We got a new transportation appliance a couple of weeks ago and, as Michele says, “We totally love it!”. I hesitate to call it a car because it is so far from what I traditionally think of as a car. Car may be a small word, but it can carry all kinds of implications. Our new transportation appliance doesn’t seem to have any implications, or at least any of the usual implications. It’s a Hyundai Kona, which should be a bland small SUV, except that it is a super fun, nimble, everyday driver that is anything but bland. The 2025 Kona is surprisingly very much like Michele’s 2002 Volkswagen V-6 GTI, which we both agree used to be our favorite daily driver.
I’ve owned a lot of different cars, and at first, what seemed to make this one stand out was that it was digital. When I say digital, what I mean is that, like my Sony a6700 Camera, it seems to be almost infinitely adjustable. When I walk up to the driver’s door of the Kona, without taking the key fob out of my pants pocket, all four doors unlock. But when Michele walks up to the door, only the driver’s door unlocks. That is because the number of doors unlocking is adjustable by each key fob.
In addition to the breaks, when I take my foot off the gas pedal, the car slows down by regenerative braking, and the amount – zero to 100 percent – is adjustable by paddles on the steering wheel. When I turn on the left turn indicator, a television camera turns on, showing me the left lane behind the car in what would normally be the speedometer.
Still, after owning the Kona for a week, unlike the Sony a6700, I became used to most of the digital goodies, even thinking they were necessary. The electric-ness of the transportation appliance was a different thing. Because it takes longer to recharge the battery than to put gasoline in the tank, the remaining range of the battery is a constant presence. Electric motors do not have a torque curve; they have full torque from zero to whatever, so putting my foot on the gas – foot on the gas still seems to mean hitting the go button – at a stop sign or a freeway on ramp provides instant acceleration.
I’ve had a lot of great cars in my life, and the Kona is near the top. That is surprising to me. I expected bland and got fun.
Congratulations, glad that you are enjoying it!
Thanks, Howard. I know you’ve had electric cars, do you have one now?
Impractical for me, cause I seldom park in the same place. I find having to find a charger, then sitting there for a hour a real pain in the butt. I have friends who have EVs and love them tho. When the infrastructure catches up – I suspect it’s better in Calif, maybe I’d consider it. Enjoy yours!
Welcome to the club-we’re on our fifth electric car (6 if you count 1 plug-in hybrid). We remember having range anxiety once when in Orinda in a VW Golf with only 14 miles of range left to get back to San Rafael. Made it easily!