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In my extended family, we pass cars around quite a bit. One that we owned for seven years was a Genesis 2018 G80 Ultimate AWD. Bigger than life, crazy V8 engine. Lots to like. We all came to appreciate the G80’s strengths, and its few weaknesses were manageable for many years. We recently traded it in for a compact crossover because the drivers of it felt it was too large to be practical. More on that in a moment.
This past week, we had a new 2025 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD. This is the top trim now, and it has a price of $71,600. We loved the new version, and we felt a comparison to the old would be more interesting than a nuts and bolts review, so read on if you want to hear what we think of progress.
2018 G80 Ultimate vs. Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD - Powertrain
The Ultimate packed a 5-liter V8. Is there any substitute? Yes, we loved the 3.5T just as much. Even better, it got about 4 MPG better fuel economy. We observed 24 MPG in our testing. We never missed the V8 in any scenario except the occasional wide-open road launch. Even so, the 3.5T packs plenty of punch. We’d call the new powertrain a slight improvement, given the better economy.
2018 G80 Ultimate vs. Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD - Interior & Infotainment
The new G80 is even more plush than our 2018. One of the reasons we got rid of the 2018 Genesis was that the infotainment was confusing to the daily drivers. The new 2025 is much better. Overall, the interior is better in many small ways. Advantage 2025.
2018 G80 Ultimate vs. Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD - Ride
Our 2018 had a fantastic ride, literally among the best vehicles we had ever tested. The 2025 matches this, and improves on it a smidge. Tie. If you like comfort, this car cannot be beaten.
2018 G80 Ultimate vs. Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD - Size
Both are waaay too big for practical use. Hard to park, hard to judge curbs, hard to drive in tight spaces. Genesis you need to cut a foot off each end. This is a “midsize?” No, it’s huge. What may be best is a new model called “G75.” We like the G70, but it feels a bit tight.
2018 G80 Ultimate vs. Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD - Economics
Our G80 Ultimate was $57K new in 2018. Inflation-adjusted, that comes to about $72,818. So, the G80’s top trim has gotten a bit more affordable over the past seven years. When we traded our low-mileage G80, we got $21,500 for it from the very nice people at Subaru. We felt that was a great deal, and value retention matters to us. Over seven years of ownership, the G80 cost our family about $35,500 in depreciation or about $5K per year. Very good in our opinion.
Should you Buy The 2025 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD
The 2025 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD will appeal to an owner who wants supreme luxury, great power, a soft and comfortable ride, and a modern infotainment system. If you are a shopper who also wants the vehicle to retain its value, you can’t go wrong with the Genesis G80.
John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ grammar and punctuation software when proofreading and he also uses image generation tools.
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