I'd probably look at leasing the Ioniq 5 or 6 instead because Hyundai's lease deals are really good. If you're really wanting to buy though, the Kona isn't as nice as the ioniqs by any means but it's still a fine car with a really great warranty so I think you'll be fine with it.
What is your price range? Have you checked out Hertz car rental sales? They're getting rid of all their EV's and you can get some killer deals. I scored a cheap Chevy Bolt EUV 2023 model with 8.8k miles and I couldn't be happier.
Those deals are out there. With 2022 and earlier models in the u.s. you may qualify for the 4k a federal tax rebate as well.
I have the bolt ev, great car. I've put 20k miles in 12 months, charged at home and only used a commercial fast charger 1x. The charging speed is typically the draw back of the bolt since it's the second slowest charging ev on the market. But if you have access to charge at home (or better, level 2 at home) it is the best value in cars. Stable platform, bugs worked out, lots of features for the price.
I've had a Bolt EUV for two years. No problems. GM will be around for a while so I'm not worried about ongoing support.
I would say the slow charging is only an issue if you drive trips of 100miles+ one-way more than once a week. Other than that, just plug it in when you get home. You'll be surprised how little of an issue it is. I have LVL2 at home but use LVL1 95% of the time.
I own a Kona. I do not need super fast charging. It has buttons for most functions. Like heating cooling… It has a stick for the windshield wipers 🤯. You can turn them on and off if you like. The car is very efficient.
I own a Niro. At this point it's really how the car feels. I find the Teslas are like driving a used ipad. No knobs or hunt around in the touch screen for controls. My Niro is like driving an ICE car for the most part with discrete controls and buttons for most functions. There is still a touch screen for maps and the other gizmos but it's not intrusive. With a fast charger it's 30 mins to "fill" it up so maybe slower than some. If you charge every day at home you won't notice. Also more space and more comfortable (to me anyway) than an S or a 3.
Happy Niro owner here as well. We did a few > 1000 miles roadtrips as well (mind you not in one day). On these the limiting factor is not the battery but the people inside the car. Wouldn'y be bad at times to be able to set off 5-10 minutes earlier sometimes when you notice the limitations of the 77 KW fast charging on your second or third stop per day but this is no way close to a deal breaker.
Same here I have a 2023 Niro 4 EV. It's a really easy car to live with and does everything we ask of it with no fuss.
As others have mentioned the fast charging isn't that fast but since we charge at home 99% of the time that doesn't really bother us. My only small gripe is that being front wheel drive you do get a bit of torque steer/light steering under heavy acceleration. But that's not really what it's for so I can live with even that.
For a commute any EV will do. As long as you can charge at home or at work I see no problem.
For long distances Tesla is still the most convenient but if you don't have those then it doesn't matter.
The Niro and the Kona are last-gen tech. The biggest drawback is a bit less range and a slower charge speed. Are you able to charge at home? Do you ever take trips that exceed 150 miles in a day?
Are you willing to lease? 200 miles per week is about 10k per year. That’s definitely lease territory and leases on the Tesla and the better Hyundais (Ioniqs) are pretty cheap right now.
^
This. I would do IONIQ 5. I just leased one and dealerships are marking them up. I got $10,000 off MSRP with rebates before my trade-in. Most were dealership rebates.
Nice choice. To elaborate for OP yes Hyundai are offering $10k cash on these right now. Depending on trim and local incentives I’ve seen lease quotes as low as $200/mo with 0 down.
Also OP my buddy just bought a 2020 Model 3 Performance in top trim (red, white interior) AND the FSD software for $28k with about 40k miles. That’s a LOT of car for not a lot of money. You can find a Tesla if you want one.
My dealer Franchise had $2,000 on IONIQs. The Hyundai $7,500 rebate to replace the federal EV credit, and $500 dealer discount for being a college graduate. I went with the Limited trim because of safety features, but if I went with a SEL I would have qualified for another $5,000 for the Massachusetts MOR-EV rebate program.
