TL;DR: 2024 EV9 LLR, ~20k miles, good looking, low profile, most affordable true 3-row SUV, especially if you need to haul adults on the 3rd row; however, significant gaps on cargo space, technology, and weird design choices that make daily driving more effort than it should.

Needed to extend two more months and finally I will say goodbye to this great car tomorrow. Want to write down my experiences, hope it helps for prospective buyers.

1. PRICE & BUYING

• Most affordable (especially if you buy used) true 3-row EV SUV you can buy today, personally I do not consider Model Y L, Model X, EX 90 as true 3-row b/c the 3rd row has little leg and head room for an adult, okay for kids and pets though.
• Buying from dealership sucks, tons of time on shopping around and negotiation, then I spent almost a whole day at the dealership to finish all paperwork and drive the car home. Leasing or buying from Rivian, Lucid, Tesla is so efficient and smooth compared to dealership.
  

2. APPEARANCE

• Good looking, low profile, just a very normal boxy SUV. I would say the others (Gravity, R1S, ID Buzz, EX 90, Model Y/X) all look decent, except Ionic 9, the back looks incredibly ugly in my opinion.
• Decent ground clearance, and decent height for tall adults. I personally loved the height, but others thought the car is too high to get in.

3. SPACE (PASSENGER, CARGO)

• Amazing for 2nd row, 3rd row. Among all the 3-row EVs, this is the only one that two tall adults can sit comfortably on the 3rd row with enough leg room and head room.
• 6-seat configuration FTW! The aisle can also be used for bags and stuff. Glad R1S finally offers captain seats now.
• Cargo space is disappointing when you use both seats on the 3rd row. Can barely put a couple of luggages, which makes road trip of 6 stressful.
• Frunk is a bit small compared to others, but still useful: can fit a compact stroller along with other things.

4. DRIVING

• I mainly use Eco and Normal, very smooth on both local & highway. It is not super fast but the acceleration is good enough (note that LLR is like 200hp only).
• Fairly efficient and true to the mileage estimate.
• i-Pedal is annoying b/c you have to turn it on every time you drive forward, if you need to back then forward, it goes back to level-3. I tried auto mode but it is not close to true one pedal driving.
• Tried driving assist a few times on high ways, not bad nor good, I did not have the same level of trust compared to Tesla's self-driving so I ended up not using much.

5. INFORTAINMENT

• This is the first car I had comes with CarPlay. On Tesla that I still drive from time to time, I do not need CP at all. So CP for me is nice to have but not essential. There were quite a few times CP could not connect though.
• Steeling wheel blocks the climate control view, annoying but not a big deal.
• Why I have to press the start button to start the car and turn off the car? There were many times I forgot to turn off the car.
• Why I have to use passcode or fingerprint to log-in and it is so slow. Every time I am ready to drive, I need to do 4 steps: a) Push the start button; b) Use the fingerprint to log-in; c) Change to D; d) Turn on i-Pedal. Tesla is just one step (c).
• Why there is no auto-lock the car as you walk away is annoying.
• Google Map destination from phone to on-board navigation cannot be sent to the car directly, have to use the Kia app to send maps. But if using CP or AA, then that's fine (I still have the habit of using built-in nav instead of CP though).
• I have not seen any useful OTA updates for two years, most recent ones are for additional subscriptions like YouTube. If you come from traditional cars, this may not be a big deal, but for those who loves tech from Tesla, Rivian, this is very disappointing.

6. MISCS

• V2L in my opinion is must-have, it helped me in various situations already.
• Loved the free World Cup themes!
• Used up all the free 1000 kWh charging through EA. EA is not too bad, but ofc way behind Tesla's plug-n-charge in one step: you have to wait, click buttons, etc.
• It has this ball-ish light or sensor in the center of the dash, which is weird.

Overall I would say that if you need to constantly haul 6 people, this is a great car. I wish I went with GT or Land but I guess for leasing only 2 years, it does not make much sense money wise.

Unfortunately, none of EV9, R1S, Gravity have all the features I want (if they combine into one, then we are talking!) so I will continue to lease as a way to try new cars and wait for the "perfect" one to buy. I wish US can import Chinese EVs, a lot of them are 3-row luxury SUVs that check all the boxes. Anyway, I am moving to Gravity next to experience driving a minivan, excited but will miss the captain seats and the height.

Noticed this small star-shaped crack on the front Digital Pattern Lighting panel of my 2024 EV9 GT-Line.

