There are sooooo many better cars for $60k that I could buy…a Kia isn’t one of them…

Kia/Hyundai has great initial quality but their raw materials are junk and in 2-3 years they start to deteriorate…usually their polymers get hard and crack easily. No thanks.

Im not justifying anything. Im describing/reviewing the car.

What Kia products have you observed this on?

It is very interesting to how people are reacting to your thread.  Projection, would be the word I would use.

This could be said for pretty much any topic on "this" vs "that" people are biased, they cant help themselves.  And most will comment with little or no knowledge on the subject.

What is crazy is that $60k is nothing in the car market these days.  The average new car price in the US is nipping at the heels of $50k!!!!! Many on this thread are stuck in the days of "but my super awesome truck that really wasnt - was only $20k back in 1919."

Automakers live and die by these, they are legit.  they used to be called IQS (Initial Quality Survey) back when I did R&D for a couple of the big boys.  You didn't want your part of the car to be on the naughty list.  The issue, which might have since been resolved, is that a problem could be anything from my phone won't sync to the engine exploded.  

Edit: I think Kia is turning the corner.  My brother, also previously an automotive research engineer, just bought one of their SUVs.  There are still some "old kia" hard plastic goofiness, but they are not the laughing stock they were 10-15 years ago.  Stellantis would do well to consider what Kia/Hyundai have done.  

funny story time:  in death valley, there is only one area where there is fine sand.  Somewhere, i have picture of some korean engineers standing next to a prototype light camo genesis buried up to the floor pan at the edge of the road.  I just rolled on by in a giant American diesel truck.  No way they would have let a competitor near that thing.

1500 mile update: I am absolutely loving this thing. No constructive criticisms at this time.

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To be fair, maybe this is a bit premature, but I have a minute. It's at almost 1800 miles, so let's round up...

First impression/exterior/visual:

This vehicle looks like a hot hatch. When you walk up to it, it's hard to wrap your head around it being the size of a RAV4, until you actually get up TO it. The proportions really play with your mind.

The panel gaps/alignment, I give 9.5/10. The rear hatch is ever so slightly misaligned, but nowhere else could I find any misalignment what so ever, and the rear hatch is MUCH better aligned than on my Acura RDX. The Acura had about a 1/2" misalignment, while the EV6 GT has roughly a 1/4-1/5" misalignment. Very minimal, and not something I will muck with, but I do note it. The rest of the exterior panels are flawlessly aligned, and my attention to the rear hatch being 1/4" to 1/5" off is the level of scrutiny applied to the rest of the car.

The paint is glossy and was free of obvious defect. I measured the thickness on the left and right rear fenders at 135-144um, the rear and front doors left and right at 134-142um, and the roof at 118-122um. Left to Right measurements were within 5% of each other on all but the rear fender near the top, which was 125um instead of the 140um or so of the opposite, and the driver's front door, which was low 120's um in one spot vs 140ish for the rest of the door(s). I was unable to measure the hood, as it had PPF already installed, but including PPF, it measured in the 280-290um range. XPEL cites their PPF as ranging from 165 to 225 microns. The hood area has to be stretched to fit. It is impossible to guess at what the paint thickness on the hood is, but I would suspect 125-145um based on other measurements, plus my measure of the PPF+paint at 285um or so in a corner that shouldn't have seen much stretch. The uniformity is excellent.

Attention to exterior detail gets a 7/10. I noted blue paint on one of the neon green calipers. I believe this to be a factory thing/error/issue. I also note that the OEM splash guards are not effective. I purchased some from Amazon that are much better, and similar in coverage to my Acura RDX, Volvo C40, and RAV4 Prime. The EV6 GT guards are almost like plastic "sheaths" over the corners they attach to, and little else.

Interior Visual:

The interior gets a 8.5/10. The stitching is perfect, no defects or panel misalignments or rattles over normal conditions, and even most rough roads are noted. The controls all fall easily to hand, and the touch-screen has a little "shelf" where the heel of the hand can rest while prodding at it. Helps with precision. The materials selection includes a liberal amount of piano black, but the car was delivered with this in flawless condition, so kudos to the factory and shippers, lol. The seats are extremely supportive. The manual adjustments may turn some off, but I find them to be precise, and a non-issue. I am the only person who drives the vehicle. The materials take it down from 10/10 because a bit more real metal could have been used at this price point for metal-colored items, I believe, as well as a few more softer-touch things like dash, etc. although the materials used are not unpleasant in any way to me. Otherwise? EXCELLENT! for its price point.

Exterior engineering:

I give this a 8.5/10. The windshield looks easy to replace. The wind noise is a VERY bare minimum. They frankly have worked some voodoo here, as far as I'm concerned. The charge port door opening/closing electronically is a very nice departure from my "just keep booping it until it stays shut!" Volvo C40 experience. The glass all around is laminated, front and rear side windows. Sound mitigation is excellent! The reason I give the car 8.5 instead of 10/10, is because the under-body shields do allow for ingress of pea gravel and other kicked up road debris, which can then bounce against the hatch flooring and create what sounds like a rattling hatch latch. Also, the Michelin PSAS4's do create a bit of "boom" at highway speeds, and I cannot decide if it is a fault of this size in that tire, or if the wheel-wells may have been designed or engineered in such a way as to mitigate this, and weren't. With the splash guards (aftermarket) installed, debris is pushed away from the car/does not strike, as it does with a Tesla Model Y and the rear door area. My one real complaint are the headlights. They are LED, reflector. The output is poor compared to my previous vehicles, and projector beams would solve this. Many opine that re-aiming the lights will help, but the output just isn't there, and mine are aimed just fine, being a 2023 model. They aren't unsafe, but I've been spoiled by the RDX specifically.

Interior engineering:

I give this a 9/10. Kia really REALLY did their homework on this vehicle and what an EV means for NVH. Everything is thought of. The backs of the belt buckles which abut hard plastic have felt on them. The middle-seat buckle in the rear has an elastic band which can be applied to hold it in a divot in the seat. Everything is soft on hard, or soft on soft which could possibly move. It is a rolling isolation chamber on all but the roughest roads. The HUD does have more reflection off the windshield than my Mazda or Acura products did, however. The reclining rear seats are a nice touch "because they could", and the flat foot room in the back takes full advantage of the eGMP skateboard platform for space.

Technology:

I give this a 7/10, on account of coming from the C40's EXCELLENT Google based system which calculates charge percent and requirements at all destinations entered into NAV. The Meridian sound system generates a lot of complaints, but I found t hat with the proper settings, it's better than the Bose in my CX5, and on par with the HK in my C40, lagging only behind the RDX's ELS Studio because of lack of as many speakers. The sound quality is crisp, and the bass does not lack, in my opinion, as many reviews may have said. The "autopilot" (HDA2) is pretty good. It requires minimal intervention on straight roads (touch the wheel every several minutes), but a bit more if curves or exits without painted lines are involved. On curvy roads, it's a non-starter. Lane keep assist is pretty good, but just cannot cope with more than gentle sweepers. For me, the HDA2 is perfect. I don't want to trust automated systems more than this one asks to be trusted.

Practicality:

I give it a 7/10. The hatch area could be larger, but the 2nd row does fold pretty flat. I would say this vehicle has the practicality of a medium wagon, rather than a medium SUV like the RDX, because the hatch area is "lower". However, if a station wagon is too small, this may not be the right vehicle for you. Ground clearance for an EV isn't bad, at a measured 6" from battery to my garage floor. My CX5 had 7.5" (rated), and my C40 (7", as rated), for comparison. The floorboard being flat provides unexpected storage for long/thin items like gun cases, etc. that previously would have been a poor fit in this location. The efficiency of this vehicle has averaged 2.6mi/kwh during my ownership, total. This includes blasts of WOT and 1/4 mile passes and so forth, as well as near single digit temps. All of it. Lifetime ownership of it at just shy of 1800mi is 2.6mi/kwh. 90% of this has been in MY Mode, which I have set up to deliver GT level power. I find the EPA rating to be VERY close to "on", even in the winter, even how I drive the vehicle. The rating is lower than other EV's, but it is far more honest, and the gulf in efficiency in the real world isn't near what is made out to be, on paper. Fast charging is excellent. It's been cold out, but I still find that DC fast charging, when I rarely engage in it, is notably better than my C40 was. This is class leading charging performance with the 800v architecture.

Performance:
This is what it's all about...so how is this thing? First of all, I changed the Goodyear's out immediately (before taking delivery) for Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 tires. I want to lead with that.

