Ioniq or Prius?

I missed out but used Ioniq plug in hybrids were $9999 mid pandemic and would have been a buy,

all things being equal Prime is a better vehicle in a variety of ways

 

I think it’s hard to deny Toyota’s 24 years of hybrid experience. Prius’s stellar reliability record and excellent value retention. I’m sure the ionic is a nice car but it comes down to low repair costs and what value it retains after I’m ready to move onto my next vehicle. I was quite surprised when I wanted to sell my 2009 Prius I had owned for 9 years with 225,000 miles and still was worth $4000-5000.

 

Prius - slightly better efficiency
Ionic - not so hard on the eyes
Both - great warranties
.

 

ionic has full hatch and more miles?

 

If you don't plan to own the car after 5 years, Ioniq
If you plan to own it till the wheels fall off, Toyota.

 

I have not driven the Iconiq, so I can't say. But one of the things I learned a long time ago is that just because it says "hybrid", you can't assume that it cleanly shifts from one mode to the other. You can't assume that it's built with the American market in mind. You have to try it to see how well it works in real life.

And as for longevity... there is no way to tell if a new model will still have any resale value in 2, 5 or 10 years. It may be one of those that is a lemon, catches fire or cheated on EPA tests. Hyundai should be quite trustworthy for a while since the $100M fine for misrepresenting mileage a few years back.

The Ioniq PHEV seems to be quite similar to the Prius Prime. Close to the same performance and specs, right down to losing storage room to the larger battery.

The review at https://www.carwow.co.uk/hyundai/ioniq really pans the Ioniq. Too cramped in the back seat. Can't keep up on the freeway, Jerky shifting, etc. That same site is critical of the Prius too, but mainly because of the styling.

A question about the Iconiq web site. Why does it show 2020 pictures (says so on the screen) when you select the 2021 Iconiq PHEV?

Dan

 

I traded in a 2019 Ioniq SEL for my present 2020 prius LE and I can tell you that the ioniq was a good car. Now the problem with the ioniq, is that I understand all but the electric is being discontinued from this point forward. The reason I came back to the prius that has is much better resale and much better quality.

 

All hybrids take a hit in winter but reading up on the Ioniq the lack of heat pump really effects it’s mileage more. Especially on cool days where the Prius can still use electric power for heating instead of engine heat.

 

Is the Ioniq a "true" hybrid, like the Prius? I thought it worked slightly differently.

 

Yep - similar, but different. The drive/transmission is more "conventional", but then so have other hybrids. Same as Honda works differently from a PRIUS - or a WOODS, or Lohner-Porsche for that matter.

 

We were considering the Ioniq. But the reviews regarding ride quality were awful. That, and the fact that we had a lot of driving experience with Priuses due to their usage in GIG rideshare’s fleet in Seattle — along with the crazy low lease rates for the Prius at the time — swayed us to the Prius.

 

Prius because of its quirky "futuristic" looks, the way it drives, and general resale.

 

Prius not ioniq