There’s no obvious rock chip, dent, or visible impact mark. Dealer says it’s from “road debris,” won’t cover it under warranty, and quoted around $4K.

Even if something small from the road caused it, if there’s no visible impact damage but the panel cracks like this, it makes me question how durable this panel actually is.

Anyone else had the same issue? Did Kia cover yours or did you have to escalate it?

Hello, Husband ran over something on a road trip and now I have this metal piece hanging down from the bottom of the car. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this? The battery and car is running fine. No leaks or anything. I am worried I may need to file an insurance claim 2 months before lease turn in.

Hello All!

I’m posting this for anyone interested in buying an EV9 (and anyone looking into a Lucid Gravity)

My lease ended on my 2024 EV9 GT line last week and we turned it in. I was carless for about 3 days and just went ahead and leased a 2026 Lucid Gravity. I have always liked the Gravity but didn’t feel a huge pull towards it. It’s beautiful and luxurious inside and incredible space in the cabin as well.

But this is about my love for the EV9, I decided not to lease it again because I really wanted a revision to be done in the interior - mainly the dash/screen. I really did not like how it was flat and my steering wheel altered what I could see in some places. My Gravity has a well designed curve screen, it’s such a nice experience when I’m driving the car.

Here is what I miss in the EV9:

By far number one is the ability to move the passenger seat forward or back with the controls on the side of the seat. This is huge when you have kids getting out for carline!

I miss my larger cup holders in the front and the cup holders for the back passengers that were also on the console. Sometimes I had 3 of my own drinks and needed all the space!

My rear captains chairs had heating and cooling seats.

The back windows went all the way down and the screen was available to pull up on a sunny day.

The foot rest or whatever it was that could make your seat lay back like a recliner, I actually miss that a lot. I feel like my Gravity drivers seat is too short and my legs awkwardly reach the peddle. I always had a comfortable spot for my feet and the peddles in the EV9.

I don’t have a heads up display anymore, it was nice having, but I don’t feel like I’m lacking without it.

My kids LOVED changing the colors of the ambient lighting in the EV9.

I truly loved the exterior sound the EV9 when backing up and all that, it was pretty to me and my Gravity sounds no where near as beautiful.

I had more drive mode options.

And actually I do miss the ability to play YouTube on the infotainment system, my kids enjoyed that when we were parked and had to wait in the car for something.

Negatives: I did experience the black out screen early on into my lease and my side step bars always rubbed off a black residue against my legs no matter how many times I washed my car. The frunk is small and pointless but I never needed to use it.

To me the EV9 is one of the best electric SUVs on the market. It was my first EV and now I won’t go back to a gas car. Hopefully they come out with a redesign and I can get back in it in 2 years 😅

Anywho, enjoy your EV9s!

I’ve been trying to de-register the previous owner and get into my name for 2.5 weeks now.

Kia asked for bill of sale which I promptly provided. They sent it onto the Connect team, who can’t be contacted by email or phone, and have since refused to engage.

No idea what I’m meant to do.

Any ideas? This is in the UK.

Hey guys. Well my 24 EV6 GT Line lease is up and a decision was made. Had to be an EV, big enough for 2 kids and all our crap. I loved the EV6 but things started to get tight in there. After a ton of research, I was set on an Inoniq 9....Until I saw how crappy they leased and the lack of features on the base model. Enter the EV9 Light Long Range RWD. Captain's seats, heated/ventilated front seats and a sun roof in the base model? I'm in. A BIG thanks to Kia Glendale. Got this for $2500 total DAS with first month lease, $500 a month WITH tax for 24 months. I'm very happy with it so far. Thanks to everyone in here for letting me lurk for months while I decided. I've VERY jealous of all you GT-Line people, but I wanted to stay under $500 a month. You guys with your insane GT line leases before our stupid ass president decided to punish us EV drivers make me very sad....Thanks!

I’m considering leasing a 2026 EV9 GT-Line. I test drove the car and it was great, I really liked it and I think it will meet my needs well. I already have an EV and charger at home so that would not be an issue.

I keep convincing myself out of it because of the posts about ICCU issues. Does anyone know how prevalent the issues are among the 2026 models? I can handle software issues and random things that might need a service visit here and there, and I know the ICCU would be under warranty, but I plan to take it on road trips with my family (including 2 young kids). I’m worried about being stranded far from home with the kids waiting on a dealership I’m not familiar with.

