After a two-year wait, Elie and her family picked up their new 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5. Elie is Neda’s sister and we were so excited to have another EV in the Fierce family that we wanted to sit down with her and ask her all the details. As electric vehicles slowly ramp up at dealerships, we were also curious about Elie’s shopping experience and the overall delivery process. If you’ve had a different experience at the dealership level with your EV shopping, we want to hear from you too.
Congratulations again Elie, on your new EV!
When did you place the order for the car?
Elie: October 2021
What were you driving at the time?
Elie: Hyundai Santa Fe
How long did you own the Santa Fe?
Elie: Six years
What made you and your family decide to switch to an electric car?
Elie: I don’t know about my husband, but for me, I liked that my cousin drove an electric car. That was influential for me to go electric. Also, gas prices, as they kept going higher.
From the time you started your research on the car, how long until you placed the order?
Elie: Oh my God, research had been going on for a good two years, if not more than that.
What other brands did you consider at the time?
Elie: Kia, and Tesla. We actually put down a deposit on the Cybertruck at one point.
Did you test drive the Kia?
Elie: Yes when my cousin was in town visiting from BC and had rented the EV6 on Turo for a week. We did not go to a dealer to see one.
What made you decide to go with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 versus the Kia ?
Elie: One thing we talked about was the difference in size. As a family, we go on many road trips and like camping and the Kia EV6 had a smaller trunk, if I remember correctly.
Photo by Tania Pedzisz
During the time you were doing the research, how many times did you visit a dealership to see the cars in person?
Elie: Not while we were doing research, but after we put down the deposit on the Ioniq 5, we booked a test drive with the dealership.
So before putting down the deposit, you had never spoken to a sales rep about this car?
Elie: No I don’t think so. Once we also went to a BMW dealer but they didn’t have and electric cars and they said they would call us back when they had some, but they never did.
And you hadn’t seen the car before placing the order?
Elie: No, we placed the order with the dealership where we live in Hamilton. We did a test drive after that in Oakville when they had one shortly. It was in the winter and it was very dark and the model they had the basic trim level and it was all covered in plastic. It was not a good test drive experience and we were doubting our decision for a while after that. Of course, when we did finally pick up our car, it was a beauty.
So before you picked up the vehicle, how many times did you visit the dealership?
Elie: We went once to Hamilton Hyundai for a test drive and once to Oakville Hyundai for a test drive. So in total twice, before we picked up the car.
What was the test drive experience like when you went to the dealership?
Elie: I guess we booked it online. The one in Oakville, is the one I mentioned earlier in the Winter and in the dark. The one we went to in Hamilton, they told us we only had 15-20 minutes with the car. The rep seemed concerned with making sure we didn’t go over our time, so we felt a little rushed.
Tell us about the pick up experience of the car.
It was different than our Santa Fe delivery experience, where the sales rep was very knowledgeable about the car. He knew all the details and showed us all the small features.
The rep who helped us with our Ioniq 5 delivery was a mature gentleman. He was very kind and sweet, and told us at the very beginning that he didn’t know much about the car and that we should Google everything. Fortunately, my husband had done his research thoroughly and we didn’t really need the explanation of all the features.
Is there anything that could have made your EV purchase experience easier? What sort of tools or resources would have helped you?
Elie: Maybe if we could have seen the car earlier on and had a more hands-on experience.
If the model that we wanted to order was available and we if could sit in the interior with the trim that we wanted, we would have decided much quicker.
Similar to when you’re buying a house, when you walk in, you can see yourself living there and you know, okay this is our house. It would have been nice to do that with the car.
Was there ever any concern about switching to an electric car?
Elie: No, because we had already done our research and installed a charger. We had two years to get ready and I knew that we were prepared.
How is this electric Hyundai different from your previous gas Hyundai?
Elie: It’s fast. It makes amazing turns. The other one was also an SUV but it was wobbly. This one feels more sporty and more fun to drive. Like that apparently, because the batteries are on the bottom, it’s heavier. So even on black ice, it turns nicely. There’s no sliding, it just takes the turns perfectly. I love it.
What’s one of our favourite features?
Elie: I love the Heads Up Display. I have to wear prescription glasses to drive and usually, I have to pull them down every time I have to look at the GPS for directions. But with the HUD, the speed and direction are right in front of me. I love that.
Another thing I love is when my husband is picking me up, I can hear the; “wooh, wooh, wooh” like I’m getting picked up in a spaceship. I love that electric sound. And if there’s anyone around, they’ll do a double look and check out the car.
What has surprised you the most about this car?
Elie: Everything, I didn’t think I was going to like it after the test drive we had in the dark.
The self-driving features have really surprised me. We had cruise control on the previous car, but the features on this car are something else. Hands-Free feature is fantastic. The car will ask me to touch the wheel once in a while, but when you’re in traffic, it’s so awesome. You just have to trust the car. At first, I would keep my foot by the throttle, but now I just enjoy letting the car do what it does best. It’s great.
How long have you had the car for now?
Elie: We got it last week of January. So it’s been three weeks now.
Have you had the chance to use a public charger yet?
Elie: No, but that’s something we’re looking forward to doing, especially before we go on our next road trip. Just to see how it works.
All the best to you and the family, Elie! We’re so happy that you love your new electric vehicle.
Stay cool and drive safe.
