Compare the2022 Kia SportageVS 2022 Honda CR-V

Both the Sportage 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 Kia Sportage 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 flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Sportage is safer than the Honda CR-V:

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

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

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage 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.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sportage first among compact suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The CR-V isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 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 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 17 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 Kia vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 48 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 27th.

The Sportage SX Turbo’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 47 more horsepower (237 vs. 190) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Sportage SX Turbo’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 50 more horsepower (240 vs. 190) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Sportage 4 cyl. is faster than the Honda CR-V:

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

For better stopping power the Sportage SX Turbo’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the CR-V:

The Sportage stops shorter than the CR-V:

For better traction, the Sportage SX Turbo’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CR-V (245/45R19 vs. 235/65R17).

The Sportage LX’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 Sportage SX Turbo’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the CR-V Touring’s 55 series tires.

The Sportage 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 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 doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Sportage SX Turbo AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the CR-V Touring pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Sportage SX Turbo AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the CR-V Touring (26.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

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

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

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

The Sportage’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the CR-V’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

The power windows standard on both the Sportage and the CR-V 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 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Sportage’s 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.

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 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the Sportage’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the CR-V’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

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

Insurance will cost less for the Sportage owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Sportage 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 Sportage is less expensive to operate than the CR-V because typical repairs cost much less on the Sportage than the CR-V, including $397 less for a starter, $114 less for fuel injection and $173 less for a fuel pump.

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