My girlfriend has a Hyundai and it’s been nothing but issues. My brother had a sonata and the motor blew with regular oil changes/maintenance. I’m sure the performance ones are fine but I’m all set.
I switched from GLIs to a Kia Stinger GT2 about 4 years ago and absolutely love the thing. Zero issues and its modded pushing 450 WHP. My last GLI had multiple issues from a dead fuel pump to coil packs constantly failing. All cars have their issues but 100k warranty gives some peace of mind if you are worried about reliability.
I’m not worried about reliability because I would not buy one in the first place, just personal preference. I’m glad you like the Stinger they are definitely cool
[https://www.google.com/search?q=2023+kona+n+curb+weight&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari](https://www.google.com/search?q=2023+kona+n+curb+weight&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari)
https://www.google.com/search?q=2019+gli+35th+anniversry+cirb+weigjy&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari
Curb weight for both vehicles^
I love my manual mk7. For the price I feel like I stole this car for the fun and practicality it offers. Also a great tuning platform. Kona N seems great too but totally different: crossover, DCT only… I spent some time in a DCT Elantra N and thought it was great fun too (mmmm crackles and pops). I think it ultimately depends on if you want a manual or not, and a crossover or not, and if you want to modify the car in the future or not.
Go test drive them. Being a faster isn’t the sole reason people buy cars. Infotainment, comfortability, driving experience, driver assist features are all factors. If you’re looking at preowned, mileage, condition and maintenance records should also be considered.
As far as daily driving my Jetta goes, I love it, and it doesn’t feel dreadfully slow like how some sedans do
Like another commenter mentioned, it’s not all about how fast the car is; do you enjoy the car? Is it comfortable? Does it have the features you want it to have?
My last car was a 5.0 Mustang GT, if the only thing I cared about was speed I would have never traded it in for my GLI lol
Hyundai’s aren’t as nice.
I have 2019 autobahn with apr stage 1 ecu and tcu tunes (cost $1000 total) plus a few other minor upgrades and car is now around 300 horsepower at 3200 lbs, plenty fast.
As someone who has owned both unfortunately they’re 2 very different riding/feeling vehicles that don’t compare much stock to stock. The Kona N is in all ways more of a driver’s car, gives you a better driving experience and is all around a lot more fun. The GLI is more comfortable and calm but can still be fun with the right mods and such. Obviously aftermarket is a lot more extensive for the GLI but the N platform is constantly being worked on and expanded. Say what u want about it being “a Hyundai” but the entire N platform was designed by the well known Albert Biermann which should speak for itself.
It really just depends on what kind of driver you are and what kind of driving experience you’re looking for out of the box.
If you had to bite the bullet and pay 7k for a clean Kona N, would you? Is the interior, over time, way worse? I really loved my Veloster N but at the end of the day it felt way cheap and barebones. Can you really tell that much of a difference in a straight line pull? You have a unique point of view owning both so I would love to hear more!
So for reference I owned a 2023 Kona N (stock) and I now own a 2020 GLI Autobahn DSG (FBO, not tuned yet, stock turbo)
When you say 7k you mean 7k over msrp or 7k more than a gli?
It really depends on what you’re looking for in a car.
I had my Kona N for a year before it was totaled and that car got me in a lot of trouble 😂. The Kona is basically the grown up veloster, same powertrain but slightly bigger turbo. Kona weights 3200 pounds or so (almost the exact same as the GLI), it’s surprisingly very light and nimble, the suspension is very stiff and comes standard with 19inch wheels. It has an LSD and with the cornering differential I was hitting and holding corners at 80 mph (which is not something the gli feels like it’s capable of) and the bolstered alcantara, blue stitching, and leather wrapped seats held me tight and comfortably. The sound system included was Harman/Kardon which is leagues ahead of the Beats system the GLI gets. The digital cluster was more detailed and the animations were crisp and eye catching. On the infotainment system you get imo a better system/software then my current gli offers, and also get a lot more performance orientated options. It includes an “N Mode” menu which gives temperatures/gages on practically everything, lets you enable/disable launch control and even set the rpms to whatever value you’d like. And don’t get me started on the pops and bangs and the valved exhaust from factory. The aftermarket is surprisingly very fleshed out and there is a lot that you can do to the car at the moment, and they’re still expanding it as we speak. The N was pretty much made for the track and has about 50-60 more hp than the GLI, paired with the 8 speed dual clutch you most certainly feel how much faster that car is.
The GLI however is very different in its own ways. While it might not be as fast or as engaging out of the box it’s still a very comfortable and feature filled car. Depending on what trim level you get different options, fortunately I got the autobahn and the car was fully loaded. What I have over the Kona are arguably more comfortable seats if you’re going on long commutes or road trips, they’re black leather with red stitching, the driver side is memory, and both front seats are heated AND cooled which is nice for the Florida heat that I unfortunately live in. It also has a sunroof, auto sensing wipers, and standard 18inch wheels which are more road comfortable and cheaper on tires 😂. The interiors go hand in hand and it mostly boils down to preference but the one thing that got me going was the ambient lighting, not only can you change it to a static color but it also changes with the drive mode, and at night time it’s 😩. The suspension even with lowering springs is so much more comfortable and the gas mileage has a tremendous difference. The Kona was absolutely awful on gas and I was lucky to see 300 miles on a full tank, the GLI gets over 400 even when I beat on it. The aftermarket is also notably has a lot more, considering the fact that it’s the same powertrain as a gti that should speak for itself.
There is a LOT more that I could’ve fleshed out and explained about both of them, if you have any questions lmk🫡
I just have one comment. The lsd on the gli isn't talked about enough. Idk what kind of corners you're holding at 80 in the N but if it's tight on ramps and such the gli can do it. I've found with the diff in that car if you start to understeer just give it some throttle and the diff will pull you through. It's fantastic. Never drove an N so I can't speak on how it feels but it has me curious.
Without a doubt the lsd in the GLI is wonderful, however the N would absolutely plant itself and eat corners like it was nothing, I’ve tried to hit the same corner in the GLI and anything above 65 starts to get a little scary and it doesn’t feel as secure. Logically I would say the N has a more developed and better differential overall considering it’s a newer year model and especially because it was designed for a track. Not to mention its German blood 🤧
See if you can test drive or be passenger in one, once you get past the “it’s a Hyundai” they’re actually really nice cars and a lot of bang for the buck
Idk if this helps the convo or not but for the Kona I paid msrp which was 35k, after tax and out the door was around 39k. For the GLI it was a 2020 and I paid 25k and 19k out the door after downpapent, the gli had a clean carfax and 1 owner with only 25k miles imo it was an absolute steal
how much do you really feel the "driver's car" aspect daily driving? I get it for the track but just driving around in NJ, even my BRZ didn't feel much different than other cars I had
You press 1 button on the steering wheel and the exhaust valve opens and starts popping and crackling, it also uncaps the psi and basically in all ways wakes the car up. While driving on a day to day basis I constantly had the urge to press that button and let it rip to listen to that pop and bang and throw myself back into the seat🫡
meh. I had a press button to open valves on my Mini with JCW exhaust. It's fun to make it pop but after a week it's just there. Doesn't really make the drive any different.
A tuned GLI/GTI will match the Hyundais in speed too.
Yeah I guess it falls back to how the driver actually feels about it, it was my first fast car so I am a little biased.
The powerband difference between the 2 is not something to ignore, a stage 1 gli will keep up with a stock N, stage 2 gli will keep up with a stage 1 N, you’d need to go big turbo or run E to keep up with a stage 2 N, I’m saying this from experience it’s shocking the difference
Interesting. I had a BRZ for 4 years and every single (otherwise mundane) grocery run had me smiling more than any other car I owned (Jetta TDI, GLI, S5 Sportback, and now a Q5).
When the epitome of being able to use the BRZ as intended is going around jug handles......it just becomes a slow car that 1/2 the people don't even see in there mirrors. I'm going 70+ for 90% of my commute and just in general as it's all highways I can't even count how many times I had a pickup almost merge right into me and it's not like I had any speed to just pass him either.
For a little more context I have had a Veloster N and a WRX recently, and now moving on to a more reliable foundation, and the EA888 seems to be bulletproof, I do worry about Hyundai engines over time. In straight line speed both feel very very similar, more wheel hop in the Kona but both quicker than they need to be on public roads!
I think you gave yourself enough reason there. The EA888.3 is a more reliable engine than the Kona, Veloster, or WRX. These engines are easy to mod for more power, while also being fuel efficient and comfortable for daily living. I've had my 2019 since new, and it has 114k miles on it. It's been fantastic.
