Good all around vehicle, with some caveats
The Kona was a vehicle that I had my eye on for a while when I was looking to trade in a very old car.
It hit that sweet spot of interior and exterior design, modernity, features, size, and price. For what you get, it's very nearly a complete luxury car just on the standard edition.
I knew going into it that it wasn't a top of the line car, it's just a bit lacking here and there compared to if you want something focused.
It's comfortable - but not luxurious.
It drives well - but it's a bit stiff to move or accelerate.
It looks great - no complaints from me there.
It meets a lot of good criteria, and is clearly working on a budget in it's design and build. But that balance is why I preferred it, it's not lying or overselling anything.
We use the car regularly, short commutes, long trips, it's comfortable for both. The large dash screen and overall dash design feels like something from a sci-fi movie, but the good kind. It's functional, makes travel easy, and lets your passengers control things without too much fuss.
It has a collection of good features, lane assist, auto-hold (toggleable), engine auto-off, and a very interactive maintenance tracking system.
For long distance driving, turning lane assist and cruise control on together, for a long straight road, makes driving almost notoriously easy.
However in shorter routes the lane assist can turn into a bit of a blocker instead.
The interior is spacious, well ventilated, with comfortable seating. An A/C system that can keep up with peak southern heat, but it does take a while to get up to speed.
My only big critiques are just the clear cost-cutting with the vehicle. You can tell it from the engine bay welding, to the feel of cheap plastic and stiff metals.
But that's really it, I enjoy driving it, my wife enjoys driving it (and she hates driving) and overall it's a remarkable car, just as the 'standard edition' for the price.
Verified Owner
