2025 Hyundai Kona Electric Consumer Reviews
Pricing
An EV that goes the distance!
I upgraded to the 2024 Kona SEL electric from a 2017 Nissan Leaf. The EV battery is 3 times the size and it shows in a massive improvement in range. The Kona can also regenerate electricity much more aggressively and the heat pump provides much more efficient cooling and heating, both of which enable it to travel just that much further between charges. It all adds up to an electric car that has a similar range to a tank of gas in a conventional car, and one that meets all my needs for commuting and longer day trips. Unfortunately while the exterior is attractive, the interior of the Kona is nearly all hard plastics. While the seats are comfortable enough, the seat fabric is scratchy and cheap feeling. On the bright side the cabin itself is quiet except for some intrusive noise from different pavements, the visibility is good, and the car feels intuitive and easy to drive. The EV technology is helpful, especially the four settings for regenerative braking. The backup camera is massive and clear. When backing up, it provides warnings when cars or people are passing behind the car. And there are many, many other safety features that you can learn about elsewhere if you want them. A huge benefit to the Kona is a square cargo bay. The rear seats go flat which is great for hauling stuff. Unfortunately under the cargo area is a space for a spare tire, but a spare tire is not only not included, but is not even available in our market. It would be great if replacement EV batteries weren’t 1/2 the price of the car. But with an 8 year warranty I hope to get lots and lots of use from it before the battery is no longer covered. And, most of all, I am really glad those miles will have a much lower carbon footprint than a conventional vehicle. June 2025 update after 1 year, 9000 miles: This winter, with the weather mostly hovering around 40, its range before recharging is not impacted heavily unless I turn on the cabin heat. It has a heat pump which should be more efficient, but using it still lowers the range between charges about 25%. But the seat heater and steering wheel heater are great and use very little power so I mostly skip the heater and use those on longer trips. Another small issue is the steering wheel has very little feel of the road. If I looks away from the road for a few moments to adjust the radio the car can start to wander. But it is easy to drive even on long trips as long as one is paying attention. Which, of course, we all should be doing! But apart from these mostly minor things, the Kona has shown itself to be a very comfortable and reliable car to drive around in my daily life. Easy to drive and easy to park. Quiet to operate and runs smoothly. Quick to charge at fast charging stations when I’m travelling longer distances. It has been, and continues to be, a pleasure.
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Kona Electric Meets Expectations +
We thought we were getting a Bolt EUV. I had test-driven it and was very impressed, but then GM pulled the plug and we didn't want to wait around for the Equinox....so we test-drove a Kona SEL electric (having previously owned an Ioniq plug-in) and were impressed. We purchased it in February 24' for about $39K, received a $7,500 dealer discount plus an additional $2K from the state (CT). Not bad. My wife and I both like the car a lot. In retrospect, its larger exterior, interior and driver visibility suits us better than the Bolt EUV. We really have no complaints - solid, roomy, quiet, pretty quick. We installed a home charger ($1,800 total), but got $1K back from our utility and have a 30% Fed credit to apply next year. To our surprise, the battery is currently charging between 305 and 330 miles overnight (as high as 347!). The first month or two it topped out at ~ 275. Anyway, we got a good deal and are very comfortable with this car.
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- SE 4dr SUVMSRP: $35,24047 mi away
- SEL 4dr SUVMSRP: $39,46047 mi away
- SEL 4dr SUVMSRP: $39,09047 mi away
Loving it so far
Decided to make the jump to electric - have a 2022 Tucson PHEV and had a 2023 Elantra Hybrid, traded in the Elantra for the Kona. Went with the Limited trim, black exterior and sage green interior. Very zippy, comfortable, and tons of amenities. Debated getting a used Kona, but with current cash back from Hyundai, it made sense to go new, and it’s bigger and more comfortable than the previous model. Will be using this primarily for commuting; my employer offers free Chargepoint charging, which helps a ton.
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The Best of 17 New Vehicles I've Owned
Yup that's right. I've owned 17 new vehicles since 1970. I've had a top Volvo and other premium cars along the way. I was going to get a Ioniq 6 but the lease deals on this new 2025 RED Kona LImited EV was just too sweet to pass up. The overall construction quality shocked me as it's first class. Nothing out of place nor do I feel cheap. Love the dual 12.3" screens. The seats fit me like a glove (I'm 5'8" and heavy). The LED headlight arrangement lights up the neighborhood which pleasantly surprised me. I find it rather cute in design. The paint job is first class. When I shut the door it has a reassuring tight thunk like that of much more expensive cars. Everything just fits. The ride is amazingly quiet thanks to the new sound absorbent materials they've added to the 2025's floor. I don't even hear trucks go by. It's faster than my previous VW ID.4 which was a recall nightmare. I can pass a vehicle at 60mph in 3 seconds which is empowering. It's also more power efficient then my previous ID.4 which would average 2.9kwh as for now the Kona is averaging 4.0kwh. It doesn't lean in curves as the others have either which sure makes for a more comfortable drive when the roads aren't always straight. The Bose sound system is HiFi all the way. Plenty of storage area in back for us when shopping as well. I keep my cleaning supplies in the frunk which is a nice change. This has so far been one of the top cars I've owned as yet. So far after 6 months of ownership not one creak or rattle and it's been 100% reliable with it's software being perfection.
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PHEV to EV, best move ever!!!
I leased the 2024 Kona Electric by trading in my 2013 Ford C-Max Energi PHEV. And like the previous reviewer I took advantage of the manufacturer credit. I love the miles I get. I don't drive very much and 280 plus miles is great charging once or twice a week which is way better than daily. Its not absurdly fast but is at least as fast as my C-Max in EV mode. Ventilated seats all the safety features, lane keep especially. One pedal driving is nice but you can't leave it in that mode on startup. Same with lane keep which needs to be selected upon startup. Love all the cameras so I can park and backup better. Can't wait to use the heated steering wheel. I put Line-X mats in the front and rear seats and Tux mats in the back. I bought the Tux mats because they make a cover for the rear seatbacks...
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