Owner Review: The unorthodox choice made with sensible factors: My 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid 1.6 HEV+

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Basic information of my car:

2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid 1.6 HEV+

Reasons why I bought this car

I always wanted a C-Segment car. Another reason im buying this car is because my previous car, Proton Persona VVT 2018 is starting to exhibit some aging symptoms.

Car Selection Process

I had a budget of 50K to 80K

Models that I’ve considered included : Mazda 3 2.0 High 2016 & Honda City 2022 V Sensing

I have always wanted to own a hybrid since young, I was fascinated by how just by introducing an electric motor and battery can help improving the fuel efficiency of a normal car.

But growing up, many people around me making noises like "Hybrid car not enough power lah" , "Hybrid car expensive to fix lah" , "Hybrid car not nice to drive lah" etc etc.

I was somehow getting discouraged by all these opinion because the car I am looking at, is a Hyundai branded hybrid car.

Just hearing the brand name Hyundai alone was able to bring out fear and anger from Malaysians who owned a Hyundai before in the 2000's, for example, my mom, who owned a Hyundai Sonata back in 2005. "Bad Quality, always need to go back to SC for repairs, their things always spoil early" is what she tell me when I mention to her I was considering getting a Hyundai.

So, taking her advice, I look for cars other than a Hyundai with the stigma of "Korean cars aren't reliable, but Japanese cars are bullet-proof", so things like Mazda 3 2016 or the Honda City 2022 are on my list.

I have test driven the Mazda 2 2016. For just RM72K on second hand car market, It handles a lot like an European car, something that are out of my expectation of a Japanese car. It looks aggressive, it have more than enough power, and it has good fuel efficiency of 12-14KM/L, not too shabby for a 2.0L NA engine.

But, the interior, especially the soggy leather seats and dial style climate control is a little old for my taste, and the rear seats are cramped and uncomfortable.

Next on the list, is the Honda City 2022 V Sensing. This car ticks all the boxes for a young guy living in the city. Rear seats, very spacious and comfortable, it even got rear aircond vent. Interior, very modern and intuitive, I like the fact that they use physical knob for the climate control and volume control. The boot space, phenomenal! The V-sensing package, it basically helps you drive your car. It is a perfect car in my opinion, but I would need to fork up at least RM95K for this B-Segment baby, and SST is coming soon so the price will hike up more.

It was already April 2022 and I have to make a decision, the Honda city is by far the best choice....... only if I can get the car before July 2022, or else I have to pay for the SST. To add more stress, the salesperson cannot guarantee if I can get the car in time due to overwhelming demand.

So now, I am seriously considering the second hand market route, and thus I choose the Hyundai Ioniq hybrid despite all friends and family are telling me I will regret my choice.

Did I regret it? Continue reading to find out!

User experience

• I have already done 3000km.
• My average fuel consumption is 21KM/L

This car is amazing! Despite it being a 5 year old second hand car, everything still works! All the buttons, safety features still works like a charm! I also like the suspension, they are on the stiff side, but it is comfortable. The rear multi-link suspension translate to very low body roll while cornering. The blue stitching and blue lining on the seats and dashboard really makes it looks futuristic, and all buttons and icons are back-lit with blue LED. You might have lots of concern about the maintenance cost and where is the best place to fix the car, afraid not! The Hyundai Ioniq whatsapp group is the most supportive car group with lots of wisdom to share, you can learn a lot from all these knowledgeable sifus and most importantly, you will never feel alone!

Pros of my car:

• You will think I am making this up, but the fuel efficiency is 21-23KM/L, even after going all the way up to Genting Highland and down, I still get 20.5KM/L. So fuel efficiency is the best.
• The interior of this car is superb! The build quality has far exceeded my expectation! The leather seats did not crack, the steering wheel leather looks new like day 1, all the hard buttons on steering wheel works fine, and most importantly, there is zero squeaky/rattling noise in the dashboard like my previous 4 year old Proton.

• Comfort of this car is fantastic! You got rear aircond vents, you got electronic seat adjustment with lumbar support, and it is dead silent in here like a luxury car, due to a combo of hybrid power train and good sound proofing.
• Despite being called a Hybrid, this car got power when you need it. You will get instant torque from the electric motor when you step deeper on the gas. So, it can be fast if you wanted to.
• This car got style, it is by far the most handsome Hybrid car I ever seen on Malaysia road
• Oh! Did I forget to tell you that this car comes with Blind Spot Monitoring, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control? It got all these tech back in 2016! The first in its class!

Cons of my car:

• Rear boot space is small, because the full size spare tire has taken up a lot of boot space.
• Steering feel is a bit light like Perodua and Honda.
• That is all. I only got the boot space and steering to complain.

Ratings: 

Total Score: 5

Performance: 4

Quality & Features: 5

Space: 4

Ride Comfort: 5

Fuel Economy: 5

Price & Cost: 5

Summary :

So, did I regret this purchase? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Overall, this is the best car ever built in my opinion. It got the best of everything! Best fuel efficiency, best safety, best comfort, best bang for the buck, for just RM65K! What else do you need?

I don't see any reason for people to avoid getting this car just because it has a Hyundai badge on it. If you are one of those people, I think its time to look at it not as a brand, but as an individual car, or else you will be missing out a great car!

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