Compare the2023 Hyundai KonaVS 2022 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
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 Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kona offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

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 Corolla Hatchback’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 Corolla Hatchback and isn't available on the not available.

Both the Kona and the Corolla Hatchback 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available 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 Toyota Corolla Hatchback:

	Kona	Corolla Hatchback
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	20%	27%
Neck Stress	207 lbs.	243 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	29/232 lbs.	330/310 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	217	356
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Compression	70 lbs.	86 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	59/27 lbs.	301/156 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 Toyota Corolla Hatchback:

	Kona	Corolla Hatchback
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.8 inches	.9 inches
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	196	239

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

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

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Corolla Hatchback (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

Reliability

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 21 points higher than the Corolla Hatchback.

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fifth.

Engine

The Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 27 more horsepower (195 vs. 168) and 44 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 151) than the Corolla Hatchback’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

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 Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Transmission

The Hyundai Kona comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Corolla Hatchback.

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Kona AWD/1.6T	Corolla Hatchback
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.5 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	10.5 inches

The Kona stops much shorter than the Corolla Hatchback:

	Kona	Corolla Hatchback
70 to 0 MPH	171 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	135 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	131 feet	133 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 Corolla Hatchback (235/45R18 vs. 225/40R18).

Suspension and Handling

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

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Kona is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Corolla Hatchback.

The Kona SEL AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the Corolla Hatchback XSE pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Kona’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Corolla Hatchback’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

Chassis

The Kona is 6.4 inches shorter than the Corolla Hatchback, making the Kona easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Kona has 9.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Corolla Hatchback (94.1 vs. 84.6).

The Kona has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 5.3 inches more rear legroom and 6.7 inches more rear hip room than the Corolla Hatchback.

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 Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 Corolla Hatchback’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Kona’s optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Kona is less expensive to operate than the Corolla Hatchback because typical repairs cost less on the Kona than the Corolla Hatchback, including $24 less for front brake pads, $101 less for a starter, $169 less for fuel injection, $122 less for a fuel pump, $105 less for front struts and $181 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

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