Considering a '22 G70 3.3T RWD SP. Have several questions.

[JCtx]

Hey gang, the EV experiment didn't quite work for us, so will sell our immaculate 2021 Tesla M3 LR, and plan to buy the G70 instead. Hope to get some answers here
1. How quiet it is inside the cabin at 70-80 cruising speed? Feel free to compare it to any car you want, or simply in your own terms. I know it's not going to be S-class quiet, but maybe against the G80. I test-drove a '21 G80, and it wasn't as quiet as I expected, but acceptable. I'm afraid the G70 will be noisier, but hopefully still tolerable, especially over rough asphalt. I also have a '21 Palisade that is very quiet on smooth asphalt, but borderline intolerable over rough one. I don't want the car any noisier than the Pali.
2. Can somebody verify the 3.3T engine has solid valve lifters, meaning 60K-mile valve check/adjustment needed? That's a bummer, and a straight cost-cutting measure, as there's ZERO justification for them with a paltry 6,250 rpm redline. My Palisade is the same. Hope that's not the case, but maybe not a deal-breaker. But a big detraction, at least. Does anybody know if the 3.5T is the same? Thanks.
3. What kind of LSD (differential) does the SP 3.3T have? Is it a clutch-type, or Torsen? Hopefully the latter, but doubt it, since it's not mentioned. I know it's fully mechanical, which is fine with me. But they just become open over time, due to spring pressure loss, and/or clutch wear.
4. Any other comments welcome. At least I expect it to be more or less free of major defects, since it's on its 5th year already. But any new stuff could be problematic, like the half-a$$ hybrid dash. Ha ha. Hopefully the HUD displays blind-spot info, like the Pali. Thanks guys.

EDIT. Forgot about this one, that my wife is asking: 5. Is it safe to use regular fuel with the 3.3T? I think it's recommended, vs required, but curious if you can still drive the car normally (albeit with less power), meaning also being able to floor it if needed. And if no pinging, knocking, or any other undesirable behavior. My ex-F150 3.5L Platinum also said premium recommended, but ran like crap with regular, so always had to use premium. The issue where I live is it's 60 to 70 freaking cents over regular, rather than the 10 to 20 cents I've seen elsewhere. Thanks gang.

 

[Slip_Angle]

Good questions.

1. The Sport trim G70 will be louder than lesser trims due to the summer compound tires. I have a G70 3.3T with the 18" all seasons and I find the road noise to be really good as compared to previous cars - Acura ILX and Cadillac ATS.

2. Valve check is every 60K but I've never heard of anyone having theirs adjusted on the 3.3T and there are tons of people with well over 60k. Any engine issue would be around GDI and carbon build up but again, I've heard no issues even when people see the build up.

3. LSD is multiplate, though again if you get a lesser trim and AWD you can skip it. That's what I did because I didn't see the need for it with AWD. With AWD you can tune it easily and get big power that can be put to the ground. (If you want that)

4. The G70 won't have the same rear seat leg room as most other cars, which can be a limiting factor for some.

 

[csu87]

He answered 2 and 3 for you so no need to rehash.

Road noise comparable to the 3 series and audi s4 i drove at highway speeds. Similar noise as a '21 Lexus LX450 my parents have. Obviously the tire and road conditions will make that better or worse.

Rear seat leg room comparable to my 3 series i sold, but it was an older version. i think the newer 3 series has maybe an inch more space. But i have yet to have an issue with space with 4 adults in the car. Only people that have complained were old people with knee issues.

HUD is nice and will display most the info you need to drive.

 

[JCtx]

Thank you very much for the great info; greatly appreciate it. I forgot to ask my wife's question about regular fuel (I just edited my initial post, and added that as #5), so hopefully somebody else will address it later.

Great to hear the road noise shouldn't be too bad. Great point about the summer tires. Forgot about that. Don't understand why freaking summer tires on this car, vs maybe ultra high performance A/Ss, which would be more than enough, but at least that's easily remedied at tire change time. I'd use the aforementioned A/S category, which would be more than enough for this vehicle IMO. Maybe the excellent Conti DWS, or similar. I'm going to check sizes later, after that excellent comment.

The rear seat space is not an issue for us, since we're empty nesters. And my 2 daughters are 5'4" and 5'5" anyway, so not a problem. Ha ha. What could be a problem is the paltry 11 cu ft of trunk space, so those seats will probably always be folded on trips. Even the G80's trunk is ridiculously small for its size, at only 15 cu ft; that was the reason I didn't buy it last year (was ready to take it home that day, but wife said no. Ha ha), and bought a Pali Calligraphy instead.

