With a lot of excitement and a tinge of sadness I will be picking up my RWD Ioniq 5 SEL on Monday and leaving my 2020 Kona Electric behind. I have really enjoyed my Kona and it was a great first EV for me. Needed more space and wanted the faster charging and longer range since we take longe trips fairly regularly. Based on the test drive I think the Kona is slightly peppier but the I5 is still very quick. Overall this is a good move for me. If anyone has made the same move and has any comments on the transition and what you like, don't like, and what you miss from your Kona days, I'd love to hear them. I'm located in the US (New Jersey). Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
I did the exact same, although I handed over my Kona last year because of the battery recall. Hyundai bought mine back. I got the Ioniq 5 limited AWD and definitely not regretting it. The AWD gets about the same range as the Kona (RWD more) but it's just a more refined EV. A blast to drive, beautiful car and (sorry that you're not getting it) the glass roof is beautiful. Makes it such a nice open light space. Loving that car and on my first (and only so far) EA charging experience got 220kW. Had to move the car away from the charger before the food was on the table at the nearby restaurant.
Thanks for the info. Have you played around with driving it in ECO mode to see if it gets a range closer to the RWD? I have until tomorrow to decide if I want to switch to the AWD, but the range is what is keeping me away from doing that (so far)
I've had a couple longer drives that I've used eco mode on. Actually I always use eco mode on longer drives out of town (Roswell, NM is in the middle of nowhere, so any trip out of town is eco mode for me). I don't have exact numbers, but for now it feels like it's getting Kona range in eco mode, which equals more to 250 for 100% as you know. I doubt it's going to get 300 miles consistently, but wouldn't rule out the possibility with extremely careful driving. As you seem to want the range I would play it safe and assume it doesn't get 300 in eco. My longer drives were always to the west over a mountain range, so having to climb 5000 feet and then down the other side and vice versa makes estimating it hard. However I also experienced a much better mileage with temperatures getting warmer. Just in town driving went from 3 to 4 miles per kWh with temperatures getting into the 70s and even 80s. I know it's not a definitive answer, but hope it makes you more comfortable with your decision.
Thanks! This was exactly the kind of empirical data l was hoping someone could provide. You absolutely have made me more comfortable with my choice. Mark
Glad I could help. I'm sure your love the car. I've been missing my Kona since I was EV less for about 6 months, but I'm so happy now with my choice.
I hope you enjoy the Ionic5. Personally, the Kona is perfect for me and I hope something comparable is available when it's ready for retirement.
Thanks Bruce - know I will miss my Kona. It's a great little car, fun to drive, so efficient, and never let me down. It was my introduction to the EV world. I just need more room in the car or i wouldn't be switching. That being said, I can't wait to pick up my I5 tomorrow. But it will be hard to turn in the keys and drove away without my Kona.
Congratulations! Happy to hear we are not losing you... just moving to a new section of the forum. Sounds like your in prime locations to take full advantage of fast DC charging. AWD would be my choice as well, looking forward to new videos as entertaining yet informative as previous ones (even though the benchmark one will be hard to top)
Lucky you, make sure to let us know your feelings on the beautiful new ride, c/w pictures etc. It will probably feel like driving a castle compared to Kona EV with all that interior space. Appreciate the wonderful comments on the Kona EV experience as well.
Haha, yeah, that will be hard to top (Bailey helped me get over it ). Working on my first Ioniq 5 video right now. Glad you are/have enjoyed them.
