Ioniq vs Bolt: 124 miles or $9,280?

[oilerlord]

After thinking it over I'm pretty sure I would take the Ioniq. I've never owned a Chevy or Hyundai product so I not biased or loyal to either car. Here are my thoughts on why I chose the Ioniq.

I've test driven both the Volt and Bolt and although I like the way they drive, I can't stand their interior. They both have this cheap black plastic look inside. Their sister model, Malibu, also has this look even with the top of the line Trim. I really wanted to like these cars, especially the Volt, but I couldn't get past the crappy interior. Chevy isn't a luxury brand but that doesn't mean that their cars have to look cheap. Hyundai on the other hand has a better approach to their interior style that (To Me) is very noticeable. The Bolt has a black accented interior like the Ioniq but the Bolt's styling lacks any elegance and styling that the Ioniq has.

The second thing about the Bolt that turns me off is it's shape. It looks like a Leaf which looks like BMW i3 which looks like a mitsubishi i-miev which looks like the Kia Soul which looks like the Ford Focus EV. Lets not forget the Fiat 500e or Mercede's EV car. As far as EV/ PHEV cars go, the Ioniq and Tesla are the only cars that look like real cars to me. It's a personal choice, but I like sedan looking cars. I abhor the box-like look of the Bolt and other cars mentioned above. Prius is another car to bring up. They're even worst looking compared to a Bolt. I'd gladly take a Bolt over one of those Toyota pieces of junk.

Now lets talk about miles. Yeah the Bolt does about 120 miles more than the Ioniq. I guess Hyundai could have done the same but decided to keep consumer costs down by putting in a smaller battery. If you need that extra 100 miles and you're ok paying almost 10k more, go for it! Unfortunately EV cars depreciate badly so paying 40k+ (before incentives) for a car that will be worth 10k in 3-4 years seems like a bad investment to me.

124 mile range is plenty for most families. If you're married, it obviously makes sense that the commuter could use an Ioniq with it's limited range while the other has some type of ICE car for family road trips. If your single then having the Bolt might be a better choice. After all, It's all about one's preferences in the end...

Pretty much sums up my thoughts too, though the small CUV things seem to be what the market is asking for. They are everywhere. Personally, I do like the exterior shape / styling of the Ioniq vs my car too but (only judging from pictures) but I prefer how the interior space of my Mercedes is configured. Our dog crate fits perfectly behind the back seats; I don't believe it would be as easy to carry around in the Ioniq. I guess if you want a taller interior, you tend to sacrifice the looks of the car.

In all candor, it's unlikely that either a new Bolt or Ioniq will ever make it to my garage (especially at MSRP) but based only on the savings that the Ioniq offers vs the extra $9,280 for the Bolt's extra 114 miles - I'd choose the Ioniq.

 

[SeanNelson]

The second thing about the Bolt that turns me off is it's shape. It looks like a Leaf which looks like BMW i3 which looks like a mitsubishi i-miev which looks like the Kia Soul which looks like the Ford Focus EV. Lets not forget the Fiat 500e or Mercede's EV car. As far as EV/ PHEV cars go, the Ioniq and Tesla are the only cars that look like real cars to me. It's a personal choice, but I like sedan looking cars.

I can understand wanting a sedan - but really? All those cars look alike to you?

 

[Anonymous]

Heh Well lets say this... They bare a striking resemblance. The Focus and Bolt look pretty much the same in these pictures. The middle one, not so much but it still looks like a box on wheels. Anyone else here looking forward to the new Leaf?

 

[oilerlord]

I can understand wanting a sedan - but really? All those cars look alike to you?

I think he was commenting on the "shape" of most of today's EV's that they look alike. Of course the Soul EV is an oddball in the mix, but I get the point he's making.

With that said, aside from subtle design differences, the shape of the new Prius and Ioniq is pretty much the same too. The wind tunnel tends to dictate that on all cars on the road these days. If you want fuel efficiency, you're driving an egg-shaped car for lower drag coefficient.

 

[SeanNelson]

Heh Well lets say this... They bare a striking resemblance. The Focus and Bolt look pretty much the same in these pictures.

If that's true, then does the Model 3 really look all that much different?

 

[LeftieBiker]

Which one is which, again? ;-)

 

[Nagorak]

I was considering the Ioniq and for a while I was leaning towards it, but ultimately a couple of things turned me off. First of all, it's range isn't that much better than my current Nissan Leaf. There would be a few more drives I could do in it, but not many. If I wanted another low range EV, why not pick up a used Leaf which are going for around $6000 in the LA area?

Number 2 was the wimpy engine. One thing I like about the Nissan Leaf is how it can accelerate quickly, especially from a stop. The whole smoothness of driving an EV is awesome, unlike an ICE which hesitates then starts and stops is way up to speed. However the Leaf tends to run out of steam around 35 mph or so. I'd really like to have that acceleration up to 65-70 mph. Ioniq didn't look like it would offer that and I feel like I'd just be disappointed by it's motor.

