Shauon Rogers (@shauonsellscars) works at a Mercedes dealership, moving cars for a living. So it’s no surprise that he may have a professed bias when it comes to the German auto manufacturer.
Recently, he posted a viral TikTok that’s garnered over 170,000 views as of Friday. In the video, he reveals why a customer decided to trade in a 2025 “laid out” Genesis GV70. He detailed why the buyer decided to take a financial hit on the luxury vehicle, despite only putting 1,026 miles on it.
A puzzling trade-in
“I just had a customer trade in a brand new car that they just bought. Thousand miles on it and you’ll never believe why,” he says at the top of the video. Next, the clip transitions to a shot of the car: A new, white Genesis SUV.
“Look at the car. It’s a 2025 Genesis GV70 and it’s the 3.5t, I think it’s a prestige trim, like, this thing is fully loaded,” he says. “Has all these cool buttons on the key.”
The car salesman shows off the key fob and the different buttons that perform various functions.
“You can make it go back and forth. Automatic start, you know, power liftgate,” he continues. “You can turn the lights on. If you ask me the car’s pretty laid out and it’s only like…70 grand brand new. Pretty nice car. And look, it only has 1,026 miles on it.”
Once inside the vehicle, he begins showing off the GV70’s interior, which he calls very nice. There’s a large, elongated infotainment dash display. Additionally, the white seats appear to have a cushioned, honeycomb design. He goes on to say, “quilted leather, heated, cooled, panoramic sunroof. Alcantara headliner, this car’s laid out.”
So why’d they get rid of it?
Next, the salesperson pops the question: “Why did they trade the car in?”
According to the TikToker, “It’s simply because he [the customer] didn’t like it. He wanted a new Mercedes. And I can’t blame him because once you go Mercedes you don’t go back.”
Several folks have gone online to state they prefer Genesis’ offerings over Mercedes’. For instance, YouTuber Hammy’s Showcase posted a video detailing why he picked the luxury newcomer over BMWs, Audis, or Benzes. In short, they stated that the value of German vehicles dip significantly once they’re out of warranty.
He wrote in a caption for his clip: “This is my unbiased opinion on the new Genesis G70.” Hammy added that he grew “up with German cars and [was] obsessed with those.” However, after seeing the G70 he states that he “realized how much [he had been missing out on.”
Car and Driver also compared electric sedan offerings between Mercedes and Genesis, concluding the former to be wholly superior. The outlet penned: “Given the G80’s clear advantage in terms of performance, driving feel, design, and value, it’s the clear winner here. In fact, the gap between these two electric cars is far greater than it was between the equivalent gasoline models. Genesis’s electric future is looking bright, while Mercedes needs to go back to the drawing board if it wants to maintain its status in the dawning luxury-EV era.”
But what about the GV70?
Edmunds also stated that it had nothing but love for the luxury Korean auto manufacturer in a GV70 vs GLC face-off. The two vehicles satisfy a specific luxury SUV segment, and Edmunds thought that Genesis offered more to consumers for the money. The site’s conclusion? “The Mercedes might be shiny and all-new, but the Genesis is so packed full of value it’s going to be very hard to beat.”
And TikTokers had a lot to say about their favorite car brands in the comments section of Rogers’ post. However, they didn’t seem to share his opinion that Benz’s reigned supreme in the automotive world.
One simply wrote, “Lexus is the big dog,” probably due to the brand’s legendary reputation when it comes to reliability.
Another wrote that Genesis cars are effectively fancy versions of another Korean brand. “That man said….nah, it’s still a Hyundai.”
But others seemed to love the GV70.
“I want that Genesis so bad,” one penned.
Another said that the warranty alone was worth getting the vehicle: “Genesis 10 yr / 100,000 mile warranty. I’m down with Genesis!”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Mercedes, Genesis, and Rogers via email for further information.
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