Compare the2023 Hyundai Kona ElectricVS 2023 Toyota Rav4 Prime

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 Electric are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kona Electric has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kona Electric has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Parking Support Brake costs extra on the Rav4 Prime XSE, and isn't offered on other Rav4 Prime models.

The Kona Electric’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Kona Electric and the Rav4 Prime 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 rear parking sensors.

The Kona Electric comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Rav4 Prime’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona Electric 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Rav4 Prime. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Rav4 Prime ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Kona Electric’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Rav4 Prime’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona Electric for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Rav4 Prime (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fifth.

On the EPA test cycle the Kona Electric gets better mileage than the Rav4 Prime running on electricity (134 city/106 hwy vs. 105 city/84 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Kona Electric gets better mileage than the Rav4 Prime running its gasoline engine (134 city/106 hwy MPGe vs. 40 city/36 hwy).

The Kona Electric can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 258 miles. The Rav4 Prime has to start its internal combustion engine after only 42 miles.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Kona Electric higher (10 out of 10) than the Toyota Rav4 Prime (7). This means the Kona Electric produces up to 11.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Rav4 Prime every 15,000 miles.

The Kona Electric stops much shorter than the Rav4 Prime:

The Kona Electric’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Rav4 Prime SE’s standard 60 series tires.

The Kona Electric has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Rav4 Prime’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Kona Electric has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kona Electric’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (54% to 46%) than the Rav4 Prime’s (56% to 44%). This gives the Kona Electric more stable handling and braking.

The Kona Electric Limited handles at .83 G’s, while the Rav4 Prime XSE pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Kona Electric’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Rav4 Prime SE’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.1 feet). The Kona Electric’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Rav4 Prime XSE’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Hyundai Kona Electric may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 500 pounds less than the Toyota Rav4 Prime.

The Kona Electric is 1 foot, 3.3 inches shorter than the Rav4 Prime, making the Kona Electric easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kona Electric has 1.9 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom and 4.5 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4 Prime.

The Kona Electric’s driver power window, power lock and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Rav4 Prime’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Kona was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2019. The Rav4 hasn’t been picked since 2008.