2017 Ioniq Hybrid
I'm on my third Hyundai lease with my first a gas powered Elantra, my second a Sonata Hybrid and my third an Ioniq Hybrid which I picked up at the end of October 2017. I'm a big fan of the Hyundai brand in terms of the features per dollar and I don't think you can touch their trim levels for the money in any other brand. I keep a spreadsheet of my mileage and my Sonata Hybrid was rated at 38 combined and according to my spreadsheet I hit 38.5 combined over my 3 year lease so the ratings were spot on. I expect the Ioniq fuel economy to be spot on as well based on my 3+ months of ownership thus far. I looked at getting another Sonata Hybrid but decided on the Ioniq because I commute 60 miles a day and wanted the better gas mileage. I don't generally carry many passengers or haul stuff in my car so the slightly smaller size wasn't an issue. So far I think this is a fantastic car. It has a reasonably firm ride, tracks well at highway speeds (70 MPH Turnpike here) and handles predictably. I like the regenerative braking on this car much better than the Sonata but it's still a bit funky and requires getting used to. I really like the charge indicator that kicks in when you lightly apply the brakes which allow you to maximize the recharging by modulating the brakes. I would rate the overall stopping as adequate but this car won't stop on a dime. Visibility is not great but high mileage cars tend to have a mid-window rear spoiler that gets in the way and this car is no exception. Because of the spoiler the bottom half of the rear hatch window gets very dirty and when it's raining the water doesn't clear so you can only really see out of the top half of the window. The aerodynamic shape also means big pillars and smaller windows but again, it's something you get used to and can adjust to. Acceleration is surprisingly good for such a high mileage car and I never feel like I need extra horsepower for passing although I'm not going to win any races. Even with more the unexpected power the car gets terrific mileage. I'm just wrapping up my winter driving which in my Sonata Hybrid reduced the mileage by about 20% because of the temperature and winter gas mix. That's a dirty little secret they don't tell you about hybrids but I knew this going in. Batteries and electricity is affected by temperature and when it's cold the car runs much more on gas engine power. The other dirty little secret is that the benefit of the hybrid doesn't kick in until after the car is warmed up which can mean 3+ miles in the winter before you start getting the rated mileage. Short trips like a mile or less, you're pretty much running on gas when it's cold out. Regardless, when I first got the car at the beginning of November I was getting 60+ mpg on the highway and even during the coldest of days I could still get 50+ mpg on the highway. So far my combined is about 49 and based on my experience with the Sonata Hybrid I expect that over the life of the car I will achieve the rated combined mileage. The last bits are styling and capacity. I like the styling of the car and have actually gotten may compliments on how "sporty" the car looks. I think for a high mileage competitor it's as stylish as it gets. I really like the interior which is well laid out, functional and comfortable. The materials seem to be reasonably good quality and the car definitely does not feel poorly made. The seats are firm but not quite firm enough to my liking but are very comfortable none the less. I've owned 2 Volkswagen cars and an Audi so I am used to rock hard seats. My family and I are what I would describe as average sized and the 4 of us fit very comfortably. The rear hatch is big enough to carry groceries, sporting equipment, musical instruments, etc. and with the fold down seats you can pretty much carry anything reasonable in size. Overall, I'd give this car an A+ so far.
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