The 2025 Genesis G80 V6 costs way more than it should

When Genesis launched its stateside presence in 2016, it felt like we'd seen this movie before, at least those of us who remember how Lexus did it. The target was ultimately Germany, of course, because everyone knows the Germans make the best luxury cars, and the gameplan would be to capture some market share by offering surprisingly competitive products at sub-German prices.

A decade later, it's hard to argue with what Genesis has accomplished. I've personally been impressed by a long line of Genesis test cars, from the original DH-generation G80 sedan with its optional 5.0-liter V8 (bring it back!) to the G70 V6 sport sedan and both generations of the G90. These aren't just nice cars "for a Hyundai brand" — they're nice, period, leaving Lexus itself looking up at its Genesis rival in the full-size luxury sedan segment, for example.

But somewhere along the path to real market relevance, which has absolutely been achieved, Genesis seems to have deprioritized the value component. I've already reported on this in the case of the GV80 3.5T SUV, which has bizarrely become the most expensive six-cylinder model in its class.

Now I'm looking at the refreshed 2025 G80 midsize luxury sedan, which offers the same optional turbocharged V6 as the GV80. The good news for Genesis is that the G80 3.5T technically isn't the priciest model of its ilk.

The bad news? It's a close second.

The numbers, please

The table below mostly speaks for itself, but I should explain the criteria for being included in this group. The G80 3.5T is a midsize luxury sedan with a "performance engine," let's say, so that's the kind of car I'm looking for. Accordingly, I'm excluding lesser models like the base four-cylinder G80 2.5T and its various four-cylinder rivals. As it turns out, you gotta have six cylinders to play in this league.

Also, since the G80 comes standard with all-wheel drive, I'm making that a requirement, too, hence the addition of AWD to the CT5-V, which is rear-drive by default.

Right, let's take a look at the prices, and I'll throw in 0-60 acceleration and EPA combined fuel economy for kicks.

Like I said, the Genesis avoids the GV80 3.5T's fate of outright being the most expensive car in its class. Barely. Only the E450 starts higher than the G80 V6, which is easy to rationalize when you consider the Benz's superior acceleration and fuel economy, as well as the eerie smoothness of that turbo inline-6.

Indeed, the real problem for Genesis is that a case could be made for the superiority of most rivals on this list. The 540i, for example, comes off looking like a bargain with its almost unbelievable combination of thrust and efficiency, while the Cadillac gives up a lot of MPG but compensates with the lowest price of all, or second-lowest with AWD. By the way, you can save thousands more by simply specifying a very similar turbo V6 in the standard CT5.

I mean, think about that: Cadillac will sell you a refreshed 2025 CT5 with a 335-horsepower turbocharged V6 for $52,095, or $54,095 with AWD. And Genesis wants how much for the G80 V6? An extra $16-18k? What is going on?

Moving along, the A6 55 TFSI certainly errs on the side of understatement, if anything, but its refinement is impeccable, and it beats the G80 V6's fuel economy by a wide margin. Its 335-horsepower 3.0 TFSI turbo V6, moreover, has serious bona fides, also serving duty in world-class machines like the S4, the Q8 and the base Porsche Cayenne.

As for the TLX Type S, its cramped backseat stands out as a limiting factor in such esteemed company, but the numbers don't lie. It beats the Genesis in acceleration and fuel economy for $11k less.

It's just weird, right? If the G80 3.5T were $10-12k cheaper, it would be easy to defend. That price point would pit it against the Acura and the CT5-V, which feels about right, while undercutting the Germans by thousands.

Instead, it's damn near the least affordable of them all, despite having the worst fuel economy and the second-slowest acceleration. What's more, its pricing was established well before Trump's tariff adventure began.

I can't make sense of it. Hyundai's ostensibly value-oriented luxury brand has dramatically overpriced this car, and not shockingly, it doesn't appear to be working.

Why is the 2025 G80 3.5T so expensive?

I wish I knew, but one thing I can tell you is that the G80, like the GV80 SUV, received a significant refresh for 2025. Most notably, a new 27-inch widescreen infotainment interface is now perched atop the dash. It's a cool piece of kit, to be sure, and Genesis isn't going to give away such enhancements for free.

But the 2025 G80 V6 costs a whopping $5,350 more than the 2024 version, and that's not solely down to the refresh. Genesis also did away with the base 3.5T Sport trim for 2025, which was the one that cost $64,250 in 2024. This year, the base model is the 3.5T Sport Advanced, an optional upgrade last year that packages various niceties like tri-zone climate control, 21-speaker Lexicon audio and a surround-view camera.

So there's no doubt that you're getting more stuff for 2025. But that's not especially comforting when the G80 V6's new starting price makes it arguably the worst value in its segment.

MotorDonkey says

I remain flabbergasted by the facts presented above, even though I'm the one doing the presenting. It's as if Genesis priced this car based on the proverbial finger in the wind. A cursory glance at the comparison table I put together would, I think, give anyone misgivings about starting the G80 V6 near $70k.

Honestly, last year's $64,250 starting price was too high already. The G80 is still the new kid on the block, fighting for respect just like the midsize Lexus GS back in the day. I guarantee you Lexus did not charge E-Class or 5 Series prices for the second-generation GS. And competitively speaking, the G80 V6 — a mid-pack performer at best — isn't on the same level as the sublime V8-powered GS 430.

Now, these perplexing Genesis price hikes may ultimately be forgotten as the market shifts more toward EVs, because the Hyundai empire has a big head start in electrification. It's much harder for the legacy brands to separate themselves when they can't point to internal-combustion tradecraft under the hood.

But since we're not there yet, a bit of free advice: Genesis may need to slap a 10- or 15-percent discount on the G80 3.5T if it really wants to move some metal. ⛐ md