Buyers in the McKinney, Texas, area looking for a compact crossover that still offers plenty of capacity for a small family have a difficult choice to make between the Hyundai Kona and the Subaru Crosstrek. Both these SUVs offer many of the most popular features you’ll need for day-to-day driving or highway trips, including solid powertrains, comfortable cabins, and a decent amount of cargo space. To help you make a final decision, our team of Hyundai experts has compared the 2023 Kona and the Subaru Crosstrek. Feel free to contact us at Huffines Hyundai to learn more.
Kona vs. Crosstrek Engine and Performance
These two crossovers have two comparable engine options, though the Kona has a third unit that gives it a slight edge. The Kona’s base engine puts out a solid 147 horsepower compared with the Crosstrek’s 152 horsepower. These engines are safe choices if you do most of your driving on the busy city roads in Dallas. If you need a bit more power to move up to highway speeds on a regular basis, the Kona’s optional 195-horsepower turbocharged engine will give you a little more acceleration under the hood than the Crosstrek’s 182-horsepower flat-four.
The game-changer in the Kona is a 276-horsepower 2.0L turbocharged engine. You can only opt for this engine in the performance-oriented Kona N trim. Whichever trim you choose, you can rely on our Hyundai service center for routine maintenance over the coming years.
The Kona enjoys a slight edge in gas mileage, at least with its base engine. The 147-horsepower unit achieves 30 mpg on city roads and 35 mpg on the highway, which compares with 28 mpg and 33 mpg, respectively, with the Crosstrek’s base engine. It’s a similar story with the engine upgrades. The Kona’s 195-horsepower turbocharged unit gets 35 mpg on the highway and 29 mpg in the city, while the Crosstrek’s larger four-cylinder is good for 34 mpg and 27 mpg, respectively.
The Kona N’s turbocharged unit reduces fuel economy to 20 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.
Kona vs. Crosstrek Cargo and Passenger Capacity
There’s not much to separate the cabins of these two crossovers. The Crosstrek has a slight advantage in terms of total storage space, but the Kona’s proportions are still more than adequate for a family-sized load of groceries or some bags for a weekend trip out of town. The Crosstrek offers 20.8 cubic feet of storage behind the second row, compared with the Kona’s 19.2 cubic feet. With the rear row folded flat, you’ll get 55.3 cubic feet of space in the Crosstrek and 45.8 cubic feet in the Kona.
Both SUVs seat a maximum of five people across two rows. Adults can fit in both rows, although you may find the second row is best left for kids during longer drives. The standard setup features cloth upholstery, but you can add more upscale features, such as leather and power-adjustable seats, in the higher trims. The rear rows of the Crosstrek and Kona are also equipped with LATCH connectors for installing kids’ seats.
Kona vs. Crosstrek Infotainment and Safety Tech
There’s plenty of technology in the Kona and Crosstrek, but you’ll find the Kona’s infotainment system has more to offer. It boasts an 8-inch touch screen and six-speaker stereo in its base setup, while the Crosstrek has a smaller 6.5-inch screen and a four-speaker stereo. Connectivity options offered in both vehicles include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, USB ports, and Bluetooth.
The Kona’s optional upgrades are a 10.25-inch screen, an eight-speaker stereo, and Hyundai’s Digital Key, which allows you to control various settings remotely. The Crosstrek offers an 8-inch screen, an eight-speaker stereo, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.
You’ll find an equally impressive range of safety features in both crossovers, although the Kona has considerably more standard features than the Crosstrek. