Kona electric?

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Discussion

drgoatboy

Original Poster:

1,873 posts

222 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Wondering if anyone has any advice, my mg4 x-power lease is coming to an end, and I really want to get my monthlies down.

Thinking just buying a second hand bev might be the cheapest way to do this, there are some great looking cars coming to the market but as they are all too new for great leases or not actually out yet I think it might be worth owning for a year or 2 and hanging on for better deals.

The brief is simple (ish). Car has to be big enough to fit 4 but small enough to be good round town (kinda mg4 size). So enyaq, Arias, model y are all a bit too big.
Ideally want something thats colourful so avoiding silvers, blacks greys. It will to be run the kids around so needs a bit of character for them to be interested (which I would prefer if they were)

If I'm buying ideally I would like to spend under £12k.

Top of my list is a kona electric right now but only because....

Honda-e is a bit small and Mrs goat doesn't like the look
Niro just reminds me of Uber
Mokka is too small in the back and all it's stellantis derivatives I think I would like to avoid.
Mg4 I've had so would like a change (and it would be too hard to go from the x-power to a lesser model)
Model 3 are too expensive to insure
Leaf and ux300 are chademo and although that's not necessarily a problem resale in a year or 2 scares me
Golf-e is interesting and gets great reviews but I would like a bit more range
Kia soul ticks a lot of boxes but the wife says it's too ugly
Mini doesn't have enough doors.
I3 and Mazda have suicide doors which I really don't think work with kids in tight car parks
Id3 would be an early one and I've heard too many horror stories on build quality
Mg zs is just too ugly.

Am I wrong in the above? Any I have missed?

The Kona doesn't really excite me but seems to tick most boxes and gets rave reviews from owners and is available in lurid blue....

Benny Saltstein

713 posts

228 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
This is probably too new but the Hyundai Inster is a small 5 door hatch but with amazing interior space.

We love ours!

drgoatboy

Original Poster:

1,873 posts

222 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Benny Saltstein said:
This is probably too new but the Hyundai Inster is a small 5 door hatch but with amazing interior space.

We love ours!
What?!!? The inster is 5 door?! Love the way these look

However rubbish lease price on these, it's more expensive than an ioniq 6!

Edited by drgoatboy on Tuesday 8th July 22:21

spaceship

885 posts

190 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
MG4, MGZS, Citroen e-C4, id3 are pretty much my shortlist for same reasons as yourself. Look at 2-3 yr pcp if you have a couple of £k for deposit.

Sheepshanks

37,118 posts

134 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Gen1 Kona is pretty tight in the back seat and the boot is small.

Some issues with gearboxes bearings becoming noisy, although not the end of the world if you can find someone to repair it.

mikeiow

7,116 posts

145 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Our previous Kona Gen1 was a 2019 SE Premium & was a bit under £12k in partex for a 4 month old ex-demo.
We did 50k miles in it - loved it!
240-300 miles in summer, depending how hard you pushed it wink, & always 220+ in winter.
It was tight in the back, mind. If you regularly have people there, that might get tiring, but it depends what they are used to. Test one!

The Gen2 is much bigger, in both legroom and also boot space (& has a frunk)….but would be way above 12k.

drgoatboy

Original Poster:

1,873 posts

222 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
spaceship said:
MG4, MGZS, Citroen e-C4, id3 are pretty much my shortlist for same reasons as yourself. Look at 2-3 yr pcp if you have a couple of £k for deposit.
Yeah that was the plan. A couple of the bigger dealers are doing half decent PCP (for 2nd hnd anyway) so monthlies can be really low

drgoatboy

Original Poster:

1,873 posts

222 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
mikeiow said:
Our previous Kona Gen1 was a 2019 SE Premium & was a bit under £12k in partex for a 4 month old ex-demo.
We did 50k miles in it - loved it!
240-300 miles in summer, depending how hard you pushed it wink, & always 220+ in winter.
It was tight in the back, mind. If you regularly have people there, that might get tiring, but it depends what they are used to. Test one!

The Gen2 is much bigger, in both legroom and also boot space (& has a frunk) .but would be way above 12k.
Oh no. I assumed they would be ok being reasonable size and all. Boot space isn't too much of an issue. Sounds like I need to see one up close!

