Kia EV9

[osu1991]

Finally got the EV9 back today. Looking like new again. So glad to give back the 2026 gas subaru loaner they gave me. I drove the Rivian most of the time but I needed to go out of town this morning and figured I would put miles on their car instead of mine. They called while I was on my way back. Couple hours of engine and exhaust noise and vibration and lack of power and torque was enough to solidify EV as the way forward. Still had one more 50 mile trip for a traffic signal inspection, so stopped to get the EV9 and use it. Was at 50% charge, so plenty to get there and back.

I decided to put the EA station near my house as the destination on the way home, so the battery would precondition and stop to use up some of the free charging I had left. Met a guy at the EA station road tripping from San Diego to SE Oklahoma in an Audi E-tron. I told him to make sure and charge whenever possible as it's a desert for charging in that part of the State. He had already signed up with Francis Energy (who is currently the predominant DCFC provider in Oklahoma), so hopefully they have no problem activating those chargers, as the credit card readers rarely work on Francis Energy's old BTC units. Francis has started replacing them with Tesla Magic Docks in the last month, so we have a half dozen upgraded Francis stations online with new Tesla magic-dock pedestals,

 

[meStevo]

Road trip time! Ok not really, for most, but it is for me. I don't drive beyond city limts all that much, so makes it a bit of an event that I'm driving the wife and a couple of the kids to Kingman (less than 200mi) so they can take the Amtrak to Colorado.

I do have somewhat more meaningful trips planned though, Atlassian's TEAM 26 conference and Blizzcon are both in LA, and decided I'm going to drive the 4.5 hours to both of those. Think just hitting an EA station in Barstow each way will probably be the play there, but we'll see.

Residual watch update. At 8100 miles on my 2024 LLR it's in good shape there, but with a $33k residual I don't see how we keep it if at 20 months out you can already get one for less.

https://www.carvana.com/vehicle/4143105?store=Carvlas&utm_source=google&utm_medium=vla&utm_campaign=20973774131&utm_content=&utm_target=&utm_creative=&utm_device=c&utm_adposition=&utm_location=9030809&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20977096024&gbraid=0AAAAADdUw5rI2SIVSiltk2wadX8uPl3_q&gclid=CjwKCAjw687NBhB4EiwAQ645dtqPXrKtkO8uYkLEJiVOyoVobxbTkYTk3NjXqAcorOrCQF8F2DjOHRoC3FsQAvD_BwE

I do have to wonder, they're big vehicles in a reasonably valuable segment, there's certainly got to be a floor on their value in the short term, wonder what will end up being.

 

[osu1991]

I'm at 10612 miles on my 24 LLR. Lease is up in November and my residual is $35k. So doesn't make sense to buy it out, although I do really like it and it will probably be lower mileage than anything else I could find used. I don't really need the extra vehicle now but they are nice to have. Not sure what I'll do. Lease something else or find a decent used deal on something, Will probably be late 2027 early 28 before R2 is easily available. Most likely will just stick with the R1T for now and see if I have a need for the extra vehicle. Being end of the year when my lease is up, there may be some really good deals again, although I don't think I'll find the $250 a month for 12k miles deal I have now on the EV9.

 

[Foxbat]

While not a specific Kia EV9 video review, it features an EV9 that has been through Winter's worse and is in need of a Spring Clean. I'm not a detailer, am perfectly fine with the Mike's Car Wash near me, but some auto owners have the necessary tools to attack the job. Coleton from Out of Spec does call out some of the areas of the EV9 that are more difficult to clean and shows some tools to help.

​

 

[meStevo]

A Used Kia EV9 Is One Of The Best EV Deals In America Right Now

The EV9 is a fantastic three-row SUV that just happens to be electric. Now, used models are selling at half price.

https://insideevs.com/news/793979/used-kia-ev9-best-deal-us-prices/

Carvana has sold a few at just a few hundred dollars more than what I'll owe on mine when my lease is up in 18 months. Once my 36 months are up I'm on track to have less than 15k miles on mine.

