Compare the2023 Kia SeltosVS 2022 Honda HR-V

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
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 HR-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 HR-V doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Seltos’ standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The HR-V doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Seltos S/EX/Nightfall/SX’s standard 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 Seltos’ driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The HR-V doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

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 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 Seltos and the HR-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, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, daytime running lights and blind spot warning systems.

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 HR-V:

	Seltos	HR-V
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	129	481
Neck Stress	237 lbs.	244 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	41%	41%
Neck Stress	127 lbs.	218 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	144/44 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 Kia Seltos is safer than the Honda HR-V:

	Seltos	HR-V
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	109	148
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	234	357
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	433 lbs.	799 lbs.

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Seltos the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The HR-V has not been fully tested, yet.

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 HR-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 HR-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 HR-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 HR-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’ standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 5 more horsepower (146 vs. 141) and 5 lbs.-ft. more torque (132 vs. 127) than the HR-V’s 1.8 SOHC 4-cylinder. The Seltos Nightfall/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 34 more horsepower (175 vs. 141) and 68 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 127) than the HR-V’s 1.8 SOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Kia Seltos is faster than the Honda HR-V:

	Seltos 4 cyl.	Seltos Nightfall/SX	HR-V
Zero to 30 MPH	3.6 sec	n/a	4.3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	9 sec	6.9 sec	10.5 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.5 sec	n/a	6.7 sec
Quarter Mile	17.1 sec	15.4 sec	18.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	84 MPH	91.2 MPH	81.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Seltos gets better mileage than the HR-V:

			MPG
Seltos
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	29 city/35 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/31 hwy
HR-V
	FWD	1.8 SOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/34 hwy
	AWD	Sport/EX/EX-L 1.8 SOHC 4-cyl.	26 city/31 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Seltos’ 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.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Seltos Nightfall/SX’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the HR-V:

	Seltos Nightfall/SX	HR-V
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.5 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	11.1 inches

The Seltos stops much shorter than the HR-V:

	Seltos	HR-V
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	133 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Seltos AWD Nightfall/SX’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the HR-V (235/45R18 vs. 225/50R18).

The Seltos AWD Nightfall/SX’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the HR-V Sport’s 50 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Seltos AWD 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 solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Seltos 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.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Seltos is 1 inch wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the HR-V.

The Seltos SX handles at .84 G’s, while the HR-V EX-L AWD 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 HR-V EX-L AWD (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Seltos’ turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the HR-V’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The Seltos’ turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the HR-V Sport’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

Passenger Space

The Seltos has .5 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 5.4 inches more rear hip room and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the HR-V.

Cargo Capacity

The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the HR-V with its rear seat up (26.6 vs. 24.3 cubic feet). The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the HR-V with its rear seat folded (62.8 vs. 58.8 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Seltos S/EX/SX has a standard 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 Seltos and the HR-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 HR-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 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 Seltos SX’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the HR-V’s projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Seltos’ available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the HR-V’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

The Seltos has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The HR-V has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the EX/EX-L.

The Seltos S/EX/Nightfall/SX 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.

Both the Seltos and the HR-V offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Seltos S/EX/Nightfall/SX has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The HR-V doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Seltos EX/SX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The HR-V doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Seltos, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Honda HR-V isn't recommended.