Prius Competitor Is An Alternative Well Worth Checking Out
9 Months ago I traded my 2102 Prius 2 on a 2017 Hyundai IONIQ SEL model. In 2013, I bought that Prius used (Certified) with only 16,900 miles on it. It was cute, scientifically fascinating, comfortable enough and a great cargo capacity with a flat floor loading surface from the rear bumper to the folded down real seats. I was able to transport amazing cargo including an 18 cu ft refrigerator and a 7 cu ft foot chest freezer in the original packing. That plus the obvious 50 plus mpg made it the best car and best value I ever owned
In 2017, as my Prius was getting "long-in-the tooth," my tires were wearing and the car was well out of all warrantees at 70,000 miles. I saw promos and tests for the new Hyundai Ionic and visited a nearby dealership (Hyundai of St. Augustine, Fl) to look at the IONIQ.
IMOP the car looked better than even the updated Prius 2016 designs. The warrantees offered were more thorough. My test drive on the SEL model revealed a car that behaved more like a car, with noticeably better acceleration, braking and handling. Instead of a CVT slow powercurve transmission, the IONIC SEL used a dual clutch 6 speed automatic. Real gears. Real shift points with a choice of shifting manually through the gears or letting the very capable automatic transmission do it.
The dashboard was definitely more car-like, with a comprehensive assortment of colorful instrumentation and displays. The only thing it lacked in regards to the Prius was an INSTANT readout of MPG in real time. What you get instead is a "cumulative average" mpg based on the total miles driven by the car up to that moment.
The roofline is a bit lower than the Prius. Getting in and out was more difficult. Other than that the cargo area seemed roomier with the back seats up. The fact that the battery pack was smaller than the Prius, lowered the real cargo floor and there was no unobstructed loading floor as in the Prius. The cargo floor was 8 inches lower behind the "lip" making sliding in a load as a large appliance in the box impossible. Plus, the back seats, when folded down, are not flush with the cargo floor as in the older Prius.
So, if I could wave a magic wand, I would change those issues. But I am getting a little better than 50 mpg and this Hyundai has PEP! Can accelerate and merge with traffic much better than the "apologetic" Prius.
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