Yahoo Autos Rear-Drive 2024 Genesis G70 3.3T Tested: Two Is Greater Than Four
There's often talk around the Car and Driver watercooler about whether it's better to get rear- or all-wheel drive. As the argument typically goes, all-wheel drive is superior for snow and ice, and it also puts the power down better in the dry. On the other hand, rear-wheel drive costs and weighs quite a bit less, and once you get through the initial wheelspin phase, it's actually better for acceleration. Oh, and it's more fun, too. These thoughts were bouncing around our skull at various points during our time with a 2024 Genesis G70 3.3T RWD.
The G70 was facelifted in 2022, and we promptly tested an all-wheel-drive 3.3T. This 2024 G70 3.3T is mechanically unchanged, but it has rear-wheel drive. It also has the Sport Prestige package, which pushes the price from $51,200 to $55,600 and includes a limited-slip differential, adaptive dampers, and loads of other stuff that's either convenient or pretty to look at: nappa leather, a head-up display, a microfiber-suede headliner (and pillars), a surround-view monitor, a blind-spot monitor, a power trunk release, and a heated steering wheel. All in, it weighs 3906 pounds, versus 3940 pounds for the earlier all-wheel-drive machine, which lacked those upgrades.
On the way to the test track, the Sport Prestige package proved its worth. It rides impeccably smoothly around town, where there isn't the barest hint of float. It's too easy to go 80 mph on the highway, with a quiet confidence that'll catch you out. Ramp up the pace on a winding road, and you may detect a wee bit of a mismatch between the front and rear dampers, but it's not much of an issue, even on Angeles Crest Highway. Still, we'd like to see the front and rear ends breathe a bit more in unison. As for the limited-slip differential, it really puts down the power out of corners on the same roads. Our biggest complaint is with the steering. In town and in low-stress cornering, the buildup in effort is well matched and appropriate. Hurl the car at the scenery, however, and effort tightens up more than it should.
At the track, the rear-drive G70 launches hard, and things don't go up in a haze of wheelspin. And that's without using launch control. You just mat it and go. In fact, it manages the identical 4.5 seconds to 60 mph that our all-wheel-drive test car achieved. What's more, it's faster to 100 mph (10.9 versus 11.4 seconds) and quicker through the quarter-mile (13.0 versus 13.1 seconds). Okay, that's not much, but how is it beating the all-wheel-drive version off the line? The answer lies within the fenders. Rear-wheel-drive G70s come with 19-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer tires, while all-wheel-drive cars wear Michelin Primacy Tour A/S all-seasons of the same size. The extra stick of two summer tires more than offsets the pull of four all-season tires, apparently. The Michelin Pilots also fix two other flaws, as the braking distance from 70 mph shrank from 178 to 165 feet, and the lateral stick on the skidpad improved from 0.84 to 0.90 g. It's a big win.
As for the interior, we're of two minds. The extra glitz and glamour of the quilted nappa-leather upholstery is immensely attractive. It looks great against a backdrop of finely brushed aluminum (and painted stuff that matches) and nicely textured soft-touch materials. The HVAC and infotainment controls are distinctly separate, as they should be. But the volume and tuning knobs are miles apart, much of the climate controls are haptic, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone mirroring requires a wired connection, which is an ol' USB-A type. USB-C exists, but it's power only. And those leather seats do tend to feel flat after a couple of hours. As for the touchscreen itself, we don't mind that it's separate from the instruments. In fact, we actually prefer this setup to the all-in-one mash-up that is becoming increasingly prevalent. But we're not fans of the software, which needs a refresh.
As before, the rear seat is a bit underwhelming. It looks fantastic, until you try to sit on it. The trouble is legroom, and if the driver is tall and has their seat all the way lowered, there's no toe room. At 11 cubic feet, the trunk is rather small too, but pack carefully, and you'll be good.
Perhaps the best part of the rear-wheel-drive Genesis G70 is its price. Whether you buy the 2.5T or the 3.3T, you save $2100 by skipping all-wheel drive. Our rear-drive 3.3T example also carried a fuel-economy rating of 21 mpg combined (18 city/27 highway), which is 1 mpg better than all-wheel-drive version across the board, saving you another $750 or so per year. All we can say is that unless you must have all-wheel drive, don't bother. You'll have much more fun and save a decent amount of coin if you go with a rear-wheel-drive G70.
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