2020 Hyundai Kona SE Review

Nick1994

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While the Genesis was in for some work at the dealer, I got a Kona as a loaner for 10 days and 400 miles. Overall, it's ok. Where this would make a decent car is someone who doesn't drive much, and just needs a car to get around. Would be a good car for grandma.

The good:
  • It's easy to get in and out of
  • Decent leg room up front, plenty of headroom up front (I'm 6'2", this can be a little harder for me in some cars).
  • For a base model, the tech is great. Easy to use touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto standard. Responsive and quick screen.
  • Lane Keep Assist is excellent. It keeps the car in the lane hands free and you don't even look like that much of a drunk going down the road. You can take your hands off the steering wheel (carefully) for 15 seconds before you have to touch it again and it starts over.
  • I think in the long run, this would be a reliable car. Very simple, not too many features, has incandescent bulbs, plenty of room under the hood, no CVT, no turbo, no GDI etc.
The OK:
  • The headlights were fine. Nothing to write home about but not bad at all.
  • The front seats. Moderately comfortable, mostly if you aren't too tall.
  • Road noise. Not that good, but for a cheaper car it wasn't all that bad
The Poor:
  • Not much power. Sometimes it seemed adequate, but most of the time it's just underpowered. Revving to the moon didn't seem to make all that much of a difference. In normal city driving it's ok. Need to pass? Merge on the highway? Be patient.
  • No back seat room. I think the longest I could take sitting in the back seat is a trip to a restaurant 2 miles away. I scooted up the seat to where I could still drive, then hopped in the back and I could hardly close the back door, my legs were straddling the driver's seat.
  • The armrests on the door panels are the hardest cheapest plastic you can imagine.
  • The trunk is too small. You have to put groceries in the back seat too unless you're stacking everything on top of each other, which would probably make it all fall out when you open the trunk (typical CUV).
  • The A/C is just short of being able to keep up in the Phoenix sun. Seems like an undersized system.
  • Ride quality! This thing was like a horse carriage, it seemed like there was 60 psi in all the tires (digital readout showed about 33 psi).
  • Speakers. I guess for a base model I shouldn't be asking for so much, but they weren't that good. My base model 15' Sonata was a lot better. All the sound comes from the front. If you turn the Fade to the rear, you can barely hear anything.
Overall, I don't really recommend it. Spend just a little bit more and get a Sonata. My 15' Sonata SE was 20x the car that this thing is. I didn't have any of the complaints that I listed above with it. But would be an ok car for grandma to drive 3,000 miles a year.

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I've always loved the topography of Arizona. I love the yards made with rock and cacti. My aunt and uncle live in Scottsdale and I always loved the way their yard looks. So much different than it is here. If I can figure out where my pictures of their place is,I'll post them here.
 
I've always loved the topography of Arizona. I love the yards made with rock and cacti. My aunt and uncle live in Scottsdale and I always loved the way their yard looks. So much different than it is here. If I can figure out where my pictures of their place is,I'll post them here.

I've always been drawn to the Southwestern part of the U.S. AZ/Utah in particular.
 
The Poor:
  • No back seat room. I think the longest I could take sitting in the back seat is a trip to a restaurant 2 miles away. I scooted up the seat to where I could still drive, then hopped in the back and I could hardly close the back door, my legs were straddling the driver's seat.
  • The trunk is too small. You have to put groceries in the back seat too unless you're stacking everything on top of each other, which would probably make it all fall out when you open the trunk (typical CUV).

Less utility, same small back seat, worse handling and performance than the subcompact it is built off of. I am one who does not understand this CUV for everyone craze. The Accent could at least accept some groceries in the trunk not piled on top of each other.
 
kona’s back seat is a pointless joke. agreed that the accent is a better value- and use-proposition.
 
Our '18 ACCENT has a large trunk . The other picture is of the FIT . The KONA is good looking and like the 6.7 ground clearance along with the F.W.D. option .
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Surprising they did not give you another Genesis as a loaner. The cars seem OK but they have a long ways to go for luxury car customer service. They give you the cheapest econobox.
 
Surprising they did not give you another Genesis as a loaner. The cars seem OK but they have a long ways to go for luxury car customer service. They give you the cheapest econobox.
Yeah I didn't think about that,you're right. If you take a Lincoln in for service,they give you a free Lincoln loaner.
 
Less utility, same small back seat, worse handling and performance than the subcompact it is built off of. I am one who does not understand this CUV for everyone craze. The Accent could at least accept some groceries in the trunk not piled on top of each other.
Yeah, I don't get it either. Now when I see an Impreza hatchback it takes me a second to recognize it as it looks like some low exotic wagon, because all I normally see are these little stubby CUV's with no rear overhang or cargo space...
 
Surprising they did not give you another Genesis as a loaner. The cars seem OK but they have a long ways to go for luxury car customer service. They give you the cheapest econobox.
Yeah, that's wild. Mazda always gives me a top trim level vehicle similar to the one I have when I take it for service.
 
I test drove the Kona with the 1.6t and it was a fun little car. Limited backseat and cargo room was a deal breaker for me.
 
Exactly, I usually get the owner's TrackHawk to drive, or something along those lines.
They might do Genesis loaners for cars under factory warranty. Mine is 6 years old and under an extended warranty. The extended warranty pays for a rental car, but it’s a bit of a hassle so the dealer offered one of their own.
 
Exactly, I usually get the owner's TrackHawk to drive, or something along those lines.
Nissan was the worst. When I took my 370z Touring w sport and nav in, I got a 2005 Altima with trash on the floorboard, or a Leaf, or nothing. And it was in the shop a lot. Totally lame.
 
They might do Genesis loaners for cars under factory warranty. Mine is 6 years old and under an extended warranty. The extended warranty pays for a rental car, but it’s a bit of a hassle so the dealer offered one of their own.
My mazda is under extended warranty as well. No problem. They treat me the same as if it were 0 miles/days.
 
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