First Kona excursion out of town

I don't know how they come up with those EPA ratings. Can only guess that Hyundai was very conservative, while Tesla used best case hypermiling type conditions. It could also be that because the Tesla EV motor has more power, it is easier (more tempting) to consumer more electricity with that power. I use ECO mode which is definitely more economical than Normal or Sport mode. But I am not missing anything as far as how fast I drive or how I drive (staying with traffic flows). I like ECO mostly because of its "one pedal" driving with its stronger regen.

There are actually a lot of things that I like better about my Kona than my son's M3. The Kona seats are way more comfortable with its perforated leather and active venting capabilities. The M3 leather seats are hard and slippery, and you get a sweaty butt after a while. Getting in and out of the M3 is not easy either, with its very low seats, and you really have to duck your head to get below the top door jam as you slide in. And that centre monitor is stupid. My son can't drive for 5 min without checking and poking at it,... a real distraction IMO. AND he can't use the free BC Hydro DC fast charge stations, only the Tesla SuperChargers if he wants a fast charge (not free for the M3).

 

Yeah, am careful what I say to my son, don't want him to feel bad about his M3. But at the time he pre-ordered his M3, the Kona was not even conceived yet. I will give him credit though,... he (and his wife) make good use of that car. He has just had almost a year now, and well over 40K kms on it already. And it was he that pushed me into buying the Kona.

 

Hey, I like it the way it is..., we don't need any more competition for those free BC Hydro DC fast chargers.

 

I agree, ACC is a must for me, too, along with many of the other driver assist and safety features. But the Hyundai implementation of this feature is not that great in stop and go freeway traffic and twisty mountain roads.

I have it set to the closest distance and highest sensitivity (SCC reaction) and works OK for when the car in front slows down. But when it speeds up, the Kona lags, and it allows others to cut in front of me. My other car (not a Hyundai) works much better, and picks up right away, not letting others get in front, and I don't even have it set to the highest sensitivity (uses more fuel with rapid acceleration). So in heavy freeway traffic, it just doesn't get the job done.

Also in hwy curves, it too quickly loses contact with the car in front and suddenly speeds up (just as you enter the curve and need to slow down). My other car (with dual stereo cameras) has a much broader view and will only lose contact on a sharp switchback, not just a slowdown curve in the highway.

So on the open road, without too much traffic and not a lot of sharp curves, the ACC is fine. But where I live, it just doesn't handle all my driving situations as well as my other car.

 

Haha no, actually a lot cheaper, a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. In fairness, an ICE Kona would be cheaper, and the cars are really apples and oranges, totally different missions. But for us (wife and I) they are totally complementary, with their very different capabilities.

The Kona replaced our old Prius (was a good car in its time), and is our primary vehicle for around town. The Crosstrek is for off-road (we have a very rough road to our cabin) and skiing in the winter. It can also pull our boat twice a year, which we moor at our cabin during the summer.

Incidentally, my son has a Tesla (main vehicle) and a Subaru Forester (also for off-road and skiing). It is his 2nd Subaru. The Crosstrek is actually my 4th, so we are both very familiar with the brand.
The Kona is our 1st Hyundai, and we are very happy with it (don't read too much into my ACC concerns and a few other little niggles). My wife really likes it too, so that also matters a lot. She was a little leery about losing the Prius, but that faded quickly as she got used to the Kona.