Interactive Review: 2020 Genesis G90 5.0 Ultimate

[William Maley]

First off, sorry for not posting an interactive review last week. My day job kept me busy and I needed some time to recharge. Nevertheless, you'll be hearing more about the Lexus RC F and its yellow paint color in a few weeks time as a quick drive review. In the meantime, let me introduce to latest vehicle to enter C&G's Detroit garage, the 2020 Genesis G90 5.0 Ultimate.

This packs a 5.0L V8 engine with 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic. My test car is rear-wheel drive, but you can order all-wheel drive. The Ultimate brings everything to the G90, minus the kitchen sink. There is power-adjustable rear seats with memory; power window shades, 12-3-inch infotainment system, adaptive cruise control with stop and go; and much more. Price? $76,695 with a $995.00 freight charge. 

Now this weeklong evaluation didn't get off to the best of starts. I got a flat tire on the first night as I was driving home from an errand. I don't know if I picked up a nail or something in the tire, but it had to be replaced. A big thank you goes out to Driveshop (the company who is providing all of these vehicles for this run) and Suburban Genesis and Hyundai for getting this done in about a day.

Once over that, here are some first impressions.

• I can't help but think of the Lincoln Contiental with the G90's design in terms of the profile and certain design touches.
• The large diamond shape grille doesn't look as comical as it does in pictures. But I can see it being a point of contention.
• I do wish Genesis had added the 12.3-inch digital cluster that will be going into the upcoming G80 and GV80.
• V8 is very smooth and quiet, though the twin-turbo V6 is slightly quicker.

I'll have more updates throughout the next few days, barring any other sort of incident. In the meantime, if you have questions, drop them below and I'll do my best to answer them.

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[riviera74]

Impressive.  Too bad Cadillac prematurely killed off the CT6 after only three years.

Also, too bad the G90 (fka Equus) did not come out about 15 years ago.  Probably would have given a lot of luxury makes a run for their money.  Now the GV80 (and presumably a GV90 and GV70) will have to do just that.

[ocnblu]

No need to apologize.  We appreciate your continued commitment to the site.  The G90 is a massive car, old school in the very best way.  It's the type of car missed by Lincoln and Cadillac owners of yore.

[G. David Felt]

WOW, The American brands need to pay attention to this car. European needs to watch as this is hot.

Normal questions from the Sasquatch of the site.

• Headroom, hip room and Leg room for tall large people?
• Is the dash intuitive?
• Seat's, comfy lazy boy style, Ricardo racer style or somewhere in between?
• Road and wind noise, just how quiet is it?

[smk4565]

There is a shortage of big, comfortable cars since most are the sport sedan so I think this will have appeal to those that want a traditional American luxury car, even though this isn’t American.  This sort of sits alone in the market but I don’t know if there are enough buyers left for this sort of vehicle.

[USA-1]

Ugh that polarizing front-end and grille, every time I see it it looks worse. The back quarter view and rear end definitely have that Lincoln Continental vibe. Such a basic cheap looking steering wheel for a luxury car. I can't see them moving many of these here in the U.S.

[A Horse With No Name]

It is a good looking car. Looking forward to seeing the Lexus.

[Robert Hall]

Largish RWD sedan w/ a 5.0 V8...this is exactly the sort of sedan Lincoln needs....

[riviera74]

3 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Largish RWD sedan w/ a 5.0 V8...this is exactly the sort of sedan Lincoln needs....

Cadillac needs it more, especially since the Lexus LS went V6 a few years back (see LS500 vs. LS460).

[Robert Hall]

6 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

Cadillac needs it more, especially since the Lexus LS went V6 a few years back (see LS500 vs. LS460).

Yeah..Cadillac needs a CT6 replacement...but it probably will be an EV.     

[balthazar]

12 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Yeah..Cadillac needs a CT6 replacement...

Yep. Wonder if the ‘CT8’ is still on track.

[William Maley]

On 9/19/2020 at 8:33 PM, David said:

• Headroom, hip room and Leg room for tall large people?
• Is the dash intuitive?
• Seat's, comfy lazy boy style, Ricardo racer style or somewhere in between?
• Road and wind noise, just how quiet is it?

1. I think basketball players will have no issue with space in the G90. The back seat is massive with plenty of head and legroom. And if you're sitting behind the front passenger seat, you can move it forward to increase legroom. (Note, the front seat has to be empty)
2. Very much so. I do wish the touchscreen for infotainment system wasn't pushed as far back.
3. More lazyboy style, which is appropriate for this type of car. 
4. Very quiet. You may hear a slight hum of tire if you're on a rough stretch of road.

[Drew Dowdell]

Ooooh, this is one I’ve wanted to get in. They’ll depreciate like mad, so maybe in a few years.

[smk4565]

22 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Ooooh, this is one I’ve wanted to get in. They’ll depreciate like mad, so maybe in a few years.

Probably when 3 years old these will be $30k, which will be a great deal.

[ykX]

10 hours ago, smk4565 said:

Probably when 3 years old these will be $30k, which will be a great deal.

True, unlike 4 year old Mercedes S-class that from 120k drops to 40k but still crappy buy because will cost a fortune to repair.

[William Maley]

Final thoughts as the G90 drives away from me today:

• I'll admit I was surprised that I got 24.7 mpg in the G90 5.0 for the week. I double checked the figure I got with the 3.3T AWD from 2018 and that landed around 20.3. Think a bit of highway driving helped in this case.
• Handling is not a strong suit of the G90. But it does provide an excellent demonstration of Neuton's for every reaction, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
• I found myself using the standard home screen and not the CarPlay one. The new infotainment system used in Genesis and Hyundai vehicles is a real step forward in terms of design.
• Wondering when the next-generation G90 is expected...