Compare the2022 Hyundai KonaVS 2022 Honda CR-V

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Kona are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The CR-V doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Kona and the CR-V 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, 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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Kona is safer than the Honda CR-V:

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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Kona is safer than the Honda CR-V:

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Kona is 2.3% to 2.8% less likely to roll over than the CR-V.

The Kona 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’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Honda covers the CR-V. 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 ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Kona’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the CR-V’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Honda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CR-V.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Kona has a standard 640-amp battery. The CR-V’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 Kona’s reliability 14 points higher than the CR-V.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 8th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 17th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 7th in reliability, above the industry average. With 44 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 27th.

The Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 5 more horsepower (195 vs. 190) and 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

The Kona SE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CR-V LX/SE’s standard 65 series tires. The Kona N Line/Limited’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the CR-V Touring’s 55 series tires.

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

The Kona has 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 doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kona SEL AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the CR-V Touring pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kona executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the CR-V Touring (26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

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

The Hyundai Kona may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 450 pounds less than the Honda CR-V.

The Kona is 1 foot, 4.5 inches shorter than the CR-V, making the Kona easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kona has .2 inches more front legroom and 2.7 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V.

The front step up height for the Kona is 3 inches lower than the CR-V (16” vs. 19”). The Kona’s rear step up height is 1.9 inches lower than the CR-V’s (16.1” vs. 18”).

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

The Kona’s standard variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The CR-V LX’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

Insurance will cost less for the Kona owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Kona with a number “8” insurance rate while the CR-V is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Kona is less expensive to operate than the CR-V because typical repairs cost much less on the Kona than the CR-V, including $18 less for front brake pads, $234 less for a starter, $207 less for fuel injection, $184 less for a fuel pump, $14 less for front struts and $65 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Kona will be $2 to $1792 less than for the Honda CR-V.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Kona and the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kona was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” in 2019. The CR-V hasn’t been picked since 2017.