Finally, I posted a thread over the powertrain forum, to see how many have checked the valves, and if they needed adjustment. I honestly don't plan to keep the car that long anyway, so not a deal-breaker, but I'm baffled of such stupid decisions from manufacturers. Just checked, and turns out BOTH G70 engines need valve adjustment check at 60K miles, so I'm suspecting even the new 2.5T and 3.5T might be the same (and maybe all others too). Oh well. Thanks again guys. Looks like although not the perfect vehicle (none is), it's pretty much the best I can hope for, since a sports car just doesn't make sense. Just hope it can use regular fuel, so wife is happy. Ha ha.

 

[Slip_Angle]

87 octane is required, 91 recommended. In a higher heat environment, you may see performance loss. I see you are in Texas, so I assume it gets pretty hot. In my climate 90% of the time, there is no perceivable power difference.

In terms of tires, also consider the aspect ratio. The 19 inch sport tires have a smaller sidewall and thus not as much comfort as the 18s.

The valve thing is really a non issue. I've been on the forums and FB groups for the G70 and Stinger for 3.5 years and no one has ever mentioned it.

The G70 is a really great car and the vast majority of owners really love it. Very few issues, regardless of the year.

Edit: Why did you get rid of the Tesla?

 

[JCtx]

Thank you. If power figures are with premium, there will always be a power loss with less octane; it's just the way it is. Having said that, it shouldn't be that noticeable unless maybe at WOT. And yes, it gets pretty hot here in the desert. Ha ha.

My issue with summer tires is the NOISE. But yes, the ride is harsher as the aspect ratio gets smaller. Hope the SP is not that bad, but read on reviews that it's on the sporty side, even in comfort suspension mode. I like a firm but compliant ride, so hope it's not too bad in comfort mode, so my wife doesn't object on trips. I want to be able to drive the car on trips, rather than just sitting in the garage. That's why I'm not buying a sports car anymore. Oh, and I'd replace the summer tires with ultra high-performance A/S ones, which are more than enough for that car IMO. They'd last significantly longer, plus should be significantly quieter as well. And offer better grip in most situations as well.

I will get rid of the Tesla, which I still have. It's a very nice car, super quick, and actually drives incredibly well, especially the steering (even though it's super quick -1.9 turns lock to lock). But it still has too many negatives, at least for us. One daughter lives where there are no superchargers, so I'd have to detour 155 miles (so 585 vs 430), if I wanted to drive the Tesla. Or drive at 55 mph max, and maybe arrive in 'fumes'. No freaking way. The other lives in Austin, where you have to wait HOURS to charge the stupid car. Plus they don't have the range you think. Tesla says 353 miles, but it's literally impossible to get that. You'd have to do it at 68-deg, and 45 mph. A/C or heat decrease range noticeably. Highway driving is WAY more inefficient. And winter driving even more so. The range of my car in winter is about 200 miles max, but you obviously need to charge before that. So almost half of the advertised range. In summer, but with A/C, about the same. Without HVAC on, at highway speeds (80), and no head wind and mostly flat, about 250 max. It's more of a city car. Finally, we're not fans of its idiosyncrasies, so we might get another after the G70, but probably a main-stream one, like an Ionic5, Kona, etc, which resemble a typical car, but just without the gas engine. The good news is that I should at least break even, hence doing it. Mine was $49K, and now are $59K, with delivery at least by Dec 2022. I should be able to get the $53K I have on it, since they're advertised close to 60 at AutoTrader. And mine is immaculate, bought it with 0 miles, and has always been garaged. If I get the $53K in trade, I'd do it immediately. If not, then I'll sell it privately. Also waiting for a quote from Vroom. Carvana offered 51.5. The other issue would be to find a G70. Both El Paso and ALB have ZERO inventory right now. And I meant no cars at all; nothing. That's crazy. Found one in Peoria, which is owned by the ALB one, so that could be an option. It's just the more expensive white (which need to confirm is not bluish), but has the sandstone interior, and it's RWD, so exactly what I'm looking for ($51,440 MSRP). We'll see. Waiting for a trade-in figure. Apparently no more 2022s, so need to ask salesman when the next ones are coming.

 

[JCtx]

Hey guys, has anybody here seen both alta white and uyuni white? And is alta non-metallic, like I suspect? How about uyuni? Is it a metallic, or a tri-coat? Hopefully somebody knows. I wanted the plain white with sandstone interior. Did a search, and there's absolutely no 3.3T SP available nationwide, except an uyuni with sandstone, which happens to be RWD, so almost a perfect match. But it's 450 miles away, in Peoria. It might be sold already, for all I know, but will call tomorrow, and see what they say. And how much they want to offer for my Tesla.

