Interior noise..

[FloridaSun]

Now that I've been driving my wife's BMW i3 a few times, I realize how noisy the cabin noise of the Kona is (road/wind noise).. I always thought that the Kona was quiet as I came from ICE vehicles.. However, after driving the i3 for a couple hundred miles total, I have to say that the cabin noise level is a lot lower in the i3. This is something that the Hyundai engineers should look at for future years of the Kona.. There is room for improvement.. Overall, I still take the Kona over the i3 any day, even if they had the same range.. I just prefer the infotainment system/android auto etc.. While the seats in the i3 are good, the Kona seats are better. The i3 has a more "EV" feel in the interior while the Kona is more like a normal car that happens to be an EV. Really 2 excellent EV's.. The BMW is certainly a fantastic car around town and just like the Kona, it does get more range than it's rating. Today, my wife drove the 2017 i3 rated at 114 miles for 95 miles, mostly highway, and it still showed 41 miles remaining in ECO PRO mode. So, without a heavy foot, you can easily get 20 - 30 miles more than the rated range on the i3.

 

[Wildeyed]

And extra twenty grand buys a lot of soundproofing.

 

[FloridaSun]

And extra twenty grand buys a lot of soundproofing.

Only if you buy new... Paid $16999 for a 22k miles 2017 i3 while I paid $36100 for my 2019 Kona Electric NEW.. The 2019 KONA has more miles than the i3.. 29500 miles right now..
I really don't understand people who buy a new i3... For that kind of money, you can get a Model 3 Long Range..
Also, the i3 loses 60 to 70% of it's value in 3 years.. That's insane..

 

[Wildeyed]

Someone bought it new.

 

[FloridaSun]

Someone bought it new.

I would be curious for the reasoning why someone would take an i3 over a Long Range Tesla Model 3. They are close to the same price new..
Of course, the i3 is a great little car, perfect for around town but I couldn't see myself dropping $48k on a new one.. I spent $46k for both EV's combined.. $28600 for the Kona (after tax credit) and $16999 for the i3..

 

[Wildeyed]

A lot of them on the used market were bought before the model 3 was available. And some people just want a BMW. No matter what people tend to say, especially on EV forums, the Model 3 is not a luxury car. It's expensive but not luxurious. The i3, with the BMW fit and finish, is.

 

[Vince08]

From my personal experience, I don't find my Kona noisy but maybe it is because I have changed all 4 tires to very quiet ones. I did the change within days after I took delivery of my car. Before I bought the Kona, I was driving a pre-facelift 6th gen Lexus ES. The Kona has about the same cabin noise level as my Lexus at normal speeds but a bit louder only at higher highway speeds.

 

[FloridaSun]

A lot of them on the used market were bought before the model 3 was available. And some people just want a BMW. No matter what people tend to say, especially on EV forums, the Model 3 is not a luxury car. It's expensive but not luxurious. The i3, with the BMW fit and finish, is.

The fit and finish on the BMW is certainly excellent.. We ended up with the BMW as the wife wanted a BMW... but I certainly wouldn't have paid over $40k for one..

 

[FloridaSun]

From my personal experience, I don't find my Kona noisy but maybe it is because I have changed all 4 tires to very quiet ones. I did the change within days after I took delivery of my car. Before I bought the Kona, I was driving a pre-facelift 6th gen Lexus ES. The Kona has about the same cabin noise level as my Lexus at normal speeds but a bit louder only at higher highway speeds.

Well, I still have the Nexens, so, that may be the reason for the tire noise but the wind noise is also better on the i3. It's not that the noise level bothers me on the Kona, it's just that the i3 just feels a lot more quiet, especially around town with speeds up to 60 mph.. My tires on the Kona are below 50% at just under 30k miles and I'll likely go with them again, mostly because of the range. I know that they have crappy grip and are noisy but I don't want to sacrifice any range by going with different tires and I don't want to spend 2 times of the cost of the Nexens for the Michelin's which get the same range. Unless there is an alternative that gets the same range at the same or lower price, I'll stay with Nexens.. Walmart has the same Nexens for under $100 each while the Michelin Primacy MXV4's cost twice that..

 

[Bruce M.]

One recurring difference between a luxury brand car like a BMW vs. a more plebeian vehicle like a Hyundai -- especially a relatively low-end Hyundai -- is road/wind noise and general attention to noise, vibration and harshness. That's part of why people pay luxury brand prices if they can afford it. But coming from a Honda CR-Z, who's engineers basically said, "Noise, vibration, harshness -- who cares?" The Kona seems almost impossibly silky smooth. That's mainly just due to it being an EV, of course. But for a relatively affordable price, there will be compromises.

