Featured Hyundai IONIQ - Prius competitor?

Having owned a Hyundai, no - I'll never buy another!
My first new car was a 2013 Hyundai i20 1.1 Crdi Blue drive, bought for economy. Without using a Scangauge it was returning well below 60 MPG (94 MPG was the claimed figure). With a Scangauge and driving like a granny, a lifetime figure of 64 MPG (imperial) was achieved. It was inferior to diesel cars from the '80s in features and performance, was sluggish and dull to drive - despite a nearly £13,000 price tag. Over 40,000 miles a fault developed where the oil level rose (presumably due to diesel in the oil). This seemed to be a fault across this model, but Hyundai dealers remained unhelpful and clueless. The rocker cover gasket went, and they didn't spot it, I had to show them. Rust spots appeared in a dozen places within 2 and a half years.
Over priced, badly built and with disinterested and incompetent service and support.
I'll never own another Hyundai, and would advise anyone considering one to look at all the options from well established manufacturers with good reputations.
I was planning to keep it for 10 years, but as it was just so awful and I hated owning it, I was stuck with the depreciation cost of around £9,000, ouch.
Hyundai cars seem to have the biggest gap between claimed economy and actual economy - any money saved on the model cost will most likely be outweighed by poor MPG over the course of ownership.
Hyundai forums are full of people complaining about their dreadful cars and there are lots and lots of problems.
If I hadn't had this first hand experience, I would likely have been suckered by the Ioniq, as it sure looks and sounds okay, eh?!

 

I'm not sure which one is the 'penultimate paragraph' so I'll choose:

My next Prius adds one significant modification, a one-way clutch, that allows MG1 and MG2 to work together as a single motor in EV mode. It is the difference between having two motors, the Toyota way, versus a single large motor, the Hyundai way ... with gears.​

The earlier hybrid drives would use just MG2 for all electric mode. This meant no power from MG1 because if it passed any torque to the engine, it would turn. The Prius Prime adds a one-way clutch so MG1 can 'push against' the clutch and not turn the engine. In forward directions, both MG1 and MG2 are working in series to drive the car, increasing the available EV power by ~28% with an insignificant increase in weight, the one-way clutch (aka., like a safety bicycle.)

This was not covered in @Tideland Prius initial posting: How has Hybrid Synergy Drive changed since gen 1? | PriusChat . I have no doubt he will soon, skillfully correct this important change in the HSD which IMHO is Gen-5 but I'll take Gen-4.5 <grins>

Bob Wilson

 

We hired an i40 from Enterprise. Nice car in every way IMHO.

As a hire car it will have to earn its keep. Do lots of owners also post bad reviews of the i40 and its reliability?

I assume Enterprise did their homework and haven't bought a fleet of lemons, but maybe I'm wrong.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Major rental car companies tend to turn their fleet over very quickly, though - so cars get heavily abused, but you're not likely to see something more than a couple years or so old.

 

One of the Toyota dealers had an ex-Hyundai chap. Said many diesel i40s had to have their engines replaced under warranty - I brought the subject up as it was mentioned in a Hyundai Forum.
I think he said the same engine was fine in the i30, but not strong with the bigger car.

 

Source: Profits Tumbling, Hyundai on Cost-Cutting Binge | TheDetroitBureau.com

Sales slipping, profits tumbling, Hyundai is taking some drastic steps to shore things up.
. . .
Hyundai Motor Group CEOs are taking 10% pay cuts, according to a report by the Reuters news service, while the company is scaling back flights for Korean workers stationed abroad who normally head home for the holidays on the company’s expense.
. . .
“It doesn’t matter” who you have running things, or how much you cut costs, stressed analyst Dave Sullivan, of AutoPacific Inc., “if you don’t have the right product.”
. . .
“We’re trying to address a mismatch between the market trend and our product line-up,” one Hyundai insider, told Reuters. “That’s a longer term plan. For now we’re trying to save every penny.”​

Waiting for Godot or his IONIQ.

Bob Wilson

 

Ioniq - ironic .

 

I just wonder why Hyundai didn't bring the Ioniq to the US?

Based on my observations here in our area .... Hyundai vehicles are VERY WELL received. I see just as many Hyundai 4 door sedans as Toyota. (base on actual, counted observations) They have an established dealer network, and I just feel they would sell well.
But what do I know?

 

maybe they are losing money on every car, and don't want to sell too many.

 

Maybe because sedans aren't selling. Look at the incentives almost every manufacturer has to have on a sedan in the US. Look at what is parked around you the next time you go to the grocery store. Vanity vehicles.

 

plug in ch-r's!

 

same here. But man, talk about bad PR. That kind of news would really make me take a double take before I bought one.
.

 

'not enough suv's and no pick ups'. maybe we should be supporting them.

 

they are, it comes out in the summer. if i was in the market for a car i'd probably be purchasing it instead. i suspect a few model 3 reservation holders will jump ship as well, especially given Bjorn's rave review.



given the Americans' seemingly unending obsession with purchasing the largest car they possibly can, and especially taking into account recent election results, I hope for Hyundai's sake they are focusing more on the Kia Niro...

 

none of these are money makers in the current environment.

 

I prefer GM's hill start. It just works on an incline without needing additional driver input.

In terms of reliability or efficiency?
In terms of buying a beater for a car, the manual might be more robust than the automatic. Depends on miles, age, and model.
With similar gear ratios, the manual will best the auto, but not by much on the EPA.

Hyundai's rep has also been growing in CR and other publications. Cars just aren't as popular now.

 

there may be several manufacturers besides GM that respond that way on inclines. Tesla does it too for example on both decline & incline.
.

 

is there a button to roll back into the car behind you?

 

Think you might be right. Not being aware that Toyota's needed the brake pedal to be fully depressed for hill start, I thought they simply had more 'give' in their transmissions compared to the American brand cars I've driven.

No, but if you wait too long, the car will fulfill your wish.