The 2019 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles are safe choices for small families on a budget. Starting with street prices below $23,000 after incentives, the Hybrid SEL trim offers good IIHS crash test ratings and many active crash avoidance features, like automatic emergency braking. Ioniq is also a competent driver, but doesn’t stand out in terms of handling, braking, acceleration or ride within the class. Hybrid or Plug-in variant, fuel economy is also a big plus. Both models provide good value all around, with the major disadvantage being that base trim levels don’t offer automatic emergency braking like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight.
Like the Prius, Insight and any compact car or SUV, there are compromises when it comes to installing carseats. The middle seat is not very carseat friendly, with a narrow width and longish buckle stalks that can make it challenging to use a carseat or booster there. Pre-teens and small teens would be the most likely candidates for the center seat, as there is also a small floor hump that may reduce the limited legroom even further. Fortunately, the outboard seats should work fine with most carseats and boosters. The head restraints are all adjustable/removable and there is minimal crossover of seatbelts and LATCH anchors.
With the narrow width and center seat issues, installing adjacent or three-across carseats will be very difficult. Like the Toyota Prius, legroom is limited and a rear-facing carseat is likely to require the front seat to be moved forward somewhat. With the center seat hump and lower head restraint, taller occupants may not get adequate head support in the middle seat.
Likes:
- Good IIHS crash test results, Top Safety Pick Award on Limited/Ultimate trim
- SEL trim great value with standard crash avoidance features
- Reasonably priced plug-in model gets ~25 miles all electric
- Once charge is down, you still get over 50 mpg in PHEV hybrid mode
- PHEV model has good cargo space compared to Prius Prime
- Hybrid version gets 55+ mpg combined EPA rating
- Dash is well designed with nicely integrated display
- Infotainment and displays are intuitive to use with nice knobs
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard on all trims
- Floor mounted shifter instead of buttons or joystick on dash
- Excellent warranty, 5/60 everything, 10/100 powertrain, lifetime hybrid battery failure
- Driver 10-way power seat with lumbar adjustment and memory on Limited trim
- Ventilated seat option on Limited+Ultimate trim is unusual in compact economy car segment
Dislikes:
- No NHTSA crash test ratings (as of 6/2019)
- Center rear seat is narrow and may not work with some carseats
- Base PHEV and Hybrid Blue trims do not have standard active crash avoidance features
- Base/SEL cloth seat material feels cheap with a very dated pattern
- Marginal/Poor headlights on all trims except Limited with Ultimate Package
- Ride comfort and noise levels are not as good as the competition
- 6-speed transmission is efficient, but dual-clutch system sometimes suffers from delays in shifting
Conclusion:
The 2019 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid and PHEV are targeted squarely at the Toyota Prius and Prius Prime, but usually sell for much less. We recommend the Hybrid SEL trim that is a great value for safety at under $25,000 MSRP with street prices that are usually a thousand or two lower than the Prius LE, depending on incentives. Unfortunately, on the Plug-in model, you are forced to upgrade to the PHEV Limited trim to get automatic emergency braking, making it somewhat less of a value in terms of safety. While it doesn’t stand out as special in any area, it’s a very competent compact car overall with great fuel economy and an excellent warranty package.
Thank you to Hyundai USA and DriveShop for the loan of the 2019 Hyundai Ioniq PHEV Limited used in this review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are my own.