Genesis G80

– Detroit, Michigan

It looks like Jake Holmes and I may have driven the very same Genesis G80 Sport – vehicle specification, driveline, color, and total price are all identical from our First Drive. Normally I would oppose doing two pieces of review content on a single VIN, but the fact is that Jake and I had two very different driving experiences. Our intrepid Senior Editor had the task of vetting the Sport’s sportiness on curving backroads and aggressive grades, while I piloted the Genesis for some thousand miles of sanguine Midwestern highway cruising.

I drove from Detroit to eastern Iowa (just over the Mississippi River) and I think that kind of trip is exactly where this well-realized luxury car is most at home.

Pros

The guys at the car wash dig it. I typically know that a new design is somewhat successful if the dudes down at the car wash are asking me about it – those guys see everything, and have earned our respect. In the case of the G80, they espoused positive reviews of the bold grille, and the unusual-but-cool Polar Ice paint hue. I agree on both points, and would go further to say that the Sport trim of the G80 is one of the most evocative designs in the segment right now.

Big six power. When I first heard that the G80 Sport would not be available with the 5.0-liter V8 engine that I love so much, I made a frowny face and scratched my head (which anyone will tell you, is just shy of my flying into a rage). But the application of the turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 a...