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Hyundai gets respect now, and it’s earned. From the drab anonymity of the early Excel to the clean-sheet design of the Ioniq 5, Hyundai has quietly become one of the most forward-thinking brands on the road.
And in the hands of one Canadian owner, it’s become something rare: an EV that’s not only survived three harsh winters and nearly 50,000 miles, but it’s also earned a permanent place in the driveway.
“Seems to have snuck up on me, but realized it’s been three years driving my Ioniq 5. It’s a Canadian “Preferred” trim, RWD, long range. I have about ≈49,710 miles on the clock. Figured I’d share my experiences thus far.
It’s been mostly good, but there have been issues:
Creaking steering wheel – clock spring replaced under warranty within the first 4 months.
12 V died after ~2 years. Suspect it was related to a third-party garage leaving the car in the accessory mode for a looong time while trying to figure out how to balance the tires. I replaced it out of pocket to ensure I got a decent battery.
Mice – had two mice move into the hood of the car in year 2. Dealt with them swiftly, no damage. (Except I think there’s still an acorn or two inside the bonnet that I’ll never get out.)
High‑voltage coolant replacement/flush – ≈37,283 mi. I was expecting to have to pay an arm and a leg, but they charged me something like $400 Canadian, and assured me it was indeed the high-voltage coolant.
Maps within the infotainment system completely died. They simply would not load. This nerfed preconditioning since any feature that required nav/maps broke. Could not update the software, could not roll back, reinstall, anything. The dealership tried all that I had (disconnect 12 V, reset infotainment to the factory, pinhole quick reset, reinstall software). The whole infotainment system was replaced. (2.5 years ≈37,283 mi, dealer squeaked this in under factory warranty. I have an extended warranty, so that was really just to do themselves a favor!)
Steering – The feel/stiffness started to vary and is now incredibly inconsistent. This started immediately after the ≈44,739 mi standard service, but perhaps that was just a fluke. Dealership replaced the steering rack, but this problem persists. I have to go back to let them continue to troubleshoot this one. Initial rack replacement is covered under the factory warranty.
Control arm bushings – vehicle failed MVI at three years old, control arm bushings are worn/squeezed out… This will also be covered under warranty, I am told.
The car has some add‑ons… dealer-installed trailer hitch and an aftermarket waxoyl undercoating. Also, run studded winter tires, and I’ve had to replace the original Michelins. I won’t do studs again, as the lack of traction in dry conditions is kinda scary sometimes.
Towing with the car is great, mostly just my utility trailer with anything you can imagine in or on it. Occasional use of a hitch mount bike rack.
Have done a couple of ≈1,616-mile road trips across Newfoundland, which were all great. And generally, long-distance EV travel in my area of Atlantic Canada has drastically improved in the past 18 months. Charger availability on corridors has gone from “Single 50 kW charger here and there” to multiple 150+ kW chargers all over the place. This reduces stress in travel. No one wants to show up to a single 50 kW station right after an F-150 Lightning or, god forbid, a Hummer EV.
In all, I really like the car. It’s quiet, smooth, and spacious. It’s quick enough for me. (Markedly faster than the 2 slow Golf it replaced.) V2L is awesome for power outages and camping.
The service listed above was mostly tolerable because the service center and dealership I use are very EV-focused. The infotainment issue required a few too many visits to sort out, so that kinda started to drag, and the steering thing is now getting a bit old since the rack replacement didn’t do the trick and I kind of feel that they must not have test driven the car after doing the work since they handed the keys back and said it was fixed.
My ICCU has not failed.
I look forward to continuing to run the car into the ground over the next 10+ years.”
The car’s been through it: a failed 12V battery, infotainment meltdown, steering inconsistencies, mice nesting under the hood. The control arm bushings gave out at just three years old. And yet, the owner never once sounds disillusioned. Quite the opposite. “In all, I really like the car,” they write. “It’s quiet, smooth, and spacious… V2L is awesome for power outages and camping… I look forward to continuing to run the car into the ground over the next 10+ years.” It’s the rare voice of someone who knows exactly what they signed up for, and still loves the ride.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Depreciation Over The Years
- Over five years, the Ioniq 5 loses roughly $28k –$36k in value, depending on trim, accounting for nearly half of the total ownership expenses
- That’s around $12k over five years, a major fixed cost that climbs with trim level and coverage position
- Expect under $4.7 k in maintenance and roughly $600 in repairs across five years, thanks to the EV’s simpler powertrain
- Charging costs, even with home electricity, are a fraction of conventional fuel expenses, especially when paired with lower financing and tax incentives
These long-form, grassroots reviews matter because they fill in the gaps between polished road tests and crash statistics. When another Redditor, Evyn34, a Canadian first responder with a 93-mile one-way commute, asked about winter range, the OP didn’t wave it off. They offered specifics.
“217 miles of winter driving (mostly highway >56 mph) has me stopping somewhere for a quick top up… Worse conditions (snow, extreme cold) will definitely impact your range negatively.”
How Hyundai Engineered the Ioniq 5
What’s remarkable isn’t just how Hyundai has engineered the Ioniq 5, it’s how they’ve created an EV that people want to keep. The Canadian owner credits their dealership’s EV focus for making the hiccups tolerable, even the infotainment system that went belly-up and had to be replaced under warranty. That matters. Because anyone can build a great EV in a lab. But building one that survives real use, in real weather, serviced by real humans in a real town? That’s the hill most automakers still struggle to climb. Hyundai, somehow, is already at the top and waving down.
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Performance? This isn’t a track-day car, but it’s no slouch. “Markedly faster than the 2.s low Golf it replaced,” the owner says, with a wink. And with that 800V charging system, it’ll gulp electricity faster than some luxury brands costing twice as much.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Charge Time & Cost
- Standard-range trim (~6.85 USD) vs long-range/all-wheel-drive (~9.14 USD) using a 16.7¢/kWh national average
- Users report ~$6–7 to add ~100 miles (20→80%) at $0.12/kWh; home usage remains the cheapest option
- AC public charge may reach $0.35/kWh (plus ~$1 session fee), and DC fast charging can cost ~$0.60/kWh plus ~$2 connection charge
- Especially for long-range models, topping up from 0–100% on DC fast chargers can cost $46+, versus $11 at home
Hyundai’s success here isn’t an accident; it’s a result of treating the EV transition like an evolution, not a revolution. They didn’t overpromise; they overdelivered. With each model year, the Ioniq 5 has gotten better. Battery preconditioning? Added. AWD range? Increased. As Electrek.co reports, they’ve even integrated Hyundai Pay into the infotainment system to simplify charging and parking payments.
The kind of incremental refinement that Japanese automakers mastered in the ’90s and Detroit still dreams about at night.
The Ioniq 5 isn’t flawless, but it doesn’t need to be. What it offers is something far more valuable: trust. The trust that your EV will survive rodents, winters, software updates, and family road trips. The trust that when something goes wrong, someone will fix it. And the belief, earned over 49,710 miles and counting, that this odd-looking electric wedge from Korea might just go the distance.
Image Sources: Hyundai Media Center
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
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Source: torquenews.com