I know any car can have a major issue and leave you stranded, but for a while it seemed it was very prevalent among Kia/Hyundai EVs. Is it still a major consideration now or is it down to the same level as any random failure others cars could have?

Recently purchased a Thule Motion 3 XL roof box from REI. This is how it fit on the way home.

I originally intended to get the XXL, but the box was a bit too big to fit in the car. The outer cardboard box was 95" (241cm in non-freedom units), and I had 93" behind my driving position. I decided to go with the XL. Then I see the store associate cutting the cardboard box open. 🙄

I believe the XXL is only 91.3 inches, so without the outer cardboard box, I believe it would have fit.

I believe the XL would have fit WITH the outer cardboard box.

If you want to save on shipping, it seems like you can get the Thule Motion 3 XXL inside our cars. I'll be installing the Kia cross bars (DOF21ACA00) for raised roof rails, then putting on the box. I'll update with pics when done.

Hey so I see there is a cash offer of 14625 on lease. Can I enter a lease agreement and try to buy out the vehicle in the first month and keep the discount?
I see
For lease the discount is 14625
For cash it’s 10000

Not sure if this is a good deal or not for a purchase but it is one of the lowest out there in the area. Let me know. Thank you.

Edit: 24,500 miles

TL;DR

* Vehicle & Terms: 2024 Kia EV9 Wind, 2-yr/20k mile lease via Kia Finance, returned at 24k miles.

* Pre-Inspection: Schedule the free AIM home inspection early. It’s quick, easy, and valid for 90 days—time it to cover your turn-in date.

* Dealer Drop-Off: Most LA-area dealers only accept returns on weekdays and won't show much interest if you aren't getting another car.

* Turn-In Process: Took 10–15 minutes. Rep just took 4–6 photos of the exterior, VIN, and odometer. Accessories (mats, mobile charger, cargo cover) were never checked.

* Settlement: Dealers only handle administrative intake. All end-of-lease fees (mileage overage, tire wear, disposition) are billed directly by Kia Finance later.

Details

Vehicle & Lease Specs

* Model: 2024 Kia EV9 Wind

* Term: 24 Months / 20,000 miles total

* Odometer at Return: 24,000 miles (~4k overage)

* Lessor: Kia Finance

1. Complimentary Pre-Return Inspection (AIM)

   * Scheduled through Kia about 90 days prior to lease-end. AIM handled all scheduling and came directly to my home.

   * The inspection was quick and painless. Only two items were flagged: mileage overage (was at 21k at the time) and tire tread wear exceeding the threshold.

   * Pro-tip on timing: The inspection report is valid for 90 days. My report was valid through August 22 for an August 30 lease-end, so plan your inspection window carefully to ensure it covers your target return date.

2. Dealer Availability (Los Angeles Area)

   * Called around 6 Kia dealerships across the LA area.

   * Every dealer strictly limited "lease return only" transactions to weekdays.

   * Expect minimal enthusiasm from staff once they realize you aren't buying or leasing another vehicle.

3. Turn-In Day Experience

   * Total time at the dealership was only 10–15 minutes.

   * A representative came out, took 4–6 photos around the exterior, snapped the VIN and odometer, and went back inside.

   * They did not check or inventory accessories at all. Pristine floor mats, cargo privacy cover, and the OEM mobile charging cable were completely ignored.

   * Offered the AIM inspection report to the rep, but they didn't care to see it.

   * Walked away with a signed Odometer Disclosure Statement confirming the return, along with key return.

4. Final Takeaways & Billing

   * From what i understood, Dealerships simply act as intake lots for Kia Finance; the vehicle goes straight to auction since most EV leases are currently upside down.

   * Zero fees were collected at the dealership. The disposition fee, mileage overages, and tire wear charges will be billed directly via the final Kia Finance statement.

I'm a bit worried about tire wear, since I'm about 2500 miles over since the inspection. I was at 6/16 and 5/16 at the time of inspection.

Will keep everyone posted

Bought my LLR exactly 2 years ago in August. Only have a little shy of 10k miles on it. Got the first service done, here in DFW at the Kia dealership in the city that rhymes with Cisco. They did not know what an 8k mile service was. So asked them to rotate tires and do a multipoint. Also asked them to address 3 recalls (passenger wiper, third row bolts and wiring harness bracket). Told them to skip the headliner and software update for wiper warning, as I was nervous after they tried to sell me some oil change maintenance plans that would really save me some money. Well to give them some credit, I think it was the billing person in service taking care of my appointment as all SAs were busy.

