So long friend. Traded in the Prime

I don't think that animal cruelty is unique to asian countries. Certainly it is a regular news item in the states that some dog mill was shut down for cruelty. I think it's just more widely publicized from asian countries because, well, racism.

You can certainly disagree with my reasoning but if you go back to my very FIRST post here you'll see me complaining about these exact items. The rear window is HORRENDOUS. It's awful. The people who don't think it is awful are invested in the car. There is no reason that it has to be that way besides a fashion statement. Note the new prime doesn't have that window. And the usability of the window has been a widespread complaint. The first time my kid drove in the Prime during the rain he asked me "how do you see out the back of your car?"

The Prime certainly claims high efficiency but my experience on the same drive says otherwise. Take the Prime on the freeway and the range decreases drastically. The Ioniq loses range but not to the same degree. Note that the CD for the 2018 Prime is .25 and the Ioniq 5 is .28 so clearly the motor is more efficient in the Ioniq.

As far as a dented battery causing a car to be totaled, that is completely up to the insurance company. I strongly suspect that is FUD as well. Likely there is something else in the equation, there usually is. Like the entire bottom of the car was damaged and destroyed but the anti EV faction claims it was the battery.

 

Most of the time you don't charge to 100% so it's almost never an issue. If you drive down a really big mountain it MIGHT get to the point where there is no more capacity in the battery but I imagine that is pretty rare. But here's the thing about engine braking in the Prime, it wastes fuel and increases maintenance to the engine for almost zero benefit in brake life. In my situation it is seriously bad for the car because you take a cold engine and run it for a minute or two down a hill then it gets turned off when I reach my destination. The engine never reaches operating temperature and as a result has flooded the exhaust system and engine with gas and water.

 

How could you not? The Miata is the pinnacle of the 2 seater convertible. The team behind that car took the design brief (a small convertible similar to a British design) and improved it in every single way. Is it the most powerful sports car? No. Is it the best steering? No. Is it the most comfortable? No. Is it the most flashy? No. Is it absolutely brilliant? Hell yes!

 

I've owned a LOT of cars and there's a few I hated. 80 Chevy Citation. 68 Squareback (which answered the question nobody asked: How many times can your car catch fire before you give up on the PoS?). 84? Dodge Omni. 79 Ford Courier (top speed 65 mph downhill with a tailwind)

 

There's lies, damn lies, and statistics. I know what the ratings are for both vehicles but my personal experience on my commute in both cars is that the Ioniq 5 is more efficient. This could be a variety of factors: more efficient HVAC, better regeneration from a bigger motor, better regeneration software that takes better advantage of the regeneration capabilities of the car, different power outputs on freeway driving, better hill capabilities. I can't say what is the primary factor but my Prime rarely hit the estimated range and often was off by nearly 50% whereas my Ioniq is far closer to estimated range in real world conditions.

 

Took my first trip in the Ioniq 5 to Seattle and it was such a nice drive. I averaged 3.6 miles per kWh. If I had been going slower I'm sure I would have done better but It was pretty good regardless. I stopped twice for charging, both times in Olympia. The chargers weren't giving full rating but I still charged in 18 minutes. Plus I got to meet a lab puppy so win-win. The adaptive CC isn't quite as good as the Prime's but they are pretty close. The LKA is terrible, just like my wife's Rav4 Hybrid. Though you CAN take your hands off the wheel in that mode. Not that I do but I did test it. It is a much nicer driver on the freeway than the Prime. Quieter, more composed, more comfortable.

 

The paint color was one of the best things about the Prime. I loved that shade of blue. I never got even close to 6 m/kWh in mine. I did get 4.5 range around town which is nearly identical to the Ioniq. The Ioniq benefits from MUCH better regeneration capabilities. We have hills so that makes a monumental difference.

I drove a MY but there were multiple things I didn't like about it. Ride quality is pretty terrible. The roads here aren't great and the I5 handles them far far better than the MY I drove. Controls are stupid. I understand some people like searching through menus on a giant tablet in the middle of the dash while they are trying to drive. I'm not one of those people. The I5 controls are a billion times better than the MY. They are still total crap though compared to a traditional car. I really wish that NHTSA or DOT would jump in and force cars to have a certain level of user friendly UI systems. Screw the trend to put everything on one screen. People are getting in car wrecks due to the sorry state of the UI. People are literally dying because of them. Unconscionable.

The interior of the I5 is SOOO much nicer than the interior of the MY. Materials are nicer. Layout is better. Quieter. Doesn't have to have that stupid giant glass roof. The MY I tested was like sitting in a sauna on a 55 degree mostly cloudy PNW day. I can't imagine how awful it would have been in July.

 

I'm in that group that prefers traditional controls. Frankly the I5 is still far too obsessed with the touch screen. I'd actually prefer the controls from my 1967 Datsun RL411. Simple, obvious, compact. I went with the I5 because the ride was so much better on my local roads and the interior is so much nicer to be in. And it is much quieter than the MY I drove.