Compare the2022 Genesis GV80VS 2022 Toyota Highlander

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

Safety

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Both the GV80 and Highlander have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The GV80 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 Highlander’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.

The GV80 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 Highlander doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The GV80 has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the Highlander LE/XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the GV80 has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Highlander LE/XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the GV80 and the Highlander have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Genesis GV80 is safer than the Toyota Highlander:

	GV80	Highlander
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	24.1%	38.2%
Neck Stress	157 lbs.	347 lbs.
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	55 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	263	328
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Compression	65 lbs.	90 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Genesis GV80 is safer than the Toyota Highlander:

	GV80	Highlander
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	29	55
Hip Force	293 lbs.	300 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	70	114
Spine Acceleration	26 G’s	37 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	15 inches
HIC	290	366
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	41 G’s
Hip Force	640 lbs.	664 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The GV80 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Highlander’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the GV80 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Highlander. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Highlander ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The GV80’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Highlander’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the GV80 for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Highlander (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GV80 second among upper midsize premium suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Highlander was rated third 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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis 7th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 13th.

Engine

The GV80’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 5 more horsepower (300 vs. 295) and 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 263) than the Highlander’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The GV80’s optional 3.5 turbo V6 produces 80 more horsepower (375 vs. 295) and 128 lbs.-ft. more torque (391 vs. 263) than the Highlander’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Genesis GV80 is faster than the Toyota Highlander:

	GV80 turbo 4 cyl.	GV80 turbo V6	Highlander
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	6 sec	7.4 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	14.4 sec	15.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.3 MPH	98.8 MPH	90.7 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The GV80 has 3.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Highlander (21.1 vs. 17.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the GV80’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Highlander:

	GV80 2.5T	GV80 3.5T	Highlander
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	14.9 inches	13.3 inches
Rear Rotors	14.2 inches	14.2 inches	13.3 inches

The GV80 stops much shorter than the Highlander:

	GV80	Highlander
60 to 0 MPH	112 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GV80 has larger tires than the Highlander (265/40R22 vs. 235/65R18).

The GV80’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Highlander L/LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The GV80’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Highlander XSE/Limited/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GV80 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Highlander L/LE/XLE. The GV80’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Highlander XSE/Limited/Platinum.

Suspension and Handling

The GV80 offers an optional 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 or off-road. The Highlander’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The GV80 offers an optional automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Highlander doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The GV80 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Highlander doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GV80’s wheelbase is 4.1 inches longer than on the Highlander (116.3 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GV80 is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than on the Highlander.

The GV80’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51% to 49%) than the Highlander’s (55% to 45%). This gives the GV80 more stable handling and braking.

The GV80 PRESTIGE AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Highlander Platinum AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The GV80 PRESTIGE AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Highlander Platinum AWD (26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the GV80 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Highlander (8.1 vs. 8 inches), allowing the GV80 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The GV80 AWD Prestige uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Highlander doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The GV80 has 1.2 inches more front shoulder room and 2.6 inches more third row legroom than the Highlander.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a button automatically lowers the GV80’s second row seats and pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Highlander doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The GV80’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Highlander’s (6000 vs. 5000 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The GV80 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Highlander uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the GV80 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Highlander. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Genesis service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks Genesis 9th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 18% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

Ergonomics

The GV80’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Highlander doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The GV80’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Highlander’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The GV80’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 Highlander offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Optional air conditioned the front and second row seats keep the GV80’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Highlander doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The GV80 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Highlander.

The GV80’s optional Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Optional 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 Highlander doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its December 2020 issue and they ranked the Genesis GV80 Standard AWD higher than the Toyota Highlander Platinum AWD.

The GV80 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” in 2021. The Highlander has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.