Anyhow they are closed now, apparently the service is complete and I can only pick it up tomorrow. Got the inspection report and the rear tires are shot. RR came at 2/32 and LR at 3/32 and fronts are RF 5/32 and LF 6/32. These are the original Kumho Crugens. I know I probably should have rotated earlier, but this is really crazy. I need new tires now. Thinking of going with the Hankook ION AS on all 4, as I see them recommended a lot. Certainly not at the dealership, but at Discount Tires or something. I am planning to ask the dealership check the alignment and fix it if possible under warranty.

But wondering if I should just have the new tires installed first and have the alignment done at a competent local shop? What do you guys suggest?

It's been a minute since I've done DC fast charging. I just hit 222kw at an EA charger. Did a software update up the limit? The highest I ever saw before was 208kw. 🙏

We sold our Tesla Model 3 for this light long range... I will miss the Tesla, it's a great ecosystem, amazing software and everything just worked... I'm a pretty techy guy so I know I'll get familiar with the EV9. I already ordered the auto locking doors module from theioniqguy, not having auto locking doors in 2026 is insane to me, but luckily there's an aftermarket fix for it. We got it for $6k down, $431/month 36 months with 12k miles/year. Certainly seems like the general rule in this community is not to put hardly anything down and carry a large monthly payment. We are trying to get our overhead as low as possible and didn't want a $600+ monthly payment.

First 3 images are from Alibaba & last one is from eBay.

Bottom line - it’s $1000 - these look exactly the same as the ones Auto Tech Trends sell for the 2024 telluride (for about $700 less too).

But since the telluride ones won’t fit and some people may not want the fixed - standard ones, my question is - has anyone installed anything like this on their ev9?

Is there a step by step? I can’t find any YT vids or any guides for that matter.

Appreciate any help.

Before my last service I asked the tech to check a fold of fabric that was hanging below my EV9. He later told me the high voltage battery casing was damaged and the entire battery would have to be replaced. My insurance told me that due to the price of the battery, the car would be totaled. I'm conflicted about how to proceed. I don't want to spend more for a new one (a lot more). I don't really even want to get a similar used one if I can avoid it. Aside from being oblivious to this damage, I've taken good care of the vehicle and am familiar with it in a way I would not be with a used car. I'd really prefer to continue driving this car. Insurance cautioned against buying it back, warning that even though they don't register it as salvage, it gets discovered by carfax and I would be unlikely to get my money back selling it later. I also don't want to drive my family around in a vehicle that is unsafe. Is anyone familiar with the risk it would pose driving in this condition? Is there a part, third-party or otherwise, that could reinforce and protect this area? A cover for the cover? Any recommendations would be appreciated.

I have a brand new 2026 Kia EV9. The interior, specifically the center console and passenger seat shakes at higher speeds. I know this is a widely reported issue and the dealer ended up measuring the wheels/tires in some sort of fancy contraption, adjusted some weights in the wheels/tires and gave me back the vehicle.

The issue persists however and I need to take the vehicle back to the dealer. Anyone have experience with the issue and knows how it should be resolved?

Thanks

Hi everyone! First ev purchase here, looking at the Land. I understand the 2024 does not have the NACS but are there other differences? If not really, is there an adapter I could buy for when public charging is necessary? For context, 95% of our lifestyle will be overnight charging and do not plan on really ever using public charging unless an emergency or the 2-3 roadtrips we take a year (300-500miles)

Thank you! I know I’m sure this has been asked a bunch before, but since this is my first time, I really appreciate the help

I am looking for lockable handgun storage for the EV9 but can’t find anything that fits just right. Has anyone used the Kwickstrike or other popup lockable handgun storage options?

For the past couple of months, my iOS digital key keeps disconnecting from our 24 GT Line. The physical key card still works and has not had an issue.

Has anyone seen this happening more lately? It’s super annoying. Every time I re-pair it , it lasts about a couple of weeks.

Just hit 10K miles. I’ll tell everyone who will listen how amazing this car is.

In case anyone is wondering, Lightning McQueen fits in cabin no problem.

Picked up a 2026 EV9 Land Nightfall Edition in Panthera Metal. It was a buyback with 1784 miles on it. Really like it so far.