Pitting the 2025 Genesis G90 and 2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a bit of a David and Goliath scenario, where David is a perfectly competent large luxury sedan with all the gadgetry and plushness it needs to compete at this rarefied level, backed up by an unbeatable warranty. This Goliath has an unparalleled decades-long heritage as the best-selling conveyance of choice among heads of state and captains of industry while remaining innovative as well as indulgent.
We’ve spent plenty of time road-testing each car and, naturally, wondered how they might fare when pitted against one another. Let’s see how they compare by exploring the highlights of the Genesis G90 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
2025 Genesis G90
The 2025 Genesis G90 is virtually the same as last year’s car. That’s fine. This fixedness means that the G90 still has a lot of standard equipment, perfectly acceptable build and materials quality, plenty of cabin space, and class-appropriate styling. The base drivetrain consists of a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 producing 375 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive (AWD).
Genesis G90 Highlights
E-Supercharger model: Genesis adds an electric supercharger to the G90’s twin-turbo V6, the result being the E-Supercharger. With 409 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque, sprinting from a standstill to 60 mph takes only 5.1 seconds. During our time with it, we’ve found this drivetrain remarkably smooth in city and highway driving.
Highway Driving Assist 2: This partially autonomous driving aid employs adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, a 360-degree camera system, and various sensors. We’ve found it great at taking some of the grind out of long freeway stretches.
Class-leading warranty: The S-Class has a sterling pedigree, yet the Genesis G90 delivers a top-notch warranty. Every G90 comes with five years/60,000 miles of basic coverage and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. A G90 owner also gets three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance.
Lucky passengers: As much as we enjoy driving the Genesis G90, we’re also happy to spend time in the second row. That’s because available features include heated/ventilated/reclining rear seats with massage functions. There’s a center console to control these various settings, along with a wireless phone charging pad.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the G90 models near you.
2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
This generation of Mercedes-Benz’s long-running S-Class launched for the 2021 model year. Its aerodynamic shape and dizzying amount of tech allow it to remain perfectly current four years down the line. Standard equipment in the 2025 S-Class now includes a center airbag and prewiring for a phone-based digital key. Quad-zone climate control becomes optional in the first three models. Executive Line is renamed Pinnacle trim. A couple of exterior paint choices come in, while a couple are discontinued.
The S 500 has a silky turbocharged 6-cylinder engine that sends 442 hp to all four wheels through a 9-speed automatic transmission. Acceleration is strong—the dash from a standstill to 60 mph takes just 4.8 seconds.
For added punch, the S 580’s 496-hp twin-turbo V8 enables a 3.8-second dash to 60 mph—sports car territory. Equally impressive is how the S-Class absorbs bumps and rough roads. Credit the standard air suspension system.
If rear legroom is a major consideration (and it might well be in cars of this kind), the S-Class beats the G90 by six inches.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Highlights
Front seat comfort: Our only complaint with the glorious leather-covered front seats of the S-Class is that Mercedes-Benz doesn’t make them as separate pieces of furniture we could put in our house. They have rapid heating and ventilation, plus an array of massage modes. And they’re standard across the S-Class lineup.
Performance: We touched on this earlier, but it bears repeating. The S 500 and S 580 have tremendous straight-line speed, tons of grip, and suspensions that simply cannot be rattled by gnarly roads. The E-Active Body Control system will read the road ahead and make the right suspension adjustments within milliseconds. And for those who like to cruise in silence, the S 580e plug-in hybrid has 503 hp and an EPA-estimated electric-only range of 46 miles.
Brilliant Burmester: The standard Burmester audio system has 15 speakers and 710 watts of surround-sound loveliness. For those who demand the absolute best, however, a 30-speaker/1,750-watt 4D system is available. The sound quality in the Genesis G90 is fantastic, but the audible excellence of the S-Class is next-level.
AMG and Maybach models: While the high-powered AMG S 63 E Performance and super-sumptuous Maybach models compete in different areas (they both start in the $200,000 region), these halo variants add extra panache to the entire S-Class range. The Genesis G90 can’t reach such levels of performance or luxury. With 791 hp and 1,055 lb-ft of torque, the AMG S 63 E Performance is the most powerful production S-Class ever (well, so far). Longer-wheelbase Maybach models offer onboard refrigerators, champagne flutes, folding tables, heated armrests, and rear doors that open and close automatically.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the S-Class models near you.
Similarities
Classy and elegant, the Genesis G90 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class can be seen as rewards for reaching the top in one’s chosen profession, a justifiable indulgence after years of hard work. They’re also profoundly comfortable. One less impressive similarity is that their small trunks would fail to impress the owner of a Honda Civic sedan.
Pricing
The Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price for any individual used vehicle can vary greatly according to mileage, condition, location, and other factors.
The prices here reflect what buyers are currently paying for vehicles and vehicles in typical condition when purchasing from a dealership.
These prices are updated weekly. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) quoted includes the destination fee, but does not include tax, license, document fees, and options.
Specifications
| 2025 Genesis G90 | 2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | Twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 | Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 |
| Horsepower | 375 hp @ 5,800 rpm | 442 hp @ 5,800-6,100 rpm |
| Torque | 391 lb-ft @ 1,300 rpm | 413 lb-ft @ 2,200-5,000 rpm |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic | 9-speed automatic |
| Fuel economy MPG | 18 city/26 highway/21 combined | 21 city/31 highway/24 combined |
| Also Available | Twin-turbo/supercharged 3.5-liter V6 | Twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, Turbo 3.0-liter inline-6/electric |
| Specs | ||
| Basic Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 10 years/100,000 miles | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety | N/A | N/A |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 125.2 inches | 126.6 inches |
| Overall Length | 207.7 inches | 208.2 inches |
| Width | 76.0 inches | 76.9 inches |
| Height | 58.7 inches | 59.2 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 40.0 feet | 42.0 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 39.4 inches | 42.1 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 38.0 inches | 39.4 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 42.3 inches | 41.4 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 37.8 inches | 43.8 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 59.1 inches | 59.6 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 57.9 inches | 59.0 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 12.04 cubic feet | 12.8 cubic feet |
Conclusion
For those with the finances, there’s not a bad choice. Ultimately, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class bowls us over with its dizzying array of comfort features and onboard tech. You might need to earmark a weekend or two to fully grasp all the S-Class has to offer.
Although the Genesis G90 lacks the AMG urgency or the Maybach opulence of an S-Class, it does not have a 6-figure starting price. Let’s not forget that it also comes with a much better warranty.
These two are in a virtual dead heat at the top of our ranking of the Best Luxury Full-Size Cars. Each car is superb in its way, and both are crushingly effective at traveling in high style.