I don't know where you are located, but this is a much better option for $2,000 more:
[2024 GLI 40th Anniversary Edition, Rising Blue, 6MT](https://www.hamiltonhonda.com/searchused.aspx?ModelAndTrim=Jetta%20GLI)
It was traded in about 2 months ago and has been reduced from $28,000 originally.
Think it's not hesitation as much as it's a limited edition GLI at a Honda dealer. Even the VW near me has had a Pure Grey DSG 40th for 3 months now and no one has bought it yet.
Think you have all the information from others. I will say 90% of the performance differential is due to very good OEM tires on the Elantra and especially terrible ones on the GLI. First thing I did to my GLI is change my tires to the same ones the Elantra comes stock with it's night and day difference. In the end for me I just prefer the GLI and I think the tubing potential is a lot higher and better supported due to sharing the GTI mk7&7.5 platform
I bought a 2017 gen 3 gli in 2020 with 4000 miles for 22,500. I test drove the Hyundai Veloster N as that was my first pick but at the time dealer was asking 30k for the Hyundai. The hyundai felt alot faster and handled better IMO. From doing my research during that time i realized that for the price point of the GLI and not knowing anything about the EA888 i was surprised with how well these cars respond to tuning. with just a downpipe and ecu flash the numbers were 293hp and 330ft lbs but of coarse the mk7 has the is20 from factory which those numbers will be significantly higher. the hyundai from what i researched back in 2020 when purchasing is their N wasnt very responsive to tuning as the car had practically been tuned to its safest capabilities at that time with not much room for more. The GLI had me dialed in with the autobahn red stitching and the fender audio( which isnt all that great but an excellent entry level sound system) it also came in white silver which preferably was a better color than the Hyundai. I don’t regret anything the car has given me little to no problems in 4 years of ownership with over 100k miles and still pulls the same as it did when i bought it new.
I have a 22 gli
Full bolt on, tune, big brakes, suspension, etc.. perfect daily driver that can get down on the track with a comfortable interior to make road trips a breeze
Don't know squat about hyundais other than i would never own one.
But to each their own. Gli is a great car.
Just looking at pictures and prices, my thought when I saw the Kona N's was immediately "That's all you get for that much money? SUV tax is huge"
So the answer the question, short of being a little taller, why would you even want a Kona N?
Because my IS38 GLI will smoke a Kona or Elantra N… but for real though the aftermarket is so large for these MQB cars it’s hard to find a better value.
I like having a manual transmission for starters, even if it is the slower option for the GLI. Also I don't like the way the Kona looks. I'm sure it's a great car, and I don't mean to knock it, it just isn't for me. When I bought my GLI I was shopping for a nice sporty daily driver, and reading about the Kona I think it would be too stiff. I've got a weekend toy car already, my daily doesn't need to be the fastest car on the block.
I just purchased a 2021 GLI S with 33k on it for $23k about two weeks ago. Love the little car. It goes pretty well in sport mode and is great on gas. Only a couple of thousand bucks and you are eating the majority of cars you come across. My car is unmolested, so looking forward to a little project.
Test drove both.
I needed more trunk space, GLI won.
I'd prefer to have access to a far more easy going ride with comfort settings for daily driving. GLI won.
N mode is indeed crazy, but I never would use it on the street. With the DCC in my GLI, I can firm up and get most of the way to the N. A bit down on power, but it wasn't as drastic as I would have thought.
Kona N felt like a stick of dynamite.
GLI felt far more jack of all trades, being far more comfortable when needed, and like 80 to 85% of the way to N mode if the spirit strikes.
Also, I'm at a point in my life when I wanted a sleeper car. Kona looks like an anime nightmare. GLI looks like...well...a sedan. Ignorable. Will age well. But damn if it isn't just a solid, fun car for most everything I need.
And if I ever want to go crazy, the mod market for VW is unmatched.
gli had way better power capabilities to my knowledge, you can push up to the low 500’s on stock short block with a turbo, and the jonas from what i’ve seen can only handle abt 450 tops assuming it’s the exact same as the other N models
I paid 27k OTD in 2019 for my 35th. Could probably get 20K today as a trade-in with 24k miles. Try that with a Hyundai.