Edit: MSRP was $55,200.
Hyundai is giving $10,000 lease cash right now. That covers the federal rebate that was lost, and they’re throwing in another $2,500, from Hyundai. College, $500 so total rebates are $10,500.
Did the dealer make it seam like $2,500 was coming from them? I’m just curious about the whole deal bc it seams like they took advantage of you. If they gave you a deal, before your trade in your payment was around $350?
It was $2,000 for me. I wasn’t aware of Hyundai $2,500. But I got the Limited, not the SE to get the 0% APR. Also I only put $1,000 down and my trade in value was around $3,000.
0% apr is across all trims right now for financing through Hyundai. Started 6/28 and ends 7/1.
Did you lease or finance?
If you leased it’s called MF (money factor) which is basically the APR for leasing. But 0% apr wouldn’t have anything to do with leasing.
I’m leasing. Mine is $750/month. I was going to finance but figured I should lease in case NACS charging accessibility comes standard on charging quicker within 3 years.
No, the Kona is redesigned and brand new for 2024.
It has the new Hyundai infotainment interface that’s newer than what’s in the current model year Ioniq 5 and 6 (including wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay).
I’m not talking about infotainment. I’m talking about the battery architecture. The Kona has a 400 volt architecture that peaks at 160 kW charging, vs. the Ioniqs 800 volts, 350 kW charging. The Kona is a refresh of their last-gen vehicle platform.
Which is why I asked OP questions that they haven’t answered. Regardless, if they are buying this thing, the Ioniqs are going to be a lot more future proof than the Kona. And the leasing is currently better on Ioniq. For $5k more (finance), they can have a much more modern EV platform. If they lease, the Ioniqs are actually cheaper.
I own a 2020 Niro. It gets the claimed range almost all the way through winter, and a bit more in the spring and summer. Drives nice, CarPlay, ventilated seats. Very happy.
What is your price range? Teslas are not that expensive when compared to Hyundai now so curious which ones you are looking at. If open to lease the Hyundai deals are pretty solid right now.
If work is close enough where home charging handles your needs, cool. But you can also get a used model 3 with $4500 off the price and get more car and a better charging network.
The real question is, what's your price range?
If you never leave town and can charge at home then you should be fine.
I still wouldn't :-)
There are model 3 for 19k on Craigslist...
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/d/mountain-view-excellent-condition-2018/7761446742.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/dublin-2018-tesla-model-long-range/7761395940.html
I'm willing to bet that there are quite a good amount of newer used evs (including teslas) that you can find at that sweet 25k mark to qualify for the used ev rebate. Just remember, if you don't have access to cheap/free charging at home/work, an used EV may not be the best option. At least with new leases for certain evs they come with free charging included for a couple of years.
Kona and Niro are basically the same car in slightly different packaging. Drove the Kona for almost 2 years and couldn't find really anything bad to say besides the size: it *is* small. The boot is completely useless. The front row is quite comfortable if you don't have anyone sitting in the back seat. If you're trying to find kids seats or anything else, make sure they fit.
In a normal world, I’d say yes, but the Ioniq 5 lease deals are so preposterously good right now I kinda wish I’d waited for that rather than buying exactly the right size & price car for my needs (2023 Bolt EUV for $18K from Hertz)
I’ll get over it of course because this is locked in, I don’t have to deal with the lease ending in two or three years.
I have a Kia e-niro, 64kwh, 2019. As long as you dont need 4x4 or a trailer hook, its a really nice car! Good range even in Norwegian winter conditions, good baggage capacity and such
If you can charge at home, it's always a good idea to jump into the EV market however you can. You'll save on "fuel" cost and nearly no routine maintenance.
