Compare the2023 Hyundai KonaVS 2022 Chevrolet Equinox

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Kona are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Equinox doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

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

The Kona has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Equinox’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kona has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Equinox.

The Kona’s 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 Equinox doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Kona and the Equinox have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive 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 Hyundai Kona is safer than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	Kona	Equinox
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	29/232 lbs.	363/349 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	217	376
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	59/27 lbs.	264/236 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 Hyundai Kona is safer than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	Kona	Equinox
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	109	109
Chest Movement	.8 inches	1.1 inches
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	196	377
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	40 G’s

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Kona is 2.3% to 4.9% less likely to roll over than the Equinox.

Warranty

The Kona comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Equinox’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Chevrolet covers the Equinox. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Equinox ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Kona’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the Equinox’s (7/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Equinox.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 10th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 11 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 25 more horsepower (195 vs. 170) than the Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Kona N Line/Limited 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	Kona	Equinox
Zero to 60 MPH	7.3 sec	8.9 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	19.7 sec	26.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.6 sec	9.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90 MPH	83 MPH
Top Speed	130 MPH	124 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Kona
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	30 city/35 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/35 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/33 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/32 hwy
Equinox
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	26 city/31 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/30 hwy

Transmission

A seven-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Hyundai Kona N Line/Limited, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Equinox.

The Kona has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Equinox doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Kona offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Equinox doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Kona AWD/1.6T’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Equinox:

	Kona AWD/1.6T	Equinox
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.8 inches

The Kona stops much shorter than the Equinox:

	Kona	Equinox
70 to 0 MPH	171 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	131 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Kona SE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Equinox LS/LT’s standard 65 series tires. The Kona N Line/Limited’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Equinox’s optional 50 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Kona AWD has front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Kona AWD flat and controlled during cornering. The Equinox’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Kona has 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 Equinox doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kona SEL AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the Equinox LT AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kona executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Equinox LT AWD (26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Kona’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Equinox’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The Kona’s turning circle is 6.8 feet tighter than the Equinox RS’ (34.8 feet vs. 41.6 feet).

Chassis

The Hyundai Kona may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 400 pounds less than the Chevrolet Equinox.

The Kona is 1 foot, 5.5 inches shorter than the Equinox, making the Kona easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Kona has .6 inches more front legroom and .5 inches more rear hip room than the Equinox.

The front step up height for the Kona is 1.2 inches lower than the Equinox (16” vs. 17.2”). The Kona’s rear step up height is 1.4 inches lower than the Equinox’s (16.1” vs. 17.5”).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Kona easier. The Kona’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.5 inches, while the Equinox’s liftover is 28.6 inches.

Ergonomics

The Kona SEL/N Line/Limted’s front power windows both open or close with one touch of the switches. The Equinox’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

The Kona has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Equinox doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Kona Limited’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Equinox’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Economic Advantages

The Kona will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Kona will retain 47.55% to 51.42% of its original price after five years, while the Equinox only retains 44.91% to 45.97%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Kona is less expensive to operate than the Equinox because it costs $482 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Kona than the Equinox, including $34 less for a water pump, $412 less for a muffler, $197 less for front brake pads, $68 less for a starter, $327 less for fuel injection, $440 less for a fuel pump, $357 less for a timing belt/chain and $107 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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

The Kona was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” in 2019. The Equinox has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.