Looking to get into a EV9 first time ev owner. Keep seeing 2024 ev9 get used for good price. Is it basically the same car or should I pucker up and pay for the 2026 model? Right now looking at the 2026 wind but I’m seeing 24 gt lines going cheaper.

EV9 with ABRP (A Better Route Planner): 1st Stop = 307 miles? Will I make it at 65 MPH?

I read over and over here on Reddit that most people are getting 2.7-2.8 mi/kWh, with a 100 kWh (basically) battery, that means I'd need to get 3.1 and that'd be getting there at 0% state of charge! ABRP says I'll be there with 8% SOC.

I'm heading from eastern PA to the West (into the wind) and I'd be going over the Appalachian Mountains on that 1st leg; is ABRP THAT accurate? Should I trust it? Thanks for all the replies!

Edit: I'm not driving right now! I'm just planning.

My 2026 IONIQ 9 SEL AWD is currently being bought back by Hyundai after recurring issues that started within the first week of ownership.

The difficult part is that I actually really like the IONIQ 9. When everything was working properly, I really enjoyed the vehicle. But now that I have the opportunity to start over, I’m seriously considering a 2026 EV9 Land AWD instead.

I’ve test driven the EV9 and think it’s a lovely vehicle with a lot to like. I know the EV9 and IONIQ 9 share a lot of their underlying platform and technology, so I’m not approaching this as Hyundai vs. Kia or trying to bash either vehicle.

The Kia dealer is willing to get the Land to approximately the same price as another IONIQ 9 SEL, so price isn’t really going to make the decision for me.

There were a few things I noticed immediately. The EV9 doors felt surprisingly heavy, especially thinking my kids, feels like if the door hit my little one, that he would not make it.
I personally prefer the more unique exterior design of the IONIQ 9 and its curved display versus the flatter screen setup in the EV9.

On the other hand, I really like the moonroof in the Land, and I like the captain’s chairs, although I’m still deciding how I feel about giving up the seventh seat. The digital rearview mirror was also a little trippy during the test drive, although I’m assuming that’s something you quickly get used to.

For EV9 owners who seriously cross-shopped the IONIQ 9, what ultimately made you choose the EV9? And now that you’ve actually lived with it, would you make the same decision again?

I’m particularly interested in the things you don’t discover during a test drive.
Little annoyances, features you ended up loving more than expected, real-world range, road-trip charging, ride comfort, highway noise, third-row use, captain’s chairs with kids, cargo space with the third row up, software/app reliability, driver-assistance features, and your experience with Kia service.

Basically, if you’ve owned your EV9 for a while, what do you know now that you wish someone had told you before you bought it?

I wanted to share my experience in case it helps another EV9 owner. I spent a lot of time searching Reddit before going through this, and there weren't many detailed posts about the process.

Vehicle: 2024 EV9 GT-Line (ADAS equipped)

A rock cracked my windshield on a road trip, and I was determined to replace it with genuine Kia OEM glass (the windshield with the Kia logo), not OEM-manufacturer or aftermarket glass.

Quotes I received (Las Vegas)

• Safelite (OEM): $1,916.54 out the door (included ADAS calibration)
• Galaxy Auto Glass (OEM): $2,727 out the door (included ADAS calibration)
• Findlay Kia: Doesn't replace windshields in-house—they outsource the work to a local glass company.

OEM Glass

I was probably more obsessive than most people 😅, but I specifically wanted genuine Kia logo glass, not just "OEM" or "OEM-equivalent" and confirmed multiple times that my replacement would be genuine Kia glass. I had read that after-market glass can really mess with the HUD and cameras, so I was a bit insistent!

USAA Insurance

This was the part that took the most research because the cash quote was well over my deductible, but if they denied the OEM glass then I would have essentially had to pay almost the entire cash price anyway AND have a claim on my record.

I did end up taking the chance and filing a comprehensive claim with USAA, and the initial OEM request was denied.

After reading a few Reddit posts, I called Safelite back. The representative told me that, in her experience, the initial OEM request is often denied and that the local shop should submit a follow-up OEM request.

The local shop manager submitted that request, and a few days later I received confirmation that USAA approved the OEM Kia windshield.

So if you have USAA and are initially denied, don't automatically assume that's the end of the process. Ask the shop if they can submit a follow-up OEM request.

Hopefully this helps the next EV9 owner searching for windshield replacement information. If anyone has questions about the process, I'm happy to answer them while it's still fresh in my mind.

Hi everyone, I just got my EV9 Wind in April and I’m researching winter tires. Getting 255/60R19 113V XL winter tires are very expensive and there’s very little selection.

Has anyone gone with another size that has worked for winter tires?

I’m in lower mainland in BC Canada, so not expecting crazy amounts of snow, but I have children and prefer to be safe in the event we do get snow and/or ice.

TL;DR: 2024 EV9 LLR, ~20k miles, good looking, low profile, most affordable true 3-row SUV, especially if you need to haul adults on the 3rd row; however, significant gaps on cargo space, technology, and weird design choices that make daily driving more effort than it should.