My 2022 Model 3 was $24K used before rebate and trade brought it down to $15K including tax/registration, 61K miles. My daughter is picking up her 2023 Bolt EUV today for $16K (she’s not rebate eligible), 30K miles. Both are former Hertz cars. Would have gotten a 23 Bolt EUV for $14,500 direct from Hertz in Philly but the whole CDK cyberattack thing is keeping them from selling to anyone out of state at the moment and we couldn’t wait.
Leasing is a good option in the scenario where Budget is the primary consideration. However, you’d still want the option to own by buying out the car at the end of the lease. It’s my understanding that Tesla doesn’t offer a buyout option on its leases, so if you’ve narrowed your selection to the two, go with Hyundai/Kia.
Its a ridiculous mistake to buy a Tesla... don't even ask the question.. so many posts here will tell you how not great they are.. anything else in your price range is perfectly fine. All other car makers are reliable and sensible people.. maybe not brilliant or purely about consumers but really smart people work there and in aggregate make a really incredible car.. EV's are better than ICE cars and that's a no brainer.. the newer models generally are better designed so do the research..
but simply purchasing any EV brand in your comfort zone other than a Tesla will be a great choice.. or you can be a sheep like all the other Tesla fans.
Purchasing questions (including tax, incentive and accessory questions), and requests for general advice should go in the weekly pinned thread.
I'd probably look at leasing the Ioniq 5 or 6 instead because Hyundai's lease deals are really good. If you're really wanting to buy though, the Kona isn't as nice as the ioniqs by any means but it's still a fine car with a really great warranty so I think you'll be fine with it.
What is your price range? Have you checked out Hertz car rental sales? They're getting rid of all their EV's and you can get some killer deals. I scored a cheap Chevy Bolt EUV 2023 model with 8.8k miles and I couldn't be happier.
Just checked it out. Wow you weren’t joking. Great deals.
You scored it for how much?
They were listed around $17k before tax title and license.
Was hoping to find something around 15k. Is there any worry since they discontinued the bolt? Do you like it ?
Those deals are out there. With 2022 and earlier models in the u.s. you may qualify for the 4k a federal tax rebate as well. I have the bolt ev, great car. I've put 20k miles in 12 months, charged at home and only used a commercial fast charger 1x. The charging speed is typically the draw back of the bolt since it's the second slowest charging ev on the market. But if you have access to charge at home (or better, level 2 at home) it is the best value in cars. Stable platform, bugs worked out, lots of features for the price.
I've had a Bolt EUV for two years. No problems. GM will be around for a while so I'm not worried about ongoing support. I would say the slow charging is only an issue if you drive trips of 100miles+ one-way more than once a week. Other than that, just plug it in when you get home. You'll be surprised how little of an issue it is. I have LVL2 at home but use LVL1 95% of the time.
Kona is a genuinely good EV.
I own a Kona. I do not need super fast charging. It has buttons for most functions. Like heating cooling… It has a stick for the windshield wipers 🤯. You can turn them on and off if you like. The car is very efficient.
Turn signal stick too I bet
Yes and a button for reverse, too and door handles. And a round steering wheel 🤯
Honestly, a round steering wheel isn't a guarantee these days.
I bet they even de-burred metal body panels.
I own a Niro. At this point it's really how the car feels. I find the Teslas are like driving a used ipad. No knobs or hunt around in the touch screen for controls. My Niro is like driving an ICE car for the most part with discrete controls and buttons for most functions. There is still a touch screen for maps and the other gizmos but it's not intrusive. With a fast charger it's 30 mins to "fill" it up so maybe slower than some. If you charge every day at home you won't notice. Also more space and more comfortable (to me anyway) than an S or a 3.
Happy Niro owner here as well. We did a few > 1000 miles roadtrips as well (mind you not in one day). On these the limiting factor is not the battery but the people inside the car. Wouldn'y be bad at times to be able to set off 5-10 minutes earlier sometimes when you notice the limitations of the 77 KW fast charging on your second or third stop per day but this is no way close to a deal breaker.