In general I also prefer hatchbacks to sedans. I couldn't care less about interior styling (at least not until it gets super cheap like the i-Miev which looked like something retro from the 90s).

 

[oilerlord]

I was considering the Ioniq and for a while I was leaning towards it, but ultimately a couple of things turned me off. First of all, it's range isn't that much better than my current Nissan Leaf.

Number 2 was the wimpy engine. Ioniq didn't look like it would offer that and I feel like I'd just be disappointed by it's motor.

In general I also prefer hatchbacks to sedans. I couldn't care less about interior styling (at least not until it gets super cheap like the i-Miev which looked like something retro from the 90s).

So, I'm guessing you're in the camp that would spend $9280 more for the additional 114 miles that the Bolt offers?

Personally, I didn't buy my car to race Corvettes. For me, it's more about being eco-conscious and fuel efficient rather than than burning rubber...so I'd have to drive the car first before dismissing the Ioniq's "wimpy" motor. While it's true it's rated at 118HP vs my car's 177HP, I always keep my car in "eco" mode which is more like around 130HP. GIven that my car is 800 pounds heavier than the Ioniq, the overall driving experience would probably be pretty close. I'm guessing the Ioniq would handle better too.

 

[Nagorak]

Yeah, I think the extra miles are worth it frankly. I'm not planning on buying anyway, so it's really the difference in the lease cost that's important, rather than the overall MSRP.

The Ioniq ultimately doesn't separate itself out enough from a used Leaf which you can pick up dirt cheap right now. Meanwhile the Bolt is clearly in another class in terms of range.

Hopefully next year or in two years the Ioniq will have its range bumped to at least 150 miles. Then it will be better competition.

 

[oilerlord]

The Ioniq ultimately doesn't separate itself out enough from a used Leaf which you can pick up dirt cheap right now.

Wait 2-3 years. Time & depreciation have a way of leveling the playing field.

 

[SparkE]

Yeah, I think the extra miles are worth it frankly. I'm not planning on buying anyway, so it's really the difference in the lease cost that's important, rather than the overall MSRP.

The Ioniq ultimately doesn't separate itself out enough from a used Leaf which you can pick up dirt cheap right now. Meanwhile the Bolt is clearly in another class in terms of range.

Hopefully next year or in two years the Ioniq will have its range bumped to at least 150 miles. Then it will be better competition.

Most used LEAFs have under 80 miles range (freeway) at this point, compared to ~120 with the Ioniq. So someone who has a 70+ mile round-trip commute (with no charging at work) would see a huge benefit from an Ioniq over a used LEAF - especially during the winter. I view it as "much greater no-anxiety range" (since I dislike dipping under 15 miles range unless I am SUPER accustomed to the route/situation in question). If I switched to an Ioniq, I would almost never have to charge up while away from the house : trips to my sister's place (70 miles one-way) or to downtown SF (60 miles) would need a charge, but only L2 for an hour or so (to get home with my 15-20 miles buffer). Personally, I have only done a total of 2 drives in the past 12 months where a Bolt would have been a significant difference (charge/range-wise) over an Ioniq.

Leases are leases, and vary monthly. If you can wait for the deal you want, you will generally get it (if it's reasonable, and you wait long enough). I expect Bolt leases costs to go down once other 200+ mile range ~$40K vehicles are available. So if you think Bolt leases are too expensive now, just wait until this Nov/Dec - I bet there will be LOTS of incentives at that point.

The 2018 Ioniq EV is rumored to be 200 mile range (-ish) : or at least an option to get there. (Similar rumor for the new LEAF : rumored availability of both a 40-kWh battery, and a 60-kWh battery.)

 

[Nagorak]

Despite what I said earlier, I might be back in play for the Hyundai Ioniq. I sent out some requests to several dealerships for a Bolt lease and so far I haven't been pleased by the numbers I've gotten back. It seems like these dealerships offer a teaser deal that looks really good on one or two cars, but then when you ask about a different one they come back with a price $2500-$3000 higher. Maybe things will look better later in the year as has been suggested.

 

[SparkE]

I had heard (could be mistaken) that the 2017 Ioniq EV (all-electric) is only available in California. Rumor is that they limited it to that when they realized the Bolt had over 200 miles range, and that this will change for 2018 (or whenever they have a longer-range version). It hasn't appeared in the SF Bay Area yet, just in/around L.A. The plug-in hybrid (30-ish mile all-electric range, not avail until the end of the year) is supposed to be sold in multiple states (but not all).

