Long-Term 2024 Kia EV9 Update: Highway Star?
Earlier this year, we bought a 2024 EV9 to see how well Kia’s new three-row electric SUV can handle family-hauling duty and our not-so-gentle ownership. Ours is a Land trim level with all-wheel drive — just one trim down from the range-topping GT-Line — and we’ve owned it since late March of this year. After more than three months of ownership, how are things going so far?
Related: Is the 2024 Kia EV9 a Good Electric SUV? 5 Pros, 3 Cons
The Journey So Far
First, we’ve put the EV9 through its cargo and car-seat paces and come away with mostly positive results. While its cargo space is not class-leading compared to gas-powered three-row SUVs, the EV9’s total cargo volume puts it in the bottom middle of a very tightly grouped pack of SUVs. The EV9 also has solid car-seat fitment scores from our certified experts — until you get to the third row. (Note: The vehicle used in the test was an EV9 GT-Line, but the scores apply to ours, as well). This is, again, not unusual when compared with similarly sized gas-powered SUVs.
We also had a chance to compare our EV9 to a Rivian R1S, and despite an as-tested price almost $30,000 less than the Rivian, our editors preferred the Kia. We highly recommend shoppers looking at the Rivian to at least kick the Kia’s tires, too.
We’ve driven over 2,400 miles so far and have experienced no issues and incurred almost no major expenses beyond charging costs. Stay tuned for more detailed efficiency updates, but our calculated efficiency of 2.45 miles per kilowatt-hour trails the trip computer’s average of 2.95. We’ve already logged a number of public DC fast-charging sessions at an average cost of $31.04 per session, but total charging costs and overall efficiency over the length of our ownership will be difficult to calculate; we’ve charged the EV9 on a regular household outlet, and the SUV and the Kia Access app do not provide the same level of granular information as our long-term Tesla Model Y did, nor is there a third-party data-logging service like the TeslaFi app we used with our Model Y, at least not yet.
We did spend $238.10 (including tax and shipping) on a Dr. Beasley’s matte-paint care kit to care for our EV9’s $995 Ocean Blue Matte exterior paint; Kia lists the kit as an accessory online but provides no pricing, so we just went to the source. We’ll have more to come on what it’s like to actually care for a daily driver with matte paint, and whether or not it’s worth the effort and added cost.
(Mostly) Fantastic Family Hauler, for Real
Over the Fourth of July holiday, Managing Editor Joe Bruzek enlisted the EV9 for family-vacation duty and was dazzled by the Kia’s performance as it ate up highway miles.
“I absolutely love driving the EV9 on the highway. I’ve put around 400 miles of highway driving on the EV9 during two different trips and have been extremely impressed with the soft ride, muted wind and road noise, and the comfortable seats that all combine for near fatigue-free driving. I can comfortably drive the EV9 far longer than it can drive before needing to be charged. Most recently, I took the battery from 100% to 23% driving almost exclusively on the highway while covering 225 miles at an average of 3 miles per kWh; at 20%, the “Low EV Battery Warning” pops on to assist in searching for a charge station. This was with two adults, two kids under 6 years old in car seats and a cargo area full of family gear for an extended weekend.”
He did, however, have a note for Kia and automotive designers in general.
“The EV9’s motorized door handles were a big annoyance before I figured out which door setting needed to be deactivated: At first, only the driver’s side door would extend when approaching with the key fob. Because I was always using the back doors with kids, the back doors not unlocking when approaching was highly annoying. Luckily, this was resolved by turning off the “2 Press Unlock” mode in the Vehicle>Door settings, and now all door handles extend when approaching. It’s still annoying to wait for the door handles to release, and the touch-sensitive lock button on the front doors rarely works on the first try, plus there’s no walk-away lock function like in our former Model Y long-term test car. Suffice it to say, spending over 100 words talking about the door handles is also annoying; don’t make them fancy, just make them functional.”
More to Come
Besides caring for the EV9’s fancy paint, we’ll be looking at weather-specific efficiency, taking deeper dives into its features and functions, seeing how it tows and much more. We’re also looking forward to pitting the EV9 against other family vehicles, both electric and not, so stay tuned for our continuing coverage on our latest long-termer.
More From Cars.com:
- Is the 2024 Rivian R1S Worth Almost $30,000 More Than Our 2024 Kia EV9?
- Does the 2024 Kia EV9 Have as Much Cargo Room as Regular 3-Row SUVs?
- How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2024 Kia EV9?
- State of the EV: Lessons Learned Road-Tripping a 2024 Kia EV9
- Shop for a 2024 Kia EV9
Related Video:
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
