- Consumer Reports no longer recommends 1 Hyundai SUV
- The Hyundai Kona is not recommended
- This Hyundai SUV isn’t the only one Consumer Reports no longer recommends
Consumer Reports sends an Annual Auto Survey to owners to gather reliability data about popular cars, trucks, and SUVs. Within the survey are many questions about issues that may have occurred over the past year, and it covers 17 aspects of vehicle ownership. Unfortunately, after receiving feedback from owners, one Hyundai SUV is no longer recommended by Consumer Reports. What happened to the Hyundai Kona?
Consumer Reports no longer recommends 1 Hyundai SUV
2023 Hyundai Kona Electric | Hyundai Motor America
Consumer Reports recommended buying the Hyundai Kona during the previous model year. The subcompact SUV gets decent fuel economy, a powerful optional engine, nimble handling, and easy-to-use controls. As a result, it’s one of the top-rated models in its class, with a lot going for it. Furthermore, a low starting price enhances those features even more. Kona buyers only need to pay $21,990 for the most basic version and still just $34,700 for the fully-loaded variant. Front-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive is optional for all trims. CR tested a model equipped with AWD, making its 26 mpg even more impressive.
However, CR no longer recommends the Hyundai SUV for one reason. The consumer reliability survey revealed the Kona to be unreliable. Moreover, owners of the Hyundai Kona have experienced many problems in the 17 trouble spots they were questioned about. Following the results, the publication was forced to take action, removing the “recommended” label from the 2023 Hyundai Kona. Furthermore, the Kona was never perfect, with poor reviews for its stiff ride and underwhelming standard engine, for example. Adding unreliability to the mix was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
The Hyundai Kona is not recommended
The 2023 Hyundai Kona | Hyundai
In addition to its new reliability rating, a few other things hurt the Hyundai Kona‘s overall rating. For example, CR says, “The base 2.0-liter engine and six-speed automatic are adequate around town but can feel sluggish at times.” Next, the ride is stiff, and the cabin is loud. Road and engine noise elevated from inside the Kona are to blame. According to Edmunds, the interior contains many hard plastic panels. Although sometimes this isn’t a negative for many buyers, hard plastics make a car or SUV feel cheap and are usually detrimental to a high-quality interior.
Despite its negatives, the Hyundai Kona has some seriously excellent attributes too. In particular, the base model SE has a surprising number of standard features for the price, including safety equipment. For example, forward collision mitigation, lane departure mitigation, a lane-keeping system, blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning, and a safe-exit system are standard.
The standard, underwhelming engine is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that produces 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. Optionally, and recommended by most experts, buyers can get a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder, good for 195 hp and 195 lb-ft. Finally, the range-topping Kona N uses an improved turbocharged 2.0-liter unit making 276 hp and 289 lb-ft.
This Hyundai SUV isn’t the only one Consumer Reports no longer recommends
Although it’s interesting Consumer Reports no longer recommend the Hyundai Kona, it isn’t alone. A small group of cars, trucks, and SUVs all lost their CR recommendation due to reliability. Vehicle owners revealed a ton of new information to CR, allowing them to alter suggestions based on how often a vehicle has issues. For example, the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Bronco Sport, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Tundra, and Volvo XC60 are no longer recommended by Consumer Reports.
Keyword: 1 Hyundai SUV Is No Longer Recommended By Consumer Reports