A lot of the time, you have a pretty good idea of what you’re getting yourself into with a new car. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is going to be big and comfortable but not exactly sporty. The Jeep Wrangler won’t be a great highway cruiser, but it will handle almost any off-road trail you can find with ease. The BMW M3 is going to be sporty and serious. The Mazda Miata won’t win any drag races, but you’ll have a blast in the corners. You get what I mean.
Sometimes, though, you get into a car expecting one thing, and you get another. That can be bad if you thought it would be more comfortable than it turned out to be or if you expected a higher quality interior than you actually got, but it isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes, cars provide positive surprises, too. And since my therapist wants me to think more positive thoughts, let’s focus on that part. So, what car was so much more fun to drive than you expected?
Initially, my answer was the Mini Cooper S Convertible, but after thinking about it a little more, there’s probably some recency bias at play. No, I think my answer has to be the Hyundai Kona N, with the Elantra N coming in a close second. While you can get the Elantra N with a manual, the Kona N was dual-clutch only and also a crossover. It shouldn’t have been anywhere near as fun to drive as it was, and yet, that thing was a blast, even on the track. I’d already driven the Veloster N and knew Hyundai was capable of building a fun car, but could it make a truly fun-to-drive crossover? Turns out, the answer is yes.
Is it the most fun I’ve ever had behind the wheel? Nope. But it was so much more fun than I expected, I think it takes the top spot for me here. What about you?