Needed to extend two more months and finally I will say goodbye to this great car tomorrow. Want to write down my experiences, hope it helps for prospective buyers.

1. PRICE & BUYING

• Most affordable (especially if you buy used) true 3-row EV SUV you can buy today, personally I do not consider Model Y L, Model X, EX 90 as true 3-row b/c the 3rd row has little leg and head room for an adult, okay for kids and pets though.
• Buying from dealership sucks, tons of time on shopping around and negotiation, then I spent almost a whole day at the dealership to finish all paperwork and drive the car home. Leasing or buying from Rivian, Lucid, Tesla is so efficient and smooth compared to dealership.

2. APPEARANCE

• Good looking, low profile, just a very normal boxy SUV. I would say the others (Gravity, R1S, ID Buzz, EX 90, Model Y/X) all look decent, except Ionic 9, the back looks incredibly ugly in my opinion.
• Decent ground clearance, and decent height for tall adults. I personally loved the height, but others thought the car is too high to get in.

3. SPACE (PASSENGER, CARGO)

• Amazing for 2nd row, 3rd row. Among all the 3-row EVs, this is the only one that two tall adults can sit comfortably on the 3rd row with enough leg room and head room.
• 6-seat configuration FTW! The aisle can also be used for bags and stuff. Glad R1S finally offers captain seats now.
• Cargo space is disappointing when you use both seats on the 3rd row. Can barely put a couple of luggages, which makes road trip of 6 stressful.
• Frunk is a bit small compared to others, but still useful: can fit a compact stroller along with other things.

4. DRIVING

• I mainly use Eco and Normal, very smooth on both local & highway. It is not super fast but the acceleration is good enough (note that LLR is like 200hp only).
• Fairly efficient and true to the mileage estimate.
• i-Pedal is annoying b/c you have to turn it on every time you drive forward, if you need to back then forward, it goes back to level-3. I tried auto mode but it is not close to true one pedal driving.
• Tried driving assist a few times on high ways, not bad nor good, I did not have the same level of trust compared to Tesla's self-driving so I ended up not using much.

5. INFORTAINMENT

• This is the first car I had comes with CarPlay. On Tesla that I still drive from time to time, I do not need CP at all. So CP for me is nice to have but not essential. There were quite a few times CP could not connect though.
• Steeling wheel blocks the climate control view, annoying but not a big deal.
• Why I have to press the start button to start the car and turn off the car? There were many times I forgot to turn off the car.
• Why I have to use passcode or fingerprint to log-in and it is so slow. Every time I am ready to drive, I need to do 4 steps: a) Push the start button; b) Use the fingerprint to log-in; c) Change to D; d) Turn on i-Pedal. Tesla is just one step (c).
• Why there is no auto-lock the car as you walk away is annoying.
• Google Map destination from phone to on-board navigation cannot be sent to the car directly, have to use the Kia app to send maps. But if using CP or AA, then that's fine (I still have the habit of using built-in nav instead of CP though).
• I have not seen any useful OTA updates for two years, most recent ones are for additional subscriptions like YouTube. If you come from traditional cars, this may not be a big deal, but for those who loves tech from Tesla, Rivian, this is very disappointing.

6. MISCS

• V2L in my opinion is must-have, it helped me in various situations already.
• Loved the free World Cup themes!
• Used up all the free 1000 kWh charging through EA. EA is not too bad, but ofc way behind Tesla's plug-n-charge in one step: you have to wait, click buttons, etc.
• It has this ball-ish light or sensor in the center of the dash, which is weird.

Overall I would say that if you need to constantly haul 6 people, this is a great car. I wish I went with GT or Land but I guess for leasing only 2 years, it does not make much sense money wise.

Unfortunately, none of EV9, R1S, Gravity have all the features I want (if they combine into one, then we are talking!) so I will continue to lease as a way to try new cars and wait for the "perfect" one to buy. I wish US can import Chinese EVs, a lot of them are 3-row luxury SUVs that check all the boxes. Anyway, I am moving to Gravity next to experience driving a minivan, excited but will miss the captain seats and the height.

Text my wife sent my son and me today...

[supprimé]

Hello All!

I’m posting this for anyone interested in buying an EV9 (and anyone looking into a Lucid Gravity)

My lease ended on my 2024 EV9 GT line last week and we turned it in. I was carless for about 3 days and just went ahead and leased a 2026 Lucid Gravity. I have always liked the Gravity but didn’t feel a huge pull towards it. It’s beautiful and luxurious inside and incredible space in the cabin as well.

But this is about my love for the EV9, I decided not to lease it again because I really wanted a revision to be done in the interior - mainly the dash/screen. I really did not like how it was flat and my steering wheel altered what I could see in some places. My Gravity has a well designed curve screen, it’s such a nice experience when I’m driving the car.

Here is what I miss in the EV9:

By far number one is the ability to move the passenger seat forward or back with the controls on the side of the seat. This is huge when you have kids getting out for carline!

I miss my larger cup holders in the front and the cup holders for the back passengers that were also on the console. Sometimes I had 3 of my own drinks and needed all the space!

