Ioniq 5N - Test Drive vs my TT ST

[kempez]

I am looking at options for new cars currently, as my PCP runs out on the Taycan and I've decided not to take the huge hit to pay the lump sum (the car is worth less than!). I deliberately got the Taycan on PCP because of advancing technology and me being unsure on Porsche's foray into electric cars. Not a complaint, I was aware of what I was getting into when I bought the car, but market forces have proven stronger than even I thought they would be!

Anyway, I digress. On the list:

Taycan CT 4S (I would have considered a 4, but Porsche discontinued it!)
Macan 4 or 4S
Polestar 3 (long range dual motor with perf pack)
Hyundai Ioniq 5N

So I know what the Taycan is like but haven't had opportunity to drive the Macan. Polestar/Volvo locally are just useless after finally getting me a test drive (the car is 'OK' to drive) and so I decided to chat to Hyundai.

Let's get this out of the way: the 5N is absolutely brilliant to drive.

Likes

Practicality:

Decent boot (albeit a little smaller than my TT ST), but rear seats adjustable to make more room
*Lots* of rear leg room for passengers
Lots of door bins/cubby's practical storage
Smaller than the TTST and drives smaller
Good turning circle
Comfy front seats and decent rears
Quiet
Heated and ventilated seats
A panoramic roof with a cover
Easy to drive (more an electric car thing in general)
A reversing camera that is clear and you can see what's behind you!
Cost and *much* better deals than Porsche and competition (10% VAG APR anyone?)
Dealer was very keen and attentive and every single person I know who uses them has nice things to say. Plus, it's down the road

Looks:

Looks fantastic in person, great retro design and the N touches are great. Not as pretty as a Taycan by a long way though!
It's a hot hatch not an SUV...despite claims

Driving:

The driving of this car is ultimately what sets it apart from everything else other than the Taycan. The road feel is brilliant and very close to Taycan steering. Chassis is controlled and really easy to place. Grip levels are Taycan-like but with a more small car feeling that whilst more different than better, is a nice contrast to the Taycan. Acceleration is incredibly similar to the Turbo and on actual real life roads is basically identical. Placing the car is a lot nicer than a Taycan because it is not only physically smaller, but it drives a *lot* smaller. So for British roads, a massive bonus. The chassis deals with rubbish roads well but is just the right end of firm when you want to get a move on. It's basically a brilliant car to drive. Worth noting I did not use the fake gears as I wanted to test the car in the way I was more likely to be driving it 95% of the time.

Dislikes:

Some slightly cheap trim (but I am currently choosing to ignore several pieces of creaking trim in my TTST)
Overall obviously not Porsche quality in terms of interior build, but it does feel well put together
Overly complex screens - Taycan's lower screen is brilliant imo and driving options are a lot easier
A few things that are too much of a gimmick...the steering wheel is overly complex with the NGB button for example.
Doesn't match Taycan for looks (but what does?)
No lumber adjustment, albeit the seats were incredibly comfy. Also no memory and manual seat adjustment too
Range not as decent as the Taycan
Struggling here....

So basically it's incredibly likely I will be getting a 5N! I have a 997.1 (2008), 911 C2 and so I won't be leaving the Porsche family, but given the cost and deals compared to the ridiculous VAG finance options...Hyundai it is.

It does seem odd to cross-shop these 2 but I am looking for an EV that is a drivers car. It must be practical and fit my family, alongside copious amounts a of football-coaching gear (4 times a week minimum). But it also must be able to change into a cruiser at weekends and be big fun when I'm on my own with some time and country roads.

Image for illustration (the colour I've chosen)

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[Leccy61]

Nice objective assessment coming from a Taycan (and another Porsche) owner, I’m the same so can relate to what you’re saying. Your comments about the way the 5N drives “smaller” strikes a cord too.

Test drove a 5N a while back and thought it was incredible, but subjectively Taycan exterior looks/interior quality plus its ride quality/handling balance still does it for me.

