Kona is Good but...
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FloridaSun
Well-Known Member
The additional $10k to $15k would not have been a deal breaker. My main concern with getting an EV in general was the cost of an battery replacement if the battery goes bad. I drive 30K to 45k miles per year.. A Model 3 would be out of battery warranty in 3 to 4 years.
I have been several times on the Tesla website to order a Model 3 but when I found out about the US Lifetime Warranty for the battery on the Hyundai Kona Electric (for the original owner), I knew that this was the car for me. I'm approaching 31k miles after 1 year of ownership already (would have been 35k+ miles if it wasn't for COVID-19). I'm planning on keeping the car in the family and have no plans on ever selling it unless of course, something other than the battery breaks that is not worth fixing. The battery warranty gave me peace of mind. Imagine if I'd have a Model 3 SR+ and at 100100 miles, the battery goes bad.. I would be out of luck...
I'm still going to get a Tesla as my next car. The Kona will likely go to my wife when I'm getting my Tesla. We would sell my wife's BMW i3 and she would get the Kona. I'm not sure yet which Tesla... The Model Y would be nice and my wife loves it but I'm really leaning towards the Cybertruck... It could even be a low mileage used Model S...
Check this thread for your answers:
https://insideevsforum.com/communit...-kona-but-did-your-heart-want-a-model-3.6628/
Aside from price, my reason was the hatch(1) and heat pump(2)
GeorgeS
Active Member
I actually wanted a Model 3 but was overruled by my wife (her grandkid car). The value for the money was much higher with the Kona Ultimate. Not exactly a budget issue but the Kona was eligible for the $10,000 in rebates and the Tesla was not. This was $30K diff. The Kona Ultimate had a nicer interior in our opinion. Another factor was availability of parts for repairs. In Oregon, one Tesla dealer in Portland. Parts come out of California. We have Hyundai dealers all over. Still another, Tesla was getting rid of their showrooms and dealers and going to direct orders. Although I had ridden in a Model S, I wasn't going to buy a Model 3 without testing it out. Another, we are not status people. Tesla comes with "expensive" status where a Hyundai does not. Kind of like Chevy vs Cadillac. Lastly we didn't like having to do everything on the screen. Unlock/locking the doors, come on.
KiwiME
Well-Known Member
The Model 3 was only available here a year after I bought my Kona, and once it arrived it the price was the same, around $76k. Now that there are a few on the road locally and I'm used to seeing them daily with a bit of dust on them, I find the styling a bit boring.
'Pros' are that the Model 3 is quicker and that's about it. Our national speed limit is 100 km/h and its well-enforced.
'Cons' are that the nearest supercharger is 140km away and there is no local servicing while Hyundai are a short walk down the street. Tesla quality issues would bug me, not because they stop the car from working but because my profession is engineering design and I would notice them.
'Pros' are that the Model 3 is quicker and that's about it. Our national speed limit is 100 km/h and its well-enforced.
'Cons' are that the nearest supercharger is 140km away and there is no local servicing while Hyundai are a short walk down the street. Tesla quality issues would bug me, not because they stop the car from working but because my profession is engineering design and I would notice them.
Clamps
Active Member
Thanks for the replies everybody and thanks for the link to a previous post electriceddy. I’m so torn between the two, I have the budget to buy either it’s just that I don’t want to make a $50k mistake (sans rebates).
Love the Kona and love the Model 3. The Kona edges out in general but I can’t look past charging network and speed.
Love the Kona and love the Model 3. The Kona edges out in general but I can’t look past charging network and speed.
FloridaSun
Well-Known Member
The charging network is the reason that my next car will be a Tesla.. Well, Hyundai no longer offers the lifetime warranty except for leftover 2019 Konas, so my #1 reason for getting a Hyundai EV is gone.. I don't want to be at the mercy of charging networks how much they want to gouge me.. Tesla's charging rates are reasonable..
FloridaSun
Well-Known Member
Just to add one thing in favor of the Kona.. I never met a Model 3 owner that had ZERO issues in their first 30k miles.. I have almost 31k miles on my Kona and zero issues.. Spent $47 in maintenance ($40 air filter at 15k miles and generic $7 air filter at 30k miles)..
I bought a few as well, can't beat the price
https://insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?threads/cabin-filter.8063/
syntaxfx
Active Member
At the time, the difference in price was only $AUD2K and I was going to get the M3.
I went to test drive the M3 (I'd already tested the Kona) and tried for 15 minutes (sales guy was trying everything to help) to get a comfortable seating position.
No good, the backs of my legs were in real pain. After that, I didn't bother with the test drive. I called the fleet guys and ordered the Kona the same day.
The Model S and Model X were fine, but the gap in price range was way more than I want to pay for a car.
We do a lot of long distance driving and we usually drive for 2 to 3hrs per waypoint. The Kona has been fine and we arrive still feeling very comfortable.
In the end, it looks like the range was a teeny bit better than the M3 SR+ anyway.
SkookumPete
Well-Known Member
I don't see that buying either car could be a mistake.
