2020 Hyundai Kona Ultimate Review & Drive | Versatile & Spunky 

You really can’t beat the Kona for the price. You get a lot of features, reliability and one crazy warranty

I bought my 2019 new, and we had 4 adults with luggage for all of us for a week, and we drove from central Ohio to roam mountain Tennessee and all of us were very comfortable and had no issues whatsoever.

This is a terrific car. If you are shopping this class of vehicle it should be seriously considered!

I love my Kona Ultimate 2020. ♡ Mine is blue lagoon. My only objection is the cargo space. It's good The technology is top notch. I love using Blue Link. I worked on the 5th floor, and in Winter, I use my phone from a long distance to start my car.

I just got the SE version lol I’m poor. I love it! I haven’t bought a car since 2015 and to see things that I thought were ‘luxury’ items ‘standard’ is awesome! Lol

I just bought this vehicle and what research I did quickly I was impressed. Then I test drove it. My biggest decision was do I sink 2k into a 5yr old Nissan Versa Note or trade it in. I was able to get a wonderful deal and bought it. It rides like a dream and I am absolutely glad I decided to buy it. As a senior it is by far a great bang for the buck.

I just bought the Preferred 2020 Kona. I'm obsessed with it! Great review video.

I purchased a limited 2020 turbo sunset orange Kona last month. I Love it !.

Have a '21 base model and I love it. Truly think it's an underrated car. For the price it feels really nice to me and has a lot of features!

I'm driving Kona 2020 Ultimate since December 19. What I like: 1) Adaptive cruise control 2) Head-up display 3) It's funny to drive 4) Control from the phone - remote start helps in winter and summer What I don't: 1) Too small cargo for a family with children (it's not a problem for me at this moment :) ) 2) Head-up display doesn't show navigation from Car Play but works fine with on-board navigation system 3) Only one place to rest for hands - on knees :) At this moment my longest distance was near 5-6 hours and I didn't feel myself too tired after it, but it was little bit discomfort during a drive 4) Sometime remote start fails (didn't mention it last 3-4 months - I hope they fixed it)

I bought one last week in silver and I love it

I have a 2019 ultimate. I love this car. Its just high enough for traffic and snow but low and wide enough to be fun to drive at high speeds, especially on back roads. Has all the bells n Whistles. I dont miss my wrangler one bit, this is a much better engineered car

I have a 2018 and like many reviews on this video and others there is mention of jerkiness with the dual-clutch. I have experienced this myself with my 2018 limited Kona I have found a solution. Using top tier gasoline makes a huge difference I'm not talking about octane I'm talking about overall quality of gas. For example 7-Eleven brand, Walmart and Sam's gas are not top-tier. Exxon QuikTrip and Texaco are examples of brands that sell top tier gasoline exclusively and guaranteed.

Just bought one today in the baby blue color very happy with my purchase

I have this exact car & I love it. It definitely has a kick to it for a smaller car. It picks up well. From a dead stop it takes a minute to pick up boost but from a rolling start it kicks off quick. So far I haven't hit max speed. Top speed I've reached on a straight road is 130MPH & it was still rising. Is this regulated ? Its also good on gas. I dont usually pay more than $25 or a complete fill. I cant really think of any negatives for this car. I've had the 2020 kona since Sept of 2019 and its been riding great in all types of weather. Also feels really planted at high speeds and tight turns. For the price range, its a great car. They incorporated some great things for the price. Safety features are great too. Only regret is not getting the GPS on it.

That free scheduled maintenance is a real bargain!

That dual clutch makes the Kona into a little rally car!

You can adjust the height and color of the head up display. The colors are white green and orange.

I have the 2019 in this lime color and I love it

Nice review. Thank you. I'd really appreciate reviewers stating their height and maybe weight when talking about room space, cuz at 5'11 I seem to bumpy head in some of the smaller compact vehicles.

Love this Kona. I tried 4 times to buy one. Bad credit. 🤧 Makes me happy to drive it. So I'll settle for an older SUV that also makes me happy to drive. Just not quiet as much the Kona does: The 2010-12 Ford Escape Limited. Love the ice blue gauge light.

Bang for buck! The turning circle on this car is phenomenal. A lot of pros and not many cons. A great little car.

Awesome review! Bought a Ultimate 1.6T AWD about 2 months ago and totally agree. It's been a great fun car to drive. Did you find the Goodyear GT tires hydroplaned on wet roads? Mine does which is the worst part of this car imo.

I really don't mind the color at all and the matching inside accents

Excellent review as always, amigo! Loved it! Could you review the 2020 Chevrolet Spark next? It's the cheapest new car in America and that's important because 1/3 of the American workforce is unemployed and affordable reliable new cars under warranty are super important right now. Hey, even if we're unemployed, we still need a car to get around and even to apply for jobs. Also, the Corvette team designed the Chevy Spark too and they designed it to be fun to drive!

We just bought one and love it. Agree that the clutch will take a little to get use to but overall we are happy. Can’t wait to trade in a few years for the Kona EV when they start selling it in our state

I have a 2019 Kona Limited. Tend to leave it in sport mode most of the time. Find it does a lot less hunting for the right gear that way.

Kona means wife in Norway. Title say versatile and spunky, kona is best bang for bucks, even better second time around. Who makes this review script? Quagmire? LOL!

The interior looks very nice especially the green trimming. How many more color trimming it has? Thank you for such a wonderful review buddy.

I just bought the exact model you tested and love it! I was wondering about the under-seat air-ducts. I didn't realize I had them until just recently and do feel that they blow some air when the AC is on, but not much. I suppose your feet would be kept cool. Are they intended to help provide some AC to back passengers or is this for some other purpose? I was disappointed that at nearly $30K the car is lacking rear vents. Otherwise it drives awesome, has a very solid feel and has excellent power for this class. Also love all the safety features. Looks awesome and really fun to drive. With quarantine in CA, I am trying to find every excuse in the book to come up with reasons to drive it somewhere - anywhere, now that I don't even commute to work!

It’s so hard to find car accessories for them and I’m sad. This is my first car and I’m really happy with it just got it last week! I have the 2021 tho haha

Great review as always! I actually didn’t like these when they came out. Thought they were ugly. Now that I have a friend who has one, I’ve fallen in love. However, I’d opt for the slower engine because of 2 reasons. The 1.6T has that dual clutch and I absolutely hate them due to being overheating happy. The second reason is because I don’t like the jerkiness of it. I’d prefer the regular auto in the lower trim with the slower engine. It sucks since I like power but I also like durability. Overall Hyundai did super good on this!

Are you able to take off the cargo cover?? it looks to be very inconvenient

Just bought my wife a 19 It’s nice Way better than 2020 rogue sport of my moms I hate the cvt and not much on it It’s just a S but Just get one of these believe me it’s way better

Another great review. Thanks for explaining how a turbo feels compared to NA engines for those of us unfamiliar with turbos. Any chance on reviewing the Subaru Outback in the future?

Nice videos you make👍🏾

Super review! Exactly how a great review should be! For the $$ there should be fewer hard plastics. Will read up more on the available transmissions. Thx from way Down Under.

Which year Kona would be the second best to buy if you don’t want the newest?

I have 2018 Kona, I’m always looking for reviews for the newer version. I feel like they’re the same, just a small difference in the engine.

I’ve always wondered why those screens aren’t slightly moveable in a way that you could face it more towards the driver in case of glare. But, that’s another great reason, * excuse * , lol, to get tinted windows. ;-)

You should make a video on the Kia Niro. Considering getting that or the Kona as my next vehicle.

I have a 2018 in tangerine and I love it 💜💙

Great Crossover!!

AC and heat come out of vents under each front seat. Only wish for the Kona is more light up front. I have installed a one row curved 31" light bar in the slit just under the hood. This is a great car for LYFT or UBER. 🤔🧐😷🇺🇸

And this has a an actual spare tire? Because my Veloster doesn't have a spare plus I was looking to up grade to this color and model

nice car,but ended up getting the vitara S allgrip,great review thanks

Loving it!!!

who needs the nanny safety features- abs is all you need

•Sport Mode• best to use driving-up on an up-hill or increasing slope roads...

Did you mention the bad, no terrible smell the transmission make if it is under any kind of strain? 'Cause it is horrible.

My biggest complaint with this segment of cars is that there aren't enough sporty trims. Your complaint is the opposite of it. My philosophy is to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Good car easy to drive I love my kona

Nice review...thanks!

The Thunder Gray Kona is the most mature looking one.

I have a 2019,ultimate. Pissed I didn’t wait a year and get the adaptive cruise

Do the Seats fold down FLAT?

Ugh can’t wait to get this car this summer

Great review

What is your name? You do a good job.

He said it didn’t have eco mode? Ours does has three modes

so cute I want one

is the kona full time AWD or can be chosen by a button? which trim level has standard AWD?

How's the MPG?

Is this the best subcompact SUV for you?

A unique review.

I thought Infinity was a Chrysler Radio?

I want one that is basic basic basic. All I need is Auto PS/PB A/C AM/FM CD Rear Defrost Tilt CC I dont need ail those other power crap that will break when its out warranty. CA I order just basic crank windows manual seats manual locks.

New sub ❤

I dont like the hand brake; i feel like it should be electronic. Also the climate controls are back to that older knob look :/

It's just too small for someone 5.11. Otherwise nice, really nice!

I would need one without turbo they wear off and are expensive to fix

Can't find the standard version anywhere. Tried half a dozen dealers in North Carolina to find they don't even sell this model in the state. Or it would seem 500 miles of it. Have tried a few places in NY, NJ and CT. No wonder Tesla don't use dealerships, they all want all your personal details before they'll answer one question. Wasted nearly a whole day.

price ???????????????????

is this a paid promotion?

what a goodboy.

