Compare the2022 Genesis G80VS 2022 BMW 5 Series Sedan

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Genesis G80 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 BMW 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Genesis G80 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the G80 and 5 Series Sedan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The G80 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The 5 Series Sedan’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

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 G80 with its optional rear seat reminder are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The G80 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 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The G80 has standard Anti-Whiplash Front Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Anti-Whiplash Front Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The G80 offers an optional Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 5 Series Sedan 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.

Both the G80 and the 5 Series Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

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 “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the G80 its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 73 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 5 Series Sedan has not been fully tested, yet.

The G80 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The 5 Series Sedan’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the G80 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than BMW covers the 5 Series Sedan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the 5 Series Sedan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the G80 has a standard 850-amp battery. The 5 Series Sedan’s 570-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The battery on the G80 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the G80’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The 5 Series Sedan’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the G80 first among upper midsize premium cars in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The 5 Series Sedan was rated second in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis 7th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 20th, below the industry average.

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 BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis 8th in reliability, above the industry average. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 10th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Genesis 7 places higher in reliability than BMW.

As tested in Motor Trend the Genesis G80 turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the 530i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the G80 gets better mileage than the 5 Series Sedan:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Genesis G80 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The 5 Series Sedan requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The G80 3.5T’s standard fuel tank has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the 5 Series Sedan (19.3 vs. 18 gallons).

The G80 stops shorter than the 5 Series Sedan:

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the G80’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the 5 Series Sedan (118.5 inches vs. 117.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the G80 is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 5 Series Sedan.

The G80 handles at .91 G’s, while the 540i pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The G80 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the 530i (25.9 seconds @ .71 average G’s vs. 26.3 seconds @ .68 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the G80’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the 5 Series Sedan’s (38.1 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The G80’s turning circle is 2.7 feet tighter than the 5 Series Sedan xDrive’s (38.1 feet vs. 40.8 feet).

The design of the Genesis G80 amounts to more than styling. The G80 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is lower than the 5 Series Sedan (.27 to .29) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the G80 get better fuel mileage.

The G80 has 5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 5 Series Sedan (103.8 vs. 98.8).

The G80 has 2.3 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear legroom and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the 5 Series Sedan.

Consumer Reports rated the G80’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the 5 Series Sedan’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the G80 has standard extendable sun visors. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer extendable visors.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Genesis G80 offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The G80’s optional Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the G80 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the G80 will cost $485 less than the 5 Series Sedan over a five-year period.

The G80 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the G80 will retain 42.77% to 44.96% of its original price after five years, while the 5 Series Sedan only retains 39.22% to 41.97%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Genesis G80 will be $8755 to $16574 less than for the BMW 5 Series Sedan.