Cargazing
By Derek Price
The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 represents electric vehicle maturity in its finest form.
After years of compromises, half-measures and learning curves, Hyundai has delivered an EV that feels genuinely premium while addressing the practical concerns that have kept many buyers on the sidelines.
The driving experience immediately announces this vehicle’s serious intentions. With 320 horsepower from dual electric motors in my AWD tester, acceleration feels effortless and instantaneous, delivering the kind of smooth, silent thrust that makes gasoline engines feel antiquated.
The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5’s angular, futuristic design creates genuine road presence while maintaining clean proportions that should age well over time.
The ride quality strikes an excellent balance between comfort and control, absorbing road imperfections without wallowing while maintaining composed handling through corners.
Perhaps most importantly for real-world usability, the 2025 Ioniq 5 adopts Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) port. This seemingly small change represents a massive leap forward in charging convenience.
Access to Tesla’s extensive Supercharger network works seamlessly, eliminating the reliability concerns that have plagued other charging networks. The charging experience feels polished and predictable rather than an exercise in frustration, at least in the Supercharger locations I visited.
The exterior design continues to turn heads without venturing into overwrought territory. Hyundai’s angular, futuristic styling manages to look both contemporary and timeless, suggesting this vehicle won’t appear dated in a few years.
The Ioniq 5’s spacious cabin features premium materials and intuitive technology.
The spacious cabin benefits from the dedicated EV platform, offering generous room for passengers and cargo alike. However, the front trunk storage area proves disappointingly small, limiting its usefulness.
Technology integration feels thoughtfully executed rather than overwhelming. The infotainment system responds quickly and includes wireless smartphone integration as standard.
At nearly $60,000 as tested, the Limited trim isn’t inexpensive, but the feature content and overall execution justify the premium. This represents one of the most complete electric vehicles available today, successfully balancing performance, efficiency, technology and usability without significant compromises.
The Ioniq 5 succeeds where many EVs have stumbled by feeling like a complete, mature product rather than an interesting experiment.
At A Glance
WHAT WAS TESTED?
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD Limited ($58,100). Options: Carpeted floor mats ($210). Price as tested (including $1,475 destination charge): $59,785
BY THE NUMBERS
Wheelbase: 118.1 in.
Length: 183.3 in.
Width: 74.4 in.
Height: 63 in.
Power: Dual electric motors (320 horsepower hp)
Transmission: Continuously variable
MPG equivalent: 108 city, 88 highway
RATINGS
Style: 9
Performance: 9
Price: 6
Handling: 7
Ride: 7
Comfort: 8
Quality: 8
Overall: 8
WHY BUY IT?
The Ioniq 5 offers exceptional performance, premium quality and seamless charging access in a package that eliminates most traditional EV compromises.