New cars are great, but used cars also offer a lot to love. They come with smaller payments, lower interest rates, and plenty of tech features on newer models. Though some used vehicles can cost as much as a new one, there’s plenty of pre-loved vehicles for less than $20,000. One is the 2018 Hyundai Kona, which should be one of your top considerations.

The 2018 Hyundai Kona made this list

Consumer Reports isn’t known for recommending duds. Getting a good score is more a matter of great design than good looks, although that also plays a role. So a recommendation from the consumer site is a big deal, especially for a used vehicle.

The 2018 Hyundai Kona is one of the many vehicles to appear on Consumer Reports‘ list of used vehicles for less than $20,000. But it stands out because it’s newer than some of the other models. Other vehicles on the list are the 2017 Chevy Bolt, 2017 Toyota Corolla, and 2015 Acura TLX. 

2018 Hyundai Kona provides enough tech to satisfy anyone

One of the annoying things about buying a used car is not having the same tech features as everyone else. This is especially frustrating for vehicles with a new-car price. That’s not quite the case with the 2018 Hyundai Kona. It ranges from $15,400 to $20,575, making it one of the most affordable newer SUVs on the list. 

The SE, the base-model Kona, comes with a rearview camera, a USB port, Bluetooth, a six-speaker audio system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and an infotainment system with a 7.0-inch touchscreen. The Ultimate trim offers more, with an 8.0-inch touchscreen, navigation, a wireless charging pad, and an eight-speaker Infinity sound system with a subwoofer. 

Other tech features available as optional or standard depending on the trim level include forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, head-up display, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, lane change assist, lane keep assist, driver drowsiness monitoring, and rain-sensing windshield wipers.

What else comes on this small SUV?

One of the amazing things about the 2018 Hyundai Kona is its gas mileage. Owners reported to Consumer Reports that it gets up to 28 mpg. With rising gas prices, that’s a great feature to have.

Other features include a rather lackluster 2.0-liter engine. It’s fine when you’re cruising city streets, but the Kona accelerates like a much larger vehicle on highways. It takes 11 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. 

The 1.6-liter turbo engine is more powerful but still lacks speed. Regardless, it delivers when it comes to a fun drive, especially when whipping around curves.

But all is not well with the 2018 Kona. Consumer Reports is less than pleased with the road noise. Unless you like to drive with the radio blasting, it’s hard to ignore just how loud the Kona is. 

The cargo space also leaves much to be desired. With only 19.2 cubic feet behind the rear row and 45.8 cubic feet with those seats down, the Kona has one of the smallest cargo capacities in the segment. 

However, with bright exterior color choices like Lime Twist and Surf Blue, the 2018 Hyundai Kona outshines other small SUVs. Amid a sea of dull colors on the highway, the Kona stands out like a ray of light in a thunderstorm.