Compare the2022 Buick EncoreVS 2022 Hyundai Kona

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Buick Encore are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Hyundai Kona has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

The Buick Encore has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Kona doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Encore offers optional Ultrasonic Park Assist to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Kona doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Buick Encore is safer than the Hyundai Kona:

	Encore	Kona
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	122	205
Neck Compression	12 lbs.	57 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	207	217
Chest Compression	.3 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	122 lbs.	193 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Buick Encore is safer than the Hyundai Kona:

	Encore	Kona
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	109
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	120 G’s	246 G’s
Hip Force	388 lbs.	611 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	100	326
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	66 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	707 lbs.	744 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

There are over 2 times as many Buick dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Encore’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Encore third among small suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Kona isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick 7th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 7th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in reliability. Hyundai is ranked 6th.

Engine

The Encore’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 8 more horsepower (155 vs. 147) and 45 lbs.-ft. more torque (177 vs. 132) than the Kona’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Encore has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Kona doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Encore’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Kona:

	Encore	Kona
Front Rotors	11.8 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	10.6 inches	10.3 inches

The Encore stops much shorter than the Kona:

	Encore	Kona
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Encore has larger tires than the Kona (215/55R18 vs. 205/60R16).

The Encore’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Kona SE’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Encore has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Kona SE.

Chassis

The Encore uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Kona doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Encore has 1 inch more rear headroom and .6 inches more rear legroom than the Kona.

Cargo Capacity

The Encore has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona with its rear seat folded (48.4 vs. 45.8 cubic feet).

Payload

The Encore has a higher standard payload capacity than the Kona (1018 vs. 915 lbs.).

The Encore has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Kona (1026 vs. 930 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Encore’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its driver’s window also automatically closes, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Kona’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically. The Kona’s optional windows’ rear windows don’t open automatically.

The Encore’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Kona’s passenger power window and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Consumer Reports rated the Encore’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Kona’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Encore’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Hyundai only offers heated mirrors on the Kona SEL/N Line/Limited.

The Encore offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Kona doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Encore owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Encore with a number “5” insurance rate while the Kona is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Encore is less expensive to operate than the Kona because it costs $82 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Encore than the Kona, including $70 less for a water pump, $21 less for a muffler, $123 less for a starter, $39 less for fuel injection, $22 less for front struts and $42 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Buick Encore has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Encore	Kona
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE