We recently took a Ioniq 5 on a short road trip to see what the non-Tesla EV scene is like, and also because I was interested in one before I purchased our Model Y.
Having the chance to rent the car for a few days definitely gave us the chance to spend more time with the car and really evaluate the pros and the cons. Keep in mind this is all just my opinion and YMMV.
Things the Ioniq 5 did better than the Model Y:
Auto-steer and TACC are separate buttons on the Ioniq 5, and they can be turned on independently. I generally used them both on the highways and rural 2 lane roads.
The experience was less stressful than Autosteer. With the Ioniq 5, it will hold the speed you set and won’t arbitrarily change it based on what the car thinks the limit is. I also had zero phantom braking, zero nagging, and I can change lanes or navigate around potholes without turning off these assists. Also, zero dry wipes and zero warnings about cameras being blocked or blinded.
NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) is better in the ioniq 5, but at the cost of a loss of some responsiveness. It’s far more composed over rough roads or train tracks, and it has grab handles. Our Model Y has a few annoying rattles I haven’t completely pinned down, and this car didn’t have any of those.
Finally, I appreciate how the driving modes aren’t as gimped as a recent Tesla and still gives you a choice into how much regen you want and if you want the car to roll or not, etc…
Things the Model Y does better:
Software, 100%. The maps and navigation experience was really painful on the Ioniq 5. I don’t care about Android Auto or Apple CarPlay — the Tesla experience is far better, full stop. Also, I thought it would be nice to go back to buttons, but I think the experience of having to use both buttons and a touch screen to use media, maps or climate is worse than just having to use a touch screen. The Model Y has the perfect balance for me, as it still has two stalks for the most important functions.
This one is more YMMV, but I really appreciate the flexibility and service you get with Tesla. Having to go back and deal with a Hyundai dealer… I think the case could be made if the car was a lot less expensive, but now in 2024 the two models are a lot closer together in price.
TL;DR
The Ioniq 5 is a solid car. It does a few things better than Tesla (IMO) which hopefully Tesla will continue to improve, especially NVH (the highland is a good move in this direction). OTOH the Tesla is a much better computer on wheels. Trying the Ioniq 5 helped me to appreciate that further. I’m rooting for both and the more EVs improve, the better it will be for everyone.
"00 IONIQ 5 1" by Benespit is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Admin note: Image added for Blog Feed thumbnail
Having the chance to rent the car for a few days definitely gave us the chance to spend more time with the car and really evaluate the pros and the cons. Keep in mind this is all just my opinion and YMMV.
Things the Ioniq 5 did better than the Model Y:
Auto-steer and TACC are separate buttons on the Ioniq 5, and they can be turned on independently. I generally used them both on the highways and rural 2 lane roads.
The experience was less stressful than Autosteer. With the Ioniq 5, it will hold the speed you set and won’t arbitrarily change it based on what the car thinks the limit is. I also had zero phantom braking, zero nagging, and I can change lanes or navigate around potholes without turning off these assists. Also, zero dry wipes and zero warnings about cameras being blocked or blinded.
NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) is better in the ioniq 5, but at the cost of a loss of some responsiveness. It’s far more composed over rough roads or train tracks, and it has grab handles. Our Model Y has a few annoying rattles I haven’t completely pinned down, and this car didn’t have any of those.
Finally, I appreciate how the driving modes aren’t as gimped as a recent Tesla and still gives you a choice into how much regen you want and if you want the car to roll or not, etc…
Things the Model Y does better:
Software, 100%. The maps and navigation experience was really painful on the Ioniq 5. I don’t care about Android Auto or Apple CarPlay — the Tesla experience is far better, full stop. Also, I thought it would be nice to go back to buttons, but I think the experience of having to use both buttons and a touch screen to use media, maps or climate is worse than just having to use a touch screen. The Model Y has the perfect balance for me, as it still has two stalks for the most important functions.
This one is more YMMV, but I really appreciate the flexibility and service you get with Tesla. Having to go back and deal with a Hyundai dealer… I think the case could be made if the car was a lot less expensive, but now in 2024 the two models are a lot closer together in price.
TL;DR
The Ioniq 5 is a solid car. It does a few things better than Tesla (IMO) which hopefully Tesla will continue to improve, especially NVH (the highland is a good move in this direction). OTOH the Tesla is a much better computer on wheels. Trying the Ioniq 5 helped me to appreciate that further. I’m rooting for both and the more EVs improve, the better it will be for everyone.
"00 IONIQ 5 1" by Benespit is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Admin note: Image added for Blog Feed thumbnail
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