Compare the2023 Kia Sportage PHEVVS 2022 Honda HR-V

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
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 Sportage PHEV are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The HR-V doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige has standard Parking Collision Avoidance-Reverse that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The HR-V doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Sportage PHEV. But it costs extra on the HR-V.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Sportage PHEV’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The HR-V doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The HR-V only offers a rear monitor.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sportage PHEV’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The HR-V doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Sportage PHEV’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 HR-V doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The Sportage PHEV has standard 911 Connect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The HR-V doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Sportage PHEV and the HR-V 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, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

The Kia Sportage PHEV weighs 1069 to 1305 pounds more than the Honda HR-V. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

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 vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sportage PHEV the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 177 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The HR-V has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

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

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage PHEV 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Honda covers the HR-V. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the HR-V 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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 16th, below the industry average.

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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 85 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 24th.

Engine

The Sportage PHEV’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 120 more horsepower (261 vs. 141) and 131 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 127) than the HR-V’s 1.8 SOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Kia Sportage PHEV is faster than the Honda HR-V:

	Sportage PHEV	HR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	9.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	17.5 sec	30.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.1 sec	9.9 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.3 sec	4.8 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	4.6 sec	6.8 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	17.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93 MPH	82 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Sportage PHEV can travel with zero emissions for 34 miles. The HR-V can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

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

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Sportage PHEV’s 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. The HR-V doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Sportage PHEV’s brake rotors are larger than those on the HR-V:

	Sportage PHEV	HR-V
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	11.5 inches
Rear Rotors	12 inches	11.1 inches

The Sportage PHEV stops much shorter than the HR-V:

	Sportage PHEV	HR-V
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Sportage PHEV has larger tires than the HR-V (235/55R19 vs. 215/55R17). The Sportage PHEV’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the HR-V (235/55R19 vs. 225/50R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sportage PHEV has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the HR-V. The HR-V’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Kia Sportage PHEV 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 Honda HR-V has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Sportage PHEV has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The HR-V’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sportage PHEV’s wheelbase is 5.7 inches longer than on the HR-V (108.5 inches vs. 102.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Sportage PHEV is 3.1 inches wider in the front and 3.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the HR-V.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige handles at .84 G’s, while the HR-V EX-L AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

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

Passenger Space

The Sportage PHEV has .2 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front hip room, .7 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear legroom, 6 inches more rear hip room and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the HR-V.

Cargo Capacity

The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the HR-V with its rear seat up (34.5 vs. 24.3 cubic feet). The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the HR-V with its rear seat folded (65.4 vs. 58.8 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Sportage PHEV’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Sportage PHEV’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The HR-V doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The Sportage PHEV has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The HR-V has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Sportage PHEV uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The HR-V doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Sportage PHEV 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 HR-V doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

When two different drivers share the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The HR-V doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige’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 HR-V doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The power windows standard on both the Sportage PHEV and the HR-V have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Sportage PHEV is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The HR-V prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Sportage PHEV’s 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 HR-V’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

On a hot day the Sportage PHEV’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the HR-V can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Sportage PHEV’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The HR-V LX/Sport’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The HR-V doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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

The Sportage PHEV has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The HR-V has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the EX/EX-L.

The Sportage PHEV’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Honda only offers heated mirrors on the HR-V EX/EX-L.

When the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The HR-V’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The HR-V doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The HR-V doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Sportage PHEV has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The HR-V doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Sportage PHEV’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 HR-V doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

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

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sportage PHEV has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The HR-V doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The HR-V doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The Kia Sportage outsold the Honda HR-V by 9% during 2022.