The modern car buyer is savvier than ever, not because they've memorized Motor Trend comparos or binge-watched YouTube walkarounds, but because they’ve been liberated by the internet. In 2025, the most honest reviews aren’t penned by people flown to Portugal and handed keys over canapés, they’re written by folks living with these machines in the grit and grind of real life.
Real-World EV Test Drive Comparison: Ioniq 5 vs EX30, EV6, Polestar 2 & Ariya
Redditor SR_Penny, a former Nissan Rogue owner who sold his 2022 crossover and took five EVs for a proper spin before committing to the right one.
“I recently got a really good offer on my (then new) 2022 Nissan Rogue. Decided to take the offer and go all-EV. Here are some thoughts on some of the ones I test drove, in case you’re also thinking of moving to an EV sometime in the near future…
Note: I ended up going for the Ioniq 5 84kWh AWD 325hv Premium with a dark interior and Digital Teal exterior.
Ioniq 5 (2025 refresh)
Pros: Recent refreshes make the interior excellent in terms of layout and functionality. Great tech and driving/safety features. Blind spot cameras. Excellent to drive (comfy and fun). Faster charging options.
Cons: Truly awful key fob design (luckily it doesn’t need to be used). Minimal frunk and not massive storage (but enough for me). Currently, only higher Premium and N Line trims are available in Finland, so not cheap.
Volvo EX30
Pros: Extremely quick. Comfortable in the front of the cabin. Excellent suspension/ride. Great design. Good price.
Cons: Extremely small back seat/boot. Zero buttons (except 2 window switches). No gauge cluster or HUD (EVERYTHING is in the infotainment system).
Kia EV6
Pros: I liked the quirky interior design and layout. Roomy for the driver. Lots of tech. Nice to drive.
Cons: Poor visibility. Limited space when you’re not the driver (more like a saloon than an SUV/crossover). Price and current waiting time.
Polestar 2 (2025 refresh)
Pros: Great design. The UI/UX of infotainment was very good. Lots of excellent driver assists.
Cons: Smaller doors (hit head getting in and out). Didn’t like the seating/driving position. Stiffer suspension/steering. Underwhelmed vs everything I’d heard about it. No wireless CarPlay.
Nissan Ariya
Pros: Coming from the Rogue, it was a larger, plusher version. Interior and exterior aesthetics were good. Good pricing.
Cons: Capacitive buttons on the dash were terrible in practice. Less storage than Rogue. The phone charger is under the armrest, so the phone gets forgotten. General interior design from a practicality perspective was poor.”
SR_Penny test drove the freshly updated Hyundai Ioniq 5, the minimalist and quick Volvo EX30, the tech-laden Kia EV6, the Polestar 2, and the surprisingly premium Nissan Ariya. And what he found was revelatory, most EVs are quite good, but every one has compromises that can sour the experience depending on your lifestyle and expectations.
Real-World EV Ownership Challenges: Range Anxiety, Charging Infrastructure & Cost
- Electric vehicle range estimates are often based on ideal conditions (mild temperatures, flat terrain). In colder weather or hilly areas, actual mileage can be 10‑30% lower than advertised.
- In many regions, public chargers are sparse or unreliable, especially fast DC stations, making route planning stressful and unpredictable.
- Typical EV DC charging (even fast) takes 20–40 minutes to reach 80%, compared to ~5 minutes for gas. Longer trips take significantly more time, suddenly
- EVs typically cost more upfront, and it’s hard to balance purchase price against lower running costs, incentives, and resale, especially as battery degradation adds uncertainty.
The Ioniq 5, SR_Penny’s final choice, stood tall not because it’s flawless, but because it nails the fundamentals. It’s spacious without being bloated, quick without sacrificing comfort, and tech-heavy without being obtuse.
