Some models of the Prius use NiMH batteries but other models have gone to Lithium. The Ionic is strictly Lithium.

As far as the gear boxes, I think it's more of a personal preference. The Ioniq has a dual clutch six-speed automatic while the Prius uses a planetary gear system. It drives like a Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT), but does not use belts and variable pulleys. It's a very effective way to connect both an ICE and an electric motor/generator, but some people prefer the feel of actual gears shifting.

 

Is a lithium a better quality battery?? Is the Ioniq in your opinion better than the Prius?

 

I think lithium is a better battery, but when the Prius came out the only affordable option was the NiMH. They spent a lot of time and money on developing the hybrid technology and my understanding is that lithium isn't a direct replacement since the charging is handled differently. When Toyota started offering the Prius as a PHEV, they went with the lithium batteries, and also have them on their high end Prius HEV.

I'm still trying to make up my mind. I've had a Prius for 16 years and it's the most reliable car I have ever owned. I prefer the styling of the Ioniq, but wish that I could get the interior and exterior styling of the Ioniq with the hybrid system of the Prius.

 

See I’ve had a Toyota Auris and my catalytic converter got nicked after two weeks!! So I definitely wouldn’t buy a Auris again nor a Prius unless they had a catloc fitted then I’d be anxious! So thought I’d give the Hyundai a shot! As the value for money seems brilliant

 

We don't have the Auris over here (or it's called something else), but there have been a lot of Prius catalytic converter thefts. Mostly it's been the older ones because the amount of platinum is higher and therefore the value. There is a market for security plates which make it harder to get to the converters. It seems to be helping some, but it does seem like something that should be built into the car design and not something the owners would have to add.

I do think that the Hyundais are a good value and I'm especially impressed with their choices of HEV, PHEV, and EV models.

 

I owned and used Prius hybrids from 2007 to 2019, and I really liked them. I would probably have opted for another one, but Toyota's idea of value for money had reached the point, with prices increasing and features being dropped, where I would have felt like I'd been ripped off if I'd spent money on another one.

So I went to a Hyundai dealer instead, and looked at an Ioniq HEV. It really was a no-brainer. Much better value, more comfortable, more solidly built, more extras built-in. And, rather better fuel economy.

The battery differences are noticeable. The Ioniq's battery is maintained in a rather more narrow range of charge status than the Prius, and it charges faster and discharges slower, which helps me get about 10% better mpg than I did in the Priuses. The gearbox works very well, but can be used in a semi-manual mode instead of fully auto if you prefer - though I don't know why you would - and there's a very effective 'sport' mode too. And in the Ioniq, there isn't the same tendency for the engine to over-rev under acceleration as the Prius did.

My Ioniq cost around $8,000 less than the equivalent Prius, and almost two years on from buying it, I don't regret the decision for a moment.

 

I looked at an XLE Prius (not the top of the line) and a limited HEV Ioniq (top of the line in my area). The prius was going to cost me at least 5k USD more and the ioniq had more features and was way more enjoyable for me to drive (I realize that is an opinion and others may disagree). I know the prius is a long lasting car, but it did not seem worth it. I do like the DCT transmission more than the CVT.

 

I'm still trying to decide between the Prius Prime and the Ioniq PHEV. I really like the styling of the Ioniq over the Prius, both inside and out. However, the more that I read about the mechanical operation of the Ioniq, the more I'm leaning toward the Prius. Seems that the biggest argument against the Prius is the hatred of the eCTV system in the Prius. I've been driving a Prius HEV since 2004 and it does drive differently than a traditional automatic, but I wouldn't say that it was bad like some people have indicated.

It seems that people preferring the 6-speed "automatic" of the Ioniq prefer their car to shift gears, they claim that it has a better feel, but I don't think it necessarily drives better, it just feels more familiar to them. The Prius eCTV isn't really like a CTV in most cars, there are no belts or adjustable pulleys, just a novel planetary gear system that combines and distributes the power between the ICE, two motor/generators, and the tires. I've actually grown to prefer the continuous acceleration, and mechanical simplicity seems to result in higher reliability.

The 6-speed transmission in the Ioniq doesn't have a torque converter, so if you're stopped at a light you're supposed to put your car into neutral, my understanding being that the dual clutch does not fully disengage and you're slipping the clutch when you are stopped at a light.

