for temps which I prefer.
- Automatic soft-closing doors are awesome and will impress your friends. Will they end up more of a gimmick? Maybe, but I liked them and I just wish they also opened all the way with sensors to keep them from hitting things. That would put them at the top of the class for a standard feature.
- Air suspension made a comeback and I like that you can raise/lower the car with the press of a button. It's especially nice when driving in the snow. (Also see cons)
- Rear wheel steering is standard and feels fine. When returning the car, I did a U-turn and out of habit I anticipated way more space than I needed. It turned really well at low speeds, and didn't feel any different when changing lanes on the highway. I think the reviewers were doing high speed turns and donuts, which of course throw people around as the back is going sideways.
- All cameras have a high enough resolution that all angles look great, especially the 3D view where you rotate a virtual camera around a 3D model of the G90. The left/right signal video feed is also of a better quality than I remember in the 2022 G80 I tried earlier.
- New sound system sounds very good - about identical to mine - although my Bluetooth volume was very low! I had to turn it up past half (50-60?) to get OK volume, nothing very loud. Same phone and song in my car? I'm listening at 1/4 to 1/3 of the volume for the same feel.
- Navigation directions come out of the driver's headrest speakers which is cool
- The car is very quiet, as it should be, but testing it on the highway and on regular roads I couldn't tell that it was any better than my G90. I had to check if active noise canceling was on, and it was, but I couldn't tell. My wife said it made her ears hurt, I had no problem with it. From memory, my "soundproofed" 2012 Sedan felt quieter, but I don't think many people would complain about noise levels in the 2023 G90.
- The heated and ventilated memory rear seats felt great, but they're almost identical to the ones in my car, outside of the material for the trim, and for the added leg rest for the rear-right seat. It's a welcome addition as the Equus had it, but I wish it also had the foot rest you get in Korea, along with the foot massage. That would have set this car above the competition.
View attachment 49767
- Having a touch screen in the back is fine, though I like that they kept high quality physical controls as well since they feel more expensive. The wireless charging area in the back is also nice. It keeps your phone safe, charged and partially out of sight.
- When driving, you can see the wide rear fenders in your side mirrors which is pretty cool. It gives it a nice, smooth, wide body look which I liked.
- The new adaptive cruise control is great, it shows cars around you like Teslas do and it keeps the lane at least as well as my car. I couldn't get it to change lanes automatically but I did see the animation so I'm sure in the right conditions it can do it. You also just need to touch the steering wheel to let it know you're still there, without needing to move it. I wish it had full autonomous driving but what can you do?

Cons
- NONE of the seats had any sort of massage function! I couldn't find it in any menu or button (Canada only?). The rear seats also didn't have the pillows I've seen in some reviews (I got third party ones for my G90 and now I think all big sedans should have them)
- This particular car didn't have any scent cartridges so that was a shame, but the button for the scent was there
- It has air suspension but I really couldn't tell the difference over rough surfaces (bad concrete/bumpy ice/snow). I thought maybe it smooths out tiny bumps like flat rough roads better than my car but that could be down to the softer winter tires it had on. Overall, I was hoping to see a massive difference in softness and firmness in sports mode but I couldn't really tell so the more expensive suspensions may not be worth it
- Sport mode, but nothing sporty about it. Despite having an e-supercharger, to me it felt very similar to the 3.5L TT engine in the previous G90 and G80. It works well in the G70 but in the big cars I still find it has a delayed pickup compared to the N/A V8 and at this point we have no real noise inside or outside, so they might as well go full electric for instant response and silent motors. In all modes you have a nice luxury floaty feel. I find the 2017 G90 can be surprisingly sporty and can sound great. Here's my V8 start for reference:

- New sound system, same sound? At first glance, listening to songs for about 30 min, same ones I had heard on the way to the dealership, I couldn't tell much of a difference except I had to turn the volume much higher in the new car.
- Interior materials are high end and overall I really like them, I like the engraved metal stuff, but I wish I wasn't forced to go with the carbon look. My wife didn't like that at all and it's used all over the place. The rounded edge rectangle is also used everywhere and I'm not sure I love it. It's ok but it seems very simple and it'll have to grow on me.
View attachment 49763
- Having rear controls is awesome, but I wish I could set destination and control more things beyond the media/volume/shades/seat. Voice commands could have easily been implemented
- The new exterior looks are debatable. You may love or like certain parts (I don't think anything looks bad). I think it looks great overall, but I question some choices like going away from continuous LED light strips in the front and not having the matching 2 line design along the front, side and rear (the rear lights not have an angled cut-off and a 3 or 4 strip look which doesn't match the sides and front)
View attachment 49760
- This is personal preference but I think the black winter wheels stink. They don't match the car, they don't look expensive like the ones on previous models, and they don't look cool like the summer options I've seen online. Maybe they look better on a black car?
View attachment 49761
- Personal preference again: I don't think the front lights are particularly "cool" like the ones on the 2017 model. Maybe they're meant to not look aggressive and they'll grow on me, but my first impression was that the simple pixelated look wasn't that impressive in person and I wish it were a solid white line like the G90 has (I feel like that has the best use the Genesis design language and proportions)
View attachment 49762
- While I think the powerplant for this is adequate and it is programmed to be smooth, I still noticed the same turbo lag as without the E-SC and a weird thing is the car keeps building speed when you let off the gas. When flooring it, it slowly builds up speed, turbos kick in, and if you let go at say, 80 kmph, it'll start getting off the power by 100-110 which can either be a problem or something to get used to. You can't give it little revs or anything like that, it pretty much smooths out pedal presses and either builds up power gradually, uses the turbos or does almost nothing. Great for a limo drive, not so great for controlled fun (I tried different modes including Sport, but not manual with paddle shifting).

Misc.
- It seems to be the same size as my 2017 G90. Interior feels the same size also, the seats are very similar minus the carbon trim instead of wood and different style of stitching in some areas. The seats recline but I kinda wish they reclined more as you're still seated up not really lying down, despite all the space you have in "rest" mode.
- The touch button on the steering wheel didn't bother me, I'm glad they went with physical controls as I find the all-screen models very cheap looking (get cheap displays + add software = design and manufacture nothing physical)
- It drives 100% like a luxury car and there's not much sporty about it as far as instant response and sporty sound, it's just not made for that so I guess it's OK but it's something to keep in mind
- I don't care for the UV disinfecting stuff, I would have rather had a cooler like the old Equus or trays like in the Maybach
- I wish I tested the voice commands but I forgot - I generally rely on simple car commands and my phone for navigation
- Great car if you don't already have a G90! If you do however, although most things have been improved a little or a lot (as Genesis tends to do, which I love), it may not be worth too big of a price difference.

I would say that the "cons" are only cons if you already own a fully loaded G90, or are comparing this new car to much more expensive new cars in its segment. At its price point and in its segment I don't think anything under $150k CAD is remotely similar (The G90 is around $115k here as pictured). It's a very good large luxury car that has some surprising features for its price point, but a the same time it lacks a couple of what I think would have set it on par or above the North American competition (foot rest, massage for 4 seats, cooler, trays, headrest pillows). The weirdest part is the US and Korean versions seem to have some of these things, but I can't get them in Canada.

this was great. Many thanks. I have a 2020 G90 ultimate that I love, with only about 18,000 miles. The lease expires in March, and I have been noodling over whether to trade it in for a 2023 or keep my 2020 Ultimate. I think I'll keep it. Great review, and thanks again

 

[BruceR]

this was great. Many thanks. I have a 2020 G90 ultimate that I love, with only about 18,000 miles. The lease expires in March, and I have been noodling over whether to trade it in for a 2023 or keep my 2020 Ultimate. I think I'll keep it. Great review, and thanks again

 

[XBOHDPuKC]

