Some 12 months in the past, my spouse introduced residence her first new automotive in additional than a decade: a 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL RWD that she leased for 2 years. Hyundai has had aggressive lease offers on its complete full-EV lineup, together with the Ioniq 5, for the final yr plus, and that’s what tempted us into her automotive.
Effectively, that and me telling her what an superior automotive it is.
Actually, it’s one among my absolute favourite “regular” automobiles of any gasoline kind out there within the U.S. at the moment. Nice dimension, nice driving, nice options within the SEL trim, environment friendly, sensible and enjoyable sufficient so that you don’t hate driving it. Generally you want a automotive that isn’t a turbo Miata to do the issues that standard individuals do, and this one, IMO, does it higher than anything out there.
Anyway, we put about $3600 down on Dana’s automotive, and he or she’ll be making $283-per-month funds for 2 years with a max of 24,000 miles–which she’ll simply keep inside. Wanting ahead to these pre-turn-in street journeys.
I’ve by no means been a lease man basically, however on the subject of EVs, particularly ones with beneficiant producer incentives, I’m totally open to the likelihood. EVs are inclined to depreciate way over the precise depreciation you’re paying for, and the know-how is transferring at a speedy tempo, that means the flexibility to be sure to a automotive for less than two years makes it simpler to maintain up with the enhancements.
And yeah, I do know we’re speaking about leasing boring each day drivers, however there was no approach my spouse was going to be comfortable doing a each day commute in something remotely resembling a “venture.” She has a 20-mile freeway commute to and from work, and rightfully needs one thing environment friendly and 100% dependable, sporting fashionable security options (together with automated emergency braking), and with good visibility and a guarantee.
She doesn’t need me to need to do something greater than verify tire pressures and wax it every now and then. Not out of any lack of belief, simply out of the sensation that for those who signal a contract for a brand new automotive, then any scheduled upkeep is another person’s job. And I completely see her level there.
Anyway, she loves her Ioniq 5, and I like her Ioniq 5–despite the fact that I hardly ever get to drive it.
[Video: How does the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N perform on track?]
However I all the time preserve a watch out for offers. In at the moment’s risky financial local weather, these insane lease offers on Hyundai EVs might disappear as rapidly as the following shock tariff announcement. Even when further tariffs by no means go into impact, their mere potential creates sufficient financial uncertainly that producers might begin elevating MSRPs to check the marketplace for its response to potential tariffs. And positively, sellers will likely be seeking to money in and can use any excuse to do so.
With Dana one yr into her two-year lease, I didn’t need her to hit the final month of her lease subsequent yr dealing with dramatically elevated costs on new vehicles or a buyout worth that will surely be immediately the other way up. So, my thought was that I’d preserve my eyes open for a great deal on one other Ioniq 5; then, if I discovered one thing, she might begin her two-year clock over with the brand new automotive and I might drive her automotive for the remainder of her time period.
It could give me one thing new to drive for a yr, at which level I could purchase the BMW 435i project car from the corporate, get one other Ioniq or work out one thing else. The principle level is that I’m far more versatile than Dana since she has a set commute, and each of us need to be certain that she will be able to do it safely, comfortably and effectively in a dependable machine.
A current verify of Hyundai’s web site confirmed a deal much like the one which allowed Dana to get her automotive. With a barely increased quantity down ($3999 versus $3499 for our 2024), lease funds began at a pretax/choices/charges $239. So, I emailed a couple of sellers for quotes. Some wouldn’t ship me one, whereas others despatched again quotes that have been simply offensively excessive. Even the most effective ones quoted over $4000 owed at signing and $280-plus monthlies.
I made a decision to strive my luck on Leasehackr. The positioning claims that it brokers prenegotiated lease offers with minimal trouble and higher pricing than the buyer might get from the seller. Cool. No matter. Doesn’t price something to attempt to get on its checklist, so I went for it after I noticed an Ioniq 5 deal in Florida with slightly below $4000 due at signing and $243 per thirty days (plus choices). I put my quarter on the machine for the deal and waited for contact.
The subsequent day, I used to be contacted by a man named Nathan from an organization known as Auto Ninjas, which was the corporate selling the deal on Leasehackr.
Actually, at this level I anticipated to be mired in an online of AI-generated communications with chatbots that resulted in nothing however frustration with no actual bargains available. However when my first telephone name with Nathan–I actually wished to get on the telephone with him to ensure I used to be coping with a human–began with, “Is that this actually the man from Grassroots Motorsports?” earlier than he informed me all about his Evo IX monitor automotive, which sounded fairly rad, I used to be reassured.
Nathan defined the deal: Auto Ninjas pre-negotiates contracts with an online of seller companions. I pay its $699 price for entry to these pre-negotiated offers, then the seller contacts me to finalize the paperwork and ship the automotive. If the numbers that come from the seller are completely different than the quantity that Auto Ninjas despatched, my price is refundable.
