2018 Hyundai Kona Elite

[RobClubley]

 

http://www.drivelife.co.nz/2018/04/2018-hyundai-kona-elite-car-review-intrepid-adventures/

[Ryeman]

2019 model -

I take it that German engineering investment in Hyundai cars means that the 7 speed unit  (google get out of America occasionally) is in fact a VAG DSG?.

https://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1119164_2019-hyundai-kona-adds-active-safety-tech-sees-modest-price-hike

[Ootohere]

?

Why would you think that?  Hyundai surely advance through technology and do not accept flawed products.

[WeirdKerr]

looked at a 1.0 3 cyl turbo last week ok ish to drive but no fun.... unlike a bmw I test drove today

[Lady Elanore]

Well Rob, I think I might have bought one of these  AWD 1.6T similar spec to the Elite, but with 8" screen and SatNav as standard  (nice knees )

[skomaz]

I take it you've traded the Vitara then??

[Lady Elanore]

I have  Brilliant little car. After 4.5 years of ownership it's worth 47.5% of what I paid for it. Thats not the part-ex price but the value a dealership places on the car (SIV). I still have the Vitara for another week or two. It's one of those cars it will be tough to say goodbye to. So capable in slippery conditions even though it's not a real off-roader. 

[skomaz]

27 minutes ago, Lady Elanore said:

I have  Brilliant little car. After 4.5 years of ownership it's worth 47.5% of what I paid for it. Thats not the part-ex price but the value a dealership places on the car (SIV). I still have the Vitara for another week or two. It's one of those cars it will be tough to say goodbye to. So capable in slippery conditions even though it's not a real off-roader. 

 

Boo hiss for trading it but wow that's an amazing retention level.  Just shows you how misunderstood Suzuki as  brand are...

 

I'm still looking at Vitaras as a potential replacement for the Octy 4x4 we have but the latter has been so good (and still is) that were reluctant to get rid.

 

Will be interesting to see how you get on with the Kona in comparison as it could be another contender...

[Lady Elanore]

I think you will miss the boot space and perceived quality of the interiors. The Vitara is better than it was, but there is still an awful lot of brittle plastic about. Also things like the doors are super light, which is good really, but feels a bit cheap on first acquaintance. It was tough call between the Vitara and the Kona for me. I'm confidant the Vitar would still be the best in slippery conditions, but some of the tech feels a little old. The Kona also isn't as economical (it weighs an awful lot more) but makes up for this with a more sporty drive. I'd say the Kona is more like the Octy than the Vitara is, although it is quite a bit smaller. I'll miss the 55mpg of the Diesel Vitara too, but those days are gone for most people now anyway (Disclaimer: this refers to my driving style and not to a hyper miler or someone who drives like my Dad). I should add that the car I have bought has independent suspension rather than the FWD model's torsion bar. I thought the ride quality was firm but ok, but I have read a lot of people say the ride is a bit choppy on the FWD models.

 

Time will tell, although the 5 year warranty is very appealing as is the fact I bought from a family run business (Corkhills Kona). I still have the Vitara for a week or two and it's going to be a hard car to beat on value for money imho, it's a very honest little car  

 

 

.

Edited 17 November, 2019 by Lady Elanore

[Lady Elanore]

I'm now 24 hours into my Kona ownership and it's a very different little car to the Vitara. Definitely like a slightly jacked up hatchback rather than the more elevated Vitara. It's a heavy little thing too, which is good for the solid door slam and the general  built from a 'billet of Kona metal' feel to the car, but obviously bad for economy and the Kona is really not very economical sadly (I knew this before purchasing). It's also the last of the pre 2020 facelift model, so it doesn't get the radar cruise control like the Vitara has-this is a good thing though, at least in my book, as I hate it and much prefer normal cruise control.

 

It's still 'running in' so it's hard to summarise the driving experience much, but forward visibility is good and the seats are really comfy (heated and cooled  ) and it has a heated steering wheel, which is something I could have lived my entire life not having and not felt I had missed out on something. Steering and brakes are really light and take a bit of getting used to, especially if you step into it after my M4. 

 

But the thing I was most interested in experiencing properly, was the 7 speed DCT. So far it seems pretty good. Excellent step off from standstill and extremely smooth on upshifts. Downshifts are pretty good too and the car comes to a halt without the slight judder I've experienced in VAG DCTs. It seems to kick down reasonably well, if a little leisurely and the various drive modes do alter the throttle response and gear selection to the point that you think it might be doing something useful.  The engine is fairly smooth although after it's smart early pick-up there is a tad of what feels like turbo lag, hopefully this will improve as the car runs in. 

