Nice Exterior, Ugly interior design
I traded in my lovely Kia Sorento 2025 with leather seats and panoramic sunroof for the basic Ionic 5 Standard Range. The change is drastic, but the "fuel savings" really made it worth it. I really like the Ionic’s exterior design, since it looks like a hatchback from the ’80s or ’90s, However, the interior is really ugly; there’s a lot of plastic on the door panels, and fingerprints show up easily, making it look dirty or greasy. You have to be constantly cleaning it. The center console is horrible; I’ve never seen anything so ugly, and that’s even though they improved it compared to the 2024 model. The spot where you’re supposed to charge your phone is basically unusable because when the sun’s rays hit the phone, it overheats and shuts down, so I have to remove it from there and hide it somewhere else where the sun doesn’t hit it directly. that center console is a joke—who was the genius who designed it? There isn’t enough space to store things—just a small tray with a lid that barely fits my wallet and car keys. Everything else I have to practically throw into the bottom section, which is completely open. All of this is a problem because it leaves my personal items exposed and unprotected when I leave the car at valet parking or when it’s in for service. The glove box doesn’t have a lock either.
The base model doesn’t have a wireless cell phone charging option, nor does it have air conditioning vents in the rear seats.
I got $3000 rebate, Zero down payment and 0% APR x 72 month (with tier 1 credit) but the dealer under valued my Kia (of course) paying $634 monthly.
I financed around $45k (too much for this) and with just 200 miles I got an estimate from Carvana for just $25,000, so I am loosing $20k immediately. "But I am saving GAS" hahaha.