[YetAnotherKiaer]

I will be test driving an EV6 soon and wanted to ask EV6 owners how they find the climate control buttons. I hate touch screen buttons because I like to feel the buttons while driving, without taking my eyes off the road. Touch buttons force me to take my eyes off the road, which I find distracting and potentially dangerous.

I drove a Hyundai Ioniq 5 and hated the fact that the climate buttons were all touch, for this very reason.

On the EV6, I like that there is a physical knob to control the temperature, but everything else is touch, including the button which switches from climate to media, so that the same knob then controls the volume.

So, can I ask EV6 owners how long they have had the car and how they have found the balance of touch and physical buttons?
Do you find the non-touch knob is enough? Or do you find yourself accidentally pressing other touch buttons, or taking your eyes off the road to fiddle with the other controls?
I am not one of those people who set one temperature and never change it!

On another forum there is also a discussion on how some versions have touch buttons for heated seats, and some have physical buttons. What a mess!

PS On Teslas you can control pretty much anything with voice controls; I contacted KIA UK, which refused to send a PDF owner's manual, but confirmed that voice commands cannot change the temperature or control the vents.

 

[TimG]

I have an EV6 on order & have test driven two. Like you & I prefer physical buttons for things that you need often or quickly like volume, temperature & rear demist. The panel that switches from media to climate works well. I did not try voice control. The steering wheel buttons/levers that control drive mode, lane keeping on/off etc work well. I am sure I would hate a Tesla with everything controlled from a touch screen.
I have a Mustang that seems to have the right mix of buttons & touch screen. The Mustang Mach-E has gone Tesla route.
You can get the EV6 manual here
KIA EV6 Online Manual in Eng

 

[YetAnotherKiaer]

@TimG thanks! I'm test driving a Kia EV6 tomorrow - will report back.
I am thinking I should be able to leave the bottom button in climate mode, so the knob controls the temperature and not the volume, and then control volume, tracks and a few other things from the buttons on the wheel.

As for Teslas, on one hand I would hate the lack of physical buttons, but then AFAIK Teslas are the only cars which let you control everything with voice commands, so I wouldn't need buttons to change the temperature, turn on and off the heating on the seat, etc. I'm not getting a Tesla because the model 3 doesn't have enough boot for its length (the saloon shape makes it difficult to fit suitcases) and the Model Y is too big and expensive for me.

When you say your Mustang has the right mix of buttons, do you mean a petrol Mustang?

I haven't test driven all of them, but these are all EVs in which I hate the lack of physical buttons, but which, unlike Teslas, don't have voice commands for everything:

• Volkswagen ID3 and ID4
• Skoda Enyaq
• Ford Mustang Mach-e

 

[TimG]

Yes 2016 V8. Its voice control is poor.

 

[bydandie]

@TimG thanks! I'm test driving a Kia EV6 tomorrow - will report back.
I am thinking I should be able to leave the bottom button in climate mode, so the knob controls the temperature and not the volume, and then control volume, tracks and a few other things from the buttons on the wheel.
[/LIST]

The UVO setup certainly allows some customisation of button functions as well as always allowing changing of volume and tracks/stations.

 

[al_kaholik]

Have you looked at Volvo? My experience with an XC40 is good, though its not an EV. Mixture of buttons and touch, with buttons for essentials. Touch screen is intuitive and well laid out. Voice control is on par with others I have used, but understands things like 'turn the temperature down' , 'set temperature to X', 'turn on/down/up the heated seat'.

EV range benefits from google powered infotainment which probably is superior to the Sensus system fitted to ICE models.

 

[TimG]

This weeks Autocar mag 12th Jan tests the EV6 GT Line RWD. They give it 4.5 out of 5 , summary "Great to drive for something so big & heavy. Its also spacious with long range & ultra fast charging". They find it " one of the most engaging -handling family EVs of the moment". Better to drive than the Ioniq 5 but not as comfortable.
In same issue they test a Enyaq iV 80x AWD & give it 3.5/5. I had a test drive in one RWD & its a nice car but looks like so many others & did not click with me besides being too tall. Its mapping is nicer than the EV6.

 

[YetAnotherKiaer]

@al_kaholik I am not considering petrol (in the UK there are significant tax breaks if you lease an EV through a company car scheme).
As for Volvos, I don't like their EVs: I don't like the XC40 and the C40 is too expensive.
The Polestar 2 isn't bad but I prefer the Kia EV6.

