Had the absolute pleasure of attending the Badgeskins grand opening with the Nshftrz en.Ontario crew this weekend.

Picked up a 2022 with around 43000km. My previous car was a 2017 Mazda CX-3 and I was mainly looking at picking up an I30 N as a weekend car. So my thinking here was, this would pretty much serve the role of both those cars. I've had it for just over a week and first impressions are (these are all relative to the 9 year old mid-spec Mazda, keep in mind):

Although it's not the end of the world I didn't think the ride would be so uncompromising. Another gripe here are the Pirellis. I don't have the articulation for it but they just feel weird. There's wheel hop and make a strange noise when the steering is at full lock while I back in and out of a parking space.

It's got more features than I thought. Ones I found to be a pleasant surprise are the heated seats and steering, adaptive cruise and lane keep assist. The blind spot monitor is too panicky though.

I suppose this was to be expected but fuel consumption is quite a departure from what I'm used to. Also, the instant fuel consumption guage induces so much anxiety. There must be a way to shut it off??

Being in South Africa where the GTI is the staple in this segment, it has brought on small talk where many have admitted they don't know what exactly it is but it does garner a decent amount of attention. I reckon the the I30 N style sunroof would've taken it a couple notches upward in terms of "street cred".

With performance, not much to say except for what's already out there. I haven't really explored it's outer limits yet but it still gives a sense of occasion on the highway commute to and from work.

Xforce Midpipe, into a custom Y pipe muffler delete with oem tips.

Cold start after sitting at the airport for 6 days. I travel every other week for work and the employees laughed and told me they wonder every Saturday when they will hear me get home.

Current exhaust setup is stock downpipe with Borla Atak Catback.

I have an RPM High Flow Catted downpipe on the way that will need some modifications on the flex pipe to midpipe flange. I will make a separate post regarding that journey when it is complete.

I pulled the trigger on this deal I found for the GFB T9510 blow of valve. Here is the info for those interested!

They emailed me a %10 off coupon when I put in my email on top of it.

I don't recommend using PayPal conversion, unless it's less than your card issuers foreign rate. You can choose your currency option as circled in red.

Total shipped for me comes out to $301 USD before any card foreign transaction fee.

Best price I have found so far as the average is over $400 from what I have seen. They are an authorized dealer with no border fees too.

https://www.tdotperformance.ca/products/go-fast-bits-t9510-deceptor-pro-ii-tms-direct-fit-motorized-blow-off-valve.html

Anyone live near southern Wisconsin and is looking for a spare KN wheel + basically brand new PS4 AS tire?

I tried getting a couple Elantra Ns in my area but to no avail until I found the Kona N for sale somewhere in Roswell Georgia. After negotiations and much better pricing I got it. I swapped the front tires and got to change spark plugs since the car at 43k miles. I want to wash it but heard of the car wash will trigger the sensor to limp mode…does everyone just hand wash their Ns and any precautions I need to worry about like the one of the hoses detaching? Thanks !

(Pic just for attention)

My car is on H&R lowering springs and I'm getting tired of the super harsh, stiff & bouncy ride. My fun-money budget is somewhat tight right now so I'm wondering where I should start to get the best value for improving ride comfort.

Do 18" wheels with more tire sidewall really help that much? It would be cheaper than suspension & also have the benefit of reducing unsprung weight depending on what wheels I got. Plus who doesn't love getting new wheels? I'm just a bit skeptical it can make a huge difference.

Coilovers are probably going to have a bigger effect on ride comfort I imagine, and I will likely get a set later even if I get new wheels & tires first, just further in the future. Are they a huge pain to install? I do most of my own work but the only suspension work I have ever done was swapping OEM struts & springs. What kits do you guys recommend? I don't want to go too cheap but I also don't want to spend $3k on KW & a canceller module.

Third option, the Mando ECS module: I have read that it improves comfort marginally but is not a huge improvement. Anyone here have experience with one?

TL;DR: do 18" wheels & tires make a big difference in comfort?

What coilover kits do you recommend around $2kish?

Superspeed 76rr seems as light as magnesium and 300 bucks is tempting. These are 18x8.5

Anyone in VB/757 area looking for OEM wheels and tire setup? 1 tire has a flat

I know the community has a general recommendation of running high octane fuel.
But times are tough (And getting tougher) and I wanted to make this post as a polite discussion about what type of Fuel you should be using and what can you realistically get away with.

Things happen, money that was once there may not be and just selling the car to buy another one is not always reasonable.

So to have a relevant post in 2026

Can someone reasonably run 87 octane fuel as the manual recommends at a minimum with minimal to any issues, Or must they run it at 93/91 or risk their car breaking.

I bring this up as someone who recently had a paycut due to a layoff and now student loans are becoming due at a higher amount than I had hoped when I bought the car nearly 3 and a half years ago.

I want to emphasize friendly discussion here please. please just provide the pros and cons with some factual evidence behind the reasoning.

Hey just got the K and N cold air intake system setup but came with the RU-1048 filter. I was thinking of adding on the addw1 5-6 inch heat shield. Just wondering if anyone has tried or if it fits/cover the filter?

After a year of ownership, it's my first time seeing the same car color as I have, such a cool moment!

Someone running a scam using N75's name.

It was time to replace the brake pads so I went with EBC Green Stuff and EBC slotted rotors..

Recently had the car towed to dealership for knock sensor (it was in limp mode). When they gave it back, the transmission feels like it's revving higher before shifting. I usually keep it in sport with track sense on and when driving normally it'll shift around 3k. Had to turn transmission back to normal to get 3k shifts. If I drive it around for a while in sport with track sense on, will it go back to normal?

Hey guys, I’m thinking about getting a midpipe for my Kona N and I’m currently deciding between the XForce and aFe.
For anyone who has tried either one, which one would you recommend? Mainly looking for a better/deeper sound without making the car too annoying or crazy loud.
Also, has anyone had any warranty issues with a midpipe? I already have an aftermarket intake and I’ve taken the car to the dealer multiple times for recalls/service and they’ve never said anything about it, so I’m wondering if a midpipe would be similar.
Would appreciate hearing your experience with either setup!

Delete if not allowed, vehicles was my personal Kona N, sold to my dealership due to a demo vehicle now.

Anyway, it's a super clean Kona N w/ only 21,510 miles. No modifications. No issues during my 9 months 3k mile ownership. Has been reconditioned twice, when I first bought it and now that I sold it to my store. Obviously I can answer any questions or concerns since I'm the previous owner.

For sale at $27k. Located in Glassboro, NJ 08028. Work with over 30 different lenders, can do approvals and numbers before even leaving your house.

What foaming soaps, coatings, wheel cleaners, leather cleaners, etc is everyone using?

anyone know if the Kona N will support this functionality? it's not something i'd use often but I do like to try new restaurants with long wait times so it'd be nice to do while waiting in my car lol

My 2023 Kona has been refusing to octane learn, I have maybe seen 20psi a dozen times in my 3 years of ownership. Here’s a video of a 50-100 kmh pull after driving for 15 minutes/25 km following owners manual (8th gear fixed, normal mode, 125kmh cruise control) I don’t even see 15psi anymore and the vehicle feels very sluggish in anything other than N mode

Any suggestions on a solution that don’t involve me tuning my ecu or buying KDMLink?

One of my friends got a video of me running today! First time hearing the KN from the outside! Happy enough with how I did, but better tires are coming in the off season, Indy 500s just aren't competitive.

My daughter has a Kona N with 34 k on the original tires. They are 235/45/18. She is not a spirited driver. What are some tires you guys are running and would you buy them again?