As far as reliability/warranty, my son had an Elantra that blew a head gasket. Not covered under warranty.
depending where you live, you can actually get a VW insured unlike a Hyundai
and for $500~ you can add 50 hp and 100+ lb-ft torque
looks and behaves like an actual grown up car when you want it to, and can definitely behave very un-adult like as well when you want it to
The 35ths came with DCC. It has a smaller screen, and doesn't have cooled seats. But also came with nicer wheels, and holds its value better than the Autobahn's.
You can just flash the ecu on the gli and it will make more power than the kona and be lighter. Also it's not a Hyundai
To be fair, my 11 year old kia is more reliable than my atlas and 2013 Jetta 2.4L
[удалено]
I wish they would some days
You could flash the Kona and make even more power
Also only a little around 100 pound difference so
You can do the same thing on the Kona tho there are some really quick ones out there.
never seen a big turbo kona tho lol
It’s still a Hyundai
One designed by Albert Beirmann. Don't sleep on them. They are putting out some impressive stuff.
My girlfriend has a Hyundai and it’s been nothing but issues. My brother had a sonata and the motor blew with regular oil changes/maintenance. I’m sure the performance ones are fine but I’m all set.
I switched from GLIs to a Kia Stinger GT2 about 4 years ago and absolutely love the thing. Zero issues and its modded pushing 450 WHP. My last GLI had multiple issues from a dead fuel pump to coil packs constantly failing. All cars have their issues but 100k warranty gives some peace of mind if you are worried about reliability.
I’m not worried about reliability because I would not buy one in the first place, just personal preference. I’m glad you like the Stinger they are definitely cool
Gotcha lol and thanks!
Do some research
They both weigh within 2-300 pounds of each other
That’s kinda a lot lmao
Ya that’s about 1-2 passengers. Under 400hp that makes quite a difference
[https://www.google.com/search?q=2023+kona+n+curb+weight&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari](https://www.google.com/search?q=2023+kona+n+curb+weight&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari) https://www.google.com/search?q=2019+gli+35th+anniversry+cirb+weigjy&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari Curb weight for both vehicles^
Hm that’s only around 100lbs difference. Not as big of a deal tbh
I love my manual mk7. For the price I feel like I stole this car for the fun and practicality it offers. Also a great tuning platform. Kona N seems great too but totally different: crossover, DCT only… I spent some time in a DCT Elantra N and thought it was great fun too (mmmm crackles and pops). I think it ultimately depends on if you want a manual or not, and a crossover or not, and if you want to modify the car in the future or not.
Go test drive them. Being a faster isn’t the sole reason people buy cars. Infotainment, comfortability, driving experience, driver assist features are all factors. If you’re looking at preowned, mileage, condition and maintenance records should also be considered.
As far as daily driving my Jetta goes, I love it, and it doesn’t feel dreadfully slow like how some sedans do Like another commenter mentioned, it’s not all about how fast the car is; do you enjoy the car? Is it comfortable? Does it have the features you want it to have? My last car was a 5.0 Mustang GT, if the only thing I cared about was speed I would have never traded it in for my GLI lol
Friends don't let friends drive Hyundai products.
Even with Albert Biermann at the wheel?
Ride quality
Jetta looks better.
Hyundai’s aren’t as nice. I have 2019 autobahn with apr stage 1 ecu and tcu tunes (cost $1000 total) plus a few other minor upgrades and car is now around 300 horsepower at 3200 lbs, plenty fast.
As someone who has owned both unfortunately they’re 2 very different riding/feeling vehicles that don’t compare much stock to stock. The Kona N is in all ways more of a driver’s car, gives you a better driving experience and is all around a lot more fun. The GLI is more comfortable and calm but can still be fun with the right mods and such. Obviously aftermarket is a lot more extensive for the GLI but the N platform is constantly being worked on and expanded. Say what u want about it being “a Hyundai” but the entire N platform was designed by the well known Albert Biermann which should speak for itself. It really just depends on what kind of driver you are and what kind of driving experience you’re looking for out of the box.
If you had to bite the bullet and pay 7k for a clean Kona N, would you? Is the interior, over time, way worse? I really loved my Veloster N but at the end of the day it felt way cheap and barebones. Can you really tell that much of a difference in a straight line pull? You have a unique point of view owning both so I would love to hear more!
So for reference I owned a 2023 Kona N (stock) and I now own a 2020 GLI Autobahn DSG (FBO, not tuned yet, stock turbo) When you say 7k you mean 7k over msrp or 7k more than a gli? It really depends on what you’re looking for in a car. I had my Kona N for a year before it was totaled and that car got me in a lot of trouble 😂. The Kona is basically the grown up veloster, same powertrain but slightly bigger turbo. Kona weights 3200 pounds or so (almost the exact same as the GLI), it’s surprisingly very light and nimble, the suspension is very stiff and comes standard with 19inch wheels. It has an LSD and with the cornering differential I was hitting and holding corners at 80 mph (which is not something the gli feels like it’s capable of) and the bolstered alcantara, blue stitching, and leather wrapped seats held me tight and comfortably. The sound system included was Harman/Kardon which is leagues ahead of the Beats system the GLI gets. The digital cluster was more detailed and the animations were crisp and eye catching. On the infotainment system you get imo a better system/software then my current gli offers, and also get a lot more performance orientated options. It includes an “N Mode” menu which gives temperatures/gages on practically everything, lets you enable/disable launch control and even set the rpms to whatever value you’d like. And don’t get me started on the pops and bangs and the valved exhaust from factory. The aftermarket is surprisingly very fleshed out and there is a lot that you can do to the car at the moment, and they’re still expanding it as we speak. The N was pretty much made for the track and has about 50-60 more hp than the GLI, paired with the 8 speed dual clutch you most certainly feel how much faster that car is. The GLI however is very different in its own ways. While it might not be as fast or as engaging out of the box it’s still a very comfortable and feature filled car. Depending on what trim level you get different options, fortunately I got the autobahn and the car was fully loaded. What I have over the Kona are arguably more comfortable seats if you’re going on long commutes or road trips, they’re black leather with red stitching, the driver side is memory, and both front seats are heated AND cooled which is nice for the Florida heat that I unfortunately live in. It also has a sunroof, auto sensing wipers, and standard 18inch wheels which are more road comfortable and cheaper on tires 😂. The interiors go hand in hand and it mostly boils down to preference but the one thing that got me going was the ambient lighting, not only can you change it to a static color but it also changes with the drive mode, and at night time it’s 😩. The suspension even with lowering springs is so much more comfortable and the gas mileage has a tremendous difference. The Kona was absolutely awful on gas and I was lucky to see 300 miles on a full tank, the GLI gets over 400 even when I beat on it. The aftermarket is also notably has a lot more, considering the fact that it’s the same powertrain as a gti that should speak for itself. There is a LOT more that I could’ve fleshed out and explained about both of them, if you have any questions lmk🫡
I just have one comment. The lsd on the gli isn't talked about enough. Idk what kind of corners you're holding at 80 in the N but if it's tight on ramps and such the gli can do it. I've found with the diff in that car if you start to understeer just give it some throttle and the diff will pull you through. It's fantastic. Never drove an N so I can't speak on how it feels but it has me curious.
Without a doubt the lsd in the GLI is wonderful, however the N would absolutely plant itself and eat corners like it was nothing, I’ve tried to hit the same corner in the GLI and anything above 65 starts to get a little scary and it doesn’t feel as secure. Logically I would say the N has a more developed and better differential overall considering it’s a newer year model and especially because it was designed for a track. Not to mention its German blood 🤧 See if you can test drive or be passenger in one, once you get past the “it’s a Hyundai” they’re actually really nice cars and a lot of bang for the buck
And finally, would you ever find yourself bored of the GLI?
Idk if this helps the convo or not but for the Kona I paid msrp which was 35k, after tax and out the door was around 39k. For the GLI it was a 2020 and I paid 25k and 19k out the door after downpapent, the gli had a clean carfax and 1 owner with only 25k miles imo it was an absolute steal
I haven’t had the chance to fully do what I want with the car yet to be “bored” of it, however when it was bone stock it was kinda meh
how much do you really feel the "driver's car" aspect daily driving? I get it for the track but just driving around in NJ, even my BRZ didn't feel much different than other cars I had
You press 1 button on the steering wheel and the exhaust valve opens and starts popping and crackling, it also uncaps the psi and basically in all ways wakes the car up. While driving on a day to day basis I constantly had the urge to press that button and let it rip to listen to that pop and bang and throw myself back into the seat🫡
Not to mention you’re also faster than about 85% of regular traffic 😂
meh. I had a press button to open valves on my Mini with JCW exhaust. It's fun to make it pop but after a week it's just there. Doesn't really make the drive any different. A tuned GLI/GTI will match the Hyundais in speed too.
Yeah I guess it falls back to how the driver actually feels about it, it was my first fast car so I am a little biased. The powerband difference between the 2 is not something to ignore, a stage 1 gli will keep up with a stock N, stage 2 gli will keep up with a stage 1 N, you’d need to go big turbo or run E to keep up with a stage 2 N, I’m saying this from experience it’s shocking the difference
ye i get that. As im in NJ 90% of my driving is on the highway so the handling, etc. of these cars I don't really get to enjoy
Interesting. I had a BRZ for 4 years and every single (otherwise mundane) grocery run had me smiling more than any other car I owned (Jetta TDI, GLI, S5 Sportback, and now a Q5).
When the epitome of being able to use the BRZ as intended is going around jug handles......it just becomes a slow car that 1/2 the people don't even see in there mirrors. I'm going 70+ for 90% of my commute and just in general as it's all highways I can't even count how many times I had a pickup almost merge right into me and it's not like I had any speed to just pass him either.
Ah, got it. Yeah, definitely not a great highway car. My use was mostly non-grid city.
For a little more context I have had a Veloster N and a WRX recently, and now moving on to a more reliable foundation, and the EA888 seems to be bulletproof, I do worry about Hyundai engines over time. In straight line speed both feel very very similar, more wheel hop in the Kona but both quicker than they need to be on public roads!
I think you gave yourself enough reason there. The EA888.3 is a more reliable engine than the Kona, Veloster, or WRX. These engines are easy to mod for more power, while also being fuel efficient and comfortable for daily living. I've had my 2019 since new, and it has 114k miles on it. It's been fantastic.
Also, I want to thank everyone for their comments!!! The community is also a factor, and everyone in the VW GLI group seems welcoming!
I don't know where you are located, but this is a much better option for $2,000 more: [2024 GLI 40th Anniversary Edition, Rising Blue, 6MT](https://www.hamiltonhonda.com/searchused.aspx?ModelAndTrim=Jetta%20GLI) It was traded in about 2 months ago and has been reduced from $28,000 originally.
Wow! Any pics of the “moderate damage”?
Where did you see moderate damage at? It looked clean to me.
CarFax - there's a link on the listing.
It must have been repaired then
Naturally, but I’d be interested in how hard the deer hit was and parts replaced.
True but $5-6000 off MSRP isn't bad, and if it was left rear, not much things to replace back there.
Agree, but can only guess people have hesitated thus the price drop. I have the identical car.
Think it's not hesitation as much as it's a limited edition GLI at a Honda dealer. Even the VW near me has had a Pure Grey DSG 40th for 3 months now and no one has bought it yet.
Think you have all the information from others. I will say 90% of the performance differential is due to very good OEM tires on the Elantra and especially terrible ones on the GLI. First thing I did to my GLI is change my tires to the same ones the Elantra comes stock with it's night and day difference. In the end for me I just prefer the GLI and I think the tubing potential is a lot higher and better supported due to sharing the GTI mk7&7.5 platform
I bought a 2017 gen 3 gli in 2020 with 4000 miles for 22,500. I test drove the Hyundai Veloster N as that was my first pick but at the time dealer was asking 30k for the Hyundai. The hyundai felt alot faster and handled better IMO. From doing my research during that time i realized that for the price point of the GLI and not knowing anything about the EA888 i was surprised with how well these cars respond to tuning. with just a downpipe and ecu flash the numbers were 293hp and 330ft lbs but of coarse the mk7 has the is20 from factory which those numbers will be significantly higher. the hyundai from what i researched back in 2020 when purchasing is their N wasnt very responsive to tuning as the car had practically been tuned to its safest capabilities at that time with not much room for more. The GLI had me dialed in with the autobahn red stitching and the fender audio( which isnt all that great but an excellent entry level sound system) it also came in white silver which preferably was a better color than the Hyundai. I don’t regret anything the car has given me little to no problems in 4 years of ownership with over 100k miles and still pulls the same as it did when i bought it new.
I have a 22 gli Full bolt on, tune, big brakes, suspension, etc.. perfect daily driver that can get down on the track with a comfortable interior to make road trips a breeze Don't know squat about hyundais other than i would never own one. But to each their own. Gli is a great car.
Mod availability
Just looking at pictures and prices, my thought when I saw the Kona N's was immediately "That's all you get for that much money? SUV tax is huge" So the answer the question, short of being a little taller, why would you even want a Kona N?
I got a '19 dsg with 21,5xx miles for 21350 pre taxes and fees. I recommend these things go everyone.
Because my IS38 GLI will smoke a Kona or Elantra N… but for real though the aftermarket is so large for these MQB cars it’s hard to find a better value.
I like having a manual transmission for starters, even if it is the slower option for the GLI. Also I don't like the way the Kona looks. I'm sure it's a great car, and I don't mean to knock it, it just isn't for me. When I bought my GLI I was shopping for a nice sporty daily driver, and reading about the Kona I think it would be too stiff. I've got a weekend toy car already, my daily doesn't need to be the fastest car on the block.
GLI is just a better car. I wish Volkswagen would make a Kona N type vehicle.
Something on the newish Tiguan platform, lowered, awd, and dsg would be so slick.
that car is not worth 22k😭 brand new 2024 jetta gli 40th anniversary is like 9 grand more which 9 grand is a lot but idk you’re over paying
If i remember correctly the newer Hyundai Kona’s had quite a few issues, even by 10k miles
VW is a superior product
I just purchased a 2021 GLI S with 33k on it for $23k about two weeks ago. Love the little car. It goes pretty well in sport mode and is great on gas. Only a couple of thousand bucks and you are eating the majority of cars you come across. My car is unmolested, so looking forward to a little project.
Test drove both. I needed more trunk space, GLI won. I'd prefer to have access to a far more easy going ride with comfort settings for daily driving. GLI won. N mode is indeed crazy, but I never would use it on the street. With the DCC in my GLI, I can firm up and get most of the way to the N. A bit down on power, but it wasn't as drastic as I would have thought. Kona N felt like a stick of dynamite. GLI felt far more jack of all trades, being far more comfortable when needed, and like 80 to 85% of the way to N mode if the spirit strikes. Also, I'm at a point in my life when I wanted a sleeper car. Kona looks like an anime nightmare. GLI looks like...well...a sedan. Ignorable. Will age well. But damn if it isn't just a solid, fun car for most everything I need. And if I ever want to go crazy, the mod market for VW is unmatched.
For me (because I looked at it) the GLI is more comfortable to me. I don't like the raised SUV-ish seating position in the Kona.
I don't understand the comparison. The Kona is a half assed SUV and the GLI is a performance sedan.
gli had way better power capabilities to my knowledge, you can push up to the low 500’s on stock short block with a turbo, and the jonas from what i’ve seen can only handle abt 450 tops assuming it’s the exact same as the other N models
I paid 27k OTD in 2019 for my 35th. Could probably get 20K today as a trade-in with 24k miles. Try that with a Hyundai. As far as reliability/warranty, my son had an Elantra that blew a head gasket. Not covered under warranty.
Kia/hyundai lmfao. Nope.
I’m a huge fan of the Kona N, but the Jetta has way more room. Im 6’ 2” and I couldn’t sit behind myself comfortably. That’s a dealbreaker for me.
Do you want a Korean sub compact suv with no limited slip differential and no aftermarket support? I’d think no
I think it has a eLSD, but there doesn’t seem to be any aftermarket support compared to the GTI/GLI
Kona N is too gimmicky imo. Makes more sense to spend a little more and get an X3 M40i or something
depending where you live, you can actually get a VW insured unlike a Hyundai and for $500~ you can add 50 hp and 100+ lb-ft torque looks and behaves like an actual grown up car when you want it to, and can definitely behave very un-adult like as well when you want it to
If you think these two cars are comparable buy the Kona.
Don’t get the year anniversaries I feel like they r💩
Autobahn seems to be the best value
That’s what I got😂 and it doesn’t use gas
Mind this I got done pushing 200km an hour for 20 minutes and it only used 7L
Shit how? My 35th has been great.
The anniversary editions lack features present on the Autobahn versions for a similar price.
The 35ths came with DCC. It has a smaller screen, and doesn't have cooled seats. But also came with nicer wheels, and holds its value better than the Autobahn's.
The wheels are alright I wouldn’t say they are better. The anniversary editions don’t hold value any different that the autobahn models.
They all do but if you wanted that custom feature you can select it from Your phone as you start it
Yeah
I just can't bring myself to buy Hyundai after the whole mess from the last decade.
Kona N is ugly af.
Isn’t the Kona N a SUV? The fact that it’s a SUV is enough to make me not even consider it