[electriclove]

Hi,

I just got an EV6 and love it. I’ve been a Tesla guy for about 10 years, largely because they were the first real EV you could buy and remained the only real exciting option until just recently. We have 4 Teslas currently! (Tho will be selling 2 of them shortly)

I just thought it would be interesting to start a thread comparing the ownership and driving experience between the two. I think EV6 is most comparable to a Model Y, tho one could compare to the 3, they are very similar just one is stretched out more.

My first impressions (just got the EV6 yesterday, it’s a GT-Line AWD);
EV6 has a more interesting fit and finish and build quality is better.
Tesla has the “cool” larger screen in center but since they cram every function, button, information, etc into that screen it is in reality too small. The S/X have two screens and a larger center screen which helps.
EV6 feels like a more advanced EV, the commonly held belief that “Tesla is way ahead” appears to be totally inaccurate. The V2L and 800V battery pack both make this car more advanced from an EV tech perspective.
Ventilated seats are awesome! We live in AZ so anything to better cool down is important. These aren’t available on the 3/Y.

Ok, so now on driver assistance.
One of the main things I loved about Tesla in 2014 was the “revolutionary” Autopilot system. They made big promises on what it could do (in 2013 Elon actually said it would be able to drop you off at the door of a mall and then go find it’s own parking spot). The system was pretty amazing for what it could do. Fast forward to 2022 and it has made very few improvements and in some ways isn’t as good as it originally was. This is one of the biggest reasons I wanted to try something else.
EV6 feels like a better thought out system for delivering on what it is capable of in a compelling manner. The system seems to “integrate” more into natural driving behaviors. Teslas system on the other hand is more of an “all or nothing” approach and you find yourself engaging it then if you do anything it disengages and you have to reengage it again. Tesla does do a better job on turns tho, even at high speeds and sharper curves it will stay in the lane, EV6 I have found drifts a lot on curves, which is unfortunate.

It is really odd that you have to hold the close button until the trunk is closed and that you can’t turn off the button-press sounds…

 

[accelerus]

appreciate your input on this - I've never driven or owned any Teslas, my experience in the EV world is coming from a 2017 Volt RIP little car thanks to dirtbag red light runner.

I ordered the same as you GTline - AWD with all the bells and whistles. I'm excited to see the trick driver assist features I'm not expecting some kind of super auto pilot but I drive a lot of highway to and from work. aka, boring, easy, straight Texas roads so my hopes are high it can take a load off the monotony

Hopefully I only have 6 to 8 more weeks of waiting.

 

[des16]

Hi,

I just got an EV6 and love it. I’ve been a Tesla guy for about 10 years, largely because they were the first real EV you could buy and remained the only real exciting option until just recently. We have 4 Teslas currently! (Tho will be selling 2 of them shortly)

I just thought it would be interesting to start a thread comparing the ownership and driving experience between the two. I think EV6 is most comparable to a Model Y, tho one could compare to the 3, they are very similar just one is stretched out more.

My first impressions (just got the EV6 yesterday, it’s a GT-Line AWD);
EV6 has a more interesting fit and finish and build quality is better.
Tesla has the “cool” larger screen in center but since they cram every function, button, information, etc into that screen it is in reality too small. The S/X have two screens and a larger center screen which helps.
EV6 feels like a more advanced EV, the commonly held belief that “Tesla is way ahead” appears to be totally inaccurate. The V2L and 800V battery pack both make this car more advanced from an EV tech perspective.
Ventilated seats are awesome! We live in AZ so anything to better cool down is important. These aren’t available on the 3/Y.

Ok, so now on driver assistance.
One of the main things I loved about Tesla in 2014 was the “revolutionary” Autopilot system. They made big promises on what it could do (in 2013 Elon actually said it would be able to drop you off at the door of a mall and then go find it’s own parking spot). The system was pretty amazing for what it could do. Fast forward to 2022 and it has made very few improvements and in some ways isn’t as good as it originally was. This is one of the biggest reasons I wanted to try something else.
EV6 feels like a better T out system for delivering on what it is capable of in a compelling manner. The system seems to “integrate” more into natural driving behaviors. Teslas system on the other hand is more of an “all or nothing” approach and you find yourself engaging it then if you do anything it disengages and you have to reengage it again. Tesla does do a better job on turns tho, even at high speeds and sharper curves it will stay in the lane, EV6 I have found drifts a lot on curves, which is unfortunate.

It is really odd that you have to hold the close button until the trunk is closed and that you can’t turn off the button-press sounds…

I own 2 Teslas. The vehicles are a completely different driving experience. But to the point of the post on the comparison of the EV6 with Tesla's Autopilot, I have Full Self Driving on my Teslas, and find it to be far superior to driver's assistant suite on my GT Line. I did not expect the EV6 to live up to the Tesla in that respect, so, I am not really disappointed. The main problems I have with the Kia is that as noted above, it does not keep the lane nearly as well, especially around curves. For example, my Tesla can effectively self-drive up twisty 2 lane canyon roads in Salt Lake City. Additionally, I find it cumbersome to engage the lane keep assist in the Kia, in comparison to the simple stalk movement on the Tesla. The need to engage and set the cruise control is also much more cumbersome in the Kia. Other issues are that the lane change assist only operates above 50 MPH in the EV6. I am frequently using the lane change option on my Tesla as slower speeds. The EV6 lane keep assist also disengages without a clear warning, unlike the Tesla. Beyond these critiques, I did pay for the Full Self Driving upgrade on the Tesla, and love the fact that it recognizes stop signs and other traffic signals, and the Navigate on Autopilot works great. It will not only automatically exit from highways, but the car will follow navigation though complicated interchanges without intervention. But even without FSD features, the basic autopilot clearly out-performs the EV6. I should add that the other things that I find most deficient in the EV6 can presumably be addressed with simple software updates, such as auto locking when walking away from the car. Kia should also add a sentry mode and enable the webcam to capture events when driving. I also find the need to carry a key fob a real problem after driving only with my phone for 6 years. In terms of driving, the only area that the Tesla clearly dominates the Kia is in acceleration. I have lots of other quips about the EV6 software (especially that so many things are disabled when driving, such as inputing destinations in the NAV, or switching users), the poor placement and layout of the radio and AC panel, etc, most of which have discussed highlighted by other reviews. That being said, there is much to like in the EV6. It clearly dominates the Tesla in the quiet, smooth, refined and composed ride, as well as in the fit and finish of the car. And of course, the EV6 is at least 10K less expensive, anddependoing on the model, the price difference with the Y can be much more.

 

[steve0001]

It is really odd that you have to hold the close button until the trunk is closed and that you can’t turn off the button-press sounds…

You do not have to hold the close button until the trunk closed, but you do need to relase it as soon as it starts beeping.

 

[FrankMN]

I had a model 3 (got it around Xmas 2019), that I sold after 7 months. The electric motors and battery were very good and so was some of tech of the car, like the voice commands (amazing). However, the overall build quality was in my opinion pretty poor. I got the car, and 50 miles after delivery, it had to go to service for more than 2 weeks to fix all those common problems that these cars had on delivery (misalligned panels, noisy windshields, lack of seals between panels, rattles, etc). I originally thought that to have a single screen was actually pretty cool, but it turned to be quite annoying. Every function took twice as long as it required multiple virtual (and quite small) buttons, distracting from driving. For example to turn on the wipers, required 3 different press (if i remember correctly). No vented seats, the "autopilot" was nothing more than a smart cruise control (that basically every car in the $30k range now has), so was the lane keep assist, no hud, the range that was just fake, regen brake set to single pedal drive only, zero customization, etc. In addition to this I personally found a myriad of little annoyances that all stacked up made my experience pretty unsettling. Teslas were amazing 10 years ago when noone was doing anything like that, so innovative. But after all this time they changed nothing. They look the same and have the same tech they had 10 years ago. Something gets introduced ever now and then through software updates, but with that also bugs, that then required more updates. They spend so much time developing software and hardware to make the car literally fart by the press of a button, ignoring the actual issues they should have focused on instead. Until now, they dominated as they were the only relatively affordable EVs (too many around, another reason to switch). But to me now they're just gimmick, an iphone with wheels. I was sad selling it, as I really wanted an EV, but the overall experience was just not good for me. Untill now. The EV6 is not perfect, neither is Kia. But the EV6 should have been the car that Tesla made 2 years ago. Before the Tesla I had a Stinger GT2, probably the best car i ever owned. When I sold it I promised my self if an electric version of the GT2 comes out, i would have bought it. And the EV6 is that for me. An electric more modern (more SUVy) Stinger GT, and now is mine. Love it!!!

