Compare the2023 Kia SeltosVS 2022 Honda CR-V

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Seltos 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Seltos S Turbo/EX/SX has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The CR-V doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Seltos SX has standard 911 Connect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The CR-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 Seltos 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, daytime running lights, 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 Kia Seltos is safer than the Honda CR-V:

	Seltos	CR-V
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	129	141
Neck Injury Risk	24%	27%
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	70 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	127 lbs.	160 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	144/44 lbs.	276/243 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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Seltos is safer than the Honda CR-V:

	Seltos	CR-V
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	225	386
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	35 G’s
Hip Force	433 lbs.	543 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Seltos 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 Seltos 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.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Seltos has a standard 640-amp battery. The CR-V’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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 fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 16th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 85 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 24th.

Engine

The Seltos Nightfall/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Seltos is faster than the Honda CR-V:

	Seltos 4 cyl.	Seltos Nightfall/SX	CR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	6.9 sec	8.6 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	14.3 sec	n/a	14.7 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	4.2 sec	n/a	4.4 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	15.4 sec	16.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85.5 MPH	91.2 MPH	84.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Seltos 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder FWD gets better fuel mileage than the CR-V FWD (29 city/35 hwy vs. 28 city/34 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Seltos uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CR-V requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The Seltos stops shorter than the CR-V:

	Seltos	CR-V
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	165 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	119 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

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

Suspension and Handling

The Seltos 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 Seltos 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 Seltos SX handles at .84 G’s, while the CR-V Touring pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Seltos S AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the CR-V Touring (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

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

Chassis

The Kia Seltos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 400 pounds less than the Honda CR-V.

The Seltos is 10.1 inches shorter than the CR-V, making the Seltos easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Seltos has .1 inches more front legroom and 3.3 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Seltos and the CR-V have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Seltos 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 Seltos’ 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.

In addition to a parabolic reflector, optical-grade lenses in the Seltos’ standard projector headlights precisely focus the beam, providing more even illumination of the road for better visibility and a sharp cut-off that prevents blinding oncoming drivers. The sharp cutoff allows the use of a stronger light. The CR-V’s standard uses a simple reflector to direct its standard headlights.

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

Recommendations

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