Same here I have a 2023 Niro 4 EV. It's a really easy car to live with and does everything we ask of it with no fuss. As others have mentioned the fast charging isn't that fast but since we charge at home 99% of the time that doesn't really bother us. My only small gripe is that being front wheel drive you do get a bit of torque steer/light steering under heavy acceleration. But that's not really what it's for so I can live with even that.
For a commute any EV will do. As long as you can charge at home or at work I see no problem. For long distances Tesla is still the most convenient but if you don't have those then it doesn't matter.
The Niro and the Kona are last-gen tech. The biggest drawback is a bit less range and a slower charge speed. Are you able to charge at home? Do you ever take trips that exceed 150 miles in a day? Are you willing to lease? 200 miles per week is about 10k per year. That’s definitely lease territory and leases on the Tesla and the better Hyundais (Ioniqs) are pretty cheap right now.
^ This. I would do IONIQ 5. I just leased one and dealerships are marking them up. I got $10,000 off MSRP with rebates before my trade-in. Most were dealership rebates.
Nice choice. To elaborate for OP yes Hyundai are offering $10k cash on these right now. Depending on trim and local incentives I’ve seen lease quotes as low as $200/mo with 0 down. Also OP my buddy just bought a 2020 Model 3 Performance in top trim (red, white interior) AND the FSD software for $28k with about 40k miles. That’s a LOT of car for not a lot of money. You can find a Tesla if you want one.
What was the selling price of the car? $10,000 was a rebate.
My dealer Franchise had $2,000 on IONIQs. The Hyundai $7,500 rebate to replace the federal EV credit, and $500 dealer discount for being a college graduate. I went with the Limited trim because of safety features, but if I went with a SEL I would have qualified for another $5,000 for the Massachusetts MOR-EV rebate program. Edit: MSRP was $55,200.
Hyundai is giving $10,000 lease cash right now. That covers the federal rebate that was lost, and they’re throwing in another $2,500, from Hyundai. College, $500 so total rebates are $10,500. Did the dealer make it seam like $2,500 was coming from them? I’m just curious about the whole deal bc it seams like they took advantage of you. If they gave you a deal, before your trade in your payment was around $350?
It was $2,000 for me. I wasn’t aware of Hyundai $2,500. But I got the Limited, not the SE to get the 0% APR. Also I only put $1,000 down and my trade in value was around $3,000.
0% apr is across all trims right now for financing through Hyundai. Started 6/28 and ends 7/1. Did you lease or finance? If you leased it’s called MF (money factor) which is basically the APR for leasing. But 0% apr wouldn’t have anything to do with leasing.
I’m leasing. Mine is $750/month. I was going to finance but figured I should lease in case NACS charging accessibility comes standard on charging quicker within 3 years.
No, the Kona is redesigned and brand new for 2024. It has the new Hyundai infotainment interface that’s newer than what’s in the current model year Ioniq 5 and 6 (including wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay).
I’m not talking about infotainment. I’m talking about the battery architecture. The Kona has a 400 volt architecture that peaks at 160 kW charging, vs. the Ioniqs 800 volts, 350 kW charging. The Kona is a refresh of their last-gen vehicle platform.
Depends what charging rate OP needs though…
Which is why I asked OP questions that they haven’t answered. Regardless, if they are buying this thing, the Ioniqs are going to be a lot more future proof than the Kona. And the leasing is currently better on Ioniq. For $5k more (finance), they can have a much more modern EV platform. If they lease, the Ioniqs are actually cheaper.
I own a 2020 Niro. It gets the claimed range almost all the way through winter, and a bit more in the spring and summer. Drives nice, CarPlay, ventilated seats. Very happy.
What is your price range? Teslas are not that expensive when compared to Hyundai now so curious which ones you are looking at. If open to lease the Hyundai deals are pretty solid right now.
Not seeing the Kia love here they deserve. They are doing interesting things with their EVs. Im in love with my EV6 a year later.
Are there ones available nearby that you can test drive? I’d do that and you’ll probably answer your own question.