PLEASE LOG IN TO GET RID OF THESE ADS!

 

[osu1991]

I've been watching and noticed the same thing. I'm torn. It seems the used prices are within $500-$1000 of my residual value. I doubt I'm at more than 15k miles in November when my 2 yrs is up. I'm just under 12k now. I've been driving the Rivian more than I should while still having the EV9.

I like having the extra vehicle and it's become obvious we need a smaller vehicle occasionally if taking my mother anywhere. She fell trying to get into my sisters Tahoe the one day my sister didn't take her Explorer or ask me to get her in the EV9. If I don't have the EV9 or something else I'll have to take the time to go get the Explorer from my sister or hope my mom can get in the Rivian in kneel mode.

I can probably lease another EV9 or EV6 for 2yrs for about half of what I'll pay to buy out the lease on my current one. I've also checked out some used MachE and I would spend more than another lease costs and most of them will have 40k or more miles on them.

 

[osu1991]

Car makes it really hard to love it. At an appointment and the app and email pops up. Battery and critical electrical system failure again call for service immediately.

Sitting at dealership waiting for courtesy car to take me home. They replaced the battery management computer in February. Guessing they should do the iccu this time.

At least they have more ev techs so they can at least get the diagnostic done this evening or first thing tomorrow.

Ready for lease to be up as much as I like car, I just can't trust it now.

Hopefully the Rivian doesn't let me down now.

 

[navychop]

Well, it IS referred to as

Killed

In

Action

!

 

[osu1991]

They think it might be a loose connector because of the recall for a possible loose connection in the drivers footwell. They were supposed to have done that one when it was there in February but the service records don't show that it was done. I'm not betting on it being that simple. There is also a recall for an update to the windshield wiper motor speed controller or something. They can do that while it's there too. I've been ignoring the calls and texts for 2 weeks about that recall because I didn't want to deal with taking it up there.

 

[osu1991]

and its the high voltage battery. ETA 3 months according to the dealer. Getting annoyed now...On with Kia and getting transferred around about getting out of this and getting a refund for the payment I just made last week.

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[osu1991]

35 mins and disconnected while on hold for 20 mins

 

[meStevo]

That sucks. Currently on my longest road trip. Just Vegas to LA for the week, but a nice drive with the Highway Driving Assist.

 

[meStevo]

Pretty flawless trip to/from LA from Vegas. Around $100 in charging costs, with half a 'tank' left over at $.56-$0.65/kWh. Would have cost me like $12 if I'd only charged at home at $0.07 kWh

That LA traffic is no joke. Leaving at 3pm added another 90 minutes to the trip, took that much extra just to get out of the city.

Will get to do it again in September for Blizzcon, unless I decide to fly. Will have more downtime on that trip though, so want to have my own vehicle for that. Parking was wild though, at $47 a night at the Hilton (that I'll be able to expense).

Going to get it into the shop finally this week or next for my screen that likes to flicker and turn off / go to static intermittently. Only one bout of that and it wasn't during ingress/egress navigating LA thankfully.

 

[osu1991]

Maybe my complaints to corporate and management helped as new battery arrived and was installed today. They're now waiting on some recall parts that are supposed to be here next Wednesday.

 

[navychop]

They're reading your posts.

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[osu1991]

Probably, I was bored so the internet is littered with them now.

 

[Foxbat]

If you ever wondered what the inside of your EV9's battery pack looks like, the Out of Spec Renew channel was able to buy one for $1,600 (!!) and tear it down to use the modules for other Kia/Hyundai/Genesis EVs:

​

 

[osu1991]

Part of the modules are going to revive his old Solectria Electric Geo Metro. I bet some of them also end up in the carb era electrics they picked up last summer and are now stored around the track in North Carolina. I kind of enjoyed the OOS videos more when they were in Colorado. I don't care about doing stupid stuff around the track that they highlighted more recently since moving back to North Carolina.

 

[osu1991]

View: https://youtu.be/-8zpsJCWMa0?si=KoyntgVDgLP6sNwo



The old carb era electric vehicles they got if anyone is interested.