2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5

Scored on the 77.4-kWh dual-motor AWD powertrain that anchors the SEL/Limited volume mix, matching how this nameplate and its EV rivals are scored on cat1 in this dataset. 2023 is a carry-over first-generation year: no XRT and no N were sold in the US yet.

446 lb-ft combined from the two motors sits near the top of the SUV band and arrives instantly, which is why the AWD car feels far quicker than its horsepower suggests.

Car and Driver's instrumented 4.5 s for the 320-hp AWD car applies directly — the 2023 powertrain and 77.4-kWh pack are unchanged from 2022. Quick for a compact SUV and a half-second better than Hyundai's own claim.

The 800-volt E-GMP drive delivers torque immediately and near-silently with no lag or step — benchmark behavior for the class. Held a touch below the later car because reviewers noted audible motor whine under hard acceleration and the AWD front-motor engagement is not quite seamless.

Single-speed reduction gear with nothing to hunt for, plus paddle-adjustable regen (levels 0–3) and i-Pedal one-pedal driving that stops smoothly — better regen control than most rivals' fixed settings.

A 2,300-lb rating covers a small utility trailer or jet-ski but lands near the bottom of the SUV band. Still better than rivals with no US tow rating at all.

Dual-motor AWD is optional on SE, SEL and Limited (only the Standard Range is RWD-only), so it is broadly available rather than top-trim-locked. Below the later car's score because the 2023 version lacked the Snow/Mud/Sand terrain modes and XRT added for 2025.

Pavement-oriented: about 6.1 in of ground clearance, a long wheelbase, road tires and no off-road trim, terrain modes or underbody protection in 2023. AWD helps on gravel and snow but that is the extent of it.

Battery-electric only, so the multi-powertrain bands are out of reach by definition. Three distinct configurations — 58-kWh RWD, 77.4-kWh RWD and 77.4-kWh AWD — put it at the upper end of EV-only nameplates, without the later N variant.

The volume Long Range RWD is rated 114 MPGe combined (30 kWh/100 mi), upper-middle of the electric compact-SUV field. 2023 carries the 2022 EPA certification unchanged.

City is the Ioniq 5's strongest EPA figure, where regen and the single rear motor do their best work.

Highway efficiency drops well below city — the upright hatchback body pays an aero penalty at speed.

The 77.4-kWh RWD clears 300 miles — mid-pack for an electric compact SUV, short of the 2025+ 84-kWh car's 318. Hyundai quoted 266 mi for all 2023 AWD trims (the 2022 EPA AWD cert read 256).

The 800-volt architecture lets the 77.4-kWh pack accept roughly 230–240 kW on a 350 kW charger, well above the ~150 kW plateau of 400-volt rivals. Hyundai quotes charger capability (350 kW) rather than a car-side peak, hence MEDIUM.

Hyundai's 18-minute 10–80% figure is among the fastest of any EV of its era. The catch is that it needs an 800 V/350 kW CCS station; 400 V hardware is markedly slower.

EPA puts annual energy cost at $700 for the volume RWD at 15,000 mi/yr — near the low end of the EV band and a fraction of a gas compact SUV.

No fuel grade to manage, fast 10.9 kW AC home charging (under 7 hours 10–100%), standard V2L, and 800 V DC speed on CCS. Scored below the 2026 car because 2023 predates NACS: it relied on the patchy CCS network of the time with no Supercharger access.

The first-generation Ioniq 5 (2022 launch, 2023 a carry-over year) carries a 5-star NHTSA overall rating, which NHTSA retained through early-build 2024 cars. MEDIUM because nhtsa.gov returned 403 and the 2023 entry was confirmed only secondhand.

IIHS lists the 2023 Ioniq 5 as a Top Safety Pick+ and gives Good ratings in every crashworthiness test on the page: driver- and passenger-side small overlap, moderate overlap, roof strength and head restraints. It is not scored higher because the award comes from the 2022 test protocol, and the updated moderate-overlap and side 2.0 results aren't listed for this model year.

Hyundai SmartSense is standard from the base SE Standard Range up. It includes Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with pedestrian, cyclist and junction-turning detection, Lane Keeping and Lane Following Assist, Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Blind-Spot and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit Assist and Driver Attention Warning. All five core features are standard on every trim.

