Hi everyone,
While this isn't a comprehensive review, it's some initial thoughts from a 15-minute test drive. For comparison, I drive a 2022 Model 3 Long Range.
On the weekend, I had the chance to test drive the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The weather was windy and snowy, not the best conditions, but living in Southwestern Ontario is reality.
We test drove the 2022 IONIQ 5 Preferred AWD Long Range. I was also shocked by the overall size. It is much bigger than the Model 3, and you sit much higher.
The AWD handles the blowing snow and winter conditions, including snowdrifts blowing on the roads. My wife and I were very impressed with the ride and comfort.
Here are a few things that I noted during the test drive.
Dealership experience
While I let my dealership know my intent was to only test drive, I got the full dealership experience once again. I've owned 16 cars and have plenty of dealership horror stories that all came rushing back. I've owned two Model 3's in the last three years, so I am more than happy about sitting at home and clicking on the website to order my car. Thank you very much.
The salesperson for our test drive was super nice and tried his hardest to make us feel welcome. His knowledge of the car was less than ideal, and he told us some wrong information about the vehicle. While it wasn't a big deal as I came in very educated about the product, this is where dealerships fail. They think they are still selling gas-powered cars to customers that know more about their product than they do. After the test drive was over, we had to sit through the sales pitch, meet the manager, etc. Since leaving the dealership on Saturday, I have received two emails and one text from them. All three messages told me how important my business is, etc. One email from the manager asked why we didn't buy a car during our visit.
Conclusion
While this vehicle is excellent in almost every way, it will not replace my Model 3, but it could be an ideal replacement for my wife's hybrid when the lease is up. It's not as fast as the Model 3 and doesn't have neck-crushing acceleration, and that's OK. It's still zippier than any comparable gas-powered SUV in its class.
I can see this selling well, and while I don't think it's a threat for the Model Y or Model 3 sales, I can see it eating into sales over the Ford Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4
We are also going to test drive the Kia EV6 shortly.
While this isn't a comprehensive review, it's some initial thoughts from a 15-minute test drive. For comparison, I drive a 2022 Model 3 Long Range.
On the weekend, I had the chance to test drive the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The weather was windy and snowy, not the best conditions, but living in Southwestern Ontario is reality.
We test drove the 2022 IONIQ 5 Preferred AWD Long Range. I was also shocked by the overall size. It is much bigger than the Model 3, and you sit much higher.
The AWD handles the blowing snow and winter conditions, including snowdrifts blowing on the roads. My wife and I were very impressed with the ride and comfort.
Here are a few things that I noted during the test drive.
- Depending on the steering wheel's position, it will block parts of the screen behind it.
- The screen is laggy (compared to my Model 3)
- The rear window does not have a wiper or spray nozzle for cleaning. Hyundai sales rep explains that the air will clean the back window. I know that marketing teaches the salespeople, but in all practicality, all the road dirt/snow/salt was very evident during our drive.
- To adjust the regen, you toggle the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. This is a quick way to change the amount of regen. The car would accelerate (a short jump of speed) accordingly to your choice. The first time the Ioniq 5 briefly accelerated when I squeezed the + paddle, it was a little unnerving.
Dealership experience
While I let my dealership know my intent was to only test drive, I got the full dealership experience once again. I've owned 16 cars and have plenty of dealership horror stories that all came rushing back. I've owned two Model 3's in the last three years, so I am more than happy about sitting at home and clicking on the website to order my car. Thank you very much.
The salesperson for our test drive was super nice and tried his hardest to make us feel welcome. His knowledge of the car was less than ideal, and he told us some wrong information about the vehicle. While it wasn't a big deal as I came in very educated about the product, this is where dealerships fail. They think they are still selling gas-powered cars to customers that know more about their product than they do. After the test drive was over, we had to sit through the sales pitch, meet the manager, etc. Since leaving the dealership on Saturday, I have received two emails and one text from them. All three messages told me how important my business is, etc. One email from the manager asked why we didn't buy a car during our visit.
Conclusion
While this vehicle is excellent in almost every way, it will not replace my Model 3, but it could be an ideal replacement for my wife's hybrid when the lease is up. It's not as fast as the Model 3 and doesn't have neck-crushing acceleration, and that's OK. It's still zippier than any comparable gas-powered SUV in its class.
I can see this selling well, and while I don't think it's a threat for the Model Y or Model 3 sales, I can see it eating into sales over the Ford Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4
We are also going to test drive the Kia EV6 shortly.