Ioniq 5 RWD vs AWD - What Should I Buy and How Much Will It Cost?

You have obviously heard about the Ioniq 5 - the new compact electric SUV that is made by Hyundai and assembled in several huge plants all over the world now. The model was first presented in 2021 and became the first car in the Ioniq family. In the US, they started selling this vehicle in 2022 and it immediately became popular selling over 22,000 units in the first year.

Today, we'll see which version of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is better to buy - the RWD or the more expensive AWD. We'll consider all pros and cons for your understanding. Unfortunately, not all potential owners of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 understand what exactly they will get with this all-wheel drive option and what they will lose with it.

In this article, we are going to discuss the following:

• What are some of the key features of the Ioniq 5 for the US market?
• What's the price difference between RWD and AWD models?
• Why will you want AWD in your Hyundai Ioniq 5?
• Why would we still buy the RWD version of the electric SUV from Korea?

Let's get started!

What do you need to know about the Ioniq 5?

So, the Ioniq 5 became the first mass-produced vehicle to feature the new Hyundai-KIA platform for electric cars - E-GMP. The same platform is also used for KIA EV6, Ioniq 6, and also Genesis GV60. The platform has a lot of potential uses because it can be easily scaled and adopted for any other vehicle type, but we won't be talking just about technical points today.

So, the Ioniq 5 is available in the US with several battery packs starting with the cheapest 58 kWh and up to the top 77.4 kWh pack. The vehicle looks cool and feels wonderful, so people often decide to buy it after a test-drive the EV. Though, this is one of those SUVs that you can't categorize as an SUV when you are looking at it - is it a big hatchback or an extra-small SUV?

Here are some of the important facts about the model:

• the cheapest trim (SE Standard Range) is only available with rear-wheel drive;
• all other trims have the optional AWD but still some standard with RWD, so you will anyway need to pay extra for AWD;
• the standard-range battery is 58 kWh and it's only available in the cheapest SE Standard Range Ioniq 5;
• all more expensive trims come with an extended battery pack offering 77.4 kWh;
• the standard range of the cheapest model is 220 miles, the more expensive trims will go 260 to 303 miles in one charge;
• the RWD model has only one electric motor mounted on the rear axle;
• all AWD models have an additional electric motor in the front axle;
• so, AWD models are more powerful with 320 horsepower while RWD options come with 168-225 horsepower depending on the trim.

It's quite complicated though to understand the logic of Hyundai. The SE Standard Range version offers 168 horsepower which is pretty bad for your driving experience. But in all other trims, the RWD version will offer a solid 225 horsepower and the AWD will add another hundred hp to that.

The cheapest version will take you from 0 to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds. That's too slow for an EV! For the RWD version in any other trim, you will get about 7.4 seconds which is slightly better. But only the AWD will be OK in terms of acceleration with the estimated 0-60 time of fewer than 6 seconds.

How much will you need to pay to get AWD in Hyundai Ioniq 5?

The cheapest trim comes with RWD only and costs slightly more than $41,000. Not a bad price, we should say. But if you want some more power and luxury, you will have to pay $4,000 for the SE trim or $6,000 more for the SEL trim (this is claimed to be the most popular one). If you love luxury in your vehicle, you may be tempted to pay almost $54,000 for the most expensive Limited trim.

But bear in mind that all trims come standard with RWD. If you want an all-wheel drive in your Ioniq 5, you will have to pay approximately $3,500 more for each of those trims. So, the most expensive Limited with AWD will cost you almost $60K and then you will also want some addons and accessories for it. This is where Ioniq 5 starts to be a pretty questionable choice in terms of money.

We still think that the most optimal Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the SE RWD version. This is not the base trim, so it has the solid 225-horsepower electric motor and the good 77.4-kWh battery pack. It shows the longest range you can get from this vehicle. It costs you $46,800 right now which is more or less acceptable. Paying more for a Hyundai EV seems like a doubtful idea.

Why do people want the AWD model of the Ioniq 5?

So, the all-wheel drive model is still very popular, even though Hyundai wants $3,500 more for it. Why? Because people in America love AWD! If you buy an SUV, it should have all-wheel drive, otherwise, why do you at all buy an SUV?

But we have to consider everything carefully before we are ready to pay our hard-earned money for something we will most likely never use.

Here are the most obvious advantages you get with the AWD version of the Ioniq 5:

• you get a more powerful vehicle - it has almost 100 hp more than the RWD version;
• your Ioniq 5 gets slightly better off-road capabilities;
• the vehicle is more stable on the road;
• there are more safety features for driving in snow, on ice, etc.;
• you can accelerate better - just like an average starter sportscar would accelerate.

That's all. Well, there is another "important" advantage. Your Ioniq 5 gets the AWD nameplate, so people see you aren't a greedy buyer and can afford the AWD version of the Hyundai Ioniq 5. That's a joke, of course.

Well, as for us, it's not enough advantages for an additional $3,500. But it will take you some time to consider whether these features are important for you and whether you are ready to pay for them or not.

We would still buy the RWD version - why?

Now, that you know all the advantages of the AWD Hyundai Ioniq 5, you can be counting your money and thinking if you can afford it. We would still not recommend you buy the AWD because of some extremely important reasons:

• Range. When you are getting an EV, you want it to drive as many miles on one full charge as possible. The RWD version will get you 303 miles of range (except the SE Standard Range) but the AWD will only allow you to go 266 miles on one charge.
• Price. We don't see any important reasons to pay an additional $3,500 to have two electric motors in our new Hyundai Ioniq 5. It just doesn't pay off, in our point of view.
• It's basically the city car. This is not an SUV in the good meaning of this word. This is a big hatchback with slightly higher clearance. So, you will most likely never need AWD in this vehicle.
• Fewer chances to get issues. The fewer units and parts your car has, the fewer chances to get serious problems. Electric motors usually live long, but wiring and control modules can throw some issues.

So, for us, the RWD version seems better in many points and we would clearly buy the RWD. First of all, because it gives you almost 40 miles more in one charge and this is the most important thing when you are buying an EV.

We clearly understand that AWD has become one of the ways to show your premium status when you are buying a new car. But you should be honest with yourself - you will never need this AWD. If you are ready to pay for something that will cut your range and cause potential problems in the future than the AWD version is right for you.

How many miles will the new Ioniq 5 go?

We believe EVs are more durable than cars with internal combustion engines. Also, the manufacturer offers a 5-year unlimited warranty for the vehicle and a 10-year warranty for the battery pack! This proves that the Ioniq 5 won't fall apart soon and is going to be there for you for a lot of years.

The estimated longevity of the vehicle is 350,000 miles with one battery pack change. You will have to replace the battery pack at 150-170 thousand miles and this is going to cost you some money. But anyway, it's cheaper than maintaining the gas engine for all this time.

We believe the Ioniq 5 is a good choice for those who want a practical vehicle with nothing super-exclusive in it. It has a good range, a normal price, a lot of trims and options, a great design, and a comfortable ride. Also, the Ioniq 5 offers all the needed technologies for fast or slow charging and is considered to be a very economical small electric SUV with quite a few advantages over its competitors.

For comparison, you may also want to look at Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E, KIA EV6, VW ID.4, and some other vehicles in this class.