Alright so I did a test drive with the 2023 G90, Canadian e-SC version with rear wheel steering and air suspension, and I own a 2017 Ultimate so I tested them back-to-back. TLDR: although it's a great high-end luxury car, I don't see a reason to upgrade seeing as I paid 1/3 of what the new one costs. Here are my thoughts and some images (sorry it's winter so my car is dirty):

Pros
- Materials are great everywhere, from large surfaces to small areas you'll barely notice or touch (inside of dome lights, around switches, under the dash, etc.). Every button that in my car is soft rubber/plastic is metal now which feels more expensive. The door has nice materials from top to bottom, though again the very bottom seems to be soft plastic/vinyl. I don't mind it as the storage areas are wrapped in nice material inside and all soft surfaces are softer and more padded than in my car, which I like in a Bentley/RR type of car. There's also wireless phone charging in the front and back with nice places to safely hold large phones
View attachment 49766
View attachment 49765
- The large displays look nice, and I'm glad they added some physical bits to break things up. The interface and software performance are also good, I didn't have any problems. If something is hard to reach, there's the physical controls, and they've differentiated the gear change one from the media control one enough that you shouldn't get them mixed up. The lower center AC controls are mostly touch screen now and they're fine - they also have high quality physical controls for temps which I prefer.
- Automatic soft-closing doors are awesome and will impress your friends. Will they end up more of a gimmick? Maybe, but I liked them and I just wish they also opened all the way with sensors to keep them from hitting things. That would put them at the top of the class for a standard feature.
- Air suspension made a comeback and I like that you can raise/lower the car with the press of a button. It's especially nice when driving in the snow. (Also see cons)
- Rear wheel steering is standard and feels fine. When returning the car, I did a U-turn and out of habit I anticipated way more space than I needed. It turned really well at low speeds, and didn't feel any different when changing lanes on the highway. I think the reviewers were doing high speed turns and donuts, which of course throw people around as the back is going sideways.
- All cameras have a high enough resolution that all angles look great, especially the 3D view where you rotate a virtual camera around a 3D model of the G90. The left/right signal video feed is also of a better quality than I remember in the 2022 G80 I tried earlier.
- New sound system sounds very good - about identical to mine - although my Bluetooth volume was very low! I had to turn it up past half (50-60?) to get OK volume, nothing very loud. Same phone and song in my car? I'm listening at 1/4 to 1/3 of the volume for the same feel.
- Navigation directions come out of the driver's headrest speakers which is cool
- The car is very quiet, as it should be, but testing it on the highway and on regular roads I couldn't tell that it was any better than my G90. I had to check if active noise canceling was on, and it was, but I couldn't tell. My wife said it made her ears hurt, I had no problem with it. From memory, my "soundproofed" 2012 Sedan felt quieter, but I don't think many people would complain about noise levels in the 2023 G90.
- The heated and ventilated memory rear seats felt great, but they're almost identical to the ones in my car, outside of the material for the trim, and for the added leg rest for the rear-right seat. It's a welcome addition as the Equus had it, but I wish it also had the foot rest you get in Korea, along with the foot massage. That would have set this car above the competition.
View attachment 49767
- Having a touch screen in the back is fine, though I like that they kept high quality physical controls as well since they feel more expensive. The wireless charging area in the back is also nice. It keeps your phone safe, charged and partially out of sight.
- When driving, you can see the wide rear fenders in your side mirrors which is pretty cool. It gives it a nice, smooth, wide body look which I liked.
- The new adaptive cruise control is great, it shows cars around you like Teslas do and it keeps the lane at least as well as my car. I couldn't get it to change lanes automatically but I did see the animation so I'm sure in the right conditions it can do it. You also just need to touch the steering wheel to let it know you're still there, without needing to move it. I wish it had full autonomous driving but what can you do?