 

[Pack66]

Hi,

I just got an EV6 and love it. I’ve been a Tesla guy for about 10 years, largely because they were the first real EV you could buy and remained the only real exciting option until just recently. We have 4 Teslas currently! (Tho will be selling 2 of them shortly)

I just thought it would be interesting to start a thread comparing the ownership and driving experience between the two. I think EV6 is most comparable to a Model Y, tho one could compare to the 3, they are very similar just one is stretched out more.

My first impressions (just got the EV6 yesterday, it’s a GT-Line AWD);
EV6 has a more interesting fit and finish and build quality is better.
Tesla has the “cool” larger screen in center but since they cram every function, button, information, etc into that screen it is in reality too small. The S/X have two screens and a larger center screen which helps.
EV6 feels like a more advanced EV, the commonly held belief that “Tesla is way ahead” appears to be totally inaccurate. The V2L and 800V battery pack both make this car more advanced from an EV tech perspective.
Ventilated seats are awesome! We live in AZ so anything to better cool down is important. These aren’t available on the 3/Y.

Ok, so now on driver assistance.
One of the main things I loved about Tesla in 2014 was the “revolutionary” Autopilot system. They made big promises on what it could do (in 2013 Elon actually said it would be able to drop you off at the door of a mall and then go find it’s own parking spot). The system was pretty amazing for what it could do. Fast forward to 2022 and it has made very few improvements and in some ways isn’t as good as it originally was. This is one of the biggest reasons I wanted to try something else.
EV6 feels like a better thought out system for delivering on what it is capable of in a compelling manner. The system seems to “integrate” more into natural driving behaviors. Teslas system on the other hand is more of an “all or nothing” approach and you find yourself engaging it then if you do anything it disengages and you have to reengage it again. Tesla does do a better job on turns tho, even at high speeds and sharper curves it will stay in the lane, EV6 I have found drifts a lot on curves, which is unfortunate.

It is really odd that you have to hold the close button until the trunk is closed and that you can’t turn off the button-press sounds…

Thanks for your write up. I'm a few weeks out from getting my EV6. Any suggestions for a new to EVs owner in Arizona? Does our extreme heat effect charging like the cold does in other parts of the country?

I'm really looking forward to the ventilated seats...

 

[blit]

appreciate your input on this - I've never driven or owned any Teslas, my experience in the EV world is coming from a 2017 Volt RIP little car thanks to dirtbag red light runner.

I ordered the same as you GTline - AWD with all the bells and whistles. I'm excited to see the trick driver assist features I'm not expecting some kind of super auto pilot but I drive a lot of highway to and from work. aka, boring, easy, straight Texas roads so my hopes are high it can take a load off the monotony

Hopefully I only have 6 to 8 more weeks of waiting.

Totally agree.....great to read his review....my order for the GT L AWD is going to run into Sept or October

 

[electriclove]

Thanks for your write up. I'm a few weeks out from getting my EV6. Any suggestions for a new to EVs owner in Arizona? Does our extreme heat effect charging like the cold does in other parts of the country?

I'm really looking forward to the ventilated seats...

Arizona and EV are a great combo, the cold kills your range more than the heat will, summer range will reduce a bit based on A/C use but that will have maybe 5-10% effect while the winter range can be 50% hit. I’ve driven a Model S P85DL through Wyoming a bunch of years ago, typically that car has around 240-260mi range, in that scenario I made it from my origin to the nearest Supercharger in the direction I was headed, fully charged when leaving and I barely rolled in with 10mi range remaining (was only 115mi away); that’s a seriously bad range buzz-kill! (but that was also an extreme situation as I was leaving in the dark (and around 0F temps).

You’ll love EV in AZ because you can run climate control before going to the car and make it way more comfortable inside before you get there; only us AZ folks know about baking cookies in your car on a summer day!

