Compare the2022 Ford EcoSportVS 2022 Honda HR-V

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2024/05/05

The Ford EcoSport 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 HR-V doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the EcoSport (except S)’s optional rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The HR-V doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The EcoSport has standard 911 Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The HR-V doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the EcoSport and the HR-V 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 blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford EcoSport is safer than the Honda HR-V:

	EcoSport	HR-V
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	38%	41%
Neck Stress	200 lbs.	218 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	329/236 lbs.	574/500 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 Ford EcoSport is safer than the Honda HR-V:

	EcoSport	HR-V
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	71	148
Abdominal Force	95 lbs.	158 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	195	357
Spine Acceleration	40 G’s	59 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	549 lbs.	799 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are almost 3 times as many Ford dealers as there are Honda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the EcoSport’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford 14th in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 17th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford 22nd in reliability. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 27th.

Engine

The EcoSport’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 25 more horsepower (166 vs. 141) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (149 vs. 127) than the HR-V’s 1.8 SOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the EcoSport’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The HR-V doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The EcoSport 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 HR-V doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Ford EcoSport as a “Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle” (PZEV). The Honda HR-V is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the EcoSport’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the HR-V:

	EcoSport	HR-V
Front Rotors	11.8 inches	11.5 inches

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Ford EcoSport 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 Honda HR-V has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

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

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

For better maneuverability, the EcoSport’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the HR-V’s (35.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The EcoSport’s turning circle is 3.6 feet tighter than the HR-V Sport’s (35.1 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

Chassis

The EcoSport is 9.1 inches shorter than the HR-V, making the EcoSport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the EcoSport uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The HR-V doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The EcoSport has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front legroom and 3.5 inches more rear hip room than the HR-V.

Towing

The EcoSport has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The HR-V has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the EcoSport uses the AdvanceTrac® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The HR-V doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The EcoSport offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The HR-V doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the EcoSport’s available exterior PIN entry system. The HR-V doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The EcoSport’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The HR-V LX/Sport’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent. The EcoSport SES/Titanium’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The HR-V EX/EX-L’s manually variable intermittent wipers don’t change delay with speed.

The EcoSport has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The HR-V has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the EX/EX-L.

On extremely cold winter days, the EcoSport SES/Titanium’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The HR-V doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The EcoSport has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The HR-V doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The EcoSport (except S) 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 HR-V doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

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

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the EcoSport is less expensive to operate than the HR-V because typical repairs cost much less on the EcoSport than the HR-V, including $120 less for a water pump, $322 less for a starter and $19 less for a fuel pump.