Compare the2023 Kia SeltosVS 2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid

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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 Hybrid:

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 Hybrid:

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

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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid. 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 Hybrid ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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 above average in initial quality. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is rated below 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.

As tested in Car and Driver the Seltos Nightfall/SX 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Honda CR-V Hybrid:

The Seltos stops much shorter than the CR-V Hybrid:

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 Hybrid EX/EX-L’s standard 60 series tires. The Seltos AWD Nightfall/SX’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the CR-V Hybrid Touring’s 55 series tires.

The Seltos has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the CR-V Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Seltos has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CR-V Hybrid’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 Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Seltos SX handles at .84 G’s, while the CR-V Hybrid Touring pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Seltos S AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the CR-V Hybrid Touring (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

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

The Kia Seltos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 750 pounds less than the Honda CR-V Hybrid.

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

The Seltos has 2 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom and 3.3 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V Hybrid.

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

The Seltos is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Seltos owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Seltos will cost $260 to $1395 less than the CR-V Hybrid over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Seltos will be $1601 to $3533 less than for the Honda CR-V Hybrid.