IIHS rates the standard system Superior for vehicle-to-vehicle and daytime pedestrian prevention, and Advanced at night. That is top-band performance including the night pedestrian test, held just below the very top only because the night result is a step below Superior.

Blind-Spot and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist are standard on every trim. Both can brake or steer rather than only warn, and Safe Exit Assist guards against opening a door into traffic. The Blind-Spot View Monitor camera is Limited-only and there is no trailer-aware coverage.

Lane Following Assist gives real lane centering on every trim, and Highway Driving Assist 2 on the Limited adds assisted lane changes. Reviewers describe the centering as competent but a little busy, with small corrections in wide lanes and curves, so it falls short of the top band.

Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go is standard and works across the full speed range. Highway Driving Assist 2 on the Limited combines cruise and centering smoothly, and lower trims get the basic Highway Driving Assist. It stays at the band floor because the system is hands-on and gap-keeping is a bit conservative.

No 2023 Ioniq 5 trim offers hands-free highway driving. HDA 2 needs hands on the wheel and checks for steering torque, which puts this in the no-hands-free band behind the BlueCruise-equipped Mustang Mach-E.

Only the Limited's LED projector headlights are rated Good. The SE and SEL, which make up most sales, use LED reflector lamps rated Acceptable. High Beam Assist is standard, which keeps the score mid-band.

Upright glass, a fairly low beltline and a boxy shape give good forward and side sightlines. However, the shallow, steeply raked hatch glass has no rear wiper on the 2023 car (one arrived with the 2025 refresh) and gets dirty in bad weather. The Surround View Monitor and Blind-Spot View Monitor are Limited-only.

The 118.1-inch wheelbase, flat floor and wide rear doors make car seats easy to fit, and a power-sliding rear bench on upper trims adds room. IIHS rates LATCH ease-of-use only Acceptable because the anchors are hard to reach, which keeps the score mid-band.

Two-row, five-seat layout on every 2023 trim (SE Standard Range, SE, SEL, Limited).

Competitive front headroom for a compact crossover; the flat floor and upright glasshouse help.

Average front legroom; the long 118.1-in wheelbase is spent mostly on the rear seat.

Generous rear headroom for the class thanks to the flat EV floor and boxy roofline.

Class-leading rear legroom on a 118.1-in wheelbase with a sliding, reclining bench and flat floor.

No third row is offered on any 2023 Ioniq 5; scored in the low band per the item rule for two-row SUVs.

Below-par cargo volume for a compact SUV; the long wheelbase goes to rear legroom rather than the load bay.

Maximum cargo trails gas compact rivals like the RAV4 and CR-V by 10+ cu ft.

Flat floor, the Universal Island console (sliding on Limited), a small frunk and Vehicle-to-Load with an under-seat 110V outlet make the cabin unusually flexible; the frunk is tiny on AWD.

Supportive front seats (Limited adds relaxation-mode seats with leg rest and ventilation) and a reclining rear bench earn consistent praise; SE/SEL seats are cloth/leatherette with less adjustment.

Generally comfortable and composed, though the heavy pre-refresh car with 20-in wheels on SEL/Limited can feel firm over sharp impacts; damper revisions came with the 2025 refresh.

Silent powertrain, but pre-refresh cars let in noticeable wind and tire noise at highway speed; extra sound deadening and thicker glass only arrived for 2025.

Heated front seats standard, heated wheel from SEL, and remote climate via Bluelink; ventilated fronts and heated rears are Limited-only.

2023 prices rose about $1,200–$1,500 over the 2022 launch prices, putting the 58-kWh SE Standard Range at $41,450 before destination — mid-band for a compact SUV and well above gas rivals' entry points.

SEL RWD is the volume configuration — the 77.4-kWh pack, the longest-range (303 mi) drivetrain, and the equipment most buyers took. Priced against the same SEL RWD reference used for this nameplate's other model years.

A BEV with no oil, plugs, belts or exhaust: scheduled work is cabin filters, tire rotations, coolant/brake fluid and inspections, and regen braking stretches pad life. The first 3 years/36,000 miles fall under Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance. A few early-car ICCU (charging-control unit) failures were handled under warranty and recall rather than at owner cost.

The 2023 Ioniq 5 is a textbook case of early-EV depreciation: it was priced before the IRA credit shake-up, then devalued by heavy lease subsidies, steep 2024–2026 price cuts and a larger-battery 2025 facelift. Three-year-old cars already trade near half of original sticker.

