Compare the2022 Genesis G70VS 2021 Volkswagen Passat

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the G70 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Passat doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Genesis G70 has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Passat doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The G70 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Passat doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Automatic Emergency Braking in the G70 as “Superior.” The Passat scores only 3 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

The G70 offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Passat doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The G70 Sport Prestige has a standard 360-degree Multi-view Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Passat only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The G70’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Passat doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the G70 and the Passat have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras 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 G70 its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 63 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Passat has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The G70 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Passat’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the G70 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Passat. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Passat ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The G70’s 7 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Passat runs out after 100,000 miles.

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the G70 for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Passat (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the G70 has a standard 150-amp alternator (180-amp - G70 3.3T). The Passat’s 140-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the G70 has a standard 800-amp battery. The Passat’s 480-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The battery on the G70 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the G70’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Passat’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the G70 first among compact premium cars in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Passat isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis fifth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 9th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis 8th in reliability, above the industry average. With 61 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Genesis 19 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The G70 2.0T’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 78 more horsepower (252 vs. 174) and 54 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 206) than the Passat’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The G70 3.3T’s standard 3.3 turbo V6 produces 191 more horsepower (365 vs. 174) and 170 lbs.-ft. more torque (376 vs. 206) than the Passat’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The G70 3.3T’s optional 3.3 turbo V6 produces 194 more horsepower (368 vs. 174) and 170 lbs.-ft. more torque (376 vs. 206) than the Passat’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Genesis G70 is faster than the Volkswagen Passat:

	G70 2.0T	G70 3.3T	Passat
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	4.7 sec	8.3 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7 sec	5.2 sec	9 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.3 sec	2.5 sec	4.4 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	4.3 sec	3.2 sec	6.3 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	13.3 sec	16.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	96 MPH	106 MPH	88 MPH
Top Speed	145 MPH	167 MPH	116 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the G70 2.0T’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip with its optional disable switch. The Passat doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Genesis G70, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Passat.

The G70’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Passat doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the G70’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Passat:

	G70 2.0T	G70 3.3T	Passat
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	13.8 inches	12.3 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	13.4 inches	10.7 inches

The G70 3.3T’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Passat are solid, not vented.

The G70 stops much shorter than the Passat:

	G70	Passat
70 to 0 MPH	151 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	106 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	146 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the G70 has larger standard tires than the Passat (225/45R18 vs. 215/55R17).

The G70’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Passat’s standard 55 series tires. The G70’s optional 255/35R19 rear tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Passat R-Line’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the G70 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Passat.

Suspension and Handling

The G70 has standard front gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Passat’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The G70 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Passat’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the G70’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Passat (111.6 inches vs. 110.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the G70 is .7 inches wider in the front and 2.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Passat.

The G70 handles at .95 G’s, while the Passat pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The G70 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.2 seconds quicker than the Passat R-Line (24.9 seconds @ .77 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Chassis

The G70 is 9.2 inches shorter than the Passat, making the G70 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The G70 has 1.5 inches more front headroom and .2 inches more front legroom than the Passat.

Cargo Capacity

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the G70’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. The Passat’s useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the G70’s trunk can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The G70 3.3T Prestige/3.3T Sport also has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Passat doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the G70 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Passat. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Genesis service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Genesis 9th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 41% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 27th.

Ergonomics

The G70 3.3T/Prestige/Sport’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Passat doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The G70 Sport Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Passat doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The G70’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Passat has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

When the G70 3.3T/Elite/Prestige/Sport is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Passat’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The G70’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Passat offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the G70 3.3T/Prestige/Sport keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Passat doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the G70 AWD/Sport Prestige’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Passat doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The G70 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Passat SE/R-Line.

Both the G70 and the Passat offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the G70 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Passat doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Genesis G70 Prestige/Sport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Passat doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

The G70 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” in 2019. The Passat has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

Motor Trend selected the G70 as their 2019 Car of the Year. The Passat was Car of the Year in 2012.