Why the Cars.com Reviewers Ranked the IONIQ 5 Their Top EV for 2024

So many choices! Discovering the right car for you and your family sometimes seems to take the skills of an economist and consumer scientist. And it’s even harder when you’re shopping for an electric vehicle. 

Letting the professionals guide you is a great way to make the search easier. Scores of professional reviewers drive, compare features and then report results of their educated impressions. They often come in the form of awards like the recent Cars.com award for the Best Electric Vehicle of 2024 to the Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric SUV. 

Even better, the IONIQ 5 has won the award two years in a row. It is “further recognition of IONIQ 5’s enduring excellence,” according to Ricky Lao, director, product planning, Hyundai Motor North America. “We’re particularly proud that the IONIQ 5’s long list of virtues continues to make it the leader in a very competitive and rapidly changing EV environment.”

Cars.com is an online automotive marketplace that offers consumers data, resources and digital tools to help make informed buying decisions. 

IONIQ 5’s Best Electric Vehicle of 2024 award was made based on “Its speedy charging, abundant yet easy-to-use tech and avant-garde styling,” according to Cars.com Editor-in-Chief Jenni Newman. That description hits just the highlights. Here’s a little more detail:

• Charges from 10 to 80% in a little as 18 minutes using a DC ultra-fast charger, 10 to 80% in about 25 minutes using a DC Level 3 charger, 10 to 100% in about seven hours using 240V home charger.
• 320 horsepower with estimated efficiency of between 99-114 mpg
• EPA-estimated range of 260 miles (AWD models) or 303 miles (RWD models)
• Zero-60 mph in 4.72 seconds (AWD Limited version)
• Added safety equipment for 2024
• Starting price under $45k and also eligible for up to $5,350 Colorado tax credit for some state residents.

Cars.com reviewed all 2024 model year battery-powered electric vehicles available in the U.S. and rated them on the basis of overall excellence, ride quality and charging speed to arrive at its ultimate winner, the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5.