Compare the2023 Hyundai KonaVS 2022 Jeep Renegade

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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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 Renegade doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Renegade doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Kona and the Renegade 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, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, 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 Jeep Renegade:

	Kona	Renegade
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	205	207
Neck Injury Risk	20%	26%
Neck Stress	207 lbs.	332 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	29/232 lbs.	343/366 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	217	363
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Stress	193 lbs.	221 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	59/27 lbs.	290/322 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 Jeep Renegade:

	Kona	Renegade
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	109	161
Chest Movement	.8 inches	1 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
Spine Acceleration	66 G’s	73 G’s
Hip Force	638 lbs.	1157 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	196	314
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	39 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 3.8% to 9.2% less likely to roll over than the Renegade.

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

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

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Kona has a standard 640-amp battery. The Renegade’s 500-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Kona’s reliability 22 points higher than the Renegade.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. With 14 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Hyundai higher than Jeep.

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 Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 53 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 19th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 13 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

Engine

The Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 18 more horsepower (195 vs. 177) than the Renegade’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			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
Renegade
	FWD	1.3 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy
	AWD	1.3 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
		Trailhawk 1.3 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy

Regardless of its engine, the Kona’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The Renegade 2.4-liter doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Kona uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Renegade requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

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 Renegade 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 Renegade doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

The Kona stops much shorter than the Renegade:

	Kona	Renegade
70 to 0 MPH	171 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	131 feet	133 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 Renegade’s standard 65 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Kona has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Renegade’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Kona’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Renegade (102.4 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Kona is 1 inch wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Renegade.

The Kona SEL AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the Renegade Latitude 4x4 pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kona executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the Renegade Trailhawk 4x4 (26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Kona’s turning circle is .5 feet tighter than the Renegade Trailhawk 4x4’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.3 feet). The Kona’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Renegade’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.3 feet).

Chassis

The Hyundai Kona may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 250 pounds less than the Jeep Renegade.

The design of the Hyundai Kona amounts to more than styling. The Kona has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .32 Cd. That is lower than the Renegade (.35 to .37) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Kona get better fuel mileage.

For excellent aerodynamics, the Kona has standard flush composite headlights. The Renegade has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

Passenger Space

The Kona has .3 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear hip room than the Renegade.

The front step up height for the Kona is 3.4 inches lower than the Renegade (16” vs. 19.4”). The Kona’s rear step up height is 3.5 inches lower than the Renegade’s (16.1” vs. 19.6”).

Cargo Capacity

The Kona has a larger cargo volume than the Renegade with its rear seat up (19.2 vs. 18.5 cubic feet).

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 Renegade’s liftover is 30.2 inches.

The Kona’s cargo area is larger than the Renegade’s in almost every dimension:

	Kona	Renegade
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	28.6”/61”	28.9”/59”
Max Width	48”	40.1”
Min Width	40”	37.6”
Height	30”	33.7”

Ergonomics

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 Renegade doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

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 Renegade has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited.

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 Renegade doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Kona is less expensive to operate than the Renegade because it costs $145 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Kona than the Renegade, including $195 less for front brake pads, $371 less for a starter, $79 less for a fuel pump, $267 less for front struts and $84 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Kona, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Renegade isn't recommended.

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

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Jeep Renegade by 60% during the 2021 model year.

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