Assume mk1 includes the 2021 facelift? (Eta yes mk2 from 2023)


Edited by drgoatboy on Tuesday 8th July 23:53

RotorRambler

257 posts

5 months

Yesterday (07:14)
quotequote all
Bit over budget @ £14800, looks a good buy:-

2022 Skoda Enyaq 60
Great reviews, huge interior (I have an 80, great car)

https://ebay.us/m/J7KHgT


Jazoli

9,334 posts

265 months

Yesterday (07:20)
quotequote all
RotorRambler said:
Bit over budget @ £14800, looks a good buy:-

2022 Skoda Enyaq 60
Great reviews, huge interior (I have an 80, great car)

https://ebay.us/m/J7KHgT

OP has already said he doesn’t want an Enyaq smile

drgoatboy

Original Poster:

1,873 posts

222 months

Yesterday (07:23)
quotequote all
RotorRambler said:
Bit over budget @ £14800, looks a good buy:-

2022 Skoda Enyaq 60
Great reviews, huge interior (I have an 80, great car)

https://ebay.us/m/J7KHgT
Thanks, bargain that. But we already have an enyaq vrs. This will be our second car for round town duties hence needing/wanting something smaller


RotorRambler

257 posts

5 months

Yesterday (07:53)
quotequote all
Sorry, I must concentrate !

gmaz

4,894 posts

225 months

Yesterday (08:14)
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
Gen1 Kona is pretty tight in the back seat and the boot is small.
Yes, if you can live with that it is a very good car, I had one for 2 years and was happy with it.

However, the Kia Niro is bigger and has a 2 year longer warranty.

drgoatboy

Original Poster:

1,873 posts

222 months

Yesterday (08:50)
quotequote all
gmaz said:
Yes, if you can live with that it is a very good car, I had one for 2 years and was happy with it.

However, the Kia Niro is bigger and has a 2 year longer warranty.
Thanks, seems the Niro is the better option but I just can't get round the fact it looks so dull and they seem to be used a lot as taxis. (I know that's actually a good thing as it means they are spacious and reliable but it does dull the image somewhat)

mikeiow

7,116 posts

145 months

Yesterday (08:50)
quotequote all
drgoatboy said:
mikeiow said:
Our previous Kona Gen1 was a 2019 SE Premium & was a bit under £12k in partex for a 4 month old ex-demo.
We did 50k miles in it - loved it!
240-300 miles in summer, depending how hard you pushed it wink, & always 220+ in winter.
It was tight in the back, mind. If you regularly have people there, that might get tiring, but it depends what they are used to. Test one!

The Gen2 is much bigger, in both legroom and also boot space (& has a frunk) .but would be way above 12k.
Oh no. I assumed they would be ok being reasonable size and all. Boot space isn't too much of an issue. Sounds like I need to see one up close!

Assume mk1 includes the 2021 facelift? (Eta yes mk2 from 2023)
Well, defo take a look. Young kids would be fine. A 6’ son behind a 6’ driver: less so! (& I’m 6’).
Boot space was fine for us, but it was mostly just us.

Except when I took it to mid-Wales for a DofE I was running: look how much I fitted under the boot floor!



& yes, the facelift is the same inside (but with a much easier to clean front “grill” !).
As I say: we did love it, our first EV, owned for 5 years. The one on the right wink


drgoatboy

Original Poster:

1,873 posts

222 months

Yesterday (09:17)
quotequote all
mikeiow said:
Well, defo take a look. Young kids would be fine. A 6 son behind a 6 driver: less so! (& I m 6 ).
Boot space was fine for us, but it was mostly just us.

Except when I took it to mid-Wales for a DofE I was running: look how much I fitted under the boot floor!



& yes, the facelift is the same inside (but with a much easier to clean front grill !).
As I say: we did love it, our first EV, owned for 5 years. The one on the right wink

Thanks, looks good with the black roof too! I'll go check one out asap

Sheepshanks

37,118 posts

134 months

Yesterday (09:42)
quotequote all
drgoatboy said:
Thanks, looks good with the black roof too! I'll go check one out asap
I think it looks good too - the facelift one doesn't have the black wheel arches. Can't recall seeing a facelift with the black roof either.

I wanted to try an EV in the family so started to look at Kona Gen1 but it was dismissed as too small. So looked at eNiro "looks like an old person's car". Ended up with a new Kona 2 - bit more than I'd originally wanted to spend.