 

[wizziwig]

Go for a drive in an Audi e-tron to hear what a quiet EV sounds like. VW E-Golf is also very quiet. Have not tried the BMW i3. Guess the Germans put priority on noise reduction compared to some of the other brands who just want to minimize weight and maximize range at lowest possible manufacturing cost.

The Kona was the noisiest EV I've ever been in from my short test drive. One of the reasons I went with the Niro instead. It is marginally quieter but not in the same league as the German brands or even the Leaf.

 

[FloridaSun]

Go for a drive in an Audi e-tron to hear what a quiet EV sounds like. VW E-Golf is also very quiet. Have not tried the BMW i3. Guess the Germans put priority on noise isolation compared to some of the other brands who just want to minimize weight and maximize range at lowest possible manufacturing cost.

I was charging right next to an E-tron yesterday. Pretty car, but pricey.. I've never driven in one..

 

[R P]

The Kona is definitely noisy at hwy speeds esp compared to my other car (Subaru Crosstrek). But in the city, and up to about 90 kph, not bad, so for me that is not a big downside. While we have been using the other car for trips and off-road, 90% of our driving is still in the Kona.

I do like that Audi, though. Had a look at it in the showroom,... and it was tempting.

 

[FloridaSun]

The Kona is definitely noisy at hwy speeds esp compared to my other car (Subaru Crosstrek). But in the city, and up to about 90 kph, not bad, so for me that is not a big downside. While we have been using the other car for trips and off-road, 90% of our driving is still in the Kona.

I do like that Audi, though. Had a look at it in the showroom,... and it was tempting.

My local Audi dealer has a used 2019 e-tron with 900 miles for $54k.. $20k less than new and only 900 miles..

https://www.audilakeland.com/used/Audi/2019-Audi-e-tron-02b449b60a0e0a174295f2ab1f516bf7.htm

 

[R P]

Well, if my Kona doesn't work out (tick tick problem), might just trade it in for the Audi. I really liked not only the exterior, but also the interior. And looks like it could handle some mild off-road, too. Lots of ground clearance and AWD.

 

[FloridaSun]

Well, if my Kona doesn't work out (tick tick problem), might just trade it in for the Audi. I really liked not only the exterior, but also the interior. And looks like it could handle some mild off-road, too. Lots of ground clearance and AWD.

Very pretty car but very heavy. It's like 5600 lbs or so I believe.. and it gets like 2 miles/kwh.. uses more than twice the power than the Kona..

 

[R P]

Very pretty car but very heavy. It's like 5600 lbs or so I believe.. and it gets like 2 miles/kwh.. uses more than twice the power than the Kona..

Yeah, the E-Tron range is not the best. But I like that it can go off-road with variable ground clearance, up to 8.8". Will see if they can get my Kona fixed,... am scheduled for motor replacement next Tues.

I still like my Kona, but if they can't fix that motor/gearbox issue I will be looking to sell or trade it in before the warranty expires. It has a few other faults/niggles. But I can live with all of them, if they fix that. And really like the great range.

 

[FloridaSun]

Yeah, the E-Tron range is not the best. But I like that it can go off-road with variable ground clearance, up to 8.8". Will see if they can get my Kona fixed,... am scheduled for motor replacement next Tues.

I still like my Kona, but if they can't fix that motor/gearbox issue I will be looking to sell or trade it in before the warranty expires. It has a few other faults/niggles. But I can live with all of them, if they fix that. And really like the great range.

I'm at about 30k miles and zero issues.. Can't believe that you are having so many issues... Seems to only apply to a small percentage of cars.. Best of luck!

 

[Wildeyed]

I'm at about 30k miles and zero issues.. Can't believe that you are having so many issues... Seems to only apply to a small percentage of cars.. Best of luck!

Oh man, if you're not knocking wood and rubbing your rabbit's foot while typing this you're braver than I am!

 

[Bruce M.]

I'm sure the E-Tron is fabulous in many ways, but -- even if I could afford one -- the lower range and energy-gulping would be a deal killer. But since it's outta my price range until/unless I win the lottery or the Publishers' Clearinghouse, it's academic. I do most of my driving in the city at low speed, so the experience for me is still wayyyyy quieter than I'm used to. Even at highway speeds the Kona is quieter than my CR-Z was. A smooth and silent driving experience was just not on that car's priority list.