Toyota has announced new Clarity electric models (BEV, PHEV) to complement their fuel cell model. The PHEV will have over-40-mile electric range. Rather than introduce a new sub-thread, I've created a new 'Clarity' thread , here : http://www.mychevybolt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=6538

 

[oilerlord]

It does appear the Ioniq is only available in California (for now). Hyundai has a "subscription" lease that looks interesting:

http://blog.caranddriver.com/hyundai-details-ev-subscription-lease-thats-enviably-simple/

 

[SparkE]

If I generally drove 100 miles a day (2000/mo), I'd get the Ioniq EV in a flash - on the "Unlimited+" lease (or whatever they call it). $275/mo, unlimited miles, maintenance wear items covered (tires, brakes) and electrical reimbursed (for the first 50K miles).

Yeah, they call this one a 'subscription' .

 

[Nagorak]

Yeah, the subscription looks really good for some. However, if you don't drive a whole lot, which is more like my situation, then it doesn't look as good. I'm going to go look at a VW E-Golf tomorrow. It doesn't have the Bolt's range but it basically matches the Ioniq's (albeit with poorer efficiency) and the lease for it is dirt cheap.

Honestly, as is basically alluded to with this question, the biggest issue with the Bolt is the price, especially because the lease deals being offered are not very good. I got some offers for purchase at $4000 off MSRP, but the leases don't appear to reflect such a large discount.

 

[SparkE]

I think that PART of it is price. One of the complaints is "Hey, for $38K, I should get a car with a better interior!!", which sort of combines two things : price, and quality. It is my understanding that both the 2017 VW e-Golf (>100mi range) and the Ioniq EV have a "more luxurious look/feel" than the Bolt (the Ioniq hybrid I sat in certainly did!).

And yes, the leases for some models (such as the e-Golf and the current LEAF) can be super cheap if you watch and wait to pounce, while the Bolt leases don't appear to be that interesting (when *total cost over the lease* is compared). That's what I did when I got my SparkEV : $89/mo *before rebates*!

And if you are a two-car household, one longer-range vehicle and one BEV that does 100 miles (or a little more) on a charge is generally more than enough for ONE of the people on any given day. In my family, we switch off - as needed - on any day. (In fact, that translates to "we fight over who gets to drive the wonderful electric" on any given day )

 

[mrp10000]

Got our Bolt 2 weeks ago, and we are all EV (wife got the Bolt, and I got a LEAF to make up for a Chevy Volt that turned into a lemon, but that's another story), so we are all in. We are really looking forward to our first long trip in the Bolt. Longest commutes so far in the Bolt have a total of 235 miles with a GOM reading of 40 miles or so remaining. I learned to love driving in L mode in the Volt, B mode/Eco in the LEAF, and for what it's worth...I love L mode in the Bolt.

 

[Nagorak]

I think that PART of it is price. One of the complaints is "Hey, for $38K, I should get a car with a better interior!!", which sort of combines two things : price, and quality. It is my understanding that both the 2017 VW e-Golf (>100mi range) and the Ioniq EV have a "more luxurious look/feel" than the Bolt (the Ioniq hybrid I sat in certainly did!).

Yeah, that may be the best explanation of the problem.

In the end the Bolt is a Chevy, which is not a luxury brand, and the Bolt is not really set up to be a luxury car, yet its price is close to $40,000. On top of that, it also doesn't help that GM is not passing on the whole $7500 tax credit on the leases, and the dealers don't appear to be passing on any discounts to MSRP on their leases. So, if you buy a Bolt you effectively are buying a $25,000 car ($3000+ discount, $10000 tax credit) which seems fairly reasonable, but if you lease one you're paying the lease on closer to a $35,000 car (only about $3000? tax credit discount being passed on). (This may be a little bit of an exaggeration on the lease side, I haven't crunched the actual numbers.)

I think the Bolt is a good car at $25,000, but maybe not so much at $35,000. Hopefully over time as batteries get cheaper EVs will move down in price more toward where they feel like they belong.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Got our Bolt 2 weeks ago, and we are all EV (wife got the Bolt, and I got a LEAF to make up for a Chevy Volt that turned into a lemon, but that's another story), so we are all in. We are really looking forward to our first long trip in the Bolt. Longest commutes so far in the Bolt have a total of 235 miles with a GOM reading of 40 miles or so remaining. I learned to love driving in L mode in the Volt, B mode/Eco in the LEAF, and for what it's worth...I love L mode in the Bolt.

Congratulations! Going all-EV is my end-goal, but I don't think a Leaf + Bolt will get me there. Between our cold/snowy winters, lack of meaningful QC infrastructure and my regular 250-300 mile weekend trips (each way), a Bolt just isn't enough to replace the CMax Energi. I'm glad it works for you.

235 miles with 40 remaining is impressive. Was the drive mostly off the highway? I'm guessing maybe 55mph speed limits max for most of those miles.