[Sarkus]

Hello!

I went ahead and registered as this seems the most active Kona forum I can find. I'm likely getting a new car this summer or fall and have just begun the test driving process. Going in, the Kona and the Crosstrek are my "on paper" top two choices so I've been lurking around to see what buyers are saying. I live in the northern Rockies of the US so AWD is a must here.

I was hoping to test drive both today (the nearest non-domestic dealers are 50 miles from where I live) but it turns out even in a small city of 100,000 the dealers are all closed on Sundays! Who knew? So all I did was wander the lots and look at parked cars today. Still, the Kona looks pretty good close p and the blue and black both looked better in person then online or in videos.

We'll see if I go the Kona route in the end but it looks like a good option to me right now.

 

[HKSKS]

Welcome.

Great choice to include on your short list. I wish Toyota would hurry up with that new smaller FJ product because from the looks of it, we might be getting a more utilitarian of the Kona in the form of that new Toyota.

 

[Dezlboy]

My two choices are also Crosstrek or Kona. From various articles the knock on Crosstrek is the engine is "adequate", but lacking the zip when you need it. The reviews on Kona are that the 2.0L is more powerful than the Crosstrek and has some zip, while the 1.6L turbo racks up there or better with the other compact SUVs or SUVs...like Honda.

Both have the same safety technology (blind spot, rear alerts, etc), except for adaptive cruise control only on the Crosstrek. Several articles said the Kona has all the hardware required and Hyundai has hinted at a software update. NOTE: This comparison assumes you buy the models of each brand that have the safety items. Not all price levels do.

The Crosstrek has more ground clearance (8 inches), the Kona is about halfway between this and a regular car. I don't recall figures.

And, the Crosstrek is longer (174 or so inches), the Kona (164 or so). I drive a Golf (164 inches) and prefer the smaller length for parking.

SO,,,,I am strongly leaning to Kona. Haven't driven either.

Hope this info helps.

 

[shoresofmargaritaville]

My two choices are also Crosstrek or Kona. From various articles the knock on Crosstrek is the engine is "adequate", but lacking the zip when you need it. The reviews on Kona are that the 2.0L is more powerful than the Crosstrek and has some zip, while the 1.6L turbo racks up there or better with the other compact SUVs or SUVs...like Honda.

Both have the same safety technology (blind spot, rear alerts, etc), except for adaptive cruise control only on the Crosstrek. Several articles said the Kona has all the hardware required and Hyundai has hinted at a software update. NOTE: This comparison assumes you buy the models of each brand that have the safety items. Not all price levels do.

The Crosstrek has more ground clearance (8 inches), the Kona is about halfway between this and a regular car. I don't recall figures.

And, the Crosstrek is longer (174 or so inches), the Kona (164 or so). I drive a Golf (164 inches) and prefer the smaller length for parking.

SO,,,,I am strongly leaning to Kona. Haven't driven either.

Hope this info helps.

Welcome and I commend your short list. We actually have both a 2016 CrossTrek and now a 2018 Kona. Love them both for different reasons. MPG is about the same, the ground clearance on the CT is nice especially since we live in an area that we need it. The Kona is much better on power (we have the turbo). One thing that currently bumps the CT ahead for us is that we added a tow package (self installed) and for the life of me I can not find a hitch for the Kona yet (at least in the USA). The Kona's tech package is far better than the 16 CT (CT has no android auto and Subaru starlink" is pretty much the most useless program ever made. I think you would be happy with either choice, just depends on what you plan on doing with it.

 

[Sarkus]

Welcome and I commend your short list. We actually have both a 2016 CrossTrek and now a 2018 Kona. Love them both for different reasons. MPG is about the same, the ground clearance on the CT is nice especially since we live in an area that we need it. The Kona is much better on power (we have the turbo). One thing that currently bumps the CT ahead for us is that we added a tow package (self installed) and for the life of me I can not find a hitch for the Kona yet (at least in the USA). The Kona's tech package is far better than the 16 CT (CT has no android auto and Subaru starlink" is pretty much the most useless program ever made. I think you would be happy with either choice, just depends on what you plan on doing with it.

Another member here has found a hitch for sale in the US now at Curt Hitches. It just went live on their site a few days ago. Hyundai's lack of a tow rating for the Kona was one of my biggest negatives in comparison to the Crosstrek but as the car is tow rated in Europe and Australia, I'm assuming that Hyundai simply has chosen not to feature that here at the moment.


The new Crosstreks have much better tech but the price differential is a real factor for me. The Kona may not be quite as capable as the Crosstrek in terms of ground clearance (which is something I value) but it's literally thousands of dollars cheaper, and even more so in my case since I can get a discount with Hyundai through my employer but not with Subaru.

 

[JR KONA]

Hyundai uses a coil spring and strut assembly so there should be a reasonable towing capacity. Class II hitch available but if you decide to go with a heavier tongue weight than 200 LBS, I would definitely be thinking about load levelers or air bags for the coil springs and a class III hitch assembly. However you need to also be thinking about the engine and a possible oil cooler as well.