Each highway on your way out of town except for the US-60 heading East has good charging infrastructure available.

12V batteries get killed more quickly here and EV’s are exceptionally hard on the 12V batteries (cycle them like crazy! charge->discharge->charge->discharge all day every day); but there will be a Lithium 12V for these cars available soon from Ohmmu (local in Phoenix) which will help.

Anyways, ventilated seats are a dream here for sure and was the one thing I missed about my 2016 Model X 90D, tho the Tesla version was not very good. The EV6 ventilated seats have been great so far!

 

[Pack66]

Thanks for the info on weather and batteries. Do you carry a lithium jump starter?

I saw that Show Low now has an EA station so that helps a little with Globe, I'm still not sure I can make it from down here in Tucson though.

 

[electriclove]

Thanks for the info on weather and batteries. Do you carry a lithium jump starter?

I saw that Show Low now has an EA station so that helps a little with Globe, I'm still not sure I can make it from down here in Tucson though.

No, I don’t carry a jump starter, we actually replaced the 12V in mine to Lithium already! Part of testing for Ohmmu product development

 

[blit]

I had a model 3 (got it around Xmas 2019), that I sold after 7 months. The electric motors and battery were very good and so was some of tech of the car, like the voice commands (amazing). However, the overall build quality was in my opinion pretty poor. I got the car, and 50 miles after delivery, it had to go to service for more than 2 weeks to fix all those common problems that these cars had on delivery (misalligned panels, noisy windshields, lack of seals between panels, rattles, etc). I originally thought that to have a single screen was actually pretty cool, but it turned to be quite annoying. Every function took twice as long as it required multiple virtual (and quite small) buttons, distracting from driving. For example to turn on the wipers, required 3 different press (if i remember correctly). No vented seats, the "autopilot" was nothing more than a smart cruise control (that basically every car in the $30k range now has), so was the lane keep assist, no hud, the range that was just fake, regen brake set to single pedal drive only, zero customization, etc. In addition to this I personally found a myriad of little annoyances that all stacked up made my experience pretty unsettling. Teslas were amazing 10 years ago when noone was doing anything like that, so innovative. But after all this time they changed nothing. They look the same and have the same tech they had 10 years ago. Something gets introduced ever now and then through software updates, but with that also bugs, that then required more updates. They spend so much time developing software and hardware to make the car literally fart by the press of a button, ignoring the actual issues they should have focused on instead. Until now, they dominated as they were the only relatively affordable EVs (too many around, another reason to switch). But to me now they're just gimmick, an iphone with wheels. I was sad selling it, as I really wanted an EV, but the overall experience was just not good for me. Untill now. The EV6 is not perfect, neither is Kia. But the EV6 should have been the car that Tesla made 2 years ago. Before the Tesla I had a Stinger GT2, probably the best car i ever owned. When I sold it I promised my self if an electric version of the GT2 comes out, i would have bought it. And the EV6 is that for me. An electric more modern (more SUVy) Stinger GT, and now is mine. Love it!!!

Thanks for a great summary on the Tesla....looking forward to ultimately getting my EV 6. As you said, no car or their company is perfect, but KIA does seem to have done a good job moving into the full EV market!

 

[FrankMN]

Thanks for a great summary on the Tesla....looking forward to ultimately getting my EV 6. As you said, no car or their company is perfect, but KIA does seem to have done a good job moving into the full EV market!

Welcome. Please consider that as just my opinion. I have friends that think I am crazy for saying this. I think it all depends on what car you had before the Tesla. If you are coming from a entry level ("cheap") car with no bells and whistles, getting into a Tesla you'll feel 20 year and in the future. But I like tech and all those fancy things inside a car. And I came from a Stinger GT2 full optional. That car had every bells and whistles I could imagine. So when I sold it and got a Tesla, for some reason everything felt like a downgrade. Now, the Tesla was def cheaper, but even getting the most expensive model 3 would have fall short, as apart more power, the rest is the same of the base model. The EV6 is different. It has all those things I like to have in a car. Things that are, in full honestly, not even needed to drive me around, but I enjoy them and I am happy this way.