How does it accelerate? Like a monster. Absolutely like a monster. On even cold pavement, it hooks very well, with my Dragy app showing a sharp "spike" on initial takeoff that you don't get with wheel spin. I hear a faint "squeak" of the tires, indicating a very very small amount of slippage, but as data shows, a SLIGHT amount of slip is actually more grip than a dead hook, on street tires. This seems borne out with my 0-60 times. Raw, I have run 3.51 seconds, with 1ft roll-out subtracted, this is just 3.29 seconds, per Dragy. This was on 75% battery, with the pavement temp in the 30's, and the battery performance monitor indicating the battery was not quite at optimal temperature (a bit cold). I think in ideal weather with 70% or higher battery, this car may be capable of a 2.99 or very near, 0-60, on these tires. Edmunds got 3.6, but they actually laid rubber, and made smoke. The Michelins do not do that. They hook up. While it does taper in acceleration after about 60-70mph, it far from dies, turning in a 1/4 mile pass of [email protected] mph. For an SUV sized/shaped vehicle, this is excellent match-up of ET vs Trap Speed. It pulls. All the way.

Handling: Excellent. The steering feedback is easily as good as any sports car I've owned, better than my 370Z, and on par with my C6 Z06. Feedback is simply amazing for EPS in an EV. Body roll if you push it IS notable, but it's not bad, and the vehicle is very well controlled and damped. It hides its weight pretty well. You can tell Albert Biermann tuned the vehicle. It soaks up mid-corner bumps and tracks true. The suspension is excellent. It BITES into a corner and pushes you through with rear-bias power distribution on a 49/51 weighted chassis.

Braking is very very good. It uses a combination of regen and physical brakes (it has massive 15" rotors up front, and 14.2" rotors in the back) to shave speed, and does so very well at any speed, well into triple digits, without causing upset. The transition point between regen and physical is not tangible except in parking lots at 1-2mph, and even then it isn't "a thing". You can just kindof hear the pads touch the rotors.

Driver Selectable Features: Kia really hit a home run, here. You can modify the diffs, traction control, steering feel, motor output, and braking feel 100% independent of each other, and save it as "MY MODE", accessed by pressing the green GT button twice/cycling. My preference is to basically re-create GT mode, but with the suspension set to Normal and the traction control nannies in full effect. Because it clamps down a bit tighter on any potential wheel spin, my 0-60 time in this mode is about 3.75 seconds, or 3.55 seconds with the 1ft rollout subtracted. A follow-up run with GT mode engaged resulted in roughly a 3.5 second time, raw.

Many people are concerned with "Kia says GT mode is only available down to 70%...that sucks!!!". Let me assure you, it hits hard even below this. At 53%, I tested the 0-60 to be 3.63 seconds with a touch of wheel spin on account of road surface, or 3.40 seconds with 1ft rollout subtracted. Again, the battery likely was not at optimal temperature (the MAX PERFORMANCE battery conditioning mode is grayed out below 70%). Also as to that, I have found it to be minimally impactful to use, at best, or taking forever, at worst. I've not in 38-45*f weather noted it to work too well. I think the cooling is excellent, and it fights hard to keep up with heating the battery vs. the cooling when driving.

In short, it is my opinion that should you snag one of these, you're getting every penny you paid for it, at $64K, and if you get it discounted, you're stealing! This is based off of my experience recently having put over 10K miles on a RAV4 Prime, RDX ASPEC ADV, and Volvo C40, each. The EV6 GT is just superb. This is one of the few cars I've owned where if someone asked me what I'd change, I really don't have much to say.

It’s a Kia. It will absolutely fall apart way sooner than it should. As in, a couple of years.

There is a reason the resale value on them is garbage.

Ah, ahhh, ahhhahahahahaha!  You cited JD power and expected to be taken serious! Lol

Like I said, it’ll fall apart within three years. Maybe four.

Yeah, no one ever has buyers remorse or lies to make themselves feel better about a stupid purchase.

And you honestly don’t know those places are bought and paid for?  Huh, interesting.

Hmmm...resale on ev6s seems fine. What are you basing your assertions on?
DSR Leasing is a very solid value point. They are at 46% residual on a GT. This is based on 42mo/10k mi year. A 4Runner showed 40% residual for a Limited 4WD. Feel free to explain how the Kia has a poor resale value with real numbers like lease residuals, etc. You know. Rubber meets the road stuff and not polls, etc

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Never thought about how the switches in my car feel.