Where’s the Toyota CH-R review?

It's funny I haven't seen a whole lot of your videos but it seems every Hyundai you drive there's always rattles I have had several Hyundai vehicles from a Veloster sonata Elantra and now a Kona and I've never had any rattles I had a 2016 Hyundai Veloster turbo DCT with $75,000 miles for almost 5 years and had no rattles or problems it was very reliable. Also my wife had a few elantras Santa Fe sport and now a Tucson and all of them had no rattles and very reliable. and if any of my cars would rattle I would notice it because that s*** would annoy me and if I put the radio on it's low I mainly just like to relax and listen to nothing while driving home from work.

Nice color cute car🚗

When you say clutch means standard suv

For any real buyers concerned about reliability go see speedkar99 throughout mechanic review. I had this car as a rental. Good mileage and better ride than a civic, but you're still better off with a Honda or Toyota of you know nothing about cars.

Nice car

How awful is the FWD in the winter?

I have a MY20 highlander. Love it. In the yellow which I think is green. Lol. My third Hyundai now.

I test drove the car a few weeks ago. I feel the Dct seems a low jerky at low speeds, which is expected. But I can be smoother with a manual car.

I LOUW VOU HYUNDAI 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

10:12 ??? gas?

Those rims seem a copy paste from Peugeot 308 18"

why am i watching this?

An appealing subcompact crossover. Personally, I'm not usually attracted to Hyundai design language. Too busy and "fussy" for my taste. Almost as if the designers complete their job and the vehicle is put through one last review by a committee where additional creases and bulges are added. (Lookin' at you, Palisade.) As noted, that's a matter of taste but there are a couple of other aspects that have more functional impacts. Another design feature shared with the Palisade is the placement of headlights just above the bumper with running lights/turn signals at the top of the fender. It's a design choice pioneered by the Pontiac Aztek (Not exactly a proud heritage) and later adopted by the Nissan Juke and the Jeep Cherokee. (Later abandoned by the Jeep.)The issue is that here in the Pacific Northwest the spring thaw in the mountains brings hundreds of tons of rocks and gravel down to our highways where they become high velocity bullets fired from large trucks at the vehicles behind. Drivers here soon learn to (a) give logging rigs and other large trucks a wide berth, (b) outfit their vehicles with extra protection for their windshields (in the form of transparent baffles at the front of their hoods) and transparent vinyl headlight covers and/or (c) resign themselves to frequent repairs and less frequent replacement of their windshields and headlights. Placing the headlights just above the front bumper only increases their vulnerability not only from trucks but from smaller vehicles as well. Finally, I love the size of the Kona. At 164" in length it's exactly the same length as my VW GTI. But my GTI offers about the same cargo space behind the second row and considerably more overall cargo space with the second row folded down. (53.4 cubic ft vs 45.8 cf). I doubt many consumers will cross shop the GTI and the Kona but it's worth noting that the VW offers much better performance and handling, and a choice between a superb dual clutch and a manual transmission. I understand the appeal of crossovers in several size categories but among the smallest group, I don't really understand why many consumers wouldn't choose a hatchback, especially a "hot" hatch. And if a subcompact SUV is the choice, the KIA Seltos (built on the same platform as the Kona and sharing many features and components seems a more versatile choice.

FOR 46 k idk you can buy better crossovers for this money a brand new lexus Rx 350 a lexus nx [ decked out] and mercdes glc i mean for a kia?

Only thing I hate is all that plastic around the wheel well and lights. Makes it ugly. Why can't they just do it all the same color as the body

I hate the cladding on the wheels... It looks like a prototype rather than finished version

4:00 you suddenly look so tiny

Hyundai.. why did u put the plastic trim around the tires.. that makes cars look so cheap smh

U lost me at rattle 😭

That was a fart at 10:13

It will rattle in time. This car is good if you are planning to get rid of it in 3 years.

I have a 20 ult I have a few beefs with it. The US version gets nerfed on options vs overseas, and the brakes are really really bad (talking safety issue bad). As a Ult it should come with allot more options standard, the display/dash is fairly badly designed aesthetically. The seats are barely passable, and the audio system is fairly bad with the mids. The sad state of the small SUV market though makes it the best for the money even with all its problems. But as my second brand new Ult packaged Hyundai I'm really not impressed. I give it a 6/10 but with how bad other small SUVs are for the $ it still better than the others... Honestly if another small SUV pops up in the market for a good value for the $ Ill prob trade it in. But for a Ult package ult it comes pathetically equipped and optioned. Just like mine this is the highest package and it doesn't even come with a alloy spare, stainless steel pedals, ect... There is also not even a plugin hybrid option yet ect...

28k plus is way to much for this and remember Hyundai service can't fix their vehicles only make excuses.

Great review I'm so sorry but in my opinion, I think it's very hideous but the interior is nice though