Did anyone comfort compare Kona, Tesla(any), other EV's at time of purchase?

I had to decide between the Model 3 and the Kona. I was 95% sure that I was going to get the Model 3 as at that point, I did not know about the Kona. So, initially, it was between the Model 3 and the Bolt and I was leaning very much towards the Model 3. However, just about when I was ready to pull the trigger on the Model 3, I found out about the Kona. It's not available in my state, so, there was no advertising for it etc.
The main reason for going with the Kona was the LIFETIME battery warranty of the 2019 Kona Electric (2019 Model, USA only). The price also was a factor but the battery warranty was the bigger factor. I would still have gone with the Model 3 if it wasn't for the warranty of the Kona battery. I was planning to keep whatever car I'd buy for many years, so the warranty was a huge plus. Of course, Price was a factor too. A standard range plus M3 would have cost me about $10k more than the Kona SEL and the range difference that the EPA numbers indicate is much larger than the numbers show. The Kona usually gets more than it's rated range and the Standard Range Plus Model 3 usually gets less than it's rated range. In real life range tests, the Kona beats the Standard Range Plus BY A LOT!!
Now, the Model 3 is a more premium car.. The experience is so much better than any other EV in the price range and it has the flash factor that the Kona does not have. If you want the best value and range for the money, the Kona wins hands down. If you want the car that is more fun to drive, feels more premium and a status symbol, go with a Model 3. The Model 3 in any of the trim levels is a FANTASTIC vehicle. However, if you want good range, you'll need to go with the long range. Tesla no longer has the tax credit, so the price difference to the KONA SEL which almost gets the same range of a Model 3 Long Range is about $20k. That's not a small amount. It really comes down what you want.. More luxury or the car that has the best value and will save you the most money. The Kona is the choice is you want to save the maximum on gas with the lowest maintenance cost. The Model 3 saves you a ton and looks fantastic but it comes at a higher price.. Do you want to buy the car that meets your needs or one that is the most fun and looks better.. It wasn't an easy choice for me but I love my Kona. It's a regular car that happens to be electric, making the transition from ICE to EV easier.. My next vehicle will most likely be a Tesla, probably the Cybertruck..

 

For reasons I won't go into now, I never considered a Tesla and never would. But I did look pretty closely at the Bolt and Leaf in addition to the Kona. In terms of comfort and general interior quality, the Kona definitely seemed superior to the Bolt. The eaf seemed nice inside, but I didn't much care for the way it drove, so that took it off the list. I'll say that my perceptions might have been slightly skewed because my last car was a 2013 Honda CR-Z -- small, sporty and fun, but definitely not designed with comfort as top priority -- so any of the three EV's I considered would have been an improvement. But I was definitely put off by the Bolt's interior, which struck me as cheap and toy-like. After about 600 miles, the Kona's seats seem like possibly the best of any car I've owned -- but I've never had the privilege of owning a Volvo, whose cars are renowned for their excellent seatig.

 

My previous car was a Volvo, and yes their seats are comfortable. When I first sat in the Kona, it just felt "right".

 

My sister has a Bolt, so I had the opportunity to experience it before even considering an EV and it was the sole reason I considered going electric. My Subaru was too big for my commute and I was spending about $400/mo on gas. It was also 8 years old, and was starting to get expensive maintenance-wise. I had the opportunity to sit in a Tesla but only after ordering my Kona.

I was lucky enough to be able to drive a Kona Ultimate before ordering, and in comparison to the Bolt, I felt it had a more premium finish and felt more like a "normal" car in the interior. The Bolt did seem a little toy-like to me as far as finish and I didn't find the seats as comfortable. The Tesla was comfortable, and pretty slick inside, but it felt really minimalist and cold to me, even though it was beautiful. I didn't like having to control everything on a screen. It was also somewhat out of my price range, though I could have carried on for a few more months saving for it if I really wanted to.

So I ended up buying a Kona Ultimate, which fed my tech geek appetite but also gave me a nice comfortable, though somewhat conventional, interior. Plus, it's a blast to drive!

 

Since the Kona was the only long range EV available in NZ mid-2018 for under the cost of a Model S at $140k, I had no other options. The Bolt has never been sold here as we need RHD. Now that the Model 3 is available (sans heat pump) at the same price, I'm still happy with my choice because the heat pump is an awesome feature, removing any fear of losing significant range for the sake of comfort. Additionally I think the Kona has better production quality control. Fit and finish issues with the Model 3 would irritate me endlessly, nevermind that the nearest service centre is at least 300 km away. My Hyundai dealer is a 10 min walk and they are trained to work on the Kona. Tesla Supercharging is a significant feature for the m3 but the nearest one is 150 km away.

 

Got to agree on the Kona seats.. They are indeed very good and comfortable..

 

My Volt died last August, and several months of the fall were spent slowly moving through a CA lemon law repurchase, so I had loads of time to compare.

I didn't find seat comfort and entry an issue on any of the cars I considered.