Cons
- NONE of the seats had any sort of massage function! I couldn't find it in any menu or button (Canada only?). The rear seats also didn't have the pillows I've seen in some reviews (I got third party ones for my G90 and now I think all big sedans should have them)
- This particular car didn't have any scent cartridges so that was a shame, but the button for the scent was there
- It has air suspension but I really couldn't tell the difference over rough surfaces (bad concrete/bumpy ice/snow). I thought maybe it smooths out tiny bumps like flat rough roads better than my car but that could be down to the softer winter tires it had on. Overall, I was hoping to see a massive difference in softness and firmness in sports mode but I couldn't really tell so the more expensive suspensions may not be worth it
- Sport mode, but nothing sporty about it. Despite having an e-supercharger, to me it felt very similar to the 3.5L TT engine in the previous G90 and G80. It works well in the G70 but in the big cars I still find it has a delayed pickup compared to the N/A V8 and at this point we have no real noise inside or outside, so they might as well go full electric for instant response and silent motors. In all modes you have a nice luxury floaty feel. I find the 2017 G90 can be surprisingly sporty and can sound great. Here's my V8 start for reference:

- New sound system, same sound? At first glance, listening to songs for about 30 min, same ones I had heard on the way to the dealership, I couldn't tell much of a difference except I had to turn the volume much higher in the new car.
- Interior materials are high end and overall I really like them, I like the engraved metal stuff, but I wish I wasn't forced to go with the carbon look. My wife didn't like that at all and it's used all over the place. The rounded edge rectangle is also used everywhere and I'm not sure I love it. It's ok but it seems very simple and it'll have to grow on me.
View attachment 49763
- Having rear controls is awesome, but I wish I could set destination and control more things beyond the media/volume/shades/seat. Voice commands could have easily been implemented
- The new exterior looks are debatable. You may love or like certain parts (I don't think anything looks bad). I think it looks great overall, but I question some choices like going away from continuous LED light strips in the front and not having the matching 2 line design along the front, side and rear (the rear lights not have an angled cut-off and a 3 or 4 strip look which doesn't match the sides and front)
View attachment 49760
- This is personal preference but I think the black winter wheels stink. They don't match the car, they don't look expensive like the ones on previous models, and they don't look cool like the summer options I've seen online. Maybe they look better on a black car?
View attachment 49761
- Personal preference again: I don't think the front lights are particularly "cool" like the ones on the 2017 model. Maybe they're meant to not look aggressive and they'll grow on me, but my first impression was that the simple pixelated look wasn't that impressive in person and I wish it were a solid white line like the G90 has (I feel like that has the best use the Genesis design language and proportions)
View attachment 49762
- While I think the powerplant for this is adequate and it is programmed to be smooth, I still noticed the same turbo lag as without the E-SC and a weird thing is the car keeps building speed when you let off the gas. When flooring it, it slowly builds up speed, turbos kick in, and if you let go at say, 80 kmph, it'll start getting off the power by 100-110 which can either be a problem or something to get used to. You can't give it little revs or anything like that, it pretty much smooths out pedal presses and either builds up power gradually, uses the turbos or does almost nothing. Great for a limo drive, not so great for controlled fun (I tried different modes including Sport, but not manual with paddle shifting).

Misc.
- It seems to be the same size as my 2017 G90. Interior feels the same size also, the seats are very similar minus the carbon trim instead of wood and different style of stitching in some areas. The seats recline but I kinda wish they reclined more as you're still seated up not really lying down, despite all the space you have in "rest" mode.
- The touch button on the steering wheel didn't bother me, I'm glad they went with physical controls as I find the all-screen models very cheap looking (get cheap displays + add software = design and manufacture nothing physical)
- It drives 100% like a luxury car and there's not much sporty about it as far as instant response and sporty sound, it's just not made for that so I guess it's OK but it's something to keep in mind
- I don't care for the UV disinfecting stuff, I would have rather had a cooler like the old Equus or trays like in the Maybach
- I wish I tested the voice commands but I forgot - I generally rely on simple car commands and my phone for navigation
- Great car if you don't already have a G90! If you do however, although most things have been improved a little or a lot (as Genesis tends to do, which I love), it may not be worth too big of a price difference.