I consider most everything about a vehicle. From switch and tactile feel, to suspension.

Ok, so I have a source where is yours?   Oh, wait I have it now.  I know a guy who knows a guy that said he has a friend that said his recent model Kia was a POS.

Put up or shut up...

Are the other 4 cars you've owned in two years new as well?

If so, do you just like to trade cars a lot?

Should have bought a Model Y.

Made in USA by an American manufacturer.

Better charging infrastructure.

More mature battery tech.

Way more panache.

Even better performance on the road.

Not a Kia.

And
Elon is Red Pilled like a MF.

The Batteries: Are they Reputable?      IOW, who are they made by?   Are they as good as the ones used by Tesla?    

The front seats: how far do they recline?    Could you sleep comfortably?

I have to fall in behind Scotty Kilmer here on this one and say KIA plus EV = hard pass. JD Power is such a bogus thing to hang your hat on too... initial quality? What is that even? I mean, it's new - it sure ought to be pretty good right out of the gate. Report back in 2-3 years. Either way, it's your money so do what you like.

Tesla makes their own batteries.

well.. you say that, but do you consider the informed opinions of shit-talkers on an internet rifle forum who have never driven one, though?  Hmmm?!???

op

the car looks good (except for the brake calipers  that shits ugly)
it sounds like a BLAST to drive, 3.6 to sixty is smoking......like, catch most muscle cars slipping and you gotem....... kinda fast

current model Hyundai\Kia are not the cheap pos they use to be
who cares what people think

I could care less about Elon and his pills. I considered the MYP heavily, and reasons I did not choose it:

-Poor braking performance
-Significantly slower
-Far worse interior and exterior quality
-Worse support from the factory (Tesla changes hardware many many times even for the same model, and may not have parts to repair them, once they move on...which can happen in as little as a few hundred cars.)
-Louder
-Rides much rougher

In favor of the MYP:

-I like 18650 batteries more than pouch, but eGMP platforms are doing better than Tesla so far for battery degradation, etc. as they have much better thermal management, so the cell vs. pouch argument kindof falls flat in light of this.
-It was much cheaper than my EV6 GT, and I could have gotten one for $48k or so after tax credit, while the EV6 GT cost me $64k.

This latter is the most compelling, but I just could not be happy with a Tesla product. The quality issues would drive me insane.

SK Industries in Korea makes the batteries. They are very good. Tesla has many suppliers. So far, the EV6 battery packs are showing extremely good degradation numbers. I am seeing reports of 2% at 30K miles, etc. and some reports of "none noted" at 50K miles, primarily DC charged. Thermal management is superior to the Tesla.

I honestly haven't tried to recline them to the max. I do not sleep in my car, but if I did, I'd probably just go to sleep in the back seat, or maybe fold it flat and get one of those car camping mattresses.

You bought a Kia EV and use track as a qualifier.

Dude, I am out.

Scotty Kilmer is just a hypebeast. Anything he can say to make a buck...and he makes lots of bucks. Good on him.

I didn't just look at JD Power. I watched the EV forums and saw what had issues, and what didn't, looked at Consumer Reports, talked to multiple owners that I encountered while charging, etc. Also there is empirical data such as conducted on the Nürburgring with various EV's showing how well the EV6 GT thermal management does compared to Tesla and Porsche etc.

Kia's gas engines are a solid "nope" from me, but their eGMP platform has been out for 2 years now and there are multiple cars with 30-50k miles on them and the owners still rave about them. I waited for the 2023 and got preconditioning and so forth, as I never go for first YM stuff.

The 3.51 0-60 was with non optimal condition battery and on 32*f pavement. Also that INCLUDES the roll-out. It was 3.29 subtracting it. I am thinking 2.99's are possible if the battery is preconditioned and I launch it on pavement above freezing. We will see later this year.

Then be out, lol!
Nothing out there under 6 figures has the braking or thermal management that it does when you actually put it on track.

I'm neutral on the calipers. They all do it, so whatever.

Just don't jump into those "generational warfare" threads and complain about how "boomers" had it so easy.

15% interest on a house isn't easy...