“The 800v charging and the interior space and air make it the best choice for a family vehicle imo,”
Wrote Farabeuf, echoing the sentiment of countless forum regulars. It's a car designed by someone who actually drives. But as Redditor Longjumping-Flow6569 pointed out, “I don't know what they thought when they made that key fob.” No dealbreaker, sure, but it’s exactly the kind of irritating quirk that makes the difference on a cold, chaotic Tuesday.
Volvo EX30 Review: Minimalist Design and Usability Trade-Offs
The Volvo EX30 presents the polar opposite approach, an aesthetic sledgehammer with Apple-store styling and the same usability frustrations. SR_Penny praised the ride and acceleration, but lamented its complete abandonment of physical controls. No gauge cluster, no buttons. “Extremely small back seat/boot,” he noted, which is polite reviewer-speak for it’s a sardine can. It’s a love-it-or-hate-it capsule, and that’s fine, but it won’t work for everyone, especially not the average commuter who still likes to adjust volume with something that clicks.
What about Tesla, the electric elephant in every conversation? SR_Penny refused to even test one, saying: “I have ZERO interest in supporting Tesla in any way, shape or form, no matter how ‘good’ they are.” Redditor roflz later went on to say:
“Tesla reliability plummeted after the Model S... plastic interiors... all controls touchscreen-based is a poor user experience and dangerous.”
2025 EV Specs Breakdown: Ioniq 5, Polestar 2, Nissan Ariya, & Kia EV6
- In North America, the 2025 Ioniq 5 starts around $44,000 (SE Standard Range RWD with 63 kWh), with Long‑Range AWD versions pushing into the $50k–$58k range depending on trim (e.g., rugged XRT at $57,585)
- Comes with either a 63 kWh or 84 kWh battery; RWD produces ~168 hp or 225 hp (Long‑Range), while AWD dual motor makes up to 320 hp. The estimated EPA range is 220–303 mi (XRT AWD achieves ~318 mi)
- Based on Hyundai E-GMP architecture, it features a 3 m wheelbase with a hatchback‑SUV profile (similar in size to Tucson). Flat interior, sliding center console, and overall sold as a compact crossover with generous space.
- Long‑Range AWD accelerates from 0–60 mph in ~4.7 s (U.S. test), while standard RWD is around 7.3 s. Top speed is electronically limited to ~115 mph (185 km/h).
The Polestar 2 left the original poster cold. Slick on the outside, overly stiff underneath, and a seating position that seemed designed for Scandinavian gymnasts. Add in small door openings and the lack of wireless CarPlay, and the verdict was clear: overhyped.
The Nissan Ariya? A soft landing, given that SR_Penny was coming from a Rogue. But capacitive buttons, lost storage space, and design choices that favored form over function torpedoed its chances.
Kia’s EV6 was close, but no cigar. Built on the same E-GMP platform as the Ioniq 5, it offers a sportier vibe, better steering, and arguably better looks. But SR_Penny noted cramped rear quarters and limited cargo space. And while visibility and current pricing didn’t help, what really matters here is user fit. A thread on kiaevforums.com laid it bare:
"Seats are great up front, but it gets tight in the rear. Still, it’s better for narrow streets and tighter parking."
In a city, the EV6 may shine. On a road trip? Maybe not.
2025 EV Buying Guide: Choosing the Right Electric Car for Your Lifestyle
So what can we take from all this? Those specs are the start, not the solution. Whether you live in a cul-de-sac with a home charger or park street-side in the city, your perfect EV is the one that matches your life, not the one with the flashiest press shots.
SR_Penny chose the Ioniq 5 because it checked the most boxes in a messy, real-world spreadsheet of wants and needs. That’s the point of this new automotive age. Not perfection, but fit. We no longer live in a world of truly bad cars, but we still live in a world of bad choices for you. Your homework begins online, and it ends at the end of a test drive, with your hands on the wheel and your instincts firing.
What are your favorite EVs on the market, and what made you choose the one you currently have?
Let us know in the comments below.
Image Sources: Hyundai Newsroom, Tesla Newsroom
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
