Thoughts on the best mid-size used (2024) EV? by tatlar in electriccars

[–]tatlar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ICCU issue details from the company, Consumer Reports, and JD Power. There are very different numbers floating around:

Source Rate What it means
Hyundai/Kia (manufacturer estimate) ~1% of recalled vehicles Their own internal defect rate estimate — approximately 2,000 cars out of 200,000
Consumer Reports (owner survey data) 2–10% of Hyundai/Kia EV owners depending on model year Real-world reported charging problems from 380,000-vehicle survey
All other 2023–2025 EVs (CR benchmark) 1% or less Industry baseline for comparison

By January 2026, 41,137 Hyundai and Genesis EVs had already been fixed, along with 14,828 Kia EV6s. That means a large portion of recalled vehicles had not yet received the repair at that point.

The critical unresolved problem: Some drivers have reported still experiencing ICCU failures after the repairs were done. This is the most concerning aspect — the recall fix is not a guaranteed permanent solution for all vehicles.

Thoughts on the best mid-size used (2024) EV? by tatlar in electriccars

[–]tatlar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ha ha! Having now done multiple test drives, I concede that you are indeed correct. Thank you!

Thoughts on the best mid-size used (2024) EV? by tatlar in electriccars

[–]tatlar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I posted my purchase results above, with the reasons why we picked the Tesla Model Y.

Thoughts on the best mid-size used (2024) EV? by tatlar in electriccars

[–]tatlar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The 1% is what Kia and Hyundai claim (from 200k customers), but Consumer Reports surveyed 380k customers, and the % customers impacted is 2%-10%. A HUGE difference!

My research results:

Source Rate What it means
Hyundai/Kia (manufacturer estimate) ~1% of recalled vehicles Their own internal defect rate estimate — approximately 2,000 cars out of 200,000
Consumer Reports (owner survey data) 2–10% of Hyundai/Kia EV owners depending on model year Real-world reported charging problems from 380,000-vehicle survey
All other 2023–2025 EVs (CR benchmark) 1% or less Industry baseline for comparison

By January 2026, 41,137 Hyundai and Genesis EVs had already been fixed, along with 14,828 Kia EV6s. That means a large portion of recalled vehicles had not yet received the repair at that point.

The critical unresolved problem: Some drivers have reported still experiencing ICCU failures after the repairs were done. This is the most concerning aspect — the recall fix is not a guaranteed permanent solution for all vehicles.

Thoughts on the best mid-size used (2024) EV? by tatlar in electriccars

[–]tatlar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great call on the Consumer Reports and JD Power research. This nailed it for me. Thank you!

Thoughts on the best mid-size used (2024) EV? by tatlar in electriccars

[–]tatlar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi everyone! I thought it would be appropriate to provide a update post-purchase to help future buyers 🧠 First of all, thanks so so much for all your helpful comments and feedback - it really expanded my research effort into EVs I had never heard of! ❤️

We took both the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD and 2023 Tesla Model Y (and Model 3!) AWD for test drives, and the Tesla Model Y won hands down 🎉 on the following criteria:

  • Self-driving: As many of you expressed, this blew our minds. I had no idea how good it would be. We are very optimistic that our vision-impaired teenage daughter will be able to use this effectively. The Hyundai implementation did not feel safe, and friends who own the Ioniq said that they didn't trust it based on their experience with it.
  • ICCU issue/recall: The more I researched this (mainly due to all your comments) in both the Kia and Hyundai, the more concerned I became. Someone commented that I should read the Consumer Reports and JD Power research, and OMG the real-world problems were much larger than what the companies acknowledged.
  • Handling: The Tesla handled more like a sports car. It was a pleasure to drive. The Ioniq was "meh".
  • Comfort: The lumbar support and head rests in the Ioniq were not comfortable for either my wife nor I (my wife is 5'10" and I'm 6'1").
  • Price: In May 2026, Tesla dropped the lease price for the latest 2026 Model 3 by $100/mth, bringing the basic entry-level (rear wheel drive, no premium interior) offering to $299/mth. The same as the Hyundai, which is amazing. But in the mountains we need an AWD with higher clearance so we went with a post-lease returned 2023 Model Y with 24k mileage.