In reality, the E-Niro is probably sufficient for our family needs most of the time, but there will always be the occasional trip where the extra space of the EV6 will prove useful. Not to mention that the EV6 supports much faster charging, which isn't important day to day but can make the difference when you are travelling and need to recharge on the motorway.

@TimG in what way did the magazine mean the Ioniq 5 was more comfortable than the EV6? The driving seemed very similar to me - I just like the interior and exterior of the EV6 much more, even if maybe the Ioniq 5 may have a slightly bigger boot because the back is more perpendicular, more like a hatchback.

I agree with you that the Enyaq seems like one of those a-dime-a-dozen, all-the-same SUVs. I like the Volkswagen ID4, expect for the totally messed up touch system with no physical buttons. There's a description here. I'd go nuts if I had to use that on a daily basis.

 

[iooi]

Comfort is always a very personal opinion.
I guess that you would get used to touch screen & buttons. Again they are a personal choice. Give me a button to press any day for stuff like heating etc. But more than happy with touch screen for something such as navigation/radio.

 

[al_kaholik]

@al_kaholik I am not considering petrol (in the UK there are significant tax breaks if you lease an EV through a company car scheme).
As for Volvos, I don't like their EVs: I don't like the XC40 and the C40 is too expensive.
The Polestar 2 isn't bad but I prefer the Kia EV6.

To be honest I expect that is why most of the EVs you see on the road are. There isn't much of an argument buying for the average person at the moment.

I wasn't suggesting a petrol, just that the Recharge range are available. With all your mentions of Tesla as a benchmark I had assumed that this was just a choice thing and that perhaps budget wasn't too much of a concern. From what I read, I have no personal experience, they aren't without issue though.

As @iooi said, it's personal choice. I get along just fine with touch screens, sometimes I find the physical buttons a little distracting in our new Ceed, but it's just what you get used to.

Used to have changing a CD down to an art without taking my eyes off the road, but Spotify is so much easier now!

 

[YetAnotherKiaer]

To be honest I expect that is why most of the EVs you see on the road are.

I know, but "innovation" isn't always for the best. Most vehicles are keyless now, but that just made them easier to steal by gentlemen who amplify the signal; plus, on motorcycles with tiny batteries, they drain it faster. Many things are a solution looking for a problem. On this point, this article made me chuckle: The keyless car key is a dumb solution to a problem that didn't exist

 

[al_kaholik]

Can't view the article because it's behind a paywall. However, like with many things opinions are individual. Keyless makes a lot of sense to me. Not necessary to have but something that I've come to expect in a new car.

If you want your BIK benefit, you will have to put up with innovation and technology that perhaps you don't want or find sub optimal. I think that goes for any EV you choose, perhaps true of all cars too but each to their own. Personally I would have loved a pure EV, along with all the tech and a green electricity tariff, alas it is cost prohibitive for my situation without any tax breaks.

 

[iooi]

I know, but "innovation" isn't always for the best. Most vehicles are keyless now, but that just made them easier to steal by gentlemen who amplify the signal; plus, on motorcycles with tiny batteries, they drain it faster. Many things are a solution looking for a problem. On this point, this article made me chuckle: The keyless car key is a dumb solution to a problem that didn't exist

Except that have to invest a lot of money in the kit. Unlike the old bit of bent metal that anyone could do. Or the fact that relay means they are not breaking into you house to steel the keys.

As a aside keyless car are a solution to a problem... I now no longer keep getting holes in my jeans pockets from increased wear due to having to fish keys out everytime or the key making a hole in the pocket..

 

[TimG]

YAK"in what way did the magazine mean the Ioniq 5 was more comfortable than the EV6?" My words not Autocar's, comparative reviews generally concur. The Ioniq 5 suspension is set up more more softly than the EV6 thus it rides a little better but rolls a little more. The EV6 is firmer & handles a bit better. If you try any car, you like it & it does what you want then what anyone else says does not matter. YAK having had the drive how did you get on?
It would be good if Kia allowed customers to disable keyless entry if they wished but does not seem possible on EV6. I had the dealer do that on my Mustang. Its not much trouble to get a fob out of my pocket & press a button, less faff than fumbling with faraday pouches. Better cars that used fob to open the door & a metal key to start the engine had a key blade that folded into the fob, I had 3 cars so fitted.

 

[YetAnotherKiaer]

Keyless makes a lot of sense to me. Not necessary to have but something that I've come to expect in a new car.

