A close friend of mine recently called me for advice. He wanted to know what vehicle he should get for his teenage sons to drive.
The main criteria: It’s got to be safe for these young drivers. But it also can’t be too heavy and big, so if an accident happens, god forbid, they don’t do too much damage to those around them.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, too. My youngest daughter is about to leave for college. She occasionally drives our ancient Toyota. What would I want her driving as an adult heading out into the world?
On a recent trip from Silicon Valley to visit UC Santa Barbara with my wife and daughter, I got to try out a vehicle that fits the bill: The 2024 Hyundai Kona.
Here are the highlights of the trip and a rundown of what we loved, liked, and disliked about this vehicle.
We had a lot to pack for the trip. Would everything fit?
Yes, all our bags fit fine. The Kona’s trunk is pretty roomy for a relatively small vehicle.
Legroom in the back was good, even when I pushed the driver seat back.The interior of the Hyundai Kona was bright and spaciousThe 2024 Kona stands out on the street. A slight spaceship vibe that I grew to like. The high-end Kona Limited model has a wide, crisp display for navigation and extra visibility around the vehicle
Some of the cheaper Kona models have a smaller display.
We were most impressed by all the safety features
The Hyundai Kona Limited AWD that I test drove came with a wide array of safety features that helped me keep an eye on my surroundings while driving. The best examples were the “No Blind Spot View Monitor” and a navigation system that has adaptive cruise control and “curve” control to help you steer around corners.
Some of the top safety features aren’t available on the base model Kona
Our test vehicle cost $34,695, including freight and handling. This is for the Limited AWD version, which comes with a huge number of impressive features, including ventilated seats, a Bose speaker system, and cool wheels. You can get a much more affordable SE model for about $25,000. This lacks some of the most impressive safety features, though, such as the “No Blind Spot View Monitor.”
The Kona has a cool selector that you twist to put the automatic transmission into drive, reverse, and park.My daughter liked the Kona’s styling, but said she wouldn’t call it out to her friends. That’s still a win. The Kona weighs 3000-3500 pounds, depending on the version. That’s notably lighter than the average US vehicle. Safety ratings for the Hyundai Kona are solid
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the 2024 Hyundai Kona a “Top Safety Pick+” award.
On the road, the Kona handles well, with the occasional floaty feel in turns
The Kona doesn’t have the tightest steering. However, this is not supposed to be a sports car. The steering was accurate and the ride was certainly comfortable during our long drive to and from UC Santa Barbara.
The Bose speaker system sounded deep and crisp, and our phones hooked up to the bluetooth easily.
Outlets for charging devices were plentiful and placed in the right spots throughout the vehicle.
On our long drive, these 2 safety features really helped
The “No Blind Spot View Monitor” appeared as a circular video on the dashboard display whenever I indicated to turn or change lanes. It provided an instant video view of the area to the side and behind me. So useful to see what’s going on back there. The curve control system helped me keep the car in the right spots on the highway during the long drive.
Our dog enjoyed the rideThe base model Kona still has many safety features
Standard safety features on the base SE model include: Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Warning; Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection and Cyclist Detection, Lane Keeping Assist, and a Driver Attention Warning system. This is the type of technology that makes parents more comfortable when imagining their teenage kids driving around!
The engine on the Hyundai Kona Limited was peppy
It has a 190-horsepower 1.6 liter turbocharged GDI 4-cylinder engine. I could press the accelerator on the highway and it would respond with more than enough power to maneuver easily and safely. However, some of the cheaper versions of the Kona come with a less-powerful engine.
Summing up my thoughts on the Hyundai Kona
It’s lighter than your average US vehicle. It’s not too big, or too small. Many safety features come standard, and there are some really impressive ones that come with the high-end Limited model I drove.
I’d be comfortable having my teenage daughter driving the Kona.
I’d recommend this vehicle for my friend’s teenage sons, too.
It would also work well as a practical family vehicle that has a little pizzazz.A cheaper version of the Hyundai Kona may be a better deal
The SE model of the 2024 Hyundai Kona may be a better deal, at roughly $25,000. The car I test drove was about $10,000 more than that. That’s a lot of money. You’d miss out on the more-powerful engine, though. A few of the most impressive safety features aren’t available with the SE version, either. And the wheels are less cool. But many of the things I loved about this vehicle are still there with the SE. You can also get pretty good lease deals on Kona vehicles, too.
Overall, I was impressed — and my family agreed after spending many hours on the road in California with the Kona.
The post I took the new Hyundai Kona on a family road trip: It’s a practical car with pizzazz that I’d be comfortable letting my teenager drive. appeared first on Business Insider.
