Our family has two cars. A 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid (92K miles) and a 2007 Honda Accord (142K miles). Our oldest will get their driver’s license this fall and head off to college in two years. I have enjoyed our PHEV as it allows for the best of both worlds, as we have a lot of long road trips with our kids in competitive sports.
The questions are how many cars we need and how long we want to have them. Our large dog needs space, as my wife takes him to many locations.
Let’s say we need a new car to fit our large dog. What are the options? Our dog fits in a 31″X31″X42″ crate. The rear interior cargo dimensions do not have to match that shape exactly, but it’s a good starting point. This is about 24 cubic feet, but most importantly, it is the height of 31 inches. We would like our dog to be able to stand up and reorientate itself as needed.
Cargo Dimension Comparisons
Tesla Y : 27″ H X 37″ W X 32″ L. 24″ Above Ground.
Mach-E : 26″ H X 41″ W X 32″ L
Chevy Bolt EUV: 26″ H X 38″ W X 24″ L
Volkswagen ID.4: 32″ H X 39″ W X 37″ L
Hyundai Ioniq 5: 29″ H X 39″ W X 38″ L
Rivian R1S: 28″ H X 42″ W X 41″/21″ L (3rd Row Folds)
Tesla Model X: 25″ H X 39″ W X 45″ L
Kia EV6: 26″ H X 41″ W X 39″ L
Kia EV9: 31″ H X 41″ W X 47″/21″ L (3rd Row Folds)
BMW iX: 27″ H X 43″ W X 39″ L
Height matters. There are only four popular SUVs with a height of at least 28″ and only two above 31″. Our Pacifica is 38″. It is an entirely different experience for our dog. Ground clearance is also an issue, as the van is much lower to the ground and, therefore, does not require a steep incline for our ramp to get them into the car.
Are They Any Good?
| Car | Edmunds | Car & Driver | USNews | AVG |
| Volkswagen ID.4 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 7 | 7.8 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 8.3 | 10 | 8.4 | 8.3 |
| Kia EV9 | 8.6 | 10 | 8.2 | 8.9 |
| Rivian R1S | 8.1 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 8.6 |
What About the Price?
Guess what? When you need more cargo space, you pay more money. I looked for available inventory for vehicles with at least 28″ in height.
Volkswagen ID.4: $41,541-$56,426
Hyundai Ioniq 5: $49,925-$62,775
Kia EV9: $56,800-$79,300
Rivian R1S: $82,150-$100,100
Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs. Kia EV9
The Volkswagen is out due to mediocre reviews. The Rivian R1S is exciting but obviously very expensive.
These are really two different cars. The EV9 is a sizeable 7-seater SUV, closer to our current minivan experience. The Ioniq 5 is basically a hatchback sedan. In theory, you will get a bigger battery and better range, but it is a heavier car that will suffer on long-distance road trips at high speeds.
What’s Coming?
The Ioniq 5 will get a larger battery in the 2025 model. There are also two intriguing new Volkswagen models. The ID.Buzz is a fun-looking fully electric van, while the EX90 looks to compete with the Rivian R1S. There is also an Ioniq 7, err, I mean Ioniq 9, that looks to compete directly with the EV9.
We’ll wait for the fall after our oldest turns 16 before looking more seriously.