Hyundai's 5-year/60,000-mile new-vehicle limited warranty tops the band, two years longer than the 3/36 norm.

Maxes the band; the 10-year/100,000-mile original-owner coverage includes the high-voltage battery and electric drive components.

Top-band package, stronger than the later cars on perks: 3 years/36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance, 5 years of unlimited-mileage roadside assistance, a Blue Link trial, and two years of unlimited 30-minute Electrify America DC fast-charging sessions — worth thousands of dollars to a heavy public-charging user.

$48,745 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (40% retained, or about $19,498) leaves about $29,247 in depreciation. Add the projected $3,900 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $33,147 in total.

The 2023 Ioniq 5 is a strong car let down by its reliability record. Consumer Reports rates the Ioniq 5 below average on predicted reliability because of ICCU-driven charging and loss-of-power failures, and 2023 builds fall inside every ICCU recall population. It sits at the bottom of the mixed-signals band rather than lower because the core motors, battery and chassis have not produced a broader pattern of failures.

Hyundai is an above-mid-pack dependability brand. It reliably beats the domestic and European volume brands but has not reached the Toyota/Lexus/Honda tier that anchors the top band. The J.D. Power study that covers 2023 model-year vehicles puts Hyundai/Kia in the top third.

MY2023 has a heavy recall record, including repeated and serious powertrain and fire campaigns. The ICCU loss-of-drive-power campaign had to be reissued after the first fix proved inadequate. A 2023-only rear inner driveshaft campaign also covers loss of drive power. A 2026 high-voltage battery campaign carries a park-outside advisory for fire risk, although it covers only a handful of units.

E-GMP motors and the 800V pack are low-wear and have not suffered a fleet-wide battery fire campaign. However, the ICCU, which sits directly in the high-voltage charging path, has a documented systemic failure history on exactly these model years. A 2023-specific driveshaft heat-treatment defect adds to that, so this scores near the bottom of the 'newer powertrain, mixed history' band.

This is the pre-refresh cabin. The flat floor, sliding console, airy layout and recycled-content fabrics impress, but reviewers flagged plenty of hard plastics and the touch-panel climate controls for a vehicle at this price. The 2025 refresh later improved both of those points.

MY2023 US cars were built at Hyundai's mature Ulsan, Korea plant, and road tests and owner reports have not flagged systemic panel-gap or rattle problems. Most owner complaints are electrical rather than about assembly. Hyundai's initial-quality standing is solid.

Hyundai's roughly 800-plus US dealers give dense nationwide coverage. EV service depth is uneven, though, and the ICCU campaigns produced widely reported multi-week waits for diagnosis and parts at EV-certified stores, which is the experience 2023 owners actually lived through.

High-voltage parts are dealer-only with negligible aftermarket support, ICCUs were on backorder during the recall remedies, and E-GMP collision and battery repairs are costly enough that insurers readily total damaged examples. Cheap routine EV maintenance and the long powertrain and battery warranty keep this mid-band.

Large 12.3-in navigation touchscreen paired with a 12.3-in cluster under one panel on all 2023 trims.

Hyundai's pre-ccNC system is quick and logically laid out, but the touch-sensitive climate panel and deep EV menus draw complaints.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard but wired-only on every 2023 trim — the navigation unit never supported wireless projection.

Native navigation with charging-station search is standard and voice control handles basic commands, but route planning with charger stops and preconditioning was weaker than later ccNC cars.

Adequate six-speaker base system; the eight-speaker Bose upgrade is limited to the top Limited trim.

Crisp 12.3-in full-digital cluster standard across the range.

Over-the-air updates cover navigation maps and infotainment only; vehicle-control software (e.g. ICCU and charging campaigns) required dealer visits on 2022–2023 cars.

Bluelink (complimentary for three years) offers remote climate, charge scheduling, lock and locate; the Digital Key app is Android-only on this generation.

USB-C ports in both rows, wireless charging from SEL, and Vehicle-to-Load with an in-cabin outlet on Long Range trims.

Proximity key and push-button start standard, power liftgate and phone-as-key (Android NFC) available on upper trims.

Rear camera and rear parking sensors are standard; surround view, Blind-Spot View Monitor and Remote Smart Parking Assist are Limited-only.

An augmented-reality head-up display is available but only on the top Limited trim.

