Price and Depreciation

The price gap between the three cars is significant. The G80 2.5T AWD has a starting price of $58,450, while the base MSRP for the 530i xDrive is $62,800. The Mercedes-Benz E 350 4Matic is the priciest at $66,400.

But there’s more to purchasing a luxury vehicle than the bottom line; depreciation is a fact of life. The more value that’s retained, the better your financial position at trade-in time – plus, lower depreciation can help reduce lease payments as well. According to iSeeCars, the G80 has the lowest five-year depreciation rate of the group at 48.7%, followed by the E 350 at 52.3%. The 530i loses the most value – 55.9% – over that same period.

Cost of Ownership

A lower purchase price and depreciation don’t always add up if the cost of keeping the car on the road is high. Based on a five-year period averaging 13,500 miles annually, Edmunds estimates that a 2026 G80 owner will pay $0.87 per mile, the lowest of the three vehicles. It will cost a 530i owner $1.10 per mile, and $1.17 per mile for those with an E 350 in the driveway. The bottom line is that lower costs for depreciation, fuel, repairs, taxes, fees, and financing charges reinforce the G80's overall value.

Warranty and Maintenance

The G80 also has an advantage with factory coverage. Its bumper-to-bumper warranty lasts five years or 60,000 miles, while coverage on the 530i and E 350 ends sooner at four years or 50,000 miles. Genesis also extends protection where others don’t, covering the powertrain for ten years or 100,000 miles.

Maintenance support tells a slightly different story. Genesis and BMW both include factory-backed complimentary scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles. Mercedes-Benz doesn’t offer that as a standard program, although some dealers may include similar perks on their own. Genesis goes a step further with its Service Valet program, which handles pickup and drop-off of the car at your home or office and supplies a loaner vehicle.

Engines and Performance

All three vehicles feature turbocharged four-cylinder engines, but the G80 takes a different direction, going with a 2.5-liter unit making 300 horsepower and 311 lb.-ft. of torque. Previous Car and Driver testing revealed a 0-to-60 mph time of 5.7 seconds. The BMW and Mercedes have identical powerplant specifications: 2.0-liter engines making 255 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque. Both are slower than the G80, with the 530i reaching 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, while the E 350 requires 6.1 seconds.

Cabin Space

The G80 has noticeably more cabin space in key interior dimensions. Front headroom in the Genesis is 40.9 inches versus 38.8 inches for the BMW and 37.3 inches for the Mercedes. Meanwhile, front passengers can stretch their legs to 42.2 inches in the G80, while the 530i and E 350 measure 41.3 and 41.5 inches, respectively. The G80's backseat is also more spacious with 38.7 inches of legroom and 38.2 inches of headroom. It's a tighter fit in the 530i (37.0 inches of legroom/37.5 inches of headroom) and E 350 (36.2 inches of legroom/37.6 inches of headroom).