Almost perfect, with a few baffling stumbles
The 2023 Ioniq 5 is a wonderful addition to the available EVs in the world. The car makes you feel like you have taken command of a small spaceship, with very well designed and highly refined driver controls and displays. It almost feels larger inside than the outside would allow for. The driving experience is absolutely fantastic.
Unfortunately all of this perfections is marred by awkward or baffling design decisions in a few areas, and it brings you out of your spaceship and into a 10 year old late model economy vehicle. The lack of wireless Android Auto/CarPlay connectivity seems like an oversight, especially with the inclusion of a wireless Qi charging pad. This gets even worse when you realize that the USB port that is used for this connectivity is NOT one of the ones easily accessible in the center console, but is all the way down at the bottom of the dash, near the driver's feet, where it is impossible to access while buckled in, and leaves your phone stuck in a cubby hole out of reach. On the subject of USB ports, I would expect a car with features like interior V2L and 5 USB ports to include at LEAST one USB-C port capable of the USB-C Power Delivery standard. Sadly, all 5 of the ports are old-style USB-A connectors, with the power limitations expected of that connection.
Finally, and in my opinion, almost the most egregious oversight is the use of INCANDESCENT bulbs for several of the interior fixtures. I would not expect that in a 2010 model car, and having them in what is being marketed as a car packed full of technology, just makes it seem like someone somewhere said "Well, this is what we've been using for years, throw it in there."
Overall, the car is fantastic, and I love driving it every day, but they missed perfection by just enough to make it inexcusable.
Recommended
Verified Owner
