Opinions on Kona EV

DanCoon

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Hey guys, I'm currently waiting on my Mach-E. It's not scheduled to be built until the last week of April and I'm getting pretty impatient. I had some free time today and decided to test drive a 2021 Kona EV Ultimate in case I decided to jump ship. I was pretty impressed, but then again any car is an upgrade to the one I have now. The only issue I have with the Kona is the small cargo space. I'm not quite sure it would even carry my golf bag without having to fold down the seats. Any one out there with experience with the Kona? I've been a solid Ford guy since I got my license at 16.
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I drove one once for 10 minutes or so. I thought it was nice.

If it were available to buy new outside of ZEV states, I might even own one now (or the related Ioniq or Niro EVs).

The Mach-E is much larger. There is quite a bit more room in the second row, for instance. Also the Mach-E tech is more advanced, and the materials and appearance are a bit more upscale.

Also the Mach-E drives sportier.

I dunno. Tough call. Only you can decide. :)
 

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Hey guys, I'm currently waiting on my Mach-E. It's not scheduled to be built until the last week of April and I'm getting pretty impatient. I had some free time today and decided to test drive a 2021 Kona EV Ultimate in case I decided to jump ship. I was pretty impressed, but then again any car is an upgrade to the one I have now. The only issue I have with the Kona is the small cargo space. I'm not quite sure it would even carry my golf bag without having to fold down the seats. Any one out there with experience with the Kona? I've been a solid Ford guy since I got my license at 16.
Test drove a Hyundai Kona twice...very good looking small car, efficiënt and proven concept. Main draw backs, torque steer when accelerating, and super annoying sounds when using lane keep which can't be shut off.
Here in the Netherlands nearly as expensive as the MME and it is a really small car
 

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Hey guys, I'm currently waiting on my Mach-E. It's not scheduled to be built until the last week of April and I'm getting pretty impatient. I had some free time today and decided to test drive a 2021 Kona EV Ultimate in case I decided to jump ship. I was pretty impressed, but then again any car is an upgrade to the one I have now. The only issue I have with the Kona is the small cargo space. I'm not quite sure it would even carry my golf bag without having to fold down the seats. Any one out there with experience with the Kona? I've been a solid Ford guy since I got my license at 16.
It's very much like the Bolt - definitely a class below the Mach-E. It's cheap, it's less refined, the interior is much worse, it's FWD, I mean essentially you get what you pay for. I don't see them as competitors the same way I don't see a Fiesta and a Mustang as competitors.
 

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@engnrng is a Kona owner. I suspect he'll respond when he sees this thread.

My daughter recently leased one. So far, she really likes it, but too soon for a detailed report.
 


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If you need more cargo area, test drive its cousin, the Kia Niro EV.

What was the sticker price and how much was the dealer selling it for?
 

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f it were available to buy new outside of ZEV states, I might even own one now (or the related Ioniq or Niro EVs).
This. I wanted one when we lived in Kona. Nope. Not available.
 

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I juste replaced my Kona for the Mach-E and with also have a Kia Soul EV. The Soul EV is way ahead of the Kona in build quality and space. The Kona is a good first EV, very efficient and very small. In Canada the price of a Kona Ultimate is about the same or even more a base Mach-E. It doesn't make sense. It cost me only $7,050 for 20 month with free electricity so it was a really good deal. From a fiancial perspective it would have been smart to keep it. But I expect the value to drop with all the new EV's that's coming. I really wanted AWD and bigger, that's why I jumped on the Mach-E. If I had a Kia Soul EV, probably that I would have been able to wait longer. I'm 6'2" and the Kona was pretty tight for long drives but the Soul was perfect. I'll just miss the winter range of the Kona (I have a standard range AWD Mach-E)
 

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@engnrng is a Kona owner. I suspect he'll respond when he sees this thread.

My daughter recently leased one. So far, she really likes it, but too soon for a detailed report.
Right about the torque steer under hard acceleration and the short space behind the 2nd seats in my 2018 Ultimate. But, in many ways the tech and controls are better than my Mach E. The lane warning can be easily shut off, right there in the manual. I leave my seats down all the time since I rarely carry more than 1 passenger. Costco runs - lots of room with the seats down. Plenty of room for clubs that way. I am coming up on 2 years and 22,000 miles. Has the same accel as my CaRt1, practical range is about 40 miles less, but charge time is pretty good with the smaller battery. I have averaged 4.1 mi/kWh, but typically set cruise at 75 mph, and drive it hard, so yes it is more efficient. I like the button controls around the center display (Mach E takes 2 to 4 button touches to do the same things I can do in my Kona in 1) and the heads up display that pops up out of the dash. Also like the button for driver only climate control, better efficiency and the ventilated seats. The anti-collision and adaptive cruise work great in the Kona, hoping for OTA update in my Mach E. As a commuter vehicle in California traffic, the Kona is great. Also corners well going over the mountains. Paddles on the steering wheel provide more/less regen on demand.

So with all my praises for the Kona, why did I buy the Mach E? Looks, spacious inside, couple of cool features like folding mirrors, quieter, and, did I mention looks? Also, the Mach E roof glass and tinted windows do a much nicer job of keeping the parked car from getting too hot in the sun. Big screen display of navigation is important at times. Any questions?
 
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Marcel

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Right about the torque steer under hard acceleration and the short space behind the 2nd seats in my 2018 Ultimate. But, in many ways the tech and controls are better than my Mach E. The lane warning can be easily shut off, right there in the manual. I leave my seats down all the time since I rarely carry more than 1 passenger. Costco runs - lots of room with the seats down. Plenty of room for clubs that way. I am coming up on 2 years and 22,000 miles. Has the same accel as my CaRt1, practical range is about 40 miles less, but charge time is pretty good with the smaller battery. I have averaged 4.1 mi/kWh, but typically set cruise at 75 mph, and drive it hard, so yes it is more efficient. I like the button controls around the center display (Mach E takes 2 to 4 button touches to do the same things I can do in my Kona in 1) and the heads up display that pops up out of the dash. Also like the button for driver only climate control, better efficiency. The anti-collision and adaptive cruise work great in the Kona, hoping for OTA update in my Mach E. As a commuter vehicle in California traffic, the Kona is great. Also corners well going over the mountains. Paddles on the steering wheel provide more/less regen on demand.

So with all my praises for the Kona, why did I buy the Mach E? Looks, spacious inside, couple of cool features like folding mirrors, quieter, and, did I mention looks? Also, the Mach E roof glass and tinted windows do a much nicer job of keeping the parked car from getting too hot in the sun. Big screen display of navigation is important at times. Any questions?
Good info, are you sure it is possible to keep lane assist on and warning sound off? In the test drive cars here not possible
 

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Good info, are you sure it is possible to keep lane assist on and warning sound off? In the test drive cars here not possible
You are correct, so let me clarify, then. The Kona lane assist in mine is only a warning that you have crossed the edge lines on the road. If you don't need that warning, turn it off. The Mach E has active lane keeping, which I like.
 

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Bottom line, I like my Kona Electric, I like my Mach E. If all I used my EV for is commuting, the less $$ and more efficient Kona would have an edge (both cars have $7500 tax credit). For occasional longer trips, turning heads, and making parking lot friends, the Mach E has a big edge. Why do I still have the Kona? I expect my wife to want to drive the Mach E when I teach her after Tax Season, which puts me back into the Kona for the 3 days a week I commute (part time retired engineer). And, yes the Niro is good, too. IMHO Hyundai has some pretty smart engineers. And, no, I am not concerned about the Kona Battery Recall that affects some of the earlier models.
 
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Thanks everyone for all that information. The one I test drove was an Ultimate and the sticker price was right at $49,000 if I remember correctly. I didn't do anything more than a quick test drive. I was comparing it to the CA RT1 that I have on order. I would mainly be using either for commuting each day, with an occasional 4 to 8 hour road trip maybe twice a year.
 

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That's really pricey for a subcompact SUV EV. I think there's a $5000 rebate on it now, but it's still not worth it. When the ID4, Ariya, and Ioniq 5 come out this year, the pricing on these older Gen EVs will drop like a rock in resale.
 

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Hey guys, I'm currently waiting on my Mach-E. It's not scheduled to be built until the last week of April and I'm getting pretty impatient. I had some free time today and decided to test drive a 2021 Kona EV Ultimate in case I decided to jump ship. I was pretty impressed, but then again any car is an upgrade to the one I have now. The only issue I have with the Kona is the small cargo space. I'm not quite sure it would even carry my golf bag without having to fold down the seats. Any one out there with experience with the Kona? I've been a solid Ford guy since I got my license at 16.
I test drove the Niro EV (Kia’s version) and the Niro is a bit bigger with larger cargo area. I wish the Kona EV were on sale in GA, but it is not. The 2022 Kona EV looks really nice and I would be intrigued if I could get one. My issue with the Niro is even the top model is dumbed down compared to what is sold in every other country. Also now after driving the VW ID.4 I was very wowed. The ID.4 drive is fantastic and fit and finch were impeccable and thing Tesla can only dream of. You would never know the ID.4 is an EV as it was nimble for the weight. The RWD ID.4 was rather anemic off the line because they want the RAV 4 and CR-V buyer and I assume did not want them to be face with a radically different experience. I am eager for the AWD version as it is supposed to be 302HP and faster off the line.I have no desire for Tesla, what Ford does have right is Sync 4, it was amazing. Android Automotive(not Android Auto) runs the Volvo and is also a great system. The VW is a bit laggy, which I am debating is a deal breaker. But since I can do wireless Android Auto in the VW it may not be a huge deal.
This is a rough year with so many nice EVs coming, the new Ioniq 5 and Kia EV 6 look great and the 800V battery means fast charging is getting better.
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