After exclusively driving EVs for the past three months, I’ve finally switched back to an all-gas powered car for a week. The Genesis GV80 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV with extravagant features I haven’t come across in most of the EVs I’ve tested, including the Genesis GV60 and Cadillac Lyriq.
With a starting price of $57,700 for the base 2.5T Standard AWD trim, it’s definitely on the pricier side — but the one I actually drove for a week, the 2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T AWD Prestige, balloons up to a starting cost of $79,300. It’s grossly overpriced, but with most luxury cars, there are reasons that justify their cost.
Of course, going back to all-gas is a sobering experience on its own, like how it doesn’t have the same instant acceleration. I don't often get the chance to check out luxury cars, which makes me more attuned to what they offer that you don’t typically see in other mainstream vehicles.
2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T AWD Prestige: Quick specifications
2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T AWD Prestige: Driving summary
As I’ve pointed out, the biggest change for me going from EVs back to all-gas is how the Genesis GV80 accelerates from a complete stop. While it boasts a powerful 3.5L V6 AWD engine with a 375 horsepower performance, it works harder than any EV I’ve tested accelerating from a complete stop. It needs to shift gears obviously, whereas EVs have 100% torque for instant acceleration without the stutter.
Nevertheless, it does drive smoothly and it’s also deathly quiet on the inside — but I’ve experienced the same on some EVs. The most pressing thing about my driving experience with the GV80 has nothing to do with how it drives. Instead, it’s about how much gas it consumes, which in the long run turns out to be its biggest cost because it requires premium unleaded gasoline.
- 259.7 total miles driven, mixed between city and highway driving
- 21.7 mpg fuel economy
- Requires premium unleaded gasoline
2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T AWD Prestige: What I Like
Ultrawide panoramic console
No other EV I’ve tested has the same panoramic touchscreen display that the Genesis GV80 offers. It’s a sprawling size that spans nearly the entire length of the dashboard, making it an instant attention grabber.
What makes it better is that it’s broken up as two separate displays, where one would be the main console and the other would be the cluster display for the driver. Instead, it’s a single panel with go gaps whatsoever — making for an immersive experience that even does this neat trick of mimicking the weather conditions with its home screen.
Automatic sun screen covers
This is another feature I haven’t seen in any EVs I’ve tested. With the rear passenger windows, the 2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T AWD features automatic sun screen shades that help block out the sun. Usually these are covers that have to manually be pulled up or down, but the GV80 does all the work by controlling it automatically. It’s an extra convenience feature that helps with keeping my passengers cooler on those extra sunny days.
Automatic rear folding seats
Making extra space for the trunk can sometimes be painstaking, especially when the seats take forever to adjust manually. Surprisingly, they’re all powered with the 2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T AWD — making it effortless in folding them down. With a simple tap of a button, they fold down on their own to make way for the extra room for larger payloads. No fuss or hassle with this one.
Bentley style grill
This wouldn’t be a luxury vehicle if it doesn’t share a design cue that I’m familiar with another brand. Clearly one part of its design is inspired from another vehicle because the Genesis GV80 features a Bentley style grill, complete with a criss cross pattern that’s hard to miss. It screams luxury and gives it a refined, sophisticated look to match its price point.
Massive trunk space
Sitting inside of the Genesis GV80 for the first time, I know it’s a huge sized SUV. And with that comes an equally massive trunk that easily accommodates my folding electric bike. With the rear seats pulled down all the way, it’s more than spacious to comfortably accommodate a 55-inch OLED TV without taking it out of the box.
Dazzling interior ambient lights
If the mostly white interior surface isn’t enough to get your attention, then you’ll be in for a bigger surprise when it gets dark because the GV80 has one of the most dazzling interior ambient lights I’ve come across. It’s much more polarizing than the Kia EV9, as every nook and cranny tucks away an ambient light that can be customized to any color I want.
2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T AWD Prestige: What I Don't Like
It’s your typical gas guzzler
As I’ve detailed in my driving summary, I average about a 21.7 mpg fuel economy during my week’s worth of driving. Factoring its size and powerful engine, I’m not too shocked by its fuel economy, but it’s worth making a point that filling up on premium gasoline will have a bigger impact on your wallet. Gas prices for premium unleaded was around $3.96 when I was driving it, which means it would cost $83.55 to fill its 21.1 gallon tank.
I asked Google Gemini how much money I’d spend on gasoline over 5 years if I drive 1,000 miles per month. It gave me an estimate of about $14,211 on the high end assuming with the expectation of gas prices being $4.50/gallon. In contrast, I asked Google Gemini to do the same calculation with the Cadillac Lyriq I previously drove — which is similar in size and scope to the GV80. At most, I’d spend $3,575 on electric charges at home with the rate of $0.18/kWh.
2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T AWD Prestige: Bottom line
If comfort and convenience are your top priorities, the 2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T AWD offers plenty of it. Of course it commands a high cost, but with that comes features that really set it apart from most other vehicles. Compared to other luxury cars I’ve tested, like the Lexus TX550H+, you’re getting a more premium design and style — while also getting more convenience features.
The only downside is its dismal fuel economy, but you shouldn’t be surprised about that. I only hope that Genesis could offer it as a PHEV or EV, even if it means adding more to its bottom line.
