A silver 2021 Genesis G70 on a bridge.After Genesis launched in 2017 with the midsize G80 and larger G90 sedans, Hyundai's luxury division felt it needed to keep up with its smaller-sized German rivals. The compact G70 four-door soon arrived for the 2019 model year, and back then, its base model with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine had a sticker price of around $36,000 (including destination charges). Fast forward to 2026, and the same version now costs almost $45,000. For some, that price tag is a bridge too far, making a used G70 a more wallet-friendly option.A five-year-old Genesis G70 can be a sweet spot, balancing depreciation and relative newness. According to iSeeCars, a 2021 G70 loses 44% of its original value after five years. CarEdge isn't too far off, with an estimated depreciation rate of about 45%. To get a better idea of what this means in the real world, we also looked at marketplace listings (which is how we previously found plenty of options for the price of a new Toyota Corolla). And because the G70 isn't the only luxury compact sedan (sport sedan?) on the road, we added the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class to the mix. Depreciation for the Genesis G70A red 2021 Genesis G70 on a gravel driveway.The G70's five-year depreciation rate of 44% from iSeeCars skims under the 45.6% average value loss the company estimates across all luxury compact cars. That works out to an average residual value of $24,321. While CarEdge has a similar five-year projection, the depreciation curve differs widely for other terms. At the three-year mark, iSeeCars says the G70 drops in value by 26.8%; that estimate is 42.9% for CarEdge. There's also a divergence at seven years, with the former estimating a 55.6% loss of the G70's original value. CarEdge is less optimistic, projecting depreciation at 67.8%.Turning to the used market shows that the five-year depreciation forecasts from both firms are relatively close. Deducting 45% from the 2021 G70's original cost (with destination fees) of $37,045 yields a residual value of about $20,374. Based on clean title examples with average or better mileage, you can find many dealer asking prices in the $20,000-$22,000 range, with low-mileage listings at around $24,000. Looking at the upgraded 2021 G70 with the twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 engine and an original starting price of $47,425, depreciation translates into around $26,084. While there aren't many 3.3T G70s on the market, good-condition examples on Autotrader are usually priced between $24,000 and $28,000. Genesis G70 depreciation vs. German rivalsA silver 2021 Genesis G70 in motion in front of a house.Interestingly, the 2021 G70's German rivals from the same model year ended up with higher depreciation. Forecasts put the five-year value declines for BMW's 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz's C-Class at 46.8% and 47.8%, respectively. The Audi A4 is the worst, with this sedan losing almost half (49.3%) of its original value. Looking at base prices (all including destination charges), the G70's base price ($37,045) was a bargain against the Teutonic sedan triumvirate of half a decade ago. The A4 crossed the $40,000 Rubicon by an extra $145, while a base 330i ($42,245) and entry-level C 300 ($42,650) tacked on even more of a premium.However, worse depreciation and a robust marketplace have evaporated the G70's price advantage as a used vehicle — and a below-average reliability ranking from Consumer Reports doesn't help. It's not that difficult to locate a second-hand C 300 with moderate mileage for around $20,000. The entry point for a decent 330i or A4 hovers closer to $22,000, which is still in the same ballpark as the G70. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and add us as a preferred search source on Google.