Compare the2022 Subaru CrosstrekVS 2022 Hyundai Kona

The Subaru Crosstrek has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps 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 Crosstrek has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Kona doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Crosstrek Limited has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Kona doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Crosstrek. But it costs extra on the Kona.

The Crosstrek offers optional parking sensors 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 Crosstrek and the Kona have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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 Subaru Crosstrek is safer than the Hyundai Kona:

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

The Crosstrek’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 5 more horsepower (152 vs. 147) and 13 lbs.-ft. more torque (145 vs. 132) than the Kona’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Kona doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Crosstrek gets better mileage than the Kona:

Both the Crosstrek CVT and the Kona have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stop lights and heavy traffic. All Crosstrek CVTs have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Crosstrek has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kona (16.6 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Crosstrek higher (7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Kona (5 to 7). This means the Crosstrek produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Kona every 15,000 miles.

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

The Crosstrek stops much shorter than the Kona:

For better traction, the Crosstrek has larger tires than the Kona (225/60R17 vs. 205/60R16).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Crosstrek has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Kona SE.

For superior ride and handling, the Subaru Crosstrek has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Kona 4x2 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Crosstrek has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Crosstrek flat and controlled during cornering. The Kona 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Crosstrek’s wheelbase is 2.5 inches longer than on the Kona (104.9 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

The Crosstrek Premium executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Kona SE (27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Crosstrek has a 2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Kona (8.7 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Crosstrek to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Crosstrek has 6.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kona (100.9 vs. 94.1).

The Crosstrek has .2 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.3 inches more rear legroom, 3 inches more rear hip room and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kona.

The Crosstrek has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kona with its rear seat up (20.8 vs. 19.2 cubic feet). The Crosstrek has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona with its rear seat folded (55.3 vs. 45.8 cubic feet).

The Crosstrek’s cargo area is larger than the Kona’s in almost every dimension:

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Crosstrek. The Kona doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Crosstrek has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Kona has no towing capacity.

The engine in the Crosstrek is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Kona. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Crosstrek’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, 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 close automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Crosstrek’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Crosstrek Base). The Kona doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Blue Link can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

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

The Crosstrek’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Kona offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Crosstrek’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Kona SE doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

Insurance will cost less for the Crosstrek owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Crosstrek will cost $270 less than the Kona over a five-year period.

The Crosstrek will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Crosstrek will retain 62.13% to 65.32% of its original price after five years, while the Kona only retains 46.49% to 48.83%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Crosstrek is less expensive to operate than the Kona because typical repairs cost much less on the Crosstrek than the Kona, including $61 less for a water pump, $246 less for a muffler and $242 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Crosstrek will be $960 to $5531 less than for the Hyundai Kona.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Subaru Crosstrek and the Hyundai Kona, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Hyundai Kona by 52% during the 2021 model year.