I would say that the "cons" are only cons if you already own a fully loaded G90, or are comparing this new car to much more expensive new cars in its segment. At its price point and in its segment I don't think anything under $150k CAD is remotely similar (The G90 is around $115k here as pictured). It's a very good large luxury car that has some surprising features for its price point, but a the same time it lacks a couple of what I think would have set it on par or above the North American competition (foot rest, massage for 4 seats, cooler, trays, headrest pillows). The weirdest part is the US and Korean versions seem to have some of these things, but I can't get them in Canada.

Great review. A few clarifying points,

1. Headrest pillows are probably not installed - they came in the trunk in a sealed box. I pulled them out of the box and put them on the headrests. I am sure dealers don't do that for a reason.
2. Same thing with the fragrance cartridges - come in a sealed box, user installed.
3. I am confused about the lack of massaging seats - I understand that the US e-SC version and the only Canadian version are the same cars - all 4 seats have massage and IT IS GREAT. EDIT: Looks like CA version only has front massaging seats. First image is from US window label, 2nd - CA genesis website.





4. I think you get real wood stuff instead of the carbon fiber thing on a dune interior. Lack of detailed customization - that's Genesis to you - take it or leave it - probably part of the price difference with MB and the likes.
5. Agree on the air suspension - I am failing to see a marked difference - it's not that the car drives bad - it's probably I expected not to feel the road at all? Probably boils down to the inflated expectations lol.

 

[iSOBigD]

Great review. A few clarifying points,

1. Headrest pillows are probably not installed - they came in the trunk in a sealed box. I pulled them out of the box and put them on the headrests. I am sure dealers don't do that for a reason.
2. Same thing with the fragrance cartridges - come in a sealed box, user installed.
3. I am confused about the lack of massaging seats - I understand that the US e-SC version and the only Canadian version are the same cars - all 4 seats have massage and IT IS GREAT. EDIT: Looks like CA version only has front massaging seats. First image is from US window label, 2nd - CA genesis website.

View attachment 49778
4. I think you get real wood stuff instead of the carbon fiber thing on a dune interior. Lack of detailed customization - that's Genesis to you - take it or leave it - probably part of the price difference with MB and the likes.
5. Agree on the air suspension - I am failing to see a marked difference - it's not that the car drives bad - it's probably I expected not to feel the road at all? Probably boils down to the inflated expectations lol.

Good points, thank you. While I checked the trunk storage area, there was in fact a box in the trunk that I didn't open so that makes sense. They had just the one demo model but I was given a list of I think 4 cars available in Canada, and maybe some had the wood trim which some may prefer. (I loved what I saw in the LWB Korean model)

I think I also had big expectations when it came to air suspensions and to be clear, it's a really great riding car! It just didn't stand out compared to my existing car which I own.

When it comes to massaging, these are the buttons I had on the tester:


If someone is leasing their G90 and can pay the same for the new one, I think you might as well try it if you don't mind losing the sporty aspect. It is a really great car.

 

[leggy]

Alright so I did a test drive with the 2023 G90, Canadian e-SC version with rear wheel steering and air suspension, and I own a 2017 Ultimate so I tested them back-to-back. TLDR: although it's a great high-end luxury car, I don't see a reason to upgrade seeing as I paid 1/3 of what the new one costs. Here are my thoughts and some images (sorry it's winter so my car is dirty):

