Compare the2023 Hyundai KonaVS 2022 Ford EcoSport

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
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 Kona are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The EcoSport doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kona has standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The EcoSport doesn't offer collision warning or crash mitigation brakes.

The Kona’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The EcoSport doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

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 EcoSport and isn't available on the not available.

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 EcoSport doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Kona and the EcoSport 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 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 Ford EcoSport:

	Kona	EcoSport
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	205	250
Neck Injury Risk	20%	36%
Neck Stress	207 lbs.	403 lbs.
Neck Compression	57 lbs.	60 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	29/232 lbs.	495/441 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	217	325
Neck Injury Risk	37%	38%
Neck Stress	193 lbs.	200 lbs.
Neck Compression	70 lbs.	74 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	59/27 lbs.	329/236 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 Ford EcoSport:

	Kona	EcoSport
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.8 inches	.9 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	638 lbs.	685 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	196	215
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	37 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 5% to 6.8% less likely to roll over than the EcoSport.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Kona the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 230 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The EcoSport has not been fully tested, yet.

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 EcoSport’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 Ford covers the EcoSport. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the EcoSport ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Kona’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the EcoSport’s (7 vs. 5 years).

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. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the EcoSport.

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 Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 16th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 5 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Engine

The Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 29 more horsepower (195 vs. 166) and 46 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 149) than the EcoSport’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			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
EcoSport
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/29 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 EcoSport.

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 EcoSport 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 EcoSport 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 EcoSport:

	Kona AWD/1.6T	EcoSport
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	10.7 inches

The Kona stops much shorter than the EcoSport:

	Kona	EcoSport
70 to 0 MPH	171 feet	186 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	131 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Kona N Line/Limited’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the EcoSport (235/45R18 vs. 205/60R16).

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

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Kona N Line/Limited has standard 18-inch wheels. The EcoSport’s largest wheels are only 17-inches.

The Hyundai Kona’s wheels have 5 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Ford EcoSport only has 4 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

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 EcoSport doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Kona’s wheelbase is 3.2 inches longer than on the EcoSport (102.4 inches vs. 99.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Kona is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the EcoSport.

The Kona SEL AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the EcoSport Titanium pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kona executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.4 seconds quicker than the EcoSport SE (26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 29.3 seconds @ .54 average G’s).

Chassis

The Hyundai Kona may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 400 pounds less than the Ford EcoSport.

Passenger Space

The Kona has 3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the EcoSport (94.1 vs. 91.1).

The Kona has 1.7 inches more front hip room, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 1.3 inches more rear hip room and 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the EcoSport.

Cargo Capacity

The Kona’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The EcoSport’s swing out door blocks loading from the driver’s side.

Ergonomics

The Kona SEL/N Line/Limted’s front power windows open fully with one touch of the switches, and the driver’s window also automatically closes, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The EcoSport’s passenger windows don’t open or 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 EcoSport doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

In addition to a parabolic reflector, optical-grade lenses in the Kona’s 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 EcoSport’s standard uses a simple reflector to direct its standard headlights. The Kona Limited’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the EcoSport’s projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Kona Limited detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The EcoSport doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

The Kona’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford only offers heated mirrors on the EcoSport SES/Titanium.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Kona Limited has a standard Smart Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The EcoSport doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Kona (except SE) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The EcoSport doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The Kona is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The EcoSport doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Kona owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Kona will cost $635 less than the EcoSport over a five-year period.

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 EcoSport only retains 44.94% to 46.13%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Kona is less expensive to operate than the EcoSport because typical repairs cost much less on the Kona than the EcoSport, including $55 less for front brake pads, $68 less for fuel injection, $139 less for a fuel pump, $59 less for front struts, $525 less for a timing belt/chain and $352 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its March 2019 issue and they ranked the Hyundai Kona SE first. They ranked the Ford EcoSport SE third.

The Kona was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2019. The EcoSport has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue, and the EcoSport has only been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Kona as the 2019 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The EcoSport has never been chosen.

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Ford EcoSport by over two to one during 2022.