Compare the2023 Honda CR-V HybridVS 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid

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 Kia Sportage Hybrid 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 Sportage Hybrid 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 Sportage Hybrid’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The CR-V Hybrid 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. Only the Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CR-V Hybrid 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. Only the Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the CR-V Hybrid and the Sportage Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

The CR-V Hybrid’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Sportage Hybrid runs out after 100,000 miles.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the CR-V Hybrid for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sportage Hybrid.

There are over 37 percent more Honda dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the CR-V Hybrid’s warranty.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 10 places higher in reliability than Kia.

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 Sportage Hybrid doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The CR-V Hybrid 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 Sportage Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

The CR-V Hybrid’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 Sportage LX HEV’s standard 65 series tires. The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s tires have a lower 55 series profile than the Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CR-V Hybrid has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sportage LX HEV. The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige.

For better maneuverability, the CR-V Hybrid’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Sportage Hybrid’s (37.3 feet vs. 38.6 feet).

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 Sportage Hybrid doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The CR-V Hybrid has .8 inches more front hip room, .4 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Sportage Hybrid.

The CR-V Hybrid has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Sportage Hybrid with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 73.7 cubic feet).

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

The CR-V Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sportage Hybrid 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.

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 Sportage Hybrid’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 Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

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 Sportage Hybrid’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Kia charges extra for heated mirrors on the Sportage Hybrid.

The CR-V was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 21 years. The Sportage Hybrid has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.

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

The Honda CR-V outsold the Kia Sportage by over two to one during the 2022 model year.