Compare the2023 Honda CR-V HybridVS 2023 Hyundai Kona

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V Hybrid have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Hyundai Kona doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Honda CR-V Hybrid has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Kona doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V Hybrid deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V Hybrid’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Kona’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CR-V Hybrid has standard Low-Speed Braking Control that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Kona doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring has standard Parking Sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Kona doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

Both the CR-V Hybrid and the Kona have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and available all wheel drive.

The Honda CR-V Hybrid weighs 425 to 1027 pounds more than the Hyundai Kona. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

There are over 29 percent more Honda dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the CR-V Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. With 2 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Hyundai.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 1 place higher in reliability than Hyundai.

Engine

The CR-V Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 57 more horsepower (204 vs. 147) and 115 lbs.-ft. more torque (247 vs. 132) than the Kona’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The CR-V Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 9 more horsepower (204 vs. 195) and 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (247 vs. 195) than the Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
CR-V Hybrid
	FWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	43 city/36 hwy
	AWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	40 city/34 hwy
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

Regenerative brakes improve the CR-V Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Kona doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The CR-V Hybrid has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Kona doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda CR-V Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Kona (5 to 7). This means the CR-V Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Kona every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the CR-V Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Kona:

	CR-V Hybrid	Kona	Kona AWD/1.6T
Front Rotors	12.3 inches	11 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	10.3 inches	11.2 inches

The CR-V Hybrid stops much shorter than the Kona:

	CR-V Hybrid	Kona
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the CR-V Hybrid has larger tires than the Kona (235/60R18 vs. 205/60R16).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CR-V Hybrid has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Kona SE. The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Kona N Line/Limited.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Honda CR-V Hybrid 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 Kona 4x2 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The CR-V Hybrid has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the CR-V Hybrid flat and controlled during cornering. The Kona 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CR-V Hybrid’s wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the Kona (106.3 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CR-V Hybrid is 1.7 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Kona.

For greater off-road capability the CR-V Hybrid has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Kona (8.2 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the CR-V Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the CR-V Hybrid uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Kona doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The CR-V Hybrid uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Kona doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The CR-V Hybrid has 9.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kona (103.5 vs. 94.1).

The CR-V Hybrid has 2.3 inches more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 5.2 inches more rear legroom and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kona.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CR-V Hybrid’s rear seats recline. The Kona’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The CR-V Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kona with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 19.2 cubic feet). The CR-V Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 45.8 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the CR-V Hybrid easier. The CR-V Hybrid’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Kona’s liftover is 27.5 inches.

The CR-V Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Kona’s in every dimension:

	CR-V Hybrid	Kona
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	37.5”/71”	28.6”/61”
Max Width	54”	48”
Min Width	41.5”	40”
Height	41”	30”

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the CR-V Hybrid. The Kona doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Kona doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The CR-V Hybrid has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The Kona has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The CR-V Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Kona uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each keyless remote activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Kona doesn’t offer memory seats.

The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Kona doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The CR-V Hybrid’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Kona has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Kona’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically. The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches. With the Kona SEL/N Line/Limted’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

On a hot day the CR-V Hybrid’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance with the keyless remote or at the outside door handle. The driver of the Kona can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The CR-V Hybrid’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Kona’s passenger power window and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Kona’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The CR-V Hybrid’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Kona’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

On extremely cold winter days, the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Kona doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Kona doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Kona SE doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

Both the CR-V Hybrid and the Kona offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the CR-V Hybrid has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Kona doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Recommendations

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The Kona has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the Hyundai Kona by almost four to one during the 2022 model year.