Compare the2021 Kia SportageVS 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid

Both the Sportage and the CR-V Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The Sportage comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The CR-V Hybrid’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years and 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Honda covers the CR-V Hybrid. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the CR-V Hybrid ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Sportage has a standard 600-amp battery. The CR-V Hybrid’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Sportage’s reliability 31 points higher than the CR-V Hybrid.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sportage second among compact suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The CR-V Hybrid isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 41 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 19th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia 10th in reliability, above the industry average. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 16th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ December 2019 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 3 places higher in reliability than Honda.

The Sportage SX Turbo’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 25 more horsepower (237 vs. 212) and 28 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 232) than the CR-V Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Sportage SX Turbo’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 28 more horsepower (240 vs. 212) and 28 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 232) than the CR-V Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Sportage SX Turbo 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Honda CR-V Hybrid:

The Sportage has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the CR-V Hybrid (16.4 vs. 14 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Sportage stops shorter than the CR-V Hybrid:

For better traction, the Sportage SX Turbo’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CR-V Hybrid (245/45R19 vs. 235/60R18).

The Sportage SX Turbo’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CR-V Hybrid Touring’s 55 series tires.

The Sportage offers an optional space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the CR-V Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Sportage has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CR-V Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Sportage has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Sportage SX Turbo AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the CR-V Hybrid Touring pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Sportage SX Turbo AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the CR-V Hybrid Touring (26.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sportage’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the CR-V Hybrid’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Kia Sportage may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 400 pounds less than the Honda CR-V Hybrid.

The Sportage is 5.7 inches shorter than the CR-V Hybrid, making the Sportage easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Sportage has 1.3 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom and 1.7 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V Hybrid.

The Sportage has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The CR-V Hybrid has no towing capacity.

The power windows standard on both the Sportage and the CR-V Hybrid have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Sportage is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The CR-V Hybrid prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Sportage to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Sportage (except S/LX) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Sportage is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Kia Sportage has won recognition from these important consumer publications: