Compare the2023 Hyundai KonaVS 2022 Lexus UX

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 UX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Kona and the UX 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, 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 Lexus UX:

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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Kona is safer than the Lexus UX:

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

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 UX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the UX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the UX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The Kona’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the UX’s (7 vs. 6 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the UX (3/36,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Kona’s warranty.

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 Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

The Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 14 more horsepower (195 vs. 181) than the UX 250h’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Kona N Line/Limited 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the UX 200 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder:

Regardless of its engine, the Kona’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the UX Hybrid.

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

The Kona has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the UX Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (13.2 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Kona stops much shorter than the UX:

For better traction, the Kona N Line/Limited’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the UX (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 UX’s 50 series tires.

The Kona has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the UX; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Kona SEL AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the UX 200 Luxury pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kona executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the UX 200 (26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

The Hyundai Kona may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 400 pounds less than the Lexus UX.

The Kona is 11.4 inches shorter than the UX, making the Kona easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kona has 3.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the UX (94.1 vs. 90.4).

The Kona has 2.4 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 2.1 inches more rear legroom and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the UX.

The Kona has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the UX (19.2 vs. 17.1 cubic feet).

The Kona has a higher maximum payload capacity than the UX (930 vs. 890 lbs.).

The power windows standard on both the Kona and the UX 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 UX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Insurance will cost less for the Kona owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Kona will cost $805 less than the UX over a five-year period.

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

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

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Lexus UX by almost five to one during the 2021 model year.