Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In vs. The Competition for Sale in Hyannis, MA
Overview
Hybrid vehicles have come a long way since their early days, with convenient plug-in variations now presenting an alternative to the traditional gas-electric car. Rather than recharging its battery solely through power generated during driving, a plug-in hybrid counts on external power sources – your home’s electricity or a public or business charging station – to charge its battery. This extends the vehicle’s range, cuts down on fossil fuel usage, lowers emissions, and saves the driver money at the gas station.
Of all the plug-in hybrid models currently available, the 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid takes charge as one of the leaders of the pack. It still has some worthy competition with the Toyota Prius Prime, Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid, and Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid, though, and we’ll explore that rivalry in detail below.
Starting Price and Amenities
You may be wondering about pricing first, and the news is great: at $26,500, the 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid has the lowest starting price of this bunch. The Prius Prime begins at $27,900, the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid at $33,400, and the Niro Plug-In Hybrid at $29,490. Even with the 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s lower entry price, it still provides top-tier standard amenities: the base model comes with heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The base Prius Prime lacks a leather-wrapped steering wheel, Android Auto, and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen. The base Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid does without a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the base Niro Plug-In Hybrid does not come with heated front seats.
Fuel Economy and Electric Range
The 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid boasts a combined city/highway 52 mpg, 119 MPGe (miles per gallon gas equivalent), and an all-electric range of 29 miles. The Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid falls behind with its 42 combined mpg and 110 MPGe, while the Niro Plug-In Hybrid pales with its 46 combined mpg, 105 MPGe, and all-electric range of 26 miles. Even though the Prius Prime leads in each of these respects except for its all-electric range (which is only 25 miles), it’s more expensive and doesn’t compete as strongly in other areas.
Warranties
Hyundai’s comprehensive coverage is nearly unparalleled, since the automaker supplies a 10-year/150,000-mile hybrid/electric battery warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty, and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty. Toyota and Honda each only provide a 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Toyota’s hybrid/electric battery warranty is the same as Hyundai’s, but Honda’s is only good for 8 years/100,000 miles.
The only other vehicle in this comparison that offers the same hybrid/electric battery, limited, and powertrain warranties as Hyundai is Kia. However; Kia doesn’t provide 3 years/36,000 miles of complimentary, factory-scheduled maintenance (which includes multipoint inspections, oil changes, and tire rotations). Neither does Honda for that matter, and although Toyota does with ToyotaCare, it expires after 2 years/25,000 miles.
