The surge in SUV popularity over the past decade has been mostly dominated by your typical suspects: Toyota, Mercedes, Audi, and, of course, BMW. With the X5 being the flagship, all-encompassing, sporty, but luxurious offering from the company, for many, it is the go-to. However, with this segment of vehicles having more mass-market appeal than ever before, a new batch of competitors is turning up the heat. Whether it be from budget-driven Chinese brands in the EV world, like Jaecoo, or companies that have been hanging around for a while and finally seem mature enough to compete.
Genesis has been officially around since November 2015, and after 10 years of dedication and crafting their identity, they are sending shockwaves through the industry. With an examination of the flagship Genesis GV80 compared against the BMW X5, we discovered that the cheaper GV80 was actually offering more comfort, more tech, and more craftsmanship for its lower price tag. But how do their smaller siblings compare with one another?
Pricing, Trim Levels, And Reliability
Both cars have very different approaches to trim levels and pricing strategies. Six unique trim levels for the Genesis GV70 offer a huge range of choice for the consumer, but certainly make the buying process less simple. This system is much easier on the X3, with only two core trim levels available: the base X3 30 xDrive and the M50 xDrive.
Whilst the 2026 BMW X3 30 is focused on technology and an efficient powertrain, the M50 includes a lot more luxury-focused features like a 360-degree camera and a heated steering wheel. It also, of course, offers excellent performance that even the highest-spec GV70s can’t quite match. With the base Genesis starting at $48,985, here’s what the rest of the range looks like.
Genesis GV70 “Beyond Base” Trim-Levels
- 2.5T Select – Includes panoramic sunroof and heated wheel – $51,885
- 2.5T Advanced – High-quality leather seats, 360-degree camera – $56,435
- 2.5T Sport Prestige – 21″ Wheel size and Ergo-motion seats – $59,795
- 3.5T Sport Advanced – Nappa leather, ultra-high quality audio – $64,415
- 3.5T Sport Prestige – Carbon trim and LSD – $71,095
Bearing in mind these prices, the two best value options, in our opinion, would be the 2.5T Select, which is a genuine luxury experience for the same price as the base X3, or the 3.5T Sport Advanced, which is the ultimate value, an incredibly well-loaded and performant SUV for less than the X3 M50. Don’t be fooled into thinking the GV70 is a more problematic product either. With a JD Power reliability and quality score of 81/100, they consider it in the “great” category, with the 2026 X3 falling from grace with a fairly average 74/100.
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What Makes The Genesis GV70 Such A Great Buy?
Take a look at the interior of a Genesis GV70, and things instantly become apparent. If you asked someone 20 years ago what this interior was, they would likely say a Bentley from the future — it’s just that gorgeously designed. Whilst most luxury cars decide to either take the traditional route towards quality, or choose the gadget-filled, geeky approach, Genesis is a rare case of being able to combine the two into a seamless combination.
I’ve always likened the brand to essentially being Korea’s Lexus, but with nicer insides and better driving dynamics. And that one-liner continues to hold true. Interior design, quality, fit-and-finish, has always been an area where Genesis punches above its weight.
– Chris Chin for TopSpeed
On one hand, you have beautiful Nappa leather with haptic carbon backlit trims on certain models wrapped around the classic contemporary cabin, but you also have an enormous 27-inch OLED display with fingerprint authentication. Even the base model features the same style and look, with very convincing leatherette materials that look almost as good as higher trims.
The Sincere Luxury Of A Genesis GV70
- Optional Bang & Olufsen 16-speaker system
- Gear selector is a jewelry-like glass rotary dial
- Seats contain air cells that adapt to the conditions for extra comfort
- Augmented navigation adds arrows over a live feed of the road
The X3, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be overly bothered about creating so much of an experience of the simple art of sitting in a cabin. What it does have, though, is functional familiarity. Unfortunately, the interior is more controversial with newer iterations of the X3.
With BMW’s iDrive 9 system, almost all the physical buttons are gone, leading people to question whether the tactile integrity of the BMW is still in place. There is also a shift towards sustainable vegan leathers and plastics creeping in, which ends up making the X3 feel like a car worth less than half of the GV70 in some respects. All the ambient lighting and digital screens in the world can’t distract you from the cheaper quality materials and lack of intuitive physical buttons.
Performance And Specifications
Not only does the Genesis keep up with the BMW in terms of interior quality, but when comparing base spec models, it holds the edge in performance. Despite Genesis having a much more sluggish reputation than something like a sporty, dynamic BMW, this isn’t necessarily the case in 2026. Whilst the X3 is tuned to have a more aggressive transmission style, and puts more emphasis on outright handling ability, at the end of the day, these cars are designed to take passengers far and wide in immense comfort – not to be thrown round a twisty circuit or driven hard.
With a more traditional gasoline-only approach with a larger displacement, the base model 2026 GV70 possesses a more typical flavor of grand-touring acceleration. Whilst not a thumping V6 like in higher-spec trims, it still has more outright muscle compared to the base X3 for highway merging. Despite the X3 having a boost from the mild-hybrid powertrain, it can’t quite match its pace. However, the higher-spec X3 offers more performance than the Sport Prestige GV70, with an incredible 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds and 393 horsepower from its 3.0-liter inline-six mild-hybrid.
Base Model Performance Comparison
|
2026 Genesis GV70 (Base) |
BMW X3 xDrive (Base) |
|
|
Powertrain |
2.5L Turbocharged 4-cylinder |
2.0L Turbo 4-cylinder (mild-hybrid) |
|
Transmission |
8-Speed Automatic |
8-Speed Automatic |
|
Horsepower |
300 |
255 |
|
Torque |
311 Ib-ft |
295 Ib-ft |
|
0-60mph |
5.6 seconds |
6.0 seconds |
|
Price |
$48,985 |
$52,075 |
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Which One To Buy And Resale Value
If you take away the BMW badge of the X3 and compare the core experiences of the Genesis GV70 and the X3, the outcome isn’t close. Much of the reasoning for buying the X3 here simply boils down to the fact that it’s a well-respected brand that feels like you are in safe, long-heritage hands. But with the removal of tactile buttons, introduction of lower-quality interior materials, and the rather high MSRP, it simply delivers a less special experience than the Genesis.
Long-Term Value Propositions Come Into Play As Well
Even depreciation is worse on the BMW, with only 60 percent of the residual value left on the X3 after three years, compared to 67 percent on the GV70. After examining base level performance, price, and interior quality, reliability, and depreciation, the future is looking beautifully bright for the Genesis. Whilst the X3 is a competent car you can trust, one where you know what you’re getting, the Genesis offers a sense of luxury and refinement that you wouldn’t think possible for less than $50,000 in 2026.