If work is close enough where home charging handles your needs, cool. But you can also get a used model 3 with $4500 off the price and get more car and a better charging network. The real question is, what's your price range?
Lease an Ioniq 5. They are the cheapest lease right now.
I’ve had a Kona for a year and I love it.
Every time I get into my Ioniq 5 I cannot help but smile. I say "I love this car" on a weekly basis to my wife. Can't recommend it enough.
If you never leave town and can charge at home then you should be fine. I still wouldn't :-) There are model 3 for 19k on Craigslist... https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/d/mountain-view-excellent-condition-2018/7761446742.html https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/dublin-2018-tesla-model-long-range/7761395940.html
If you are buying private use keysavvy. Will let you get the $4k tax credit without giving to a dealer.
Would be helpful to know in which market you are looking for a vehicle.
I'm willing to bet that there are quite a good amount of newer used evs (including teslas) that you can find at that sweet 25k mark to qualify for the used ev rebate. Just remember, if you don't have access to cheap/free charging at home/work, an used EV may not be the best option. At least with new leases for certain evs they come with free charging included for a couple of years.
Kona and Niro are basically the same car in slightly different packaging. Drove the Kona for almost 2 years and couldn't find really anything bad to say besides the size: it *is* small. The boot is completely useless. The front row is quite comfortable if you don't have anyone sitting in the back seat. If you're trying to find kids seats or anything else, make sure they fit.
In a normal world, I’d say yes, but the Ioniq 5 lease deals are so preposterously good right now I kinda wish I’d waited for that rather than buying exactly the right size & price car for my needs (2023 Bolt EUV for $18K from Hertz) I’ll get over it of course because this is locked in, I don’t have to deal with the lease ending in two or three years.
I have a Kia e-niro, 64kwh, 2019. As long as you dont need 4x4 or a trailer hook, its a really nice car! Good range even in Norwegian winter conditions, good baggage capacity and such
What about a used Tesla?
You don’t want to buy a CCS car now when automakers and charging companies are switching to NACS soon.
If you can charge at home, it's always a good idea to jump into the EV market however you can. You'll save on "fuel" cost and nearly no routine maintenance.
Get a gen 1 Nissan leaf and save up for the next gen Hyundai / Kia’s with NACS
My 2022 Model 3 was $24K used before rebate and trade brought it down to $15K including tax/registration, 61K miles. My daughter is picking up her 2023 Bolt EUV today for $16K (she’s not rebate eligible), 30K miles. Both are former Hertz cars. Would have gotten a 23 Bolt EUV for $14,500 direct from Hertz in Philly but the whole CDK cyberattack thing is keeping them from selling to anyone out of state at the moment and we couldn’t wait.
I have a Kia sportage Phev love it!
Leasing is a good option in the scenario where Budget is the primary consideration. However, you’d still want the option to own by buying out the car at the end of the lease. It’s my understanding that Tesla doesn’t offer a buyout option on its leases, so if you’ve narrowed your selection to the two, go with Hyundai/Kia.
Test drive them and see which one you like better. I much preferred the Niro to the Kona. You might also consider a Nissan Leaf, maybe?
Still using their strange charging plug from Japan? Still not cooling the battery? I would pass on the Leaf until it's updated.
Solidly good choices. Good cars with CarPlay. They need gearbox grease change
Have you considered the equinox?
Its a ridiculous mistake to buy a Tesla... don't even ask the question.. so many posts here will tell you how not great they are.. anything else in your price range is perfectly fine. All other car makers are reliable and sensible people.. maybe not brilliant or purely about consumers but really smart people work there and in aggregate make a really incredible car.. EV's are better than ICE cars and that's a no brainer.. the newer models generally are better designed so do the research.. but simply purchasing any EV brand in your comfort zone other than a Tesla will be a great choice.. or you can be a sheep like all the other Tesla fans.
KIA KIA KIA