Both the Prius and the Ioniq use the traction battery to start the ICE when it's needed, however the Prius sends power to one of the motor/generators and the Ioniq sends the power to the starter/generator which is connected to the ICE by a belt. For those who refer to eCTV as being a "rubber band", I don't know of any other modern car that is started with a rubber belt.

I've also learned that there is another clutch that separates the ICE from the motor/generator in the Ioniq, which seems like one more thing to go wrong. One description I saw on the Hyundai site described how when the speed of the ICE and the motor/generator are synchronized, then the clutch between them will engage. More complexity which concerns me. In the Prius the planetary gear system has no clutch and there are no gears to shift, everything is always synchronized.

I'm hoping that I will regain some confidence, but right now it looks like the replacement for my 16 year old Prius, might be another Prius.

 

The 6-speed transmission in the Ioniq doesn't have a torque converter, so if you're stopped at a light you're supposed to put your car into neutral, my understanding being that the dual clutch does not fully disengage and you're slipping the clutch when you are stopped at a light.

Both the Prius and the Ioniq use the traction battery to start the ICE when it's needed, however the Prius sends power to one of the motor/generators and the Ioniq sends the power to the starter/generator which is connected to the ICE by a belt. For those who refer to eCTV as being a "rubber band", I don't know of any other modern car that is started with a rubber belt.

I've also learned that there is another clutch that separates the ICE from the motor/generator in the Ioniq, which seems like one more thing to go wrong. One description I saw on the Hyundai site described how when the speed of the ICE and the motor/generator are synchronized, then the clutch between them will engage.

So of course anyone would want to stick with what works for them, but your description of how the DCT functions is wrong. The clutch is fully engaged most of the time, and when gears change, rpm is matched better than a manual transmission so no wear on the clutches. That goes for the engine clutch as well. So it is not the worlds best DCT, and occasionally rpm doesn't match perfectly and there is a half a second of clutch slippage - less than most manual transmission gear changes by drivers on average. In 40,000 miles, I've never seen anything but perfect engine clutch engagements - hard to feel and you can usually only tell by a slight hum when the engine fires up.

When you start from a start, first gear is already engaged and EV get you going. If the call is more power, the engine clutch engages with matched rpms and off you go in first with the clutch fully engaged the whole time. Most time spent in neutral is if you shift to neutral or park (not sure if car is in neutral when parked though). As there are two clutches in the DCT, time spent in neutral is very short, one clutch disengages, rpm matches, and the other clutch engages the next gear already selected. Very efficient and what race cars and drag cars use as they can shift faster than humans. The Ioniq is not race car fast, nor Prius fast but good enough and in some ways more efficient than the Prius planetary gear system and more pleasant to many. It should prove as reliable as a torque converter, but yes, the Prius transmission is super reliable.

Also, most HEV and PHEV designs have a belt that starts the engine from the traction (high voltage) battery, and also charges the traction battery when the engine is running. Not unique to the Ioniq I think. Service life is 80.000 miles if I remember correctly.

Best selling features is that the Ioniq looks a heck of a lot better inside and out, costs considerably less than the Prius - on the order of 5k or more, and drives like a regular car. I don't think the Prius is worth the premium and doesn't have a good a warranty. Build quality is about the same. Controls on both suck big. At least the Prius finally has CarPlay I hear!

 

I think anyone buying a new car should consider what features are most important to them. Then shop around, test drive the options, and take your time to find the best car for you. Then test drive again if you want. It sounds like reliability is one of the top priorities for you. It was one of my top three requirements also.

Before getting the Ioniq I drove a Honda Civic for 16 years. That car was a great value, got good gas mileage, and was extremely reliable. I wanted my next car to be all that, so those were the most important features to me. I also wanted it to look good and to be a phev with the latest technology. I test drove the Prius and several other cars. For me the Ioniq checked all the important boxes. And it had so many other things going for it that the other cars didnt, the decision was easy.

I know you want to compare the reliability. But I think you are getting too deep in the weeds, getting lost in the details. This is a very theoretical discussion, but maybe much ado about nothing. I've had my Ioniq phev for 3 years now. I have never even considered putting my car in neutral at a stop light. I have never worried about the transmission or the clutch or the belt or the gears. I recently saw a video by Alex on Autos, and he explained why he and other reviewers dont include reliabilty when reviewing new cars. Because you just wont know for another 10 years. The best you can hope for is to look at the reliability average of the manufacturer but that is still no guarantee. And he gave an example to show how it doesnt always work that way. Here is the Alex on Autos video:

I have had one issue with the Ioniq, a cam shaft position sensor fault. This was replaced under warranty. So not a perfect record compared to my old Honda but I am not losing sleep over this. I really wont know how it compares for another 13 years. And I do plan to keep it for a long time.