Great colour choice for your 5N BTW

 

[kempez]

Nice objective assessment coming from a Taycan (and another Porsche) owner, I’m the same so can relate to what you’re saying. Your comments about the way the 5N drives “smaller” strikes a cord too.

Test drove a 5N a while back and thought it was incredible, but subjectively Taycan exterior looks/interior quality plus its ride quality/handling balance still does it for me.

Great colour choice for your 5N BTW

I agree on the looks and interior quality, but it is half the price of my TTST

I actually think the chassis and handling are close to being on a par. The Taycan's more complex/expensive air suspension definitely is like a magic carpet on very bumpy roads, but I was shocked how well the 5N stacked up to it on the same roads. I'd also say that going a bit harder (note: dealer staff in the car!), showed that the 5N is very close to a TT ST in fast handling and actually more of a different drive than worse. But, it is a subjective thing, which is a massive compliment to Hyundai imo

Yeah thanks. I wanted something that didn't scream "look at me", whilst being a nice colour and it's very close to Nardo Grey that I had on an RS3

 

[Zcd1]

I am looking at options for new cars currently, as my PCP runs out on the Taycan and I've decided not to take the huge hit to pay the lump sum (the car is worth less than!). I deliberately got the Taycan on PCP because of advancing technology and me being unsure on Porsche's foray into electric cars. Not a complaint, I was aware of what I was getting into when I bought the car, but market forces have proven stronger than even I thought they would be!

Anyway, I digress. On the list:

Taycan CT 4S (I would have considered a 4, but Porsche discontinued it!)
Macan 4 or 4S
Polestar 3 (long range dual motor with perf pack)
Hyundai Ioniq 5N

So I know what the Taycan is like but haven't had opportunity to drive the Macan. Polestar/Volvo locally are just useless after finally getting me a test drive (the car is 'OK' to drive) and so I decided to chat to Hyundai.

Let's get this out of the way: the 5N is absolutely brilliant to drive.

Likes

Practicality:

Decent boot (albeit a little smaller than my TT ST), but rear seats adjustable to make more room
*Lots* of rear leg room for passengers
Lots of door bins/cubby's practical storage
Smaller than the TTST and drives smaller
Good turning circle
Comfy front seats and decent rears
Quiet
Heated and ventilated seats
A panoramic roof with a cover
Easy to drive (more an electric car thing in general)
A reversing camera that is clear and you can see what's behind you!
Cost and *much* better deals than Porsche and competition (10% VAG APR anyone?)
Dealer was very keen and attentive and every single person I know who uses them has nice things to say. Plus, it's down the road

Looks:

Looks fantastic in person, great retro design and the N touches are great. Not as pretty as a Taycan by a long way though!
It's a hot hatch not an SUV...despite claims

Driving:

The driving of this car is ultimately what sets it apart from everything else other than the Taycan. The road feel is brilliant and very close to Taycan steering. Chassis is controlled and really easy to place. Grip levels are Taycan-like but with a more small car feeling that whilst more different than better, is a nice contrast to the Taycan. Acceleration is incredibly similar to the Turbo and on actual real life roads is basically identical. Placing the car is a lot nicer than a Taycan because it is not only physically smaller, but it drives a *lot* smaller. So for British roads, a massive bonus. The chassis deals with rubbish roads well but is just the right end of firm when you want to get a move on. It's basically a brilliant car to drive. Worth noting I did not use the fake gears as I wanted to test the car in the way I was more likely to be driving it 95% of the time.

Dislikes:

Some slightly cheap trim (but I am currently choosing to ignore several pieces of creaking trim in my TTST)
Overall obviously not Porsche quality in terms of interior build, but it does feel well put together
Overly complex screens - Taycan's lower screen is brilliant imo and driving options are a lot easier
A few things that are too much of a gimmick...the steering wheel is overly complex with the NGB button for example.
Doesn't match Taycan for looks (but what does?)
No lumber adjustment, albeit the seats were incredibly comfy. Also no memory and manual seat adjustment too
Range not as decent as the Taycan
Struggling here....

