So far I’m really liking this little guy. I’m definitely a bit out of practice driving a manual, but fortunately I’ve only stalled it once.
I love the styling. I’ve said before it reminds me of the Skoda Fabia, another design I like. I’m not wild about the gray inset cladding on the doors but since it doesn’t rise to Pontiac levels, I’ll allow it.
This is the first car with the floating touchscreen type of design that I actually like. Close up it looks like they designed a slot for an iPad, rather than just sticking a touchscreen awkwardly to the dash. The plastics are a bit hard but look and feel like they’re good quality. The interior is significantly better in my opinion than the larger and more expensive Kona. The seats are fantastic. They’re super supportive and bolstered nicely.
Ok, automakers. Please listen closely... DON’T MAKE SPEEDOMETERS LIKE THESE. Seriously, stop. In case you didn’t catch it, the speedo starts with 10 mph increments and then after 40 switches to 20 mph increments. Pick one or the other. That’s a bad design and you should feel bad, Hyundai. Other than that awful design choice, everything else is logically laid out and nice to look at. (I fixed the low tire light after this pic was taken.)
This is the first chance I’ve had to use Android Auto for an extended period. We have it in the Elantra, but that’s my husband’s car and his phone is paired with it when we’re driving it. I really like it. It’s super easy to respond to texts with minimal distraction, navigation is easy, and it works pretty well with the Sirius XM app. My only complaint is that sometimes not all of my saved favorite stations show up, I’m not sure why.
This little storage tray above the glove box is perfect for my phone (a Galaxy Note 8) when it’s plugged in. It has just enough of a lip at the leading edge to keep it from falling out. I don’t know why, but it seems like carmakers are reluctant to design spaces to hold phones well. It’s one of the things that annoys me about our Elantra.
The trunk isn’t very big, but it’s shaped well. It’s almost perfectly square so you can take advantage of every bit of space. And obviously the rear seats fold to expand cargo space.
Rear seat space is pretty good for such a small car. Plus the roof height means there’s a bit more headroom than normal.
How does it drive? It reminds me a bit of my Fiat 500 Sport, but it feels zippier thanks to 20 more horsepower. It handles pretty well, though there is a fair bit of body roll in tight turns. That’s not unexpected. It’s nowhere near as bad as the Cube, which always felt sluggish and top-heavy. This car isn’t going to win many drag races, but you’re not left in the dust, either. Too bad Hyundai hasn’t thought to stick a turbo in here, that’d be a hoot. I’ve had a bit of a hard time getting used to the Lane Keep Assist. It’s so weird to feel the steering wheel fight you when you get a little too close to the lines for its taste.
I’m looking forward to taking it on a longer drive. Unfortunately I won’t get to until next weekend. I might also buy some seat covers for it. I want to keep it as pristine as possible. This is only my second new car in my 28 years of driving, and I want to treat it right. It’ll already be doing well less than 10k per year.