If that car doesn't materialize, it might take a while for more to arrive, as I read '22 production is done already. Does anybody know if that's the case? Thanks gang.

 

[csu87]

I have the uyuni white. Its more of a pearl white.

i had to travel ~1k miles to get my car last year. but in most cases it can be worth it to look outside your home area. closest one to me in the color combo i wanted was ~600 miles and the one i ended up getting was a better deal and a much cheaper flight to get.

if youre using cars.com, it doesnt quite show all the genesis dealer's inventory. I searched flights 1st to see what cities would be cheap, then googled dealers in those cities. More work, but the car i ended up getting wasnt shown on any of the national inventory searches.

 

[JCtx]

Thank you for the info. Well, just called Peoria, and car is sold already. Apparently they're not removed from dealers' inventory quick enough. A search thru the Genesis site only reveals one left in San Antonio (575 miles away), but it's blue/black, so not an option. It doesn't say how many miles Genesis is searching; does anybody know? And yes, I know other sites can't be trusted with inventory, but other than Genesis's site, that's all I have left to use. By the way, I used autotrader.com, but will use cars.com too. I was looking at cars within 500 miles, so I could potentially drive my Tesla, and trade it in, but since that didn't work, will have to sell it first, and then expand the area, to possibly 1K miles, just like you did. However, I need to find out if a report somewhere on this forum that no more 2022s is correct, as I don't want to sell the Tesla, and having to wait months for a 2023 with no 2nd car. Any idea where I can get that info? Would calling Genesis be of any help? Thanks guys.

One more question, if you don't mind: How does the active exhaust work? Do you have independent control of it, or it's strictly handled by drive modes? If the latter, when does it open? Only in sport, and all the time? Or is it how hard you accelerate? Or rpm dependent? And how about any drone when it's on? My wife might not like that, so curious how it works. Oh, and same question for the adjustable suspension, but on that one, I know there's no independent control, unfortunately. But curious when it switches, and how noticeable the change is. Thank you guys.

 

[Aquineas]

The G80 is much quieter than the G70. All Genesis models that I've driven are much quieter on smooth roads; it's almost like they don't have a lot of sound insulation in the trunk and wheel wells (well, there is no sound insulation whatsoever in and around the spare).

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[jetrep]

I agree with others...the G80 is noticeably quieter than the G70. I could swear the new G70 I test drove was quieter than my 2019 Sport. I never gave it much thought it does seem likely the sportier tires are the reason. The G70 is not as quiet as our Santa Fe (probably similar to your Palisade) but it's not unreasonably loud by any means. I see it as a trade off between weight and noise. The G70 is a lot more fun to drive than the G80.

I'm not all that impressed with the adjustable suspension on the sport pack on my 2019. I find the different settings to be barely noticeable. They may have improved this on newer models.

LSD equipped vehicles have clutch pack style units. They require fluid change ever 36k miles. the Interval is longer for open diffs.

I too was a bit surprised to see the engine has solid lifters but it doesn't bother me. I have an BMW with hydraulic lifter that likes to tick. It's irritating.

I run premium fuel much of the time (3.3TT) but just filled with 87. It runs just fine and still produces plenty of power. I'm guessing it won't be noticeable unless flooring it.

 

[JCtx]

Great info; thank you very much. Yeah, I expected the G70 to be noisier than the G80, so not surprised there. The good news is once you ditch the summer tires, it should be quieter. Seems reasonable to assume maybe like the Pali at best. We haven't driven the Santa Fe Calligraphy yet, but we plan to trade the Pali for the SF, so my wife can drive that, and I can keep the G70 . She drives the Tesla now, although I use it too. It's a different experience, but it's nice to have a super quick car that makes no noise. Ha ha. The steering is superb, and the car actually drives really nice, and tight. But the charging is a PITA, and still not ready for prime time, so we'll probably get another one after the Santa Fe or G70 (depending how much I like it. Ha ha). Still can't find any as of today. Waiting for info from an ALB dealer.

 

[Volfy]

The 87 vs 91/93 thing has been argued till tempers flare and veins pop. It seems no matter how much technical info is presented, some folks just had their minds made up and NOTHING will convince them otherwise.

IMO, the best way to resolve it is for you yourself to do a true blind test. That is, from near empty tank, have someone else fill up, say 1/2 tankful of gas, don't tell you if it's 87 or 93, and have you drive it they way you usually drive, til near empty again. Repeat the test with another 1/2 tankful - 87 or 93 - as many times as you wish. Costs nothing, or very little, to do this experiment. You are not going to do any harm to the engine. If that was the case, Genesis would have made it absolutely clear NOT to use regular gas... none of this "Premium fuel recommended" tacit encouragement.

Lots of folks swear up and down they could tell a difference, but they themselves filled up and knew what's in the tank. The mind has a way of confirming what we tend to believe. Happens on every test drive right after somebody paid good money to do a mod on their car.

 

[Snowwolfe]

I thoroughly am enjoying my G70. Plenty of power and luxury and handles pretty good. Last time I filled up used 87 and couldn’t tell much of a difference. I was cruising on the interstate and it was 55F.
If you need warranty service don’t expect the quality Genesis promises.

 

[JCtx]

I didn't ask if I could feel the difference between regular and premium, because I'm pretty sure I would. Ha ha. But probably only if pushing the engine hard. What I asked is if the engine runs well with regular, including having to floor it if needed (although I'd only do it if really needed). It's obvious it has to make more power with premium, since it's recommended, meaning the ECU can adjust the timing.

I've been searching for vehicles, and absolutely nothing. And dealers don't return calls, so not a good sign.

 

[Husky]

Regarding your question about the ride and suspension firmness. I think it's great for a DD sport sedan. I live in an area (NH) with plenty of bumps, frost heaves and generally crappy secondary roads and my wife and I both think it does well - much less jarring than my previous BMW 3 series models, but is still pleasingly firm and handles nicely. I don't have the adjustable suspension, but most people seem to feel that it's not needed. The standard "sport" suspension (I have the 2019 Design edition) strikes a nice balance.
Also, as previously mentioned, the sidewall with the 18" wheels provides a more comfortable ride with less chance of wheel damage from potholes.
I've always been a car fanatic, and have some much sportier, more expensive cars and I'm still totally pleased with the G70. We haven't found the trunk size to be an issue.
Good luck in your search.

 

[Volfy]

I didn't ask if I could feel the difference between regular and premium, because I'm pretty sure I would. Ha ha. But probably only if pushing the engine hard. What I asked is if the engine runs well with regular, including having to floor it if needed (although I'd only do it if really needed). It's obvious it has to make more power with premium, since it's recommended, meaning the ECU can adjust the timing.

Octane, or AKI (anti-knock index), measures the fuel's ability to resist knock. Knock or pinging occurs when the Peak Cylinder Pressure (and resultant temperature) exceeds the fuel's AKI. If you operate the engine such that PCP does not get anywhere near high enough to exceed the AKI of the fuel that is in your tank, then having any higher AKI makes ZERO difference.

For most drivers in daily driving, piloting solo, lighted loaded, in moderate climate and level terrain, the likelihood of PCP high enough to push near threshold of knock is unlikely. Filling up with 91/93 might make you feel better, but in reality it does nothing. Is it not worth paying for? Depends. Plenty of folks pay for insurance policy they never use. Is that a waste of money? Only the person standing in front of the pump with a credit card can decide that. Maybe in the middle of that tankful, you might get challenged by an M3, and you need to smash the loud pedal, going up steep hill, in 105F ambient temp and 90%RH, with a cabin full of your buddies egging you on for the drag race... yeah, that 93 Octane and the extra 5HP would probably be a good idea.

I've got another AutoX this coming weekend, so when I run the tank near empty in the middle of this week, I'll fill up with 1/2 tank of 93. After Sunday, back to 87. I have no interest in street heroics. But that's just me. Everybody needs to decide that for themselves.

 

[JCtx]

Glad to hear the car drives nicely with regular fuel. Thank you very much for the confirmation. And yes, the car has enough power with regular (even if it's more like 20HP difference, which I think is the case), so no need for premium indeed. Thanks again. Just have to wait for one; not available anywhere close to me for now.

 

[JCtx]

Just wanted to close this thread with an update. Put a $1K deposit on a G70 3.3T SP RWD alta white/sandstorm gray ($52,225 MSRP) on Wednesday, to replace a 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR. And another $1K deposit on a Santa Fe Calligraphy FWD, to replace the 2021 Palisade Calligraphy. Sold both cars to GMTV for $56,500 and $52,000 respectively, which was a hell of a price on both. I made $3,500 overall on the Tesla, and broke even on the Palisade, and that's with all taxes and accessories included (paid MSRP for both). So will have about 5 grand left after buying those 2, and about 4 grand left after buying accessories and tint, so not bad . That's good for about a month of gas, no? Ha ha. Thank you for all your input. Looking forward to getting both vehicles.