For three years I have marveled at the job that Hyundai has done engineering this car. The smooth transitions between gas, electric, and regeneration is amazing. I still enjoy the relaxed comfortable feeling in the car. The interior is cleanly designed and the controls are practical. The exterior look appeals to me and I wash and wax the car to keep it looking shiny and new. I still enjoy the amazing fuel economy. I still enjoy the quiet, smooth electric drive. I still get a kick out of sport mode. I still feel that it was a good value and the perfect car for me.

See this post for all of my thoughts on the Ioniq phev:

It's cool to drive an Ioniq

Things I Like: 1. I like that Hyundai has a reputation for building reliable, dependable cars backed up by good warranties. Of course I wont know how my car passes the test for another 10 years. 2. I like the good gas mileage and the good electric range. I like being efficient and the PHEV...

www.ioniqforum.com

Good luck finding a car that fits you perfectly.

 

As a first time DCT owner I read about others concerns, but I think the DCT is excellent in how it feels while driving.

 

I went for the Hyundai 😄😄😄

 

I'm at the same point--Prius Prime or Ioniq PHEV. I briefly considered getting an EV and using my X-Terra in the coldest part of winter (it's still a possibility, but only the Chevy Bolt fits my range and wallet requirements--the latter just barely). I've run hundreds of scenarios in ABRP, with different weather and road condition settings for winter for my 320km round trip commute (3x a week). Neither the 28 or 38 Ioniq are workable options for temps below 0 (once a week, maybe, but not 3). I'm not anti-Bolt as an option, but even with all the government rebates available in QC (6500$ PHEV, 13000$ BEV--actual cash reductions, not tax credits, so available to everyone regardless of tax bracket), AND the notable price reductions on 2020/21 Bolts in light of the 2022 version at a lower MSRP, I've not yet found a deal that would be financially beneficial (QC is probably the keenest BEV market in NA after California, perhaps even more so, so prices don't drop as dramatically here as elsewhere, even on used BEVs). So unless I stumble on a radical deal on a 2020 Bolt (faster charging--for a Bolt and allegedly faster winter charging--a must if I get one, so earlier ones are out), it'll be a Prius Prime or Ioniq PHEV.

My reasons for leaning PHEV are:

1. Right now, only one BEV meets my particular needs (including price) and its DCFC capabilities will hamper the kinds of road trips I make multiple times a year (especially with wife and kids along for the ride--I can wait for charging more than once--they can't/won't).
2. Winter is still a concern--one that should not be a factor in 5-6 years when BEV choices will be far greater than today.
3. That wider variety is important, but I don't want to spend 6500$ or more/yr on gas as I am presently doing. The PHEV option will reduce that by 4500-4700$ according to my calculations. A BEV would reduce it further, but not enough to cover the difference in purchase price (absent a radical deal).
4. In about 5 years, my daughter will have finished university and be out on her own. I will very likely give her the PHEV (she'll manage to live 80% on the EV range, most likely--plus it's hard to argue with free) and then pick among the greater variety of BEVs out there. I expect every model by then will be significantly faster at DCFC than a Bolt.

Only thing left to decide is Prius or Ioniq--ironically, it will likely come down to how easy it is to get in and out of the car. I have a 20 year old Miata that I love to take out in nice weather but it's been two years since I can get in and out easily (bad hip and knees) when the top is up. So while, on paper, I prefer the Ioniq over the Prius for about 90% of all things--the ingress/egress and seat test will be the deciding factor.

Any thoughts?

 

So while, on paper, I prefer the Ioniq over the Prius for about 90% of all things--the ingress/egress and seat test will be the deciding factor.

It is a bit more expensive in the US versus the Ioniq PHEV, but the seat height in the Niro PHEV is fantastic for getting in and out. Also, the doors open wider than most cars.

 

We had a 2005 and 2010 Prius. When it was time to replace it with a 2018 we were very disappointed with the interior (putting it mildly). Went across the street to the Hyundai dealer and really liked the Ioniq. The 2018 Limited was a better deal than a comparable Prius. After 3 years, we find it very reliable, durable, and we MUCH prefer the dual clutch gearbox to the CVT on the Prius. Its a little less refined than the Prius but only by a little. All in all a great first time effort by Hyundai.