I ruled out the Tesla because of the dull handling. I live on a twisty road and there was no road feel at all - it just went where pointed. I also had similar reactions to Kathryne. I had driven a Bolt a couple of times, but no adaptive cruise control was a deal breaker.

I drove the Kona, Niro and Leaf multiple times, and at one time or another was almost sure it was going to be each of them. I almost bought a Leaf because of the size and technology features, particularly 360 degree camera. But the car overall is dated, and when I found out there was no telescoping steering wheel adjustment on a $40k+ car, that was the last straw.

I wanted to get the Niro, but every time I drove it the steering effort was just a tad too much for my comfort.

The Kona was by far the most fun to drive, and had the best technology (except for no front proximity warning - boo). The cargo space is limited but it fits into small parking spots, so size is a wash. But I was put off by markups over MSRP, and the first dealer I called didn't want to give a test drive without a signed contract! Eventually I did get a test drive elsewhere, but it was on a bit of a bumpy road and I didn't think my wife would put up with the ride.

After focusing on the drawbacks of the Niro and leaf, I went back and drove a Kona on the same road with her, and it wasn't much of an issue for either of us. So I got the Kona and am very happy with the choice, despite a number of glitches.

 

Wow, they didn't want to give you a test drive without a signed contract? I didn't run into that problem, mercifully (my response would not have been polite), just dealers getting every last cent from you they could and knowing they could get away with it with the cars in short supply.

 

I'm in Langley, too, Murrayville. Got mine on May 1, 2019, timed with the fed subsidy. They were sold out after that. I got a good trade-in on my Prius, so was happy with that, too. Have a hitch for my bike carrier, but don't think I will ever tow anything. Have another SUV for that. At 19,000 kms right now, would be a bit more if it wasn't for this virus. Still have never paid for a charge, or done one in my garage.

 

I did a lot of research before my purchase of the 2020 Ultimate. I had a working spreadsheet for about 3 weeks. We went to the SF AUTO CAR Show in November - just to see what was available in all-Electric cars. At the time I knew nothing about the KONO ... it was always Tesla Tesla Tesla .. (There are a LOT of the Tesla S90's & X's in our area ... but out the door at over $100k was NOT in the cards for us for a S90.) At the car show, we sat in the BOLT, the Audi (expensive), The LEAF, the NIRO, and the Kona Ultimate. Tesla didn't even have a Model 3 to sit in at the show! hmmph.. Frankly, I really don't like the "dashboard experience" in the Model 3's.

Anyway, after a bunch of research at home on what was available & what we saw, the KONA ULTIMATE was THE EV of choice based on Warranty, a LOT of very cool Features, Comfort (after a test drive), Battery Capacity/Mileage, and Torque .... and Price. (Other than the TESLA (out the door w features we wanted was close to $60k !), all of the other EV's were in the general ball park in price - give or take a few $$). It (Kona) just has a better (less cheap) feel and really a nice handling/drive, imo.

Very VERY happy with our choice and would do it all over again. I just wish Hyundai had kept the life-time Warranty on the Batteries. They changed that to 10 years in model year 2020. But still a decent warranty. But the BLUELINK Service is expensive at $30/mo after the "included period" and we will likely not renew it. The remote features are so buggy & the developers don't seem to listen to the customers. Frankly, it should just be included with the vehicle at no add'l charge. But that's another topic.

Enjoy !!!!

 

My main comparison was with my son's Tesla M3 RWD Long Range. I drove it a few times and rode with him often. I was surprised how plain jane the interior was. A top trim Corolla has a more luxurious interior. Lacked a lot of options that the Kona has. IE, no Android Auto or CarPlay, no ventilated seats, no HUD (which I have grown to really appreciate on my Kona), very low to the ground and exit/entry not easy (my head always bumps the top sill), and lots of other stuff. Range is about the same as my Kona. Power is more in the Tesla, but my Kona is certainly no slouch.

Anyway, it was actually my son that recommended I look at the Kona (was not available when he ordered his M3). And when I did, was surprised how nice it was (Ultimate trim) and feature rich.

 

I actually had an order in for the 2019 Leaf Plus for about 6 months before cancelling it. I didn't know about the Kona at the time of the order, and after finding out about it and the Niro I was getting very paranoid about the lack of active battery temperature management in the Leaf. We went with the Kona because of the looks and the slightly longer range. I still occasionally wonder if I should have gone for the Niro for the slightly larger back seat and storage and the memory seats. Our Kona should be here any day now and I can't wait!

 

I was never able to even see let alone test a Kona EV when I ordered back in summer '18. I sat in a gas Kona and was very happy with the fit and finish. I tested the Bolt while getting frustrated with waiting for my Kona delivery. I loved it. Instantly comfortable seating position and very roomy. I was *this* close to saying to hell with waiting and buying it off the lot. But its lack of higher end equipment swayed me and I waited. I still believe I could have been very happy with the Bolt and am looking forward to seeing the reworked version in '21.

 

My SEL only has heated seats, not ventilated... I don't need the heated seats here in Florida..

 

In San Francisco I may use the heated seats occasionally, but ventilated seats would be profoundly irrelevant here in the Land of Fog.