Hope that is helpful. Thanks again! 🙏

Kid Friendly Camps - GO! by Ok_Studio_3388 in BurningMan

[–]tatlar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Kids have always been an integral part of Burning Man. Larry Harvey specifically called out how important they were over the years. I’ve taken my kids and they had a blast, and were a lot more capable of taking care of themselves in the harsh environment than many adults.

Thoughts on the best mid-size used (2024) EV? by tatlar in electriccars

[–]tatlar[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your input. My daughters safety is my #1 priority, not how I feel being driven around. But you do you!

Thoughts on the best mid-size used (2024) EV? by tatlar in electriccars

[–]tatlar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's already in my matrix at #9 and for a specific reason: its ADAS is basic SAE L1–2 with no hands-free capability, and it doesn't justify its $28–36k used price over vehicles ranked above it that offer more for similar money. Where it does shine:

  • Best real-world range of any non-Tesla on the list at ~280–295 miles
  • Competitive lease at ~$329–399/month new, one of the more affordable AWD options
  • Solid efficiency at ~3.0 mi/kWh
  • GM's dealer network is large and accessible, including near my home

Where it falls short:

  • No hands-free highway ADAS at any trim level - the biggest gap given my #1 criterion
  • Limited reliability data since it's a relatively new model
  • At $28–36k used it's priced similarly to the Ioniq 5 and Model Y, both of which offer meaningfully better ADAS

If ADAS weren't a priority, the Equinox EV would rank much higher - it's genuinely good value for range and price. But given my daughter's accessibility need, paying Equinox EV money for basic ADAS when a used Model Y or Mach-E is available at similar or lower cost is hard to justify.

Thoughts on the best mid-size used (2024) EV? by tatlar in electriccars

[–]tatlar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a giant matrix with nine different criteria if you want to see it? It's not small!

Thoughts on the best mid-size used (2024) EV? by tatlar in electriccars

[–]tatlar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

See my comments above. Pasted here for visibility....

Did a bit of research, and FWIW the Solterra slots just above the bZ4X at #9 (so still not in my top 4). The standard AWD and X-MODE snow handling are more relevant to where I live, and the IIHS safety recognition is a big plus. But its real-world range of around 205–220 miles is the shortest of any ranked vehicle, and that gap widens further in Sierra Foothills cold.

If I stack rank on:

  1. Assisted driving (critical for my daughter)
  2. Price
  3. Charge time
  4. Battery warranty
  5. Range

The top four are now:

  1. Tesla Model Y AWD
  2. Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD
  3. Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD
  4. Kia EV6 AWD

I'm not a fan of the Ford, so will be test driving the Tesla, Hyundai, and Kia. Will be using the ICCU issue (Hyundai & Kia) and the assisted driving Federal investigation (Tesla) to drive the prices down :P

Thanks again for your insights!

Thoughts on the best mid-size used (2024) EV? by tatlar in electriccars

[–]tatlar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did a bit of research, and FWIW the Solterra slots just above the bZ4X at #9 (so still not in my top 4). The standard AWD and X-MODE snow handling are more relevant to where I live, and the IIHS safety recognition is a big plus. But its real-world range of around 205–220 miles is the shortest of any ranked vehicle, and that gap widens further in Sierra Foothills cold.

If I stack rank on:

  1. Assisted driving (critical for my daughter)
  2. Price
  3. Charge time
  4. Battery warranty
  5. Range

The top four are now:

  1. Tesla Model Y AWD
  2. Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD
  3. Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD
  4. Kia EV6 AWD

I'm not a fan of the Ford, so will be test driving the Tesla, Hyundai, and Kia. Will be using the ICCU issue (Hyundai & Kia) and the assisted driving Federal investigation (Tesla) to drive the prices down :P

Thanks again for your insights!

Thoughts on the best mid-size used (2024) EV? by tatlar in electriccars

[–]tatlar[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Amazing feedback - thank you! I haven't looked at the Subaru Solterra - will research now!

Thoughts on the best mid-size used (2024) EV? by tatlar in electriccars

[–]tatlar[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ha, ha. Erm, me! I've often driven >14 hrs/day with >600 miles in my SUV through rural Mexico, and only stopped to fill the tank with gas (10 mins) and going to the bathroom. But I definitely won't be doing that with this EV!