2023 Hyundai Kona – Found on dealers lot. It included sun roof and full roof rack. Sorta a SEL plus but at a SEL price. Cool seats, steering wheel, dashboard, radio….three drive modes. Quiet ride. Tight steering. I’d buy again! It’s been 18 months since buying new. Hands free phone charger malfunctioned within 1 months. Waited for part but replaced under warranty. Gas mileage around town running errands is nice! Avg 28-30 mpg! Longer drives averaging 65 miles I get 30-34mpg! At 75 mph that’s very good! Steady 55 mph it’s closer to 40 mpg! With grandkids car seat in back it gets tight! Not much adult leg room in back. Carrying stuff home from Sam’s club or grocery store requires some thought as storage is tight! I sometimes put in sport mode as acceleration feels slow. It takes awhile to get used to that! With 8800 miles I still like it! The ride is smooth. Quiet. Nice sound system. Looks and feels sporty. It just take time to adjust to smaller vehicle after years of larger SUVs It is the most comfortable with 2 people vs 4 which is what I wanted. Once car seat comes out I’ll probably fold down rear seats to make more of a hatchback!
I’ve been test driving new cars lately, anticipating a purchase in the near future. This week I drove three different Subarus, as well as the newly redesigned Honda HRV and the Hyundai Kona, including the N-Line model and an AWD SEL. I have always been pleased with Subarus and Hondas and have owned two Hondas and two Subarus. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed driving the Kona. I realize that the cars I drove have significant differences in size and other features, but I have to say that I found the Kona to be solid, stable, quiet (compared to its competitors) and full of value for its price. Both of the models I drove were loaded with a variety of features, including standard safety systems, leather or sport cloth seating, and in the case of the N-Line, a very peppy turbo engine. It was very fun to drive and seemed to be solid and a surprisingly roomy subcompact car. While the Kona is not a luxury car it offers options often seen on much more expensive vehicles. I’m 6 feet tall and it seemed to have plenty of leg room up front, as well as comfortable seats. I did not find the ride to be “rough or bouncy” as some others have stated. I guess you just have to try it to see if it meets your expectations. It exceeded mine and for the price point I found the Kona to be an outstanding value with a great warranty, lots of tech (but not complex) and solid build quality. It did not feel cheap, though Hyundai could do a bit more to make the base Kona contain less hard plastics. The N-Line model and the Limited version have more soft touch materials inside. I strongly suggest that you take a look. It is highly rated by Consumer Reports magazine and the car received a Best Buy award from Kelly Blue Book.
