Compare the2023 Kia SeltosVS 2023 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
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 Seltos 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Seltos S Turbo/EX/SX has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

Both the Seltos 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Seltos is safer than the Toyota Corolla Hatchback:

	Seltos	Corolla Hatchback
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	129	187
Neck Injury Risk	24%	27%
Neck Stress	237 lbs.	243 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	50 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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Seltos is safer than the Toyota Corolla Hatchback:

	Seltos	Corolla Hatchback
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	225	239
Hip Force	433 lbs.	623 lbs.

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Seltos its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 134 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Corolla Hatchback is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

The Seltos 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.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Seltos 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.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 14th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fifth.

Engine

The Seltos Nightfall/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 6 more horsepower (175 vs. 169) and 44 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 151) than the Corolla Hatchback’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Seltos is faster than the Toyota Corolla Hatchback:

	Seltos 4 cyl.	Seltos Nightfall/SX	Corolla Hatchback
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	6.9 sec	8.6 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Seltos’ 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. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Seltos Nightfall/SX’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Corolla Hatchback:

	Seltos Nightfall/SX	Corolla Hatchback
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.5 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	10.5 inches

The Seltos stops much shorter than the Corolla Hatchback:

	Seltos	Corolla Hatchback
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	135 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Seltos has larger standard tires than the Corolla Hatchback (215/55R17 vs. 205/55R16). The Seltos AWD Nightfall/SX’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Corolla Hatchback (235/45R18 vs. 225/40R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Seltos has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Corolla Hatchback SE.

Suspension and Handling

The Seltos 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 Seltos is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Corolla Hatchback.

The Seltos S AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the Corolla Hatchback SE pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

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

Passenger Space

The Seltos has 14.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Corolla Hatchback (99 vs. 84.6).

The Seltos has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 8.1 inches more rear legroom, 7.3 inches more rear hip room and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Corolla Hatchback.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Seltos’ rear seats recline. The Corolla Hatchback’s rear seats don’t recline.

Ergonomics

The Seltos S/EX/SX 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.

Consumer Reports rated the Seltos’ headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Corolla Hatchback’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Seltos’ available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Corolla Hatchback’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Seltos SX’s standard 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.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Seltos and the Toyota Corolla Hatchback, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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