Excellent base trim features
Having lane keep assist, automatic lane keep, automatic breaking, blind spot monitoring, start/stop, auto hold, etc. In a base trim vehicle is where all autos should be, but basically none are except from Hyundai.
The Kona has been performing at over 40mpg city driving on most trips, and around 33mpg on very short trips. This means you get small car mpg with the space to move your body around inside.
The only issue is the cvt transmission (marketed as ivt). It does a phenomenal job of delivering power to the wheels (sport mode can overcome the anemic power, when climbing a hill is a necessary part of pulling out into traffic, by revving higher).
The kona is sputtering at 6,000k miles when driving relaxed on level ground. It seems like it is the transmission being unsure how to set the ratios for slow take off, but this is unconfirmed and could be as simple as bad gas.
The biggest complaint I have is that the self driving (auto lane keep) feature should be persistent. Having to remember to turn it on often leads to lane drifting as im expecting the car to correct so I don't want to "overcorrect," but then the car doesn't respond to a curve and it is only then that I realize I forgot to engage the system. Or, I'll be driving in traffic and start to drift. The lane keep warning system will tell me to keep my hands on the wheel, like it does when self driving, so it becomes a distraction as I try to wiggle the wheel for it to know im holding it instead of me steering the car because the system is not engaged. This leads to my realization that the system isn't engaged yet.
All in all, it has been an excellent vehicle thus far, and soon I will find out what the service experience is like. Hopefully it isn't an entire day/afternoon of sitting at the dealership for a 15 minute oil change.
Recommended
Verified Owner
