2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Finally Joins Us for 40,000 Miles

Introduction

Better late than never! Even though the Hyundai Ioniq 5’s slinkier sedan sibling, the Ioniq 6, is the current crown bearer of our vaunted EV of the Year award, a bunch of manufacturing-related tomfoolery kept the 5 from arriving any earlier for its 40,000-mile long-term test. But hey, that’s in the past; it’s time to start looking forward.

The Ioniq 5 is not the first EV to join our long-term ranks—that honor goes to a 2015 Tesla Model S—but rather, it’s part of a new crop of EVs that also includes a Rivian R1T and a BMW i4. Considering the sticker prices on these other electric cars aren’t exactly miserly, the $50,000-ish starting price for a decently equipped all-wheel-drive electric SUV seems like a relative bargain, and it sidles right up against the average new-car transaction price.

So let’s examine what you do get for your 52,495 hard-earned simoleons. Our SEL AWD test car places an electric motor at each axle, producing a collective 320 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque, drawing electrons from a 77.4-kWh battery pack, which is good for an EPA-estimated 266 miles of range. Nineteen-inch alloy wheels are standard, as is a wealth of kit that includes power-folding mirrors, a powered liftgate, leatherette seats, wireless device charging, a heated steering wheel, and 64-color ambient lighting. A set of $210 carpeted floor mats is the only extra-cost option.

We’ve enjoyed the Ioniq 5’s ride well before we had one of our own, and our long-termer continues to pass the vibe check as the miles begin to accumulate. Over the first couple thousand miles, we took the Ioniq 5 to such exotic locales as Cleveland and Toledo. Whether the trips were long or short, our editors continued to heap praise on the Ioniq’s ride, aesthetics, cabin layout, and recharging vigor—our fast-charge test saw peak charging speeds of 235 kilowatts.

But it’s not all roses and daisies. The Ioniq 5’s logbook contains multiple tales of broken or malfunctioning public chargers that force drivers to hunt down random trickle-chargers just to stay afloat. Other entries bemoan the lack of amenities such as a rear wiper, USB-C ports, or wireless smartphone mirroring. And then there’s technical editor Austin Irwin, whose diatribe against the Ioniq 5’s infotainment system is both too long and too vulgar to quote here.

Even though it’s not the hopped-up performance model (the 5 N is still making its way to series production), the initial test of our long-term Ioniq 5 proves it’s still capable of cutting loose. We managed to sneak our testing in just before the temperatures crept into winter-tire territory, so it’s wearing its stock Michelin Primacy All-Season rubber, sized 235/55R-19, all around. Our 0.84-g skidpad result isn’t a far cry from the 0.85 g we recorded with a 2022 Ioniq 5 Limited AWD, which wore one-inch-larger wheels with similarly grippy all-seasons.

Things prove even more exciting in a straight line, where the AWD Ioniq 5 tapped into its surprisingly deep well of motive force to reach 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, which used to be supercar territory not terribly long ago. It dispatched the quarter-mile in 13.1 seconds at 103 mph. That instantaneous torque helps ferry the Ioniq 5 along at highway speeds, too, hopping from 30 to 50 mph in 2.0 seconds and from 50 to 70 in 2.8.

As Michigan winter once again raises its ugly head, we’re already lacing up a fresh set of snowshoes, which should prevent this 4547-pound EV from becoming an unstoppable ingot of icy momentum. Despite the feds’ insistence on a 266-mile range estimate, driving on our 75-mph highway test loop elicited a max range of just 210 miles, a number that’s sure to drop even further once it’s truly cold out. We’ll cover all our frosty adventures in the 10,000-mile update.

Months in Fleet: 3 months Current Mileage: 5660 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 87 MPGe
Battery Capacity: 77.4 kWh Observed Driving Range: 210 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0

Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com