So basically it's incredibly likely I will be getting a 5N! I have a 997.1 (2008), 911 C2 and so I won't be leaving the Porsche family, but given the cost and deals compared to the ridiculous VAG finance options...Hyundai it is.

It does seem odd to cross-shop these 2 but I am looking for an EV that is a drivers car. It must be practical and fit my family, alongside copious amounts a of football-coaching gear (4 times a week minimum). But it also must be able to change into a cruiser at weekends and be big fun when I'm on my own with some time and country roads.

Image for illustration (the colour I've chosen)

5N is a very cool car. Personally I’d really miss the memory driver’s seat, but I understand that the rest of the package and the pricing makes it very attractive.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[kempez]

5N is a very cool car. Personally I’d really miss the memory driver’s seat, but I understand that the rest of the package and the pricing makes it very attractive.

Good luck with your decision!

My wife has driven my car twice in almost 3 years, so I am pretty certain I won’t miss that feature

 

[f1eng]

I was very interested too, mainly because of size.
You don't have to use any of the "circus" options I think are shite so it was promising, but only black interior means it is a no for me

 

[kempez]

I was very interested too, mainly because of size.
You don't have to use any of the "circus" options I think are shite so it was promising, but only black interior means it is a no for me

The size is a big thing for me. Too many times I've taken my car down our lovely country lanes and constantly feel like I need to "breathe in". Even 2 lane small roads it takes up a lot of space and the 5N feels smaller and is physically smaller enough that it doesn't feel so damn wide

I didn't bother using the fake gearbox stuff which is only there to ease in ICE conversion imo. I may play with it and who knows: it may even be 'fun' for a while. But it detracts on the whole point of an electric car with that smooth instant torque (again IMO).

The interior being just black is a minor annoyance for me (would prefer an alternate colour), but not enough to put me off and it's well designed with a nice mix of materials

 

[Mr.Smith]

Excellent choice and beautiful color.

I'm convinced Porsche and Hyundai group worked together on their BEV technology, then through Rimac.

Let us know what you think about the granular tuning options in the N sub menu. I wish this was more simple

 

[Caraholic]

Nice write up and summary. Briefly considered a 5N after I sold my turbo but ended up in a new civic type R. Never got a chance to drive the 5N but it peaked my interest. Anyways three weeks later and I got another Taycan turbo S couldn’t stay away.

 

[f1eng]

The size is a big thing for me.

It is for me too, and tbh if I had known how often I would be annoyed/inconvenienced by it when I ordered one I would not have gone ahead.

I did seriously debate it in my head for 2 weeks before placing my order but in the end had enjoyed the demo car and how it "didn't feel big" but it IS big and pretty disappointingly scary on my favourite roads and impossible to park so you can get out of it in any car park around here.

OTOH no idea what I would find acceptable instead. Not only do I not ever want another black interior - particularly in an EV for the obvious reason - I didn't like either of the exterior colours for the 5N and don't wan't another monochrome car, both our other cars had to be monochrome.

Having had a quick look the 5N is only a bit over 2" narrower whereas the Alpine A110 is 8" narrower, that is more what I would like. Sadly piston engine but otherwise by far the best sportscar on the market IMO.

 

[cometguy]

not at all strange to cross-shop the Taycan with the Ioniq 5 and the Polestar 3 (and Macan EV). I've looked long and hard at the Polestar 3, but I've decided it's just too Tesla-like for me (in all the wrong ways -- too much of a video-game-screen-type of car and too few physical switches/dials); great-looking on the outside, though. My sister has an Ioniq 5, so I've had some time in it (both as passenger and driver); she likes it, and it's one of the top BEVs that I'd consider, but I just don't like the seats and the software -- but it doesn't follow Tesla interior negative design aspects.

