2019 Kona EV owner - thinking about a MY or MME..

[rvdbijl]

Hi everyone!
New to the forum, but already been reading a lot of posts. Super helpful!
So I currently own a 2019 Kona EV. My problems with this car have always been the noisy cabin (I came from a Toyota Avalon Hybrid, which is one of the quietest cabins around), the lack of room in the back seat (unless you move up the front seats), and the insane number of recalls related to battery fires.. yikes.. The latest recall is going to replace the entire battery pack...
So I have lost some confidence in this car (even though it drives nice generally speaking).

I took a MME for a test drive last weekend and it seems like it was a phenomenal car. Nice and quiet on the highway (maybe not as quiet as the Avalon, but close!), and the acceleration was .. fun! (I drove a premium AWD model). My wife drove it as well and really enjoyed it, which is rare with an EV (she hates the Kona). If the dealer had one there in the color, we probably would have driven out in one. I was ready to trade the Kona. The dealer was super disinterested in selling us any Mach E and just said to go to the website. I would have expected at least a bit of salesman behavior, but there was none... He also mentioned that after ordering, we should expect to wait 4-5 months .. Yikes ...

While the Mach E drove really nicely, I did notice around 30-40 MPH there was an audible whine, sounded mechanical. I don't know if others have noticed this or if this was specific to this car. The whine went away consistently below 30 and above 40. Amplitude varied a bit depending on how much power was applied when accelerating or how fast I was decelerating. This was in whisper mode with the special V8 sounds off. I'll probably go to another dealer and try another Mach E to see if I can hear it there too. It did not sound like coil whine in a power supply like others have reported coming from the dash. (I also wouldn't expect that to be speed-dependent).

So I'm also considering the MY, but haven't had a chance to test drive that one (maybe this weekend coming up if Tesla acknowledges my appointment). I have read and seen many reviews of both now, and I'm completely on the fence .. Price wise -- after rebates, they'll both be around $50k, the Ford a little lower, the Tesla a little higher (for the models I would like). The Ford has better styling / look and (I think) more intuitive controls. But more bugs since it's new. Tesla has higher miles/kWh than Ford, less problems with charging, more mature infrastructure, etc.

Argh.. I would enjoy hearing others' opinions on the MME vs. MY vs. Kona. Maybe that'll help me figure out where to go!

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[PaulL]

I went through a similar vehicle story starting with a Leaf, then a Toyota Prius Prime , a 2021 Kona EV and took delivery of the MMe First Edition 4 weeks ago. Without a doubt, the last vehicle is the best, and to your point, much quieter. The AWD feature with extended range battery allows me to drive 10 months of the year where I avoid below 10C temps. I find handling is very good and torque to the pavement is really exceptional. I understand dealers are ramping up to handle electrics so I would think, available service options will be more plentiful than Tesla. The fit and finish was almost perfect. I did remove the dividers in the front storage space (bit of a challenge) but certainly freed up space for larger items. Good luck in your search. I would recommend the MMe.

 

[jdk22]

I prefer the Mach E for the following reasons:
- prefer the look and ride of the Mach E
- the $7500 tax rebate
- prefer the screen behind the steering wheel showing speed, range, etc.
- the nearest Tesla dealer is 4 hours away vs 20 minutes for Ford
Also, if you decide on a Mach E you might try what I did. I searched in Carguru for the model and color I wanted ,under 400 miles, and in states that don't require a front license plate. Of course most of the cars listed were committed. But I found one available at MSRP about 300 miles away and bought it.

 

[garfieldorlando]

That whine between 30-40 mph probably is the fake engine noise? It can be turned off.

 

[rvdbijl]

I prefer the Mach E for the following reasons:
- prefer the look and ride of the Mach E
- the $7500 tax rebate
- the nearest Tesla dealer is 4 hours away vs 20 minutes for Ford
Also, if you decide on a Mach E you might try what I did. I searched in Carguru for the model and color I wanted ,under 400 miles, and in states that don't require a front license plate. Of course most of the cars listed were committed. But I found one available at MSRP about 300 miles away and bought it.

Thanks for your feedback - I'm kind of curious about your suggestion though using carguru. Why states that don't require a front license plate? When I tried that search, I found a bunch in my area at dealers, but in my experience so far, those are the test-drive / demo cars and dealers don't want to sell them. I guess you got lucky and found one that was rejected by a customer?

For me -- Tesla is about an hour away and I have about 4 Ford dealers within 30 mins from me. So yeah, same story on service locations. But at the same time, I don't want to have to suffer through tons of recalls ... The Kona had a few software updates that I had to go back to the dealer for. I suppose that wouldn't be necessary with Ford or with Tesla with the OTA updates....

The tax rebate certainly helps, but the Ford model I'd be looking at is around $55k, bringing it to $47.5k. The Tesla is at $50k. So not a huge difference after rebate (for me).

I think from my perspective, the most important qualities for the next EV are ride quality, reliability and infrastructure support. Anecdotally, the MME wins in ride quality. Reliability is unknown I think, and infrastructure is a win for the MY. Hence my position in the middle of the fence right now.

