We were on a road trip recently and realized that we were near our car’s anniversaries, which led us to reflect on what we think of them after 2 years with the Ioniq and 1 year with the Ariya (preceded by 4 years with the Nissan Leaf). We still love our cars and are thrilled to be driving all-electric vehicles, which are charged off the solar panels on our roof (unless we are charging on the road). Neither of us miss going to gas stations! Both cars are comfortable, fun to drive, have solid safety features, handle well in the snow, offer tons of cargo space, and look really cool! They offer all the features that we like in our cars, though we have found that each car has its advantages in certain areas.
You can look at the past posts in the Driving EV’s theme to see more about the features of our cars and why we chose them, plus what it’s like to go on road trips. Bottom line on road trips is that they work just as well for us as a gas car and we haven’t had any significant problems with charging them. We occasionally have to wait a few minutes for a charger and have had a few minor problems with charging, but never have we been seriously inconvenienced. I should mention that we tend to travel at off times, so we are charging usually in mid-morning/mid-afternoon on weekdays. We have learned that our range for how long we can sit in a car is shorter than the cars’ range before needing a charge! One positive is that it does take a little longer to charge an EV than to get gas, so we walk more, which has actually made road trips healthier for us.
The vast majority of our driving is done around the Reno area and we charge on a Level 2 charger in our garage. Our cable is long enough to reach both cars and we’ve not had any problems with coordinating our charges. Most of our driving is done solo or just the two of us, but occasionally we take others with us. We find that our passengers are comfortable in the back and we’ve spent some time there too. Generally, people prefer the Ioniq’s more spacious back seats that also recline slightly. But the HVAC system is better in the back of the Ariya. I am my mom’s primary driver and she really likes the adjustable passenger seat in the Ioniq. (The Ariya also has that feature.)
Scott still prefers his Ariya and I prefer my Ioniq, so we know we made the right choices! However, we’ve both decided that the Ioniq is the better road car. The driver assist system is superior for mountain driving in the Ioniq and it can take a faster charge while on the road. It also has the more comfortable and cushy ride. But the Ariya is no slouch and is a better choice if we are planning any off roading or need higher clearance. We tend to take the Ariya on shorter, local road trips within a 150-mile radius, and the Ioniq on our longer highway trips over mountain passes.
Service Experiences
We have been pleased with the service through our local Hyundai and Nissan dealers for both cars. We have knowledgeable service techs who have been able to keep our cars running smoothly. We are still on free service for one more year with both cars (3 years with Hyundai and 2 with Nissan). The Ioniq came with the longer service period and longer warranty (5 vs. 3 years). So far the Ioniq has been serviced 7 times in 2 years–4 for recalls/repairs and 3 for regular 5,000-mile services. I expected that there would be recalls and repairs given that this is Hyundai’s first Ioniq EV to come out. Most of the work involves updates to the car’s software systems. I have had problems with a noisy rear hatch, which has been remedied with a cushioning system. I’ve also had problems with the ICCU that controls the 12-volt battery charging system. Recently, my 12-volt battery died and the car had to be towed to the dealer for a recall repair and a new battery. They had it back to me by the next day and offered me a loaner car, but I didn’t need it. I must say it was fascinating to watch the car being towed using a very clever dolly system, which simply lifted it up and carried it off out of my mother’s garage (good place for it to happen!). I also had problems with the car turning off the Level 2 charger due to an overly sensitive heat sensor, fortunately we found a fix for that and it never recurred. Regular services are easy on EV’s and I usually have the car back in a few hours.
Scott has only had to take the Ariya in for one recall for an over-active sensor that could have caused the car to stop suddenly. It was a software update and fortunately it was done before any sudden stops! He recently had his first regular service at 7500 miles and all they did was check the car and rotate the tires.
Would We Do It Again?
Rhonda–Absolutely! I love my Ioniq 5! Still my favorite car I’ve ever driven and I hope she’ll be with me for a long time. I’m also the primary driver for my mother, so I’m glad that my multiple trips across Reno are emissions free and powered by Nevada sunshine.
Scott–If I was making the purchase decision now, I’d buy a Prius Prime Plug-In. I like the looks of this car and it is the greenest car produced in 2024, because of its smaller battery (less heavy metal mining). Given that I’m just driving it around town, I’d probably never use gas. I really like the Ariya and I have no issues with range anxiety, but my main goal was to reduce my carbon footprint, so the Prius Prime would be a better choice today. Plus, it is less expensive with an MSRP of $39,000 for a Premium trim level. This combo would make sense for us as a retired couple-no need to have 2 larger AWD EV’s. However, if I was single and this was my only car, I’d stick with the Ariya for its AWD and cargo space.
R&S–We have loved going all EV and utilizing the benefits of the solar we produce to power our transportation needs. It feels great knowing we no longer emit carbon when we’re driving!