Compare the2023 Mazda CX-5VS 2023 Hyundai Kona

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The CX-5 has standard Whiplash-Reducing Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Kona doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CX-5 Turbo Signature has standard Smart Brake Support-Rear that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Kona doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-5. But it costs extra on the Kona.

The CX-5 Turbo Signature has a standard 360° Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Kona only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

Both the CX-5 and the Kona have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available driver alert monitors.

The Mazda CX-5 weighs 401 to 968 pounds more than the Hyundai Kona. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Hyundai Kona:

	CX-5	Kona
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	82	205
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	57 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	156	217
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	37%

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 Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Hyundai Kona:

	CX-5	Kona
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	81	109
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	126 lbs.	246 lbs.
Hip Force	189 lbs.	611 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	208	326
Spine Acceleration	65 G’s	66 G’s
Hip Force	524 lbs.	638 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	34 G’s
Hip Force	435 lbs.	744 lbs.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-5 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Kona has not been fully tested, yet.

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 CX-5’s reliability 33 points higher than the Kona.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. With 5 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mazda higher than Hyundai.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda fourth in overall reliability. Hyundai is ranked 13th.

Engine

The CX-5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 40 more horsepower (187 vs. 147) and 54 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 132) than the Kona’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The CX-5’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 61 more horsepower (256 vs. 195) and 125 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 195) than the Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mazda CX-5 turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Kona N Line/Limited 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder:

	CX-5	Kona
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	7.3 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	16.9 sec	19.7 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.6 sec	7.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.7 sec	15.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94 MPH	90 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CX-5 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The Kona doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The CX-5 has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kona (15.3 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the CX-5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Kona:

	CX-5	CX-5 Turbo	Kona	Kona AWD/1.6T
Front Rotors	11.7 inches	12.6 inches	11 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	11.9 inches	10.3 inches	11.2 inches

The CX-5 stops much shorter than the Kona:

	CX-5	Kona
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the CX-5 has larger tires than the Kona (225/65R17 vs. 205/60R16).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CX-5 has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Kona SE. The CX-5 Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo’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 Mazda CX-5 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 CX-5 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the CX-5 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 CX-5’s wheelbase is 3.8 inches longer than on the Kona (106.2 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CX-5 is 1.2 inches wider in the front and .8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Kona.

Passenger Space

The CX-5 has 9.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kona (103.6 vs. 94.1).

The CX-5 has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.9 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 4.4 inches more rear legroom, 3.1 inches more rear hip room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kona.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CX-5’s rear seats recline. The Kona’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kona with its rear seat up (30.8 vs. 19.2 cubic feet). The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona with its rear seat folded (59.3 vs. 45.8 cubic feet).

The CX-5’s cargo area is larger than the Kona’s in every dimension:

	CX-5	Kona
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	38”	28.6”/61”
Max Width	57”	48”
Min Width	41.3”	40”
Height	32.4”	30”

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the CX-5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Kona doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the CX-5 Premium/Turbo has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Kona doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The CX-5 has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Kona has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the CX-5 Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Kona doesn’t offer memory seats.

The CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Kona doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-5’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 CX-5’s front and rear power windows all 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. With the Kona SEL/N Line/Limted’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

The CX-5’s power window, power lock and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Kona’s passenger power window switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The CX-5’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Kona’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The CX-5’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.

Consumer Reports rated the CX-5’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Kona’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-5 Premium/Turbo has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Kona doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Both the CX-5 and the Kona offer available heated front seats. The CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Kona.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Kona doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo’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 CX-5 Select/Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo’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.

Both the CX-5 and the Kona offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the CX-5 Select/Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo 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.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the CX-5 owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the CX-5 with a number “1” insurance rate while the Kona is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the CX-5 is less expensive to operate than the Kona because it costs $91 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the CX-5 than the Kona, including $195 less for a water pump, $163 less for a muffler, $70 less for a timing belt/chain and $81 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Mazda CX-5, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Hyundai Kona isn't recommended.

The Mazda CX-5 outsold the Hyundai Kona by over two to one during 2022.