 

[rvdbijl]

That whine between 30-40 mph probably is the fake engine noise? It can be turned off.

I had that turned off when I heard it. It honestly sounded like a gearbox whine (my wife's RAV4 Hybrid has sounds like that when slowing down at certain speeds).

 

[jdk22]

Thanks for your feedback - I'm kind of curious about your suggestion though using carguru. Why states that don't require a front license plate? When I tried that search, I found a bunch in my area at dealers, but in my experience so far, those are the test-drive / demo cars and dealers don't want to sell them. I guess you got lucky and found one that was rejected by a customer?

For me -- Tesla is about an hour away and I have about 4 Ford dealers within 30 mins from me. So yeah, same story on service locations. But at the same time, I don't want to have to suffer through tons of recalls ... The Kona had a few software updates that I had to go back to the dealer for. I suppose that wouldn't be necessary with Ford or with Tesla with the OTA updates....

The tax rebate certainly helps, but the Ford model I'd be looking at is around $55k, bringing it to $47.5k. The Tesla is at $50k. So not a huge difference after rebate (for me).

I think from my perspective, the most important qualities for the next EV are ride quality, reliability and infrastructure support. Anecdotally, the MME wins in ride quality. Reliability is unknown I think, and infrastructure is a win for the MY. Hence my position in the middle of the fence right now.

Just FYI, my state doesn't require a front license plate so I didn't want the holes there if I found a car in a state requiring one. The factory installs them when shipping to a state that requires one. And I agree, I love the ride and handling of the Mach E. After 2000 miles on it, I'm very happy with it.

 

[gnaark]

it should be pretty easy for you to be able to buy a Mach-E in the color you want off the lot at a dealer. That's how I got my First Edition, no pre-order and bought it at list price at a dealer.

I was in a similar position between the Model Y and the Mach-E, Tesla was painfully annoying to get ahold off with the test drive and I couldn't reach out to them (hold and voicemail hell) and they would reach out to me to sell me solar panels even though I booked a Model Y test drive.
I ended up giving up and bought the Mach-E the same day I test drove it.

Just test both (if you can) and get the one that makes you feel better. You're on a Mach-E forum so it's gonna be highly biased towards it.
A lot of the kinks will get fixed by Ford with updates and Electrify America is ramping up fast.

 

[snikt]

I'm debating myself between Tesla and Ford, one thing I just noticed recently gave me some pause. There's the deep sleep issue with the Mach-E with cars made before Feb, Ford said they were going to issue an over the air update and it would be ready "Before the end of 2021". That's crazy to me, many months to issue an update over something they know what the problem is and how to fix. I know that wouldn't affect me but it makes me question Ford's ability to keep up with updates.

If Tesla had a similar problem they'd roll out an update in like a week or two and it would be done

 

[rvdbijl]

I'm debating myself between Tesla and Ford, one thing I just noticed recently gave me some pause. There's the deep sleep issue with the Mach-E with cars made before Feb, Ford said they were going to issue an over the air update and it would be ready "Before the end of 2021". That's crazy to me, many months to issue an update over something they know what the problem is and how to fix. I know that wouldn't affect me but it makes me question Ford's ability to keep up with updates.

If Tesla had a similar problem they'd roll out an update in like a week or two and it would be done

Good point. I now test drove both of them (MME and MY) and I liked both of them. My wife did not like the MY because of the (lack of) styling and inability to shut off one pedal driving (she prefers the traditional feel of a car).
The charging infrastructure for Tesla is better and the MY technology is more mature .. And certainly the speed at which updates are released.

 

[pt19713]

I have a 2020 Model Y LR AWD with the acceleration boost. My wife has a 2021 Model 3 Performance.

If you prefer a more traditional vehicle, the Mach-E is probably the choice. More traditional interior, quieter interior, normal dealer setup, etc. If you want something more sporty, faster acceleration, more cargo capacity, more reliable supercharger network, the Model Y might be the choice. It won't ride as soft as the Mach-E nor be as quiet inside. It also tends to ride more harsh. I upgraded the suspension and the aftermarket setup shows how poor the stock shocks are. It rides great with the KW V3 adjustable coilovers.

My wife wasn't initially on board with the idea of 2 EV, but once she started driving my Y in the winter, she changed her mind once she realized she never had to pump gas in cold/ crappy weather again, and being able to have the car at 70F when leaving work.

We looked at the Mach-E but didn't want to risk first year builds, mostly in the software. This forum blows out the proportion the Tesla issues. Talk to 100 Tesla owners and probably 99%would recommend you getting one.

 

[Toolworker]

I'm making exactly the same comparison, but with a 2020 Kona EV Ultimate. I'm a detail person and love gadgets. I love the Kona EV but have come to hate Hyundai; I've had issues with the car and neither the dealers or the company could care less.

Bottom line: The MME looked like a no-brainer upgrade to the Kona. After a few test drives, I've noticed some significant advantages for the Kona. If they were parked side by side and I had to choose one, I'd probably take the MME, but knowing that I would keep on missing several Kona features.

The MME is larger but not too much, more configurable and personalizable, and has many more features. I'd love the 360 degree camera. Its one pedal driving is far superior to the Kona's. Instrument panels usually take getting used to, but the MME's felt good from the start and has all the right info. That said, I would definitely miss two Kona features: the heads-up display and cornering lights.

The Kona's tiny size was a negative when I was shopping for it, but I've come to appreciate its benefits fitting into parking spots and the extra room in our garage. But I would just as soon park the MME with its 360 degree camera and proximity warnings; the Kona's flat nose and lack of front sensors still unsettle me. And the MME's turning radius is just a couple feet more than the Kona's.

I live on a twisty road so handling is important, and that's the Kona's biggest advantage. The MME handles well, but the Kona is more nimble and tracks precisely through the curves. When I test drove it in 2019 against a Tesla 3, Kia Niro and Nissan Leaf, the Kona was the only one that put a grin on my face on a twisty country road, and it still does.

I thought it might be the MME's RWD, so test drove an AWD and then drove the same road in my Kona. The Kona took the curves several MPH faster and felt more on track.

Don't get me wrong. The MME handles well. But for me, the Kona does better. YMMV.

In test driving MME's, a couple of other details bothered me. I got into a Premium sitting in the sun, opened the windows, the breeze came in, but my (bald) head felt like it was under a broiler. The glass roof was too hot to touch. So I would go for the Select.

Hopefully the MME nav system will be improved over time. It sure needs it. It didn't know any of the Ford dealers. It doesn't give enough notice on turns. For example, there was a freeway entrance and then my turn about 200 feet past. The MME's nav system told me to turn right before I reached the freeway lane, so I got in it. When I drove the same route in the Kona, it gave a clear direction to take the second right turn.

So - I'd take the MME, knowing that I'd miss the Kona's handling and heads-up display, and the nav system would continually drive me nuts.

 

[rvdbijl]

I'm making exactly the same comparison, but with a 2020 Kona EV Ultimate. I'm a detail person and love gadgets. I love the Kona EV but have come to hate Hyundai; I've had issues with the car and neither the dealers or the company could care less.

I'm in the same boat, although, fortunately I haven't had any issues at all with my Kona, short of the 80% limit until they can swap the battery. I do like the HUD on the Kona, I don't understand why not every car has that now. It definitely helps keep your eyes on the road and at least have the most important info right in front of you. I find I hardly look at any of the other instruments on the Kona while I'm driving.
At least the MME has the instruments close-ish to the windshield. Not like the MY. When I test drove the MY, I had to ask my wife to operate the touch screen as I felt my eyes had to go way off the road for too long to do that safely.

The Kona's tiny size was a negative when I was shopping for it, but I've come to appreciate its benefits fitting into parking spots and the extra room in our garage. But I would just as soon park the MME with its 360 degree camera and proximity warnings; the Kona's flat nose and lack of front sensors still unsettle me. And the MME's turning radius is just a couple feet more than the Kona's.

With the Kona, the one thing that always irked me is the lack of rear seat space. The MME is MUCH better. Granted, it's not a Toyota Avalon (which is the car I had before the Kona), but it's at least comfortable in the car for 4 adults.

Hopefully the MME nav system will be improved over time. It sure needs it. It didn't know any of the Ford dealers. It doesn't give enough notice on turns. For example, there was a freeway entrance and then my turn about 200 feet past. The MME's nav system told me to turn right before I reached the freeway lane, so I got in it. When I drove the same route in the Kona, it gave a clear direction to take the second right turn.

I have found throughout the years that I never use the car's nav system anymore. Ever since Waze and Google Maps on my phone, with a good holder, it's MUCH better. And with Carplay in the Kona (and the MME), it works really, really well. As far as I'm concerned, they could take out the built-in nav, and that would be fine with me.
That was another + for the MME over the MY for me by the way -- the MY has no Carplay, so no nice big screen with Waze on it....

I put in my order for a premium MME about 3 weeks ago. I'm a little worried I won't see the car until next year, based on some of the comments in forums .. But I guess we'll see!

 

[Toolworker]

I agree with everything you said - except:

I have found throughout the years that I never use the car's nav system anymore. Ever since Waze and Google Maps on my phone, with a good holder, it's MUCH better.

Despite the 10.25" display on my 2020 Kona Ultimate (your 2019's is smaller), it scrunches Android Auto into a 6.75" window. So I tried the Kona navigation and was pleasantly surprised. Google Maps has better functionality, but not enough to pull me back from the Kona's maps and excellent voice recognition.

 

[rvdbijl]

I agree with everything you said - except: Despite the 10.25" display on my 2020 Kona Ultimate (your 2019's is smaller), it scrunches Android Auto into a 6.75" window. So I tried the Kona navigation and was pleasantly surprised. Google Maps has better functionality, but not enough to pull me back from the Kona's maps and excellent voice recognition.

That's odd. On my smaller display, Carplay is full screen. Not sure if Android Auto is different or maybe the new display is .. And Siri does a phenomenal job with voice recognition through the car's system as well when connected with Carplay. Of course, you do need cell service for it to work.

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