We Reviewed a Genesis GV70 for an Entire Year. We Wanted to Keep It.

MotorTrend's long-term vehicles usually leave a mark on our staff. The chaperones—those editors responsible for driving the vehicles, handling service and maintenance, and writing most of the coverage—sometimes loathe but often love their long-termers. The latter is the case with the 2022 Genesis GV70 and myself; after a year of living with it, I didn't want it to go away. Its entire package from its styling to its comfort and handling makes the GV70 an incredibly compelling compact luxury SUV, and it continues to excel even measured against its segment thanks to its value, cosseting details, and capabilities.

We spent more than 12 months living with the Genesis with the goal of identifying the things you need to know but that we couldn't possibly discover in a two-week test drive. We drove from Southern California to Texas and back, chauffeured our friends to Napa Valley, and executed both formal and informal comparisons with other vehicles in its class. Through all that and after putting more than 20,000 miles on its odometer, it still left a positive impression.

Our loaded 2022 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige sits at the top of the lineup, packed with features and amenities. From Nappa leather surfaces to ventilated and heated suede seats, our model came equipped with all that the model has to offer. What made our Genesis GV70 stand out most was its design. The cabin's elegant lines are welcoming and rich, giving you and your friends the impression it's a special place. The attention to detail that Genesis designers placed in the cabin is extraordinary, and the quality of materials is among the best in the industry.

Our long-termer's 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine is also a standout. With 375 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque, there's enough punch to get you going quickly, but it's sufficiently refined and polished to cruise down quiet streets. The engine blends the best of both worlds, delivering enough power to make it a sporty SUV with smooth delivery for when you want a calmer drive. The different drive modes change the experience on board and turn the GV70 into a different beast when Sport+ is engaged.

Although we enjoyed driving the V-6 during the entire year, we noticed it's thirsty. The EPA rates it at 19/25/21 mpg city/highway/combined, but during our year we averaged just under 20 mpg combined. Its small gas tank also meant we visited gas stations more often, something we noticed on our long road trips as we had to stop for gas every 300 miles or so.

After a year of living with the 2022 Genesis GV70, we ran into a couple of issues with it. The most frustrating thing was that the rear doors wouldn't automatically unlock when we turned off the vehicle. Even when the rear occupant alert indicated we had left an item (or passenger) in the rear seat, the doors couldn't be opened from outside unless we manually unlocked them—a small but frustrating issue. This problem was intermittent; sometimes the doors would unlock automatically, but most of the time they didn't. The problem never presented itself at the dealer.

We also wished our otherwise loaded SUV had some missing convenience features. The rear doors, for instance, don't feature proximity unlocking, something mainstream vehicles such as the Toyota Venza have. And although wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have become available in mainstream and luxury vehicles, the Genesis still requires you manually plug phones in to use this mirroring technology. There was also a three-week period where CarPlay wouldn't work at all—an issue that was later fixed via an over-the-air update.

Our service experience was mostly flawless. We chose Genesis Santa Monica as our service center, and although we couldn't experience the valet service given our GV70 was part of the manufacturer's fleet, the interactions we did have with the dealership were largely positive.

All Genesis GV70s come with three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary service, a great deal for anyone. We, however, had to pay $1,018.19 over three different service visits given that fleet vehicles don't qualify for complimentary maintenance, either. Although the GV70's first owner won't have to pay for those initial services, that's a good idea of how much service will cost for its next few. BMW and Volvo also offer complimentary service, but other automakers like Acura, Infiniti, and Mercedes-Benz don't. In comparison, we spent $651.95 servicing our long-term 2019 Acura RDX, $1,000.43 on our 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLC300, and $106 on our 2019 Infiniti QX50.

The only issue we had at the dealership was when the service technicians forgot to reset the service timer on the infotainment system—twice. Fortunately, we learned how to reset it ourselves, but we had to make an unscheduled trip to the dealership when the issue came up the first time.

Unfortunately, we had some wear and tear expenses. Recently we replaced the GV70's sunroof as it cracked unexpectedly. We worked with our insurance, paid a $1,000 deductible, and were referred to a local glass shop to add a replacement. At our last service appointment, our service advisor noticed one of the tires had a tear deep enough to see the tire's belts—likely due to driving over a pothole. Instead of replacing the tire at the dealer, we saved $200 by ordering the tire on TireRack.com for $358.68 and visited a local tire shop to swap it.

One of the reasons we demand Of The Year winners enter our long-term fleet is to test their reliability over an entire year, and our 2022 Genesis GV70 proved to be an exemplary chariot. Its styling, comfort, technology (mostly), ride, and handling are extraordinary, and it left a good impression on anyone riding in it. During our 12-month loan, we enjoyed the way it drove and its reliability, and we made tons of memories visiting locations near and far. Sadly, our GV70 must now find a new owner, but here's hoping it keeps serving as the vehicle for great experiences.