A little inside info on how being a car critic works: there are people whose job is to bring cars to and from journalists. They know as much about cars as any expert you see on TV or read online (Hi!). And they have poker faces.
Automakers pay companies to maintain and clean cars, schedule them for publications like ours, drop them off, and pick them up.
The drivers who work for those companies are some of the only people who have driven as many cars as KBB editors have. Their clients don’t want them to say anything that influences what we might write. So, they’re pleasant poker players, never revealing a preference. They could be dropping off an economy car or an exotic six-figure convertible; all they will comment on is your garden.
I tell you this to tell you this: The driver who dropped off the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N for me to test smiled. He shook his head. He reluctantly handed me the keys. The Ioniq 5 N broke his professional cool.
About the Ioniq 5 N
The Ioniq 5 N is a track-ready, ultra-high-performance version of Hyundai’s midsize electric SUV, the Ioniq 5. I’m on record saying the Ioniq 5 may be the best all-around electric vehicle (EV) anyone has built yet.
But the Ioniq 5 N is something else entirely. The high-performance version boasts up to 641 horsepower, a drift mode, a drag mode, and a setting that makes it burble and snarl like it has an engine. It’s an automotive wonder with a few — and just a few — compromises as an everyday car. But a week driving it left me thinking it’s the right choice for just a select few. I loved it. I don’t recommend it unless you plan to reserve time at a local track regularly.
My test model had only two added-cost options: Atlas White paint ($470) and carpeted floor mats ($210). The total sticker was $68,175, including a $1,395 delivery fee.
A Daily Driver and a Track Toy at the Touch of Many Buttons
Many cars have a high-performance version. If you know the difference between a BMW 3 Series and an M3, you get the idea.
What’s new about this one is that you can turn the performance on and off. Hyundai used the computer-on-wheels nature of electric cars to make its first true track car customizable. It has settings for everything from horsepower to grip level.
In my week driving it, I didn’t get to explore its wildest functions. I’ll leave that to my colleagues Lyn Woodward and Mike Danger, who took it to the track:
But I did explore its performance credentials — at least as much as one can without risking their license.
The Ioniq 5 N has shocking quickness. A zero-to-60 time of three seconds flat is astonishing at this price point. Technically, you could just use that acceleration to get up to highway speed. However, that’s like using a thoroughbred racehorse to canter around your yard.
But You Have to Study up to Use It
To get that blistering acceleration, you use buttons on the steering wheel to select the correct driving mode, a touchscreen menu to precondition the battery to the right temperature, another touchscreen menu to engage launch control and adjust the grip setting, and then another steering wheel button to trigger “N Grin Boost” for a 10-second punch of horsepower. Then, you step on the accelerator.
Other menus trigger race mode, torque distribution changes, a drift setting, spaceship noises, and probably a million other functions I didn’t find in a week’s time. You can turn on engine sounds and fake shifting (using paddle shifters). You can check the temperature of the battery and each of the two motors. You can see how many Newton meters of power each axle is currently producing. You can check how hard you’re depressing the brake pedal at a stoplight.
Hyundai gave them playful names like “N Grin Shift” and “Corner Rascal.” It doesn’t change the fact that this car has settings like a fighter jet has dials and switches. You’d need to devote a lot of seat time just to learn half of them.
The joy of driving a high-performance version of a family car is that you can run errands in it casually and then pretend to be Lewis Hamilton on a highway cloverleaf. With the Ioniq 5 N, though, you have to learn to be his engineer, too.
If you’re buying the car for weekend track days, that fits into the pro column. If you just want a quick family car, though, its complexity could be a con.
That’s nearly it for compromises, though. Ignore the many buttons and menus, and the Ioniq 5 N can easily be an ordinary family car for day-to-day use.
I found one minor annoyance — a droning noise off the front axle at neighborhood speeds. Paging through the many displays, I learned that the noise only happens when the rear motor is powering the car and the front one is along for the ride. Accelerate for a second, and the front motor engages, ending the whine.
Maybe We Should Leave These for the Weekend Racers
I thoroughly enjoyed my week in the Ioniq 5 N. When I handed back the keys, I was smiling.
I still wouldn’t recommend the Ioniq 5 N for most drivers. Not because its astonishing power and sporty handling aren’t fun. But because an Ioniq 5 without an N on it is already fun.
An all-wheel-drive (AWD) Ioniq 5 in sport mode gets from zero to 60 mph in under five seconds. It has light, responsive steering and plenty of grip. It’s more performance than the average driver needs. And it’s available for under $56,000.
So, a plea — leave these for the people who will use them for everything they’re capable of. A week in the Ioniq 5 N showed me that it’s easy to live with as a family car.
But Lyn and Mike’s day at the track showed me that that’s not what this car is. Superman shouldn’t be stuck in the Clark Kent role for life. Thoroughbreds should be allowed to race.
The Ioniq 5 N arrives as a very niche car meant for a niche set of buyers. If you think you want one but know you’ll never engage that drift mode, you’re better off with a more affordable Ioniq 5 without the N next to the name. Choose that so these can live the life they were built for at the track.