My rear captains chairs had heating and cooling seats.

The back windows went all the way down and the screen was available to pull up on a sunny day.

The foot rest or whatever it was that could make your seat lay back like a recliner, I actually miss that a lot. I feel like my Gravity drivers seat is too short and my legs awkwardly reach the peddle. I always had a comfortable spot for my feet and the peddles in the EV9.

I don’t have a heads up display anymore, it was nice having, but I don’t feel like I’m lacking without it.

My kids LOVED changing the colors of the ambient lighting in the EV9.

I truly loved the exterior sound the EV9 when backing up and all that, it was pretty to me and my Gravity sounds no where near as beautiful.

I had more drive mode options.

And actually I do miss the ability to play YouTube on the infotainment system, my kids enjoyed that when we were parked and had to wait in the car for something.

Negatives: I did experience the black out screen early on into my lease and my side step bars always rubbed off a black residue against my legs no matter how many times I washed my car. The frunk is small and pointless but I never needed to use it.

To me the EV9 is one of the best electric SUVs on the market. It was my first EV and now I won’t go back to a gas car. Hopefully they come out with a redesign and I can get back in it in 2 years 😅

Anywho, enjoy your EV9s!

I’m considering leasing a 2026 EV9 GT-Line. I test drove the car and it was great, I really liked it and I think it will meet my needs well. I already have an EV and charger at home so that would not be an issue.

I keep convincing myself out of it because of the posts about ICCU issues. Does anyone know how prevalent the issues are among the 2026 models? I can handle software issues and random things that might need a service visit here and there, and I know the ICCU would be under warranty, but I plan to take it on road trips with my family (including 2 young kids). I’m worried about being stranded far from home with the kids waiting on a dealership I’m not familiar with.

I know any car can have a major issue and leave you stranded, but for a while it seemed it was very prevalent among Kia/Hyundai EVs. Is it still a major consideration now or is it down to the same level as any random failure others cars could have?

Hey so I see there is a cash offer of 14625 on lease. Can I enter a lease agreement and try to buy out the vehicle in the first month and keep the discount?
I see
For lease the discount is 14625
For cash it’s 10000

Not sure if this is a good deal or not for a purchase but it is one of the lowest out there in the area. Let me know. Thank you.

Edit: 24,500 miles

TL;DR

* Vehicle & Terms: 2024 Kia EV9 Wind, 2-yr/20k mile lease via Kia Finance, returned at 24k miles.

* Pre-Inspection: Schedule the free AIM home inspection early. It’s quick, easy, and valid for 90 days—time it to cover your turn-in date.

* Dealer Drop-Off: Most LA-area dealers only accept returns on weekdays and won't show much interest if you aren't getting another car.

* Turn-In Process: Took 10–15 minutes. Rep just took 4–6 photos of the exterior, VIN, and odometer. Accessories (mats, mobile charger, cargo cover) were never checked.

* Settlement: Dealers only handle administrative intake. All end-of-lease fees (mileage overage, tire wear, disposition) are billed directly by Kia Finance later.

Details

Vehicle & Lease Specs

* Model: 2024 Kia EV9 Wind

* Term: 24 Months / 20,000 miles total

* Odometer at Return: 24,000 miles (~4k overage)

* Lessor: Kia Finance

1. Complimentary Pre-Return Inspection (AIM)

* Scheduled through Kia about 90 days prior to lease-end. AIM handled all scheduling and came directly to my home.

* The inspection was quick and painless. Only two items were flagged: mileage overage (was at 21k at the time) and tire tread wear exceeding the threshold.

* Pro-tip on timing: The inspection report is valid for 90 days. My report was valid through August 22 for an August 30 lease-end, so plan your inspection window carefully to ensure it covers your target return date.

2. Dealer Availability (Los Angeles Area)

* Called around 6 Kia dealerships across the LA area.

* Every dealer strictly limited "lease return only" transactions to weekdays.

* Expect minimal enthusiasm from staff once they realize you aren't buying or leasing another vehicle.

3. Turn-In Day Experience

* Total time at the dealership was only 10–15 minutes.

* A representative came out, took 4–6 photos around the exterior, snapped the VIN and odometer, and went back inside.

* They did not check or inventory accessories at all. Pristine floor mats, cargo privacy cover, and the OEM mobile charging cable were completely ignored.

* Offered the AIM inspection report to the rep, but they didn't care to see it.

* Walked away with a signed Odometer Disclosure Statement confirming the return, along with key return.

4. Final Takeaways & Billing

* From what i understood, Dealerships simply act as intake lots for Kia Finance; the vehicle goes straight to auction since most EV leases are currently upside down.

* Zero fees were collected at the dealership. The disposition fee, mileage overages, and tire wear charges will be billed directly via the final Kia Finance statement.

I'm a bit worried about tire wear, since I'm about 2500 miles over since the inspection. I was at 6/16 and 5/16 at the time of inspection.

Will keep everyone posted

It's been a minute since I've done DC fast charging. I just hit 222kw at an EA charger. Did a software update up the limit? The highest I ever saw before was 208kw. 🙏