So, I ran the numbers once more. They have been much better than something I had gotten instantly from a seller after I was contacting them myself. Have been they $699 higher? Yeah, in all probability shut. Even when it wasn’t shut, they definitely appeared $699 simpler.
Seems they completely have been. Nathan informed me to not pay the price till he was certain one among their accomplice sellers had a automotive within the coloration and spec I wished. It was getting near the tip of the month, so inventory was thinning. The subsequent morning, he confirmed a car on the opposite aspect of Florida outfitted as I wished.
A couple of hours later, the seller contacted me and despatched a remaining quote through e-mail, then a lease settlement and a hyperlink to make my down fee through bank card. An hour later, they known as again and informed me they may ship it to my door close to Daytona Seaside, Florida, the following day for $200 from the dealership in New Port Richey.
I might have gone and picked it up with my truck and trailer, which might have price me about $120 in fuel and the higher a part of a day, or enlist my spouse to drive over, which might have price us each a day, and in each circumstances I wouldn’t have been capable of do it for a number of days.
So, I splurged for the $200 supply and had the factor in my driveway the following morning, barely 48 hours after first contact, by no means setting foot in a dealership and dealing completely by e-mail and telephone.
Most normie auto transaction ever. Additionally by far the best and least annoying. Like, not even shut.
Look, I like vehicles and love taking part in with them. However I don’t need my “regular” vehicles to be a supply of stress. I’ll do loads of silly, time-wasting, stress-inducing, illogical issues for venture vehicles. However my God, how great it felt for this transaction for my on a regular basis, boring, utilitarian car-tool to be barely extra sophisticated than shopping for a set of headphones on Amazon.
[Yes, you can now add a Hyundai to your Amazon cart]
Did I get a “higher” deal in the end than I might have gotten by myself? Perhaps. Perhaps not. However after I take into consideration the trouble, time and trouble it might have taken me to get this deal, primarily based on the preliminary quotes I used to be seeing from sellers, that $699 price appears completely cheap, if not an outright cut price.
And nobody concerned on this recollection is owed any promotional consideration. That is merely a private recounting of a good expertise. However I’ve to present shoutouts to Auto Ninjas and Hyundai of New Port Richey for making my life simpler.
And I nonetheless insist that the Ioniq 5 is among the finest all-around each day drivers out there in America, EV or in any other case. I do know that the EV use case isn’t a terrific match for everybody, however this automotive positively makes the argument that an EV is extra appropriate than lots of people notice.
Now we simply have to determine how one can hyperlink them up, Voltron model, to create the legendary Ioniq 10.
Feedback
And I like seeing {couples} with matching vehicles. Exhibits dedication. Our neighbors as soon as had two Jeeps. Closest my spouse and I’ve come is 2 B16A-powered Hondas.
David S. Wallens mentioned:
And I like seeing {couples} with matching vehicles. Exhibits dedication. Our neighbors as soon as had two Jeeps. Closest my spouse and I’ve come is 2 B16A-powered Hondas.
Yeah we did get barely completely different colours, although, simply so it wasn’t bizarre.
Additionally price reiterating that I did this entire factor as a complete civilian. By no means pulled any trade playing cards, despite the fact that I acquired outed by the man at Autoninjas. At one level I did textual content a buddy at Hyundai with the numbers and requested “is that this a great deal?” and he was like “Yeah it is lower than I paid.”
I had an Ionic 5 rental a couple of weeks in the past in Houston. It was a fairly first rate automotive, though the one we had rattled like loopy within the hatch space, however I assume that isn’t regular. It drove nicely, was comfy, and had tons of room. It was decently fast for an everyday automotive, sufficient to make merging or pulling out into visitors simple.
Glad you bought a great deal!
RacerBoy75 mentioned:
I had an Ionic 5 rental a couple of weeks in the past in Houston. It was a fairly first rate automotive, though the one we had rattled like loopy within the hatch space, however I assume that isn’t regular. It drove nicely, was comfy, and had tons of room. It was decently fast for an everyday automotive, sufficient to make merging or pulling out into visitors simple.
Glad you bought a great deal!
I ponder if the rattle was one of many plug adapters within the plastic storage bin under the trunk liner. It is sort of broad and flat with out many dividers and a tough plastic adapter goes to roll round like loopy again there.
David S. Wallens mentioned:
And I like seeing {couples} with matching vehicles. Exhibits dedication. Our neighbors as soon as had two Jeeps. Closest my spouse and I’ve come is 2 B16A-powered Hondas.
I are typically puzzled by it – I’ve by no means discovered one automotive that does every little thing nicely sufficient to not get a bonus of getting vehicles with completely different strengths and weaknesses. Quite like the remainder of a relationship generally.
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