Huge rear legroom, wide-opening rear doors and a flat floor make car seats easy, but the 27.2 cu ft cargo bay is tight for strollers plus groceries.

IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with SmartSense, Safe Exit Assist and rear-occupant alert standard on every trim, including the base SE Standard Range.

Roomy reclining rear seat and rear USB-C ports suit long trips, but rear climate vents are basic, heated rear seats are Limited-only and luggage space with seats up is small.

Silent, smooth EV drive with i-Pedal one-pedal mode, adjustable regen paddles and standard Smart Cruise with Stop & Go make traffic effortless.

114 MPGe and roughly $700/yr in electricity at EPA assumptions make it very cheap per mile, with minimal routine maintenance.

Compact footprint, but the long wheelbase gives a wide 39.3-ft turning circle, there is no rear wiper, and surround view is Limited-only.

A modest 2,300-lb braked tow rating (none on Standard Range) and small cargo bay limit it to light duty; towing also cuts range sharply.

Unproven under hard use, and 2022–2023 cars were subject to ICCU (integrated charging control unit) failure recalls that can disable 12V charging and propulsion.

Vehicle-to-Load (about 1.9 kW via exterior adapter plus interior outlet) is a genuine jobsite asset, but there is little else in terms of work-oriented fittings.

303-mile EPA range and 18-minute 10–80% DC charging make road trips easy, though wind/tire noise and lane-centring HDA 2 limited to Limited hold it back.

Available HTRAC AWD and V2L power for camping help, but 6.1-in ground clearance and a 2,300-lb tow rating keep it to gravel roads; no off-road trim until the 2025 XRT.

60/40 split folding seats and a flat load floor help, but 27.2/59.3 cu ft is small for the class and the frunk is tiny.

Low battery mass keeps it stable and secure, but it is comfort-tuned and heavy rather than agile; the sister Kia EV6 is sharper.

Accurate and light, but largely devoid of feedback.

Well-blended regen and friction braking with paddle-selectable levels and i-Pedal; pedal feel is consistent if slightly soft.

Smooth, immediate single-speed EV delivery with strong response on both RWD and AWD versions.

Near-silent motors with only faint whine under load; overall refinement is undercut more by road and wind noise than by the drivetrain.

Wide turning circle for a compact crossover, a product of the 118.1-in wheelbase.

Upright seating with good forward sightlines, but touch-sensitive climate controls, no rear wiper and a restricted rear view through the sloped glass are recurring complaints.

The AWD version is genuinely quick (4.5 s to 60 mph), but the car is framed as a relaxed cruiser rather than an enthusiast choice.

Every trim gets dual 12.3-inch displays, Hyundai SmartSense with Highway Driving Assist on most of the range, Vehicle-to-Load, and — new for 2023 — standard battery preconditioning and a battery heater. Held below the later cars because CarPlay/Android Auto were wired-only and the base SE Standard Range is fairly bare for a $42k car.

800-volt ~18-minute 10–80% charging, 303 miles of RWD range and a roomy cabin in the high-$40,000s was strong value against the EV field, but the 2023 price increase and Korean assembly — which disqualified it from the $7,500 IRA purchase credit that US-built rivals like the Model Y and Mustang Mach-E could claim — raised the real cash price.

Four trims (SE Standard Range, SE, SEL, Limited), two battery sizes and RWD or dual-motor AWD on everything above the base — a reasonable spread with no off-road XRT or performance N yet.

US sales climbed about 48% to 33,918 in 2023, making the Ioniq 5 one of the best-selling non-Tesla EVs, though it remained far behind the Model Y and a niche next to gas compact SUVs.

The Ioniq 5 was the design halo that lifted Hyundai's image, but the badge is mainstream, and the model's steep depreciation weakens the brand-driven resale story.

After launch-era markups faded, Hyundai passed the $7,500 commercial clean-vehicle credit through on leases and stacked dealer cash and low-APR financing in late 2023, so buyers could find big discounts — a buyer benefit even if it signals price pressure.

2023 was only the second model year of an all-new, dedicated E-GMP generation with 800-volt charging still ahead of nearly every rival, and the major facelift was two model years away.

At its peak of acclaim: the 2022 World Car of the Year triple carried into 2023, plus Car and Driver 10Best and EV of the Year honors and repeated comparison-test wins among electric SUVs.