Compare the2021 Lexus ES SeriesVS 2021 Genesis G80

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus ES Series have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Genesis G80 doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Lexus ES Series has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The G80 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The ES Series has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The G80 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the ES Series and the G80 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the ES Series its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 52 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The G80 has not been tested, yet.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Genesis vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Genesis is ranked 8th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Genesis vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus third in reliability. Genesis is ranked fifth.

On the EPA test cycle the ES 300h CVT gets better fuel mileage than the G80 RWD (43 city/44 hwy vs. 23 city/32 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the ES Series Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The G80 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lexus ES Series uses regular unleaded gasoline. The G80 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The ES 300h has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The G80 doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Lexus ES Series may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 700 pounds less than the Genesis G80.

The ES Series F Sport uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The G80 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The ES Series has a larger trunk than the G80 (13.9 vs. 13.1 cubic feet).

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the ES Series offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The G80 doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Lexus ES Series, based on reliability, safety and performance.