Bruce M.
Well-Known Member
One word: NEVER.
Paul DeLeon
Active Member
Consumer Reports prefers the Kona for reliability and fit-and-finish issues. It also has a better ride.
For me it was simple: what you get for the money and the rebates involved made it easier to pick the Kona. Plus Consumer Reports ranks it as the highest rated EV. The balance shifted strongly to Kona when I considered two facts: 1) the batteries lifetime warranty and 2) the fact that there are plenty of Hyundai dealers to get it repaired if need be. Now I live in AZ, so even though there are dealers here, only a few can deal with the Kona EV. In fact, the dealer I received my software update from said he’d only seen one other Kona EV.
However, Tesla does have a much better charging infrastructure then is available to the Kona. I will be driving to CA a lot in the Fall and I can (and have) make it with 3 DF charges along the way. I do pass many more Tesla chargers along the way, but I don’t stress about it as long as all of my chargers are working and available along the way.
However, Tesla does have a much better charging infrastructure then is available to the Kona. I will be driving to CA a lot in the Fall and I can (and have) make it with 3 DF charges along the way. I do pass many more Tesla chargers along the way, but I don’t stress about it as long as all of my chargers are working and available along the way.
Tim94549
Active Member
I did a lot of research after seeing the KONA ULTIMATE at the annual SF Car Show. (which I never heard of the KONA prior). Cost vs Features were of utmost importance. I honestly don't like the Dash area of the Tesla M3's. The California Rebates for the Tesla's were nearly gone. Mileage was a bit of a concern as part of my analysis, so the battery range in the VOLT & LEAF were quickly dismissed. The BMW i3 was also too expensive given range & features - and the look is too boxy for my taste. ( That being said, I really don't drive a lot which would require Charging Stations en-route - I do all of my charging at home via 240v / 50 amp). A Tesla would have cost me $10-15k more vs. the Kona by the time I got all the features equivalent to the KONA ULTIMATE.
I LOVE this car. It is so fun to drive, comfortable, and feature rich. and very FAST, when I want it to be. Very happy with my decision - albeit I wish the life-time battery warranty was still available in the MY 2020 .. and I really don't see these all over the place like I do the Tesla's.
I LOVE this car. It is so fun to drive, comfortable, and feature rich. and very FAST, when I want it to be. Very happy with my decision - albeit I wish the life-time battery warranty was still available in the MY 2020 .. and I really don't see these all over the place like I do the Tesla's.
FloridaSun
Well-Known Member
If Hyundai would still have the battery warranty, I would say the same but with the lifetime battery warranty gone, I'll likely go with a Tesla as my next car.. Love the Kona as it's super reliable and fun to drive but the Tesla charging network is just such a strong argument for Teslas..
ericy
Well-Known Member
When I got my Kona, I really didn't want the Model 3, and the Model Y wasn't out yet.
The lower overall price plus the 7500$ tax credit made it hard to seriously consider Tesla. I routinely do 150 mile trips - the range needed to be enough that I could comfortably make this trip without stopping to charge, even in the Winter. And if you avoid charging above 80%, and avoid going below 10%, the SR M3 doesn't leave much margin for error, and it would require that I make the extra effort to make sure I am charged to 80% before every trip. So then what? Spend even more $$ for the LR variant? With the 7500$ credits, I could nearly buy two Kona for that price.
There are of course chargers along the way - I just didn't want to have it baked in that I would always or almost always need to charge whenever I made the trip.
The fast charging infrastructure wasn't a huge factor for me - I don't need that type of charging all that often, and when I do, I have no trouble finding a charger.
That being said, I did try and stop at an EVgo on my trip once - the damned thing was busy at 5AM, and there was only one. I didn't need the charge all that bad - at the time, my plan was really more so I could turn up the heat a bit, and still reach my destination.
The lower overall price plus the 7500$ tax credit made it hard to seriously consider Tesla. I routinely do 150 mile trips - the range needed to be enough that I could comfortably make this trip without stopping to charge, even in the Winter. And if you avoid charging above 80%, and avoid going below 10%, the SR M3 doesn't leave much margin for error, and it would require that I make the extra effort to make sure I am charged to 80% before every trip. So then what? Spend even more $$ for the LR variant? With the 7500$ credits, I could nearly buy two Kona for that price.
There are of course chargers along the way - I just didn't want to have it baked in that I would always or almost always need to charge whenever I made the trip.
The fast charging infrastructure wasn't a huge factor for me - I don't need that type of charging all that often, and when I do, I have no trouble finding a charger.
That being said, I did try and stop at an EVgo on my trip once - the damned thing was busy at 5AM, and there was only one. I didn't need the charge all that bad - at the time, my plan was really more so I could turn up the heat a bit, and still reach my destination.
syntaxfx
Active Member
Yes, that was the initial attraction for me in Australia. Having access to all the chargers was very tempting.
Still, the CCS2 DC charging network is growing here. I can get to all the places I need to go and most of the places I want to go, without using the "granny charger". If it weren't for the pandemic, I suspect that things would be even better.