Compare the2023 Genesis G80VS 2023 Nissan Maxima

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

Safety

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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 Nissan Maxima doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The G80’s optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Maxima doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the G80 and Maxima 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 Maxima’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 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 Maxima doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The G80 offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Maxima doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the G80 and the Maxima 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available 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 G80 is safer than the Nissan Maxima:

	G80	Maxima
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	137	290
Neck Compression	43 lbs.	91 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	28/23 lbs.	448/311 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 G80 is safer than the Nissan Maxima:

	G80	Maxima
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	101	119
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	174 lbs.	225 lbs.
Hip Force	290 lbs.	337 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	94	242
Spine Acceleration	24 G’s	27 G’s
Hip Force	242 lbs.	349 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	15 inches
HIC	198	275
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	41 G’s

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

Warranty

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 Maxima’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the G80 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Maxima. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Maxima ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The G80’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Maxima’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the G80 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Genesis will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Maxima.

Reliability

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 Maxima’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the G80 first among upper midsize premium cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Maxima isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 50 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Genesis 3 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

The G80 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 261) than the Maxima’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The G80 3.5T’s standard 3.5 turbo V6 produces 75 more horsepower (375 vs. 300) and 130 lbs.-ft. more torque (391 vs. 261) than the Maxima’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Genesis G80 is faster than the Nissan Maxima:

	G80 2.5T	G80 3.5T	Maxima
Zero to 60 MPH	5.7 sec	4.9 sec	5.9 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	13.4 sec	14.4 sec
Top Speed	145 MPH	155 MPH	135 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the G80 gets better mileage than the Maxima:

			MPG
G80
	RWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/30 hwy
Maxima
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/30 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the G80’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. The Maxima doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Genesis G80 higher (5 out of 10) than the Nissan Maxima (3). This means the G80 produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Maxima every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the G80’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Maxima:

	G80 2.5T	G80 3.5T	Maxima
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	14.2 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	13.6 inches	12.13 inches

The G80 stops shorter than the Maxima:

	G80	Maxima
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	168 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The G80 3.5T Sport Prestige’s optional 275/35R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Maxima SR/Platinum’s 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the G80 3.5T Sport Prestige offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Maxima’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The G80 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Maxima’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The G80 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 Maxima’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the G80’s wheelbase is 9.2 inches longer than on the Maxima (118.5 inches vs. 109.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the G80 is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Maxima.

The G80’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the Maxima’s (60.8% to 39.2%). This gives the G80 more stable handling and braking.

The G80 AWD handles at .87 G’s, while the Maxima Platinum pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The G80 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Maxima Platinum (25.9 seconds @ .71 average G’s vs. 27 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

Chassis

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 Maxima (.29 to .3) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the G80 get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The G80 has 5.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Maxima (103.8 vs. 98.5).

The G80 has 1.7 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 4.5 inches more rear legroom and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Maxima.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the G80’s trunk can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The G80 also offers an optional power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Maxima doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the G80 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Maxima. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The G80 3.5T offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning 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 Maxima doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The G80’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Maxima’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the G80 and the Maxima have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the G80 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Maxima prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The G80’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Maxima’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The G80’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 Maxima’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

A power rear sunshade and manual rear side window sunshades are standard in the G80 Advanced/Sport/Sport Prestige to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Maxima doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The G80 Sport/Sport Prestige has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Maxima.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Genesis G80 Sport/Sport Prestige has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Maxima doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The G80 Sport Prestige’s 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 Maxima doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

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 43.88% to 43.95% of its original price after five years, while the Maxima only retains 43.69% to 43.8%.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Genesis G80 and the Nissan Maxima, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the G80 first among upper midsize premium cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Maxima isn’t in the top three in its category.

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