Compare the2023 Hyundai Kona NVS 2023 BMW X3

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Kona N are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X3 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 N are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Kona N and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Kona N comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The X3’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona N 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the X3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Kona N’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 BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 39 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 15th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 6 places higher in reliability than BMW.

The Kona N’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 28 more horsepower (276 vs. 248) and 31 lbs.-ft. more torque (289 vs. 258) than the X3 s/xDrive30i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

The Kona N offers a standard 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 X3 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the Kona N’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the X3:

The Kona N’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the X3’s standard 50 series tires.

The Kona N handles at .95 G’s, while the X3 M40i xDrive pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Kona N’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the X3’s (38.3 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Hyundai Kona N may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 1050 pounds less than the BMW X3.

The Kona N is 1 foot, 8 inches shorter than the X3, making the Kona N easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Kona N is quieter than the X3 M40i xDrive (79 vs. 80 dB).

The front step up height for the Kona N is 2.5 inches lower than the X3 (16” vs. 18.5”). The Kona N’s rear step up height is 2.4 inches lower than the X3’s (16.1” vs. 18.5”).

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Kona N has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Kona N has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the X3.

The Kona N was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” in 2019. The X3 has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.