Used 2018 Genesis G90 Ultimate Sedan Review

Genesis' flagship sedan carries over almost entirely unchanged from its debut last year as the new company focuses its energy on expanding its product line. Though that means the G90 retains a few faults, we think there are plenty of reasons luxury sedan shoppers should give it a careful look.

The 2018 Genesis G90 delivers a spacious and luxurious interior that's backed up by a blissfully hushed and smooth ride. Add a giant list of standard features that will satisfy all but the most tech-obsessed buyer and the option of a robust V8 engine, and you have all the building blocks of a traditional luxury sedan.

As noted, it's not all wine and roses. Although the interior makes a strong first impression, most of what looks like metal is actually plastic, the genuine wood trim looks a bit fake, and there are a few sharp edges to be found where the generally impressive build quality slips just a little. Genesis also lags behind most other dedicated luxury brands in terms of gadgets and gewgaws.

The BMW 7 Series or Mercedes-Benz S Class, especially with a few options, undoubtedly offer more upscale interiors with finer materials. But both are significantly more expensive, and that price difference can easily more than double with the addition of features such as adaptive cruise control and an upgraded sound system.

Overall, we highly recommend taking a look at the 2018 Genesis G90. It may not have a premium badge, but in most of the ways that count, the G90 delivers a premium experience at an significant discount.

Notably, we picked the 2018 Genesis G90 as one of Edmunds' Best AWD Sedans for 2018.

What's it like to live with?

For more in-depth coverage of the Genesis G90 of this generation, read about our experiences from a full year of living with a 2017 Genesis G90 3.3T Premium. We cover everything from convenience to technology and then some. We enjoyed the G90's plush comfort and powerful audio system, but we thought it could have been a little quieter on the inside. The 2018 model receives upgraded headlights and a CD/DVD player, which were not offered on our test vehicle. It's the same generation, though, so most of our observations still apply.

The 2018 Genesis G90 is a large luxury sedan with seating for five. Other than colors, shoppers have only two choices to make: V6 or V8 engine and rear- or all-wheel-drive. The 3.3T Premium model has a turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 (365 horsepower, 376 pound-feet of torque) under the hood, while the 5.0 Ultimate sports a 5.0-liter V8 (420 hp, 383 lb-ft). Both engines use an eight-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard, and either model can be equipped with all-wheel drive.

Standard features for the 3.3T Premium include 19-inch wheels, adaptive automatic LED headlights, LED running lights, heated and power-folding mirrors, soft-close doors, a hands-free power trunklid, adaptive suspension, adaptive cruise control, auto-dimming mirrors, and keyless entry and ignition.

Inside, you get a head-up display, leather upholstery, tri-zone automatic climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, a 22-way power-adjustable driver seat (16-way front passenger seat), memory functions for the front seats, a power tilt-and-telescoping and heated steering wheel, a simulated suede headliner, wood interior trim, adjustable interior ambient lighting, power sunshades for the rear windows, rear seat climate and audio controls, a wireless charging pad, and USB ports in front and back. Infotainment duties are handled by a 12.3-inch screen and a knob mounted by the gearshift. This system includes Bluetooth, navigation voice controls, satellite and HD radio, a CD/DVD player in the glovebox and a 17-speaker Lexicon premium surround-sound system.

On the safety front, the G90 comes with a multi- and surround-view camera system, front and rear parking sensors, a forward collision warning and mitigation system (with pedestrian detection), lane departure warning and intervention, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, a drowsy driver monitoring system and Genesis Connected telematics services.

Stepping up to the 5.0 Ultimate upgrades the rear seats with power adjustments (14-way right rear seat and 12-way left rear seat), ventilation and memory functions. New for 2018, a pair of 10.3-inch HD screens have been added to the rear-seat entertainment system.

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the 2017 Genesis G90 3.3T Premium (turbo 3.3L V6 | 8-speed automatic | AWD).

NOTE: Since this test was conducted, the current Genesis G90 has received some minor revisions but our findings remain applicable to this year's Genesis G90.