So long friend. Traded in the Prime

I don't think that animal cruelty is unique to asian countries. Certainly it is a regular news item in the states that some dog mill was shut down for cruelty. I think it's just more widely publicized from asian countries because, well, racism.

You can certainly disagree with my reasoning but if you go back to my very FIRST post here you'll see me complaining about these exact items. The rear window is HORRENDOUS. It's awful. The people who don't think it is awful are invested in the car. There is no reason that it has to be that way besides a fashion statement. Note the new prime doesn't have that window. And the usability of the window has been a widespread complaint. The first time my kid drove in the Prime during the rain he asked me "how do you see out the back of your car?"

The Prime certainly claims high efficiency but my experience on the same drive says otherwise. Take the Prime on the freeway and the range decreases drastically. The Ioniq loses range but not to the same degree. Note that the CD for the 2018 Prime is .25 and the Ioniq 5 is .28 so clearly the motor is more efficient in the Ioniq.

As far as a dented battery causing a car to be totaled, that is completely up to the insurance company. I strongly suspect that is FUD as well. Likely there is something else in the equation, there usually is. Like the entire bottom of the car was damaged and destroyed but the anti EV faction claims it was the battery.

 

Most of the time you don't charge to 100% so it's almost never an issue. If you drive down a really big mountain it MIGHT get to the point where there is no more capacity in the battery but I imagine that is pretty rare. But here's the thing about engine braking in the Prime, it wastes fuel and increases maintenance to the engine for almost zero benefit in brake life. In my situation it is seriously bad for the car because you take a cold engine and run it for a minute or two down a hill then it gets turned off when I reach my destination. The engine never reaches operating temperature and as a result has flooded the exhaust system and engine with gas and water.

 

How could you not? The Miata is the pinnacle of the 2 seater convertible. The team behind that car took the design brief (a small convertible similar to a British design) and improved it in every single way. Is it the most powerful sports car? No. Is it the best steering? No. Is it the most comfortable? No. Is it the most flashy? No. Is it absolutely brilliant? Hell yes!

 

I've owned a LOT of cars and there's a few I hated. 80 Chevy Citation. 68 Squareback (which answered the question nobody asked: How many times can your car catch fire before you give up on the PoS?). 84? Dodge Omni. 79 Ford Courier (top speed 65 mph downhill with a tailwind)

 

There's lies, damn lies, and statistics. I know what the ratings are for both vehicles but my personal experience on my commute in both cars is that the Ioniq 5 is more efficient. This could be a variety of factors: more efficient HVAC, better regeneration from a bigger motor, better regeneration software that takes better advantage of the regeneration capabilities of the car, different power outputs on freeway driving, better hill capabilities. I can't say what is the primary factor but my Prime rarely hit the estimated range and often was off by nearly 50% whereas my Ioniq is far closer to estimated range in real world conditions.