Compare the2023 Hyundai KonaVS 2022 Honda HR-V

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
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 HR-V doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Kona’s 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 Kona’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 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 HR-V doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The Kona SEL/N Line/Limited has standard Blue Link, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or 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 Kona 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, 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 Honda HR-V:

	Kona	HR-V
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	205	481
Neck Stress	207 lbs.	244 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	37%	41%
Neck Stress	193 lbs.	218 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	59/27 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 Hyundai Kona is safer than the Honda HR-V:

	Kona	HR-V
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	109	148
Chest Movement	.8 inches	.8 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	326	357
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	196	203
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	744 lbs.	799 lbs.

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

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 HR-V’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 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.

The Kona’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the HR-V’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. Honda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the HR-V.

Reliability

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

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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 82 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 24th.

Engine

The Kona’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 6 more horsepower (147 vs. 141) and 5 lbs.-ft. more torque (132 vs. 127) than the HR-V’s 1.8 SOHC 4-cylinder. The Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 54 more horsepower (195 vs. 141) and 68 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 127) than the HR-V’s 1.8 SOHC 4-cylinder.

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

	Kona	HR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	7.3 sec	9.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	19.7 sec	30.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.6 sec	9.9 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	17.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90 MPH	82 MPH
Top Speed	130 MPH	117 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			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
HR-V
	FWD	1.8 SOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/34 hwy
	AWD	LX 1.8 SOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/31 hwy
		Sport/EX/EX-L 1.8 SOHC 4-cyl.	26 city/31 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Kona’s 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. The HR-V doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Hyundai Kona as a “Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle” (PZEV). The Honda HR-V is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Kona AWD/1.6T	HR-V
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.5 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	11.1 inches

The Kona stops much shorter than the HR-V:

	Kona	HR-V
70 to 0 MPH	171 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	127 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 HR-V (235/45R18 vs. 225/50R18).

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 HR-V Sport’s 50 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Kona 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 Kona 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 Kona is 1.2 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the HR-V.

The Kona SEL AWD handles at .88 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 Kona executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the HR-V EX-L AWD (26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

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

Chassis

The Kona is 4.8 inches shorter than the HR-V, making the Kona easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Kona has .1 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room and 4.8 inches more rear hip room than the HR-V.

Ergonomics

The Kona SEL/N-Line/Limited 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 Kona and the HR-V have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Kona 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 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 HR-V’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

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

The Kona Limited’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 Kona 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 Kona’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Honda only offers heated mirrors on the HR-V EX/EX-L.

The Kona 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.

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 HR-V doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Kona owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Kona with a number “8” insurance rate while the HR-V is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Kona is less expensive to operate than the HR-V because typical repairs cost much less on the Kona than the HR-V, including $28 less for front brake pads, $268 less for a starter, $1 less for fuel injection, $158 less for a fuel pump and $84 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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

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