Pros
- Materials are great everywhere, from large surfaces to small areas you'll barely notice or touch (inside of dome lights, around switches, under the dash, etc.). Every button that in my car is soft rubber/plastic is metal now which feels more expensive. The door has nice materials from top to bottom, though again the very bottom seems to be soft plastic/vinyl. I don't mind it as the storage areas are wrapped in nice material inside and all soft surfaces are softer and more padded than in my car, which I like in a Bentley/RR type of car. There's also wireless phone charging in the front and back with nice places to safely hold large phones
View attachment 49766
View attachment 49765
- The large displays look nice, and I'm glad they added some physical bits to break things up. The interface and software performance are also good, I didn't have any problems. If something is hard to reach, there's the physical controls, and they've differentiated the gear change one from the media control one enough that you shouldn't get them mixed up. The lower center AC controls are mostly touch screen now and they're fine - they also have high quality physical controls for temps which I prefer.
- Automatic soft-closing doors are awesome and will impress your friends. Will they end up more of a gimmick? Maybe, but I liked them and I just wish they also opened all the way with sensors to keep them from hitting things. That would put them at the top of the class for a standard feature.
- Air suspension made a comeback and I like that you can raise/lower the car with the press of a button. It's especially nice when driving in the snow. (Also see cons)
- Rear wheel steering is standard and feels fine. When returning the car, I did a U-turn and out of habit I anticipated way more space than I needed. It turned really well at low speeds, and didn't feel any different when changing lanes on the highway. I think the reviewers were doing high speed turns and donuts, which of course throw people around as the back is going sideways.
- All cameras have a high enough resolution that all angles look great, especially the 3D view where you rotate a virtual camera around a 3D model of the G90. The left/right signal video feed is also of a better quality than I remember in the 2022 G80 I tried earlier.
- New sound system sounds very good - about identical to mine - although my Bluetooth volume was very low! I had to turn it up past half (50-60?) to get OK volume, nothing very loud. Same phone and song in my car? I'm listening at 1/4 to 1/3 of the volume for the same feel.
- Navigation directions come out of the driver's headrest speakers which is cool
- The car is very quiet, as it should be, but testing it on the highway and on regular roads I couldn't tell that it was any better than my G90. I had to check if active noise canceling was on, and it was, but I couldn't tell. My wife said it made her ears hurt, I had no problem with it. From memory, my "soundproofed" 2012 Sedan felt quieter, but I don't think many people would complain about noise levels in the 2023 G90.
- The heated and ventilated memory rear seats felt great, but they're almost identical to the ones in my car, outside of the material for the trim, and for the added leg rest for the rear-right seat. It's a welcome addition as the Equus had it, but I wish it also had the foot rest you get in Korea, along with the foot massage. That would have set this car above the competition.
View attachment 49767
- Having a touch screen in the back is fine, though I like that they kept high quality physical controls as well since they feel more expensive. The wireless charging area in the back is also nice. It keeps your phone safe, charged and partially out of sight.
- When driving, you can see the wide rear fenders in your side mirrors which is pretty cool. It gives it a nice, smooth, wide body look which I liked.
- The new adaptive cruise control is great, it shows cars around you like Teslas do and it keeps the lane at least as well as my car. I couldn't get it to change lanes automatically but I did see the animation so I'm sure in the right conditions it can do it. You also just need to touch the steering wheel to let it know you're still there, without needing to move it. I wish it had full autonomous driving but what can you do?

Cons
- NONE of the seats had any sort of massage function! I couldn't find it in any menu or button (Canada only?). The rear seats also didn't have the pillows I've seen in some reviews (I got third party ones for my G90 and now I think all big sedans should have them)
- This particular car didn't have any scent cartridges so that was a shame, but the button for the scent was there
- It has air suspension but I really couldn't tell the difference over rough surfaces (bad concrete/bumpy ice/snow). I thought maybe it smooths out tiny bumps like flat rough roads better than my car but that could be down to the softer winter tires it had on. Overall, I was hoping to see a massive difference in softness and firmness in sports mode but I couldn't really tell so the more expensive suspensions may not be worth it
- Sport mode, but nothing sporty about it. Despite having an e-supercharger, to me it felt very similar to the 3.5L TT engine in the previous G90 and G80. It works well in the G70 but in the big cars I still find it has a delayed pickup compared to the N/A V8 and at this point we have no real noise inside or outside, so they might as well go full electric for instant response and silent motors. In all modes you have a nice luxury floaty feel. I find the 2017 G90 can be surprisingly sporty and can sound great. Here's my V8 start for reference:

- New sound system, same sound? At first glance, listening to songs for about 30 min, same ones I had heard on the way to the dealership, I couldn't tell much of a difference except I had to turn the volume much higher in the new car.
- Interior materials are high end and overall I really like them, I like the engraved metal stuff, but I wish I wasn't forced to go with the carbon look. My wife didn't like that at all and it's used all over the place. The rounded edge rectangle is also used everywhere and I'm not sure I love it. It's ok but it seems very simple and it'll have to grow on me.
View attachment 49763
- Having rear controls is awesome, but I wish I could set destination and control more things beyond the media/volume/shades/seat. Voice commands could have easily been implemented
- The new exterior looks are debatable. You may love or like certain parts (I don't think anything looks bad). I think it looks great overall, but I question some choices like going away from continuous LED light strips in the front and not having the matching 2 line design along the front, side and rear (the rear lights not have an angled cut-off and a 3 or 4 strip look which doesn't match the sides and front)
View attachment 49760
- This is personal preference but I think the black winter wheels stink. They don't match the car, they don't look expensive like the ones on previous models, and they don't look cool like the summer options I've seen online. Maybe they look better on a black car?
View attachment 49761
- Personal preference again: I don't think the front lights are particularly "cool" like the ones on the 2017 model. Maybe they're meant to not look aggressive and they'll grow on me, but my first impression was that the simple pixelated look wasn't that impressive in person and I wish it were a solid white line like the G90 has (I feel like that has the best use the Genesis design language and proportions)
View attachment 49762
- While I think the powerplant for this is adequate and it is programmed to be smooth, I still noticed the same turbo lag as without the E-SC and a weird thing is the car keeps building speed when you let off the gas. When flooring it, it slowly builds up speed, turbos kick in, and if you let go at say, 80 kmph, it'll start getting off the power by 100-110 which can either be a problem or something to get used to. You can't give it little revs or anything like that, it pretty much smooths out pedal presses and either builds up power gradually, uses the turbos or does almost nothing. Great for a limo drive, not so great for controlled fun (I tried different modes including Sport, but not manual with paddle shifting).

Misc.
- It seems to be the same size as my 2017 G90. Interior feels the same size also, the seats are very similar minus the carbon trim instead of wood and different style of stitching in some areas. The seats recline but I kinda wish they reclined more as you're still seated up not really lying down, despite all the space you have in "rest" mode.
- The touch button on the steering wheel didn't bother me, I'm glad they went with physical controls as I find the all-screen models very cheap looking (get cheap displays + add software = design and manufacture nothing physical)
- It drives 100% like a luxury car and there's not much sporty about it as far as instant response and sporty sound, it's just not made for that so I guess it's OK but it's something to keep in mind
- I don't care for the UV disinfecting stuff, I would have rather had a cooler like the old Equus or trays like in the Maybach
- I wish I tested the voice commands but I forgot - I generally rely on simple car commands and my phone for navigation
- Great car if you don't already have a G90! If you do however, although most things have been improved a little or a lot (as Genesis tends to do, which I love), it may not be worth too big of a price difference.

I would say that the "cons" are only cons if you already own a fully loaded G90, or are comparing this new car to much more expensive new cars in its segment. At its price point and in its segment I don't think anything under $150k CAD is remotely similar (The G90 is around $115k here as pictured). It's a very good large luxury car that has some surprising features for its price point, but a the same time it lacks a couple of what I think would have set it on par or above the North American competition (foot rest, massage for 4 seats, cooler, trays, headrest pillows). The weirdest part is the US and Korean versions seem to have some of these things, but I can't get them in Canada.

One of the best owners' review. Thank you so much.

 

[XBOHDPuKC]

Yeah, they have wood trim on the dune interior. I don't dislike the carbon nor like the wood much more. Matter of preference, as always.

 

[iSOBigD]

Yeah, they have wood trim on the dune interior. I don't dislike the carbon nor like the wood much more. Matter of preference, as always.

The wife liked the dark interior, and although we had a black on black Genesis sedan in the past and I loved it, this "dune" interior just looks so good to me. I think it brightens things up and shows off details well.

 

[leggy]

I like light interiors better, they show better details and refreshing

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[XBOHDPuKC]

So on the air suspension... I thinks it works really nicely on a completely destroyed streets of Houston downtown - my usual drive on Austin street is usually bumpy - G90 handles it soooo much better than k900 AND previous 2017 G90. When I talk about "underwhelming" air suspension performance it's mostly on the highway at high speed - I guess I anticipated a total "magic carpet" ride. Now, what I haven't done yet is raising the car, since it lowers itself at high speed and see if that would make any difference.

 

[BruceR]

Has anyone traded from a G90 (ultimate) to a Genesis SUV?

 

[leggy]

You mean to GV80?

 

[BruceR]

You mean to GV80?

yes

 

[XBOHDPuKC]

yes

Well, I sat in it and test drove it, cause I seriously considered getting back in G90 or "growing into" an SUV - never had one. It's nice. Genesis nice. Like G80 nice, definitely not G90 nice. And it's humongous for my taste. I know funny from someone driving a G90 barge, but it was huge, and I was like, "nope, still not an SUV guy."

 

[BruceR]

Well, I sat in it and test drove it, cause I seriously considered getting back in G90 or "growing into" an SUV - never had one. It's nice. Genesis nice. Like G80 nice, definitely not G90 nice. And it's humongous for my taste. I know funny from someone driving a G90 barge, but it was huge, and I was like, "nope, still not an SUV guy."

Thanks. I'm not sure I'm an SUV guy, either! But the dealer wants to give me a ton of money if I trade my G90 in, and the price of the SUV is way lower than another G90. Just something I'm noodling over.

 

[XBOHDPuKC]

Thanks. I'm not sure I'm an SUV guy, either! But the dealer wants to give me a ton of money if I trade my G90 in, and the price of the SUV is way lower than another G90. Just something I'm noodling over.

That was definitely a consideration - 77 vs 99K is quite a significant chunk of money. I was looking at the Prestige trim - tons of them are about to show up mid-December. I am love car toys and now I am happy I didn't get swayed by GV80 cause HDA2 is an awesome toy - literally on a highway it's as close to riding without driving as it can get. I did not experience the "rough ride" as some claimed, but the ride was really nothing to write home about - definitely G90 feels so much more... umm... SOLID. And the stories about 1-2 year old GV80s plagued with the LSD and transmission problems completely spooked me.

So on a balance I went with the G90.

 

[Trixie86]

Thanks. I'm not sure I'm an SUV guy, either! But the dealer wants to give me a ton of money if I trade my G90 in, and the price of the SUV is way lower than another G90. Just something I'm noodling over.

So what are the 20s going for in trade?

 

[BruceR]

That was definitely a consideration - 77 vs 99K is quite a significant chunk of money. I was looking at the Prestige trim - tons of them are about to show up mid-December. I am love car toys and now I am happy I didn't get swayed by GV80 cause HDA2 is an awesome toy - literally on a highway it's as close to riding without driving as it can get. I did not experience the "rough ride" as some claimed, but the ride was really nothing to write home about - definitely G90 feels so much more... umm... SOLID. And the stories about 1-2 year old GV80s plagued with the LSD and transmission problems completely spooked me.

So on a balance I went with the G90.

thanks. I am still noodling this whole thing over

 

[XBOHDPuKC]

thanks. I am still noodling this whole thing over

Oh and I know people are all ah and oh about GV70... I actively dislike the interior, it's controls, layout and all that looks almost cartoonish to me. And OMG those exhaust pipes, seriously??? Anyway, G90 is stylish and classy, GV70 - cartoonish. G80 and GV80 are Genesis-okay.