My family with the Hyundai Ioniq 5This fun to drive EV also comes with a stunning surprise: All that you get for the money.Cars can sometimes be a family affair. When your kids are small, the car mostly goes where they do and it's the drivers who rotate.But when they get older it can be easy to share cars; let them drive the Miata to the lake with their friends or your SUV to the mountains for a ski weekend. But we all have our own cars and prefer them over others since they are set up for us: our seat settings, our radio station favorites, our in-car necessities and our own preferred levels of cleanliness. So it was sort of a surprise when I came home with a Hyundai Ioniq 5 for a long-term test drive and everyone asked when they could drive it. I guess I wouldn't be spending as much time in it as I thought. AdvertisementAdvertisementI was sort of disappointed to not have it all to myself, but I was curious to know: Would my husband and two daughters, who all drive gas-powered cars, like driving this EV?This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.Sizing Up the Hyundai Ioniq 5: What Everyone Needed to Know The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 – Credit: Scotty ReissEveryone had a lot to learn about the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Mine is a Limited Edition, the second from the top of the line with a price tag of about $51,000, a dual motor powertrain, a range of about 270 miles and all wheel drive—a feature I think every car should have. It was built with a NACS-style power port meaning it is Telsa Super Charger ready, but would need an adapter to charge at non-NACS public chargers and to use the cord in my garage. It came with two stowed in the frunk: one for level 2 chargers and one for level 3 DC fast chargers, as well as a cord to charge at a household outlet. So I had to explain that. I also had to explain it has a frunk.Read: Charging a Car At Home Is Easy (and Cheap). And, Do You Really Need 4WD? Our Weekly Rewind!Explaining How To Charge the Hyundai Ioniq 5The rear of the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5; the charge port door sits at the right rear corner, perfect for charging at a Tesla Super Charger – Credit: Scotty ReissI immediately set the car's internal charge limit to a maximum of 80% using the touch screen. This protects the battery life and the cost to charge it publicly. Which I also had to explain: Public charge stations often assess a fee or higher rate for charing between 80% and 100% since that last 20% can go very slowly. And, some will charge an idle fee for cars that are left plugged in after they are done charging. All together than can get quite pricey. AdvertisementAdvertisementThey would be able to charge the car at my house or at any public charge station using a credit card, but they would probably need the adapter stowed in the frunk. If they wanted to charge at a Tesla Super Charger they would need to download the Tesla app and add a credit card; most Tesla chargers don't have a credit card reader. I left the phone app, driver profiles and other more complicated details for later to let them get used to the basics first. I also turned off the audio charging signal, which announces the to neighborhood "Charging started" when you plug in the car. You can see that it's charging by looking at the dashboard. Last, I encouraged them all to lock the car when it's charging and unlock it to remove the charge cord. This is just a good habit to be in at a public charger or when charging the car in the driveway. Read: I Took a Solo Road Trip in the Mustang Mach-E Using Public EV Chargers. This is How It WentFirst Lesson: One-Pedal Driving 101A large, easy to see driver's display with i-Pedal indicator in the lower right corner – Credit: Scotty ReissThe first thing I showed them was how to set i-Pedal one-pedal driving. At first I was not a fan of Hyundai's system, which requires you to pull the left paddle to set i-Pedal every time you get in the car. But my family disagrees with me. They love it. That's because my daughter Cameron doesn't like one pedal driving at all; she prefers level 2, a mild regenerative braking level that walks the line between a normal drive feel and a slightly faster deceleration to save battery power. Level 3 is the default mode, delivering a fairly assertive regenerative braking level. But pull the left paddle for i-Pedal and you're in max regen mode (level 1 and 2 can be accessed by pulling the right paddle) which is true one-pedal driving.Read: You Can Save Money With EVs, Right? Here's How Much, and How to Find Deals On the Best EVsAt First, I Found i-Pedal Settings to Be Frustrating, But My Family DisagreedThe view from the driver's seat in the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 – Credit: Scotty ReissTo increase regenerative braking the driver will need to pull the left paddle every time the car is driven, as well as after putting it in park. I thought this would get on my nerves; I prefer a set-it-and-forget-it regen system. However, I ultimately found that I am fine with this, too. It actually acclimates me to the car by giving me something to do besides steer and accelerate (and change the radio station).AdvertisementAdvertisementMy family, on the other hand, liked not being in i-Pedal mode instantly. My husband, who likes one-pedal driving, doesn't mind having to remember to pull the paddle. My daughter Cameron instantly pulls the right paddle to reduce regenerative braking. My younger daughter Estee just drives it in the default mode; it's fine with her. The magic of regen mode is one-pedal driving: essentially you only need to use the accelerator to both power and slow the car. Press it of course to go faster, but lift off the accelerator and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 will come to a complete stop. It's sort of like a video game in real life. After a while one-pedal driving fans will learn to judge every intersection, stop sign and drive-through and rarely, if ever, use the brake. It's such a cool feeling.Read: Our Absolute Favorites: The Best EVs and PHEV SUVs Go the Distance In Modern StyleThe Most Winning Factor By Far: Its Fun-to-Drive NatureThe driver's seat in the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 – Credit: Scotty ReissWhether using i-Pedal or simply driving in default mode, the fun-to-drive factor is the first thing everyone noticed. The Ioniq 5's 320 HP and 446 pound-feet of torque has more power and quicker acceleration than most of us are used to. Around town it's great; tap the accelerator to leave a traffic light and glance in the rear view mirror; while you may not feel particularly speedy, the other cars are still sitting there.But the power is just where the delight starts. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is agile and easy to drive. I know the only real difference is the power train, but it feels lighter and easier to turn. Its suspension and steering feel as zippy as its acceleration. I'm not sure how that's possible, but we all agree, driving it feels breezy. Big, But Not Too Big For All of Us The interior of the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 with the sunroof screen open – Credit: Scotty ReissThe Hyundai Ioniq 5's scale is more SUV than sedan, making it easy to get in and out of but still small enough that it doesn't feel huge. The rear seat is really spacious, giving us plenty of space for rear seat passengers or our medium-sized dogs. And the cargo area is very roomy. There's additional space under the cargo floor—but it's small and I haven't used it. And there's the frunk, but that's really better for adapter and cord storage. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Ioniq 5 fits very nicely in any regular-sized parking spot, though its boxy shape fills my side of our garage. I have to back it in to charge it inside and thanks to its angular design and an odd angular wall in our garage, it barely fits. Our garage is on the small side and even so, I can still park it, charge it and walk all the way around it—barely. Probably the best thing about the Hyundai Ioniq 5's shape is all the interior space, which feels open and airy, and that's its other shining factor.The Luxury Details Made Everyone Feel Special Head up display with integrated navigation – Credit: Scotty ReissThe Hyundai Ioniq 5's interior makes it feel really luxurious and we all agree, we really love this interior. Not for posh finishes or the hushed feel of a luxury car. But for the modern, smart design. Between the front seats is a floating center console that holds a phone charge pad and cup holders, a lower storage bin, an arm rest that lifts up to reveal a small storage space, and in front of the console, an open bin with dual USB ports.There are also USB ports in the console bin and in the rear of the console for back seat passengers. The console really does float; it can be moved forward to open up even more rear seat space, or it can move back for more space on the front seat floor. It's really clever. And then, there are loads of luxuries in this EV, including: AdvertisementAdvertisementAmbient lighting that surrounds the speakers and lights up the door panels; buttons and controls are backlit so they are easy to see in the darkA digital video rear view mirror A low, wide multimedia screen tucked into the dashboard Head up displayA large panoramic sunroof with a retractable screen"Hey Hyundai"voice assistance Blind spot video monitors on the driver's display Heated and cooled front seatsA driver's 'relaxation' seat with an extendable leg rest A surround view rear view cameraThis might be the best luxury, though: The Hyundai Ioniq 5, which starts at $35,000, has come down in price since it was first introduced. My Limited model has a price of about $51,315 including destination and delivery. But currently Hyundai is offering $7,000 cash back if you finance through the company, meaning all those luxury features, which typically come on a car costing $60K or more, are available for about $45,000. It's quite the bargain.Does My Family Love the Hyundai Ioniq 5 More Than Me?The rear end of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 shows off the pixel design of the tail lights – Credit: Scotty ReissThey just might. There is no end to their interest in driving it. "When are you traveling again?" they ask so they can line up to get time with it. What do they love the most? Cameron loves being able to set up her things on the center console and charging it at work, which is free and the charge station is usually available for her. AdvertisementAdvertisementMy husband loves i-Pedal and the drive feel. This really surprised him; he didn't expect to love driving an EV so much. He also really likes the screen over the sunroof and the surround view camera, which he uses quite a lot to check the space around the car before exiting a parking spot.Estee loves the drive feel and the quiet ride. She also appreciates the roomy rear seat for her dog Fluffy, and the large cargo space. And me? While I do really like the space, the digital rear view mirror and the drive experience, I think what I like best is how efficient it is for in-town driving; even with all the miles my family is putting on it I only have to charge it once every two weeks or so, and the cost is about $7. And of course I'm the one charging it. Even though my kids are grown they still lean on mom for that.
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