I special-ordered a Macan 4, which arrived last winter, but there were so many software glitches (and warning lights in the dash) that the service department couldn't fix, and I just decided to keep my Taycan CT4 (which has been flawless, except for the occasional odd sudden rebooting of the infotainment screens while driving). The Macan 4 is vastly superior in the storage design in the cockpit (so just more practical than the Taycan), and the range is significantly longer (by 25-35% in my experience). Oddly for a cheaper vehicle, the Macan 4 lets you order some useful things that you can't get in the Taycan (like heated windshield, and standard normal door handles and movable front air vents and standard manual charge-port door are all huge plusses in the Macan 4 that are not in the USA versions of the 2025/2026 Taycan).

You (OP) mentioned that Porsche no longer sells the CT4, but that's not true in North America. I just built a 2026 CT4 via their online configurator. CT4 is still online as of September 18.

 

[Murph7355]

...
Yeah thanks. I wanted something that didn't scream "look at me", whilst being a nice colour and it's very close to Nardo Grey that I had on an RS3

Go big or go home

80s/early 90s rally fan here, so would have to embarrass the kids...

 

[Schroederhc]

Have you considered the New MYP?

 

[kempez]

not at all strange to cross-shop the Taycan with the Ioniq 5 and the Polestar 3 (and Macan EV). I've looked long and hard at the Polestar 3, but I've decided it's just too Tesla-like for me (in all the wrong ways -- too much of a video-game-screen-type of car and too few physical switches/dials); great-looking on the outside, though. My sister has an Ioniq 5, so I've had some time in it (both as passenger and driver); she likes it, and it's one of the top BEVs that I'd consider, but I just don't like the seats and the software -- but it doesn't follow Tesla interior negative design aspects.

I special-ordered a Macan 4, which arrived last winter, but there were so many software glitches (and warning lights in the dash) that the service department couldn't fix, and I just decided to keep my Taycan CT4 (which has been flawless, except for the occasional odd sudden rebooting of the infotainment screens while driving). The Macan 4 is vastly superior in the storage design in the cockpit (so just more practical than the Taycan), and the range is significantly longer (by 25-35% in my experience). Oddly for a cheaper vehicle, the Macan 4 lets you order some useful things that you can't get in the Taycan (like heated windshield, and standard normal door handles and movable front air vents and standard manual charge-port door are all huge plusses in the Macan 4 that are not in the USA versions of the 2025/2026 Taycan).

You (OP) mentioned that Porsche no longer sells the CT4, but that's not true in North America. I just built a 2026 CT4 via their online configurator. CT4 is still online as of September 18.

It's not available in the UK configurator currently. Annoying as that is what I would pick. I configured the Macan too, but tbh I'm just not all that keen on it and as I said - I think VAG are taking the michael with their APR

Go big or go home

80s/early 90s rally fan here, so would have to embarrass the kids...

ha! Always an option to wrap it!

I am going for as much q-car as I can with this one. The Taycan is absolutely stunning and so none of them match it for looks, plus it does attract the wrong attention more often than I would have thought

Have you considered the New MYP?

Briefly yes. But I am not a fan of Musk at all and my wife hates him with the power of 1000 suns. Plus he's not seen kindly at all in the UK. It doesn't bother me that much, but I do not like the total minimalism of a Tesla (and I have rented one for a period). Biggest of all is that I think they're ugly and I like to have a car on the drive I like the look of

 

[Raphie]

KIA has the power to suprise, but by no means a Taycan, you can as well choose Mini Countryman electric. I would compare this to a Macan electric for a fair comparison.
the depreciation hurts. But I would never buy a KIA unless I had to make due. Parking next to the Kona’s and enyaqs
it’s so sensible But I’m sure you will enjoy it, fantastic cars in their priceband.

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