What benefits do you get from a keyless system? It saves you maybe the split second it would otherwise take you to insert the key into the hole and turn it?
I suppose the only advantage is that some cars open the boot (trunk) automatically when they sense you are approaching, so if you are carrying heavy loads you don't have to put them down to open the car.
But at the cost of making the car easier to steal! We all know about thieves who amplify the signal from the keys to steal these cars; so now you have to keep the key in a Faraday cage - which means the key is even bulkier! Makes no sense to me.

Whether you prefer pushing a button over turning a key is subjective; that keyless makes it easier to steal cars is not - that's quite factual.

Oh, and on motorbikes they're just stupid, because motorbikes have tiny 12V batteries compared to cars, and the keyless system just drains them more quickly - especially if the manufacturer has fitted a lithium battery with half the capacity of a lead-acid.

Except that have to invest a lot of money in the kit. Unlike the old bit of bent metal that anyone could do. Or the fact that relay means they are not breaking into you house to steel the keys.

As a aside keyless car are a solution to a problem... I now no longer keep getting holes in my jeans pockets from increased wear due to having to fish keys out everytime or the key making a hole in the pocket..

I can't find the link, but I remember multiple articles quoting that car theft has been increasing since the introduction of keyless. It's not just that the most expensive cars are keyless and thieves focus on those, it's specifically that the same expensive cars have become more stolen since they started using keyless.

Also,
AFAIK most ordinary car keys retract, so the sharp pointy bit doesn't stab you and doesn't make a hole in your pocket

The Ioniq 5 suspension is set up more more softly than the EV6 thus it rides a little better but rolls a little more. The EV6 is firmer & handles a bit better.

I see what you mean now. I have actually found reviews which mention that the EV6 is better for longer motorway journeys, for the reasons you mention. I have test driven both and, to be honest, I didn't notice that much difference - certainly not enough to convince me to prefer the Ioniq 5 to the EV6. I specifically drove a bit on a faster M road then on tiny roads with lots of those speed reduction bumpy things, and where I knew I'd get stuck when other cars came in the opposition direction (which I did), as I wanted to see how it felt manoeuvring it on smaller roads, and I was totally fine. I am no petrolhead, so it's just my very own subjective, non-expert opinion.

 

[YetAnotherKiaer]

Personally I would have loved a pure EV, along with all the tech and a green electricity tariff, alas it is cost prohibitive for my situation without any tax breaks.

I would never consider getting one if it weren't for the tax breaks of the salary sacrifice lease scheme. Even so, in our situation it still doesn't make financial sense to replace our petrol car with an EV, and yes, I have run the numbers, taking into account the cost of cheaper refuelling, no road tax, cheaper servicing etc. We are considering doing it for a mix of curiosity / novelty, green conscience, and to use these tax breaks, which as of now will last for 3 years, after which who knows... Basically this is a cheap way to get huge tax breaks on a new car for 3 years, with the option to buy it from the lease company after that and still benefit from 4 years of manufacturer's warranty.

Lots of people are saying they expect technology to evolve rapidly and EVs to depreciate fast because of that, but I am sceptical. The EV6 already has a good range and quick charging capabilities. In 3-4 years' time, will we have cars which charge 20-80% in 3 minutes or which can do double the range with the same battery? I honestly doubt it. I think (and hope) the most significant investments over the coming years will b in improving the charging infrastructure.

 

[mr.macspot]

What benefits do you get from a keyless system? It saves you maybe the split second it would otherwise take you to insert the key into the hole and turn it?

Ha! You haven't stood around in the wet while you wait for my missus to find her keys which, along with her mobile phone and purse, always migrate to the nether reaches of her handbag.....

 

[iooi]

OK. We are drifting away from OP topic. Keyless has been discussed before.
Yes it is thread drift. Bit we do not want to be discussing a well discussed subject yet again.


Thanks folks

 

[RobinB]

I contacted KIA UK, which refused to send a PDF owner's manual, but confirmed that voice commands cannot change the temperature or control the vents.

Have you tried downloading the "Kia Owner's Manual App (Official)" from Kia Corp. on the Google Play Store (or Apple equivalent)?
See the discussion "Kia Owner’s Manuals - there’s an app for that!"
It doesn't give you a PDF which you can open on a PC, but at least you can browse the manual from an app and search it like you might a PDF and follow links from the contents list etc.