The Hyundai Ioniq 5 has been our Best Buy Award winner in its class for four years in a row, meaning it’s our top recommendation among electric vehicles (EVs). Suffice to say, there is a lot we like about it. In fact, narrowing it down to just three traits is something of a challenge. But if we could only pick a trio of our favorite things about the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5, it would be these.
1. Head-Turning Design Inside and Out
When the Ioniq 5 splashed onto the car scene, there was nothing else like it on the road. Five years later, there still isn’t. No other vehicle – electric or otherwise – blends aesthetics like it. The Ioniq 5 still feels like a fever dream plucked from a 1980s video game. It’s at once retro yet futuristic, with a design dominated by angles, pixelated lights, and attitude.
Inside, it blends the contemporary feel of wide screens with a refreshingly open feel. EVs don’t have transmissions, so they don’t require the transmission hump down the center of the cabin. Some manufacturers recreate it anyway, but Hyundai has used the flat floor to give the Ioniq 5 an airy sensation and a lot of usable space. You can even slide the center console and armrest back and forth to find your preferred spot for it.
Even its body style is unique. While it’s technically an SUV, the Ioniq 5 can make a great case for being the modern hot hatch (a relatively affordable performance hatchback, something once more common and still fun), especially in its hottest form – see #2.
2. Model Variety
The 2026 Ioniq 5 lineup gives you a lot of choice. Range of 245 to 318 miles, rear- or all-wheel drive (RWD or AWD), and several trims to choose from. In its least expensive form, SE Standard Range, it boasts a respectable 168 horsepower. Stepping up to higher trims like SEL or Limited gets you 225 in RWD form, or 320 in AWD versions. That’s a lot of choice.
Hyundai even offers a pair of specialized variants. The Ioniq 5 XRT, seen above, isa more rugged, off-pavement variant, featuring standard AWD, all-terrain tires, enhanced ground clearance, and chunky cladding. Then there’s the actual racer of the bunch, the furious Ioniq 5 N, with up to 641 horsepower and the ability to rocket to 60 mph in around 3 seconds.
3. Overall Value
Value can be measured in several ways, and here too the Ioniq 5 delivers. First is its price. Starting at $36,600, including destination fee, the Ioniq 5 makes for a highly attractive, innovative EV whose upfront cost won’t break the bank.
That’s a lower starting price than many similarly-sized rivals. The Ford Mustang Mach-E starts at over $39,000. The Honda Prologue? $41,395.
Then there’s the value of the assurance from its warranty, which you can’t put a price on. As with all Hyundai models, the Ioniq 5’s new-vehicle warranty is good for five years/60,000 miles, while the powertrain is covered for 10 years/100,000 miles. Those coverage terms are unbeatable. Most of the competition gives you three years or 36,000 miles of basic coverage, and a powertrain warranty good for five years or 60,000 miles.
Read More on the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5
Read our full review of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, find this week’s Fair Purchase Price, or see Ioniq 5 models for sale near you.
