The safest bet in EVs is to buy one from the Korean manufacturers - they have the tech figured out (and have had it for a few years), they make everything from 'car but electric' to 'Jetsons spaceship', they're reasonably priced, they have cheap and abundant parts, have mechanics who know how to work on them, and they don't have an 'X' factor CEO.
I like the concept of this, but they just don’t feel to be “nice” places to be in like some of the European marques. The Volvos are about the most comfortable “normal” cars I’ve been in, the Kia’s / Hyundais/ MGs / Toyotas feel like sitting on badly covered sofas on a wishy washy suspension platform, without enough sound deadening.
Those are completely different marks, from completely different countries, and completely different aims and feel.
And as someone who drove multiple cars, from multiple East Asian and European marks, I suggest you try drive newer cars, because your opinions don’t match 2024-2025 MY cars from those brands (except for maybe MG, and Toyota, but both aren’t designed or sold for the driving experience. Toyota leaves it for their Lexus brand, and Chinese marks don’t even try to compete on that yet).
The modern (2023-2025) KIAs (is that what you’re referring to?) have been horrifically crashy in terms of suspension and ride compared to the Germans in my experience. Definitely wouldn’t be for me. We’ve got a 2024 Skoda Octavia VRS and had a 2021 V60, both of which seem to be a much more sensible ride than the (both e and non e)-Niro and the Stonic. The sportage was a whole other level of rolly, and we don’t really get non SUVish-but-not-really models in the UK. Even my 2010 325i was a whole other level of comfort compared to what is being produced by the eastern markets today.
We have a Hyundai Ioniq 5 and we test drove lots of cars, and love, love how this one feels. Great suspension, grips to the road, crazy fun acceleration. Granted, some 100k+ luxury sedans probably beat it out, but we're really happy. Volvos were ok? I didn't super like them, a bit more cockpit feel to them. Maybe that's the difference between us? You want it to feel more like a cockpit of an aircraft and I want something chill and comfortable?
The Kia's we tried were mostly great (The EV6 felt like a cockpit though) - the EV9 was awesome but we couldn't convince ourselves to get such a large vehicle.
I drive a 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and I wouldn’t recommend it. I’ve had to deal with plenty of bugs and there’s some weird (although probably minor) UX issues, but the kicker is it’s now been at the dealership for over a month. It’s a complete brick because the ICCU died and it’s hard to get a replacement. I’m guessing because so many others have died as well. I also don’t think I’ve bent a single rim on any other car I’ve driven in the last 25 years but on this one I’ve somehow bent 2.
ICCU issue affects a small % of ioniq 5's. Unlucky for you of course.
Really like the car and recently I met taxi driver who uses one and said he has over 400k km on it and still doing well.
There is one annoyance with the back seat belts which tend to flip after use, so the metal part of the seat belt hits the car frame making noise. Other than that its a really good car.
> The safest bet in EVs is to buy one from the Korean manufacturers - they have the tech figured out (and have had it for a few years)
Not an EV, but I have a 2022 Kia Sorento with a fair number of weird software bugs-e.g. the sound from the navigation system randomly stops working and I have to restart the car to make it work again; the car tries to read speed limit signs using machine vision but its capabilities are too basic so it reads them incorrectly (in particular, conditional speed limits which only apply under a certain condition, such as at certain times of day, for heavy vehicles only, it will treat as absolutes)
Is their EV software better? Outside of cars, my experience with South Korean software hasn’t impressed me
My daily driver is a 2020 Kona Electric (a buddy of mine drive a Kia Xceed; my understanding is that they use the same software). No software issue to report or that I remember. The only issue I have is more taste than problem (the way the highlighted road is displayed on satnav is better on Google Maps IMO).
I find the OS perfectly boring, and I like it that way. Most of the car functions has physical, clicky buttons. The one that doesn't are justified IMO (navigation, pairing bluetooth, etc.).