 

I've driven around 100 miles so far but seem to have spent more time setting up the media/sat nav and doo-dads. Android and Apple play are both supported and the car also has some sort of tie in with TomTom that uses your phone's hot-spot to receive the data it needs. The Speed Camera database seems to be  TomToms and is better than Google's, except I can't find a setting to beep at me rather than just showing the cameras on the nav screen. The little pop up heads-up display works surprisingly well as does the lane departure steering thingie and the various warnings that beep to tell you that you're an incompetent driver (It really must hate me I reckon). You can even select a display that shows bar graphs of the power distribution to each wheel (it's a 4 wheel drive car) as the software customisation is vast! I have at last found a car that lets me decide how many flashes I want my indicators to make when you give the stalk a quick tap (I always felt 3 flashes were not enough ) 

 

Oh and it has an epic new car smell for some strange reason. 

[Lady Elanore]

Here is an interesting update to my Kona......it under-reads it's mpg! Economy is poor, but after a couple of brimming calculations, it turns out the mpg pooter under-reads by a consistent 10%. Never had that before in a car. Weird? I did think it might be the mpg was set to US gallons, but it's definitely set to UK. Therefore, I am upgrading the economy from 'dire' to merely a 'bit rubbish'

[skomaz]

Hi Lady E.  How are you getting on with the Kona?  Looked at one today with the MIL to potentially replace her Mk9 Civic Tourer which my FIL bought but she feels is too big for her and too low down now.  She really misses her mk8 Civic hatch size wise so wants something smaller than the tourer but higher and more elderly friendly...   Ive made a few suggestions and she likes the look of the Kona and also the Arona so I'm doing a few dealers with her here in Belfast whilst on a visit...   The vitara was deemed too big, the Stonic an old man's car and the c3 aircross horrid...

[mac11irl]

9 hours ago, skomaz said:

the c3 aircross horrid

 

your MIL is clearly a woman of taste

 

[skomaz]

And we went to look at the Kona hich she liked...   And the Arona which she liked even !ore but she's now signed for...

 

A Jazz SE...   In metallic grey pre-registered in March is year with delivery mileage.

 

Not what I would have bought as I preferred the Arona but I think the similarity inside to her existing Honda swing it along with the fact that she's had two previous Hondas from the same dealer but at least she's happy!  It was also much cheaper overall.

[Ootohere]

Love it. 

The Kia Stonic being an old mans car & the Jazz SE is not something old men would be seen driving.

[skomaz]

14 hours ago, Roottoot said:

Love it. 

The Kia Stonic being an old mans car & the Jazz SE is not something old men would be seen driving.

 

Indeed...   and now she wants me to collect it for her as she doesn't want to drive across town in a new car shes unfamiliar with...

 

Anyone got a paper bag i can borrow...   ☺️

Edited 22 July, 2020 by skomaz

[Ootohere]

It will be a fun drive.  People will give you a wide berth as a matter of course.

[Lady Elanore]

On 18/07/2020 at 23:37, skomaz said:

Hi Lady E.  How are you getting on with the Kona?  Looked at one today with the MIL to potentially replace her Mk9 Civic Tourer which my FIL bought but she feels is too big for her and too low down now.  She really misses her mk8 Civic hatch size wise so wants something smaller than the tourer but higher and more elderly friendly...   Ive made a few suggestions and she likes the look of the Kona and also the Arona so I'm doing a few dealers with her here in Belfast whilst on a visit...   The vitara was deemed too big, the Stonic an old man's car and the c3 aircross horrid...

 

 

I'm sorry I missed this post, I seem to have lost a few links to threads I follow  I realise it's a done deal now too, but..

 

So far I genuinely love it and I am now (almost) regretting setting the mileage on the PCP lower, than I now find,  I would like.   

The 4x4 version has independent suspension which I think makes it more comfortable, if a little stiffer, than the lesser suspended models. The gearbox is really smooth and quick enough for something that isn't a sports car, occasionally fluffing which gear to go for in really slow stop-start traffic, but no worse than a typical German DSG/DCT in that respect. More toys than you can throw a stick at and so far rattle free. 

 

The one downside is still the consumption, it has improved slightly as the car has done nearly 6,000miles now (would have been higher mileage, but I've been unemployed and locked down like most people) and the engine has definitely improved, not something that I have noticed so much in many new cars, at least to the degree of the Hyundai's improvement. It's not a sweet engine by any means, but pulls really well low down and picks up pretty smartly, meaning you can hustle the little box along at a decent rate  177 Neddy Powers helps a little in this respect and it's interesting to watch the appropriate graphic show shunting of torque to the back wheels in various conditions and speeds. It always sends shove the back wheels in the first 3 gears when accelerating for instance. It also has incredibly light steering, not something I am used to, but like most things in life, you get used to the change pretty quickly and it doesn't become an issue, at least until you get into an M4 and wonder why you can't turn the wheel any more. 

[Lady Elanore]

Well thats a pleasant surprise, the Kona has come out top and its cousin car has come second. Maybe it will improve the secondhand value of mine  

 

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars/driver-power/95238/best-cars-to-own-driver-power-results