I am considering a new car purchase. Presently I am looking at a 2020 Ford EcoSport SE SUV with 32000 miles or a 2019 Hyundai Kona SEL SUV with 37000 miles. Both are about the same price. My question is from a maintenance perspective which car offers a better option or history. Both are for sale by the same dealership and I will do a full test drive and have a mechanic check them both out, but was wondering what some here thought about these two sub compact brands. Both are priced around $17000 each so equal in cost.
I would buy the newest vehicle you can afford AND avoid Hyundai/Kia . . . out of those 2 choices
My gut feeling is Hyundai/Kia as a company isn’t owning their mistakes and standing behind their product lately
I’m definitely not saying Ford is some kind of angel, but out of those 2 choices, I’d go for the Ford
But they’re both outside of the factory warranty period by now, so it may not much matter at this point, fwiw
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I also would avoid KIA or Hyundai for now. I had a 2004 Kia Optima and it was a really good vehicle but Kia has lost it/s way.
If I was looking at a new vehicle ( you did not list new but used ) and wanting to keep the price down the Chevrolet Trax would be on my list. New vehicles have lower loan rates and full warranty. You might need to have a little longer loan term to have monthly payments that don’t keep you a wake at night.
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There are a number to Trax available here in my market, doing some research I didn’t find a bunch of postives on them. When I said new I ment new to me sorta. I presently have a 2020 mitsubishi outlander and unfortuneltly due to some health issues I can not drive it without some discomfort as the driver seat doesnt go back far enough for me. I am not sure if these other two suv’s will be okay till I drive them but they are in my budget limits at this time.
OK, this is another thing I would do since you have some physical problems. If you have a Carmax near you you might see what they have. They have some kind of warranty and they have a return policy .
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I will never buy from them. Back in 2009 they screwed my sister big time in her car purchase which resulted in her not only not having a car but having to pay them $1500 not to have any car.
You don’t have to buy from them but you can use them for test drives.
Or at a minimum try out the seating on lots of cars, given the OP’s special needs.
Me, I’d pass on both of the cars listed, find something else.
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Unfortunetly not alot of options here in my area in my price range for a vehicle that meets my needs of being able to carry a power scooter in the back. Cars won’t work, with the SUV and the seat down I can put a power scooter in the back.
Don’t you need a set of ramps to put that scooter in the back ? I see the scooters on a low platform at the rear on all kinds of vehicles. Even saw one on a Chevrolet Spark.
Nope you just remove the seat, and batteries and fold down the steering wheel and pick it up nad put it in the car. I tested it out while in Pigeon forge a few weeks back. They fit perfectly in the back of a suv. They cost around $2000
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I also am afraid of both brands right now. Not for maintenance but longevity. If I had to pick though I’d take ford instead,
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Have you used cars.com, etc., to search? Have you looked for a Mazda, CX-5, CX-3, or CX-30?
And this is why I have a rav4.
Although I’m not a fan of Nissan, they have a small hatchback car ( Nissan versa ) that is perfect for our motorized scooters. And the price is the same as you listed here.
I’d suggest a Honda Fit over either the Ford or Hyundai, flip up the back seat and there might be enough room to put the scooter behind the front seats, would have to test drive but I know multiple owners who are very happy with no problems. The Honda HRV is the Fit in SUV form up to 2022, then it moved to the Civic platform.
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I have looked at all of those and unfortunetly they are above my price limit at this time. Most coming in at over 25000 which I just can’t afford at this time given the rate market
The one positive is I don’t drive much. Since 2020 I average yearly less then 5000 miles per year driving wise. I usually drive once maybe twice in a week to run my errands and I go over to cincy on average once or twice a year.
Everything I am reading is Nissan is in big trouble and I am not sure if the scooter that I am looking at would fit in that even with the seats down.
fwd or awd? turbo or non-turbo engine.
The Hyundai Kona configured as fwd & non-turbo engine would be my choice. I’d check what Consumer Reports used car guide has to say as well. I believe the Ford EcoSport engine uses a turbo engine with a wet timing belt. If so, suggest you do a little internet research on the maintenance & repair challenges associated with turbo engines & the wet timing belt configuration.
If you are a member of your local library and your library has a Digital Database that includes Consumer Report or stop by your local Library and look over the Consumer Report evaluation on those vehicles. The folks who evaluate these vehicles do not have “stars in their eyes” or “New Vehicle Fever…”
At a price point of $17,000, they must be in “Cherry Condition” and the dealership is offering you a premium warranty on them, otherwise, you have a lot of negotiation room.
2020 Ford EcoSport SE SUV – “Consumer Report” reports the average retail price to be $11,225 - $15,700. Overall Owner Satisfaction is only 1 in 5 were happy with it. Comfort (Includes seats, climate control, noise, and ride) rated it at 44 out of a top score of 100. The Fuel economy and acceleration were reported as neither eco nor sport. Even with the larger of the two available engines, the EcoSport gas mileage of 24 mpg overall is reported as unimpressive for this class and it has to work hard to merge into traffic.
2019 Hyundai Kona SEL SUV – – “Consumer Report” reports the average retail price to be $12,000 - $17,375. Overall Owner Satisfaction is only 2 in 5 were happy with it. 53% reported that they would buy another one… Reliability was reported as Good! Comfort was rated about average. The ride was reported as stiff, the cabin was loud, and the engine makes a noisy protest when pushed, all of which are common in the subcompact class. They tested the Kona’s 2.0-liter engine and six-speed automatic transmission delivered adequate power in most situations. But it took a long 11 seconds to go from 0-60 mph. We measured 26 mpg overall in our fuel-economy tests, typical for this class.
But you really need to research it yourself and take both vehicles out for adequate road tests, city, highway, and even a country road (not 4-wheeling, but on a less than smooth roadway…).
Remember, we do not necessarily drive the way you do, nor in the locations you drive in (snowy, rainy, hilly, city, highway, etc…)
Many dealers hesitate to let you test drive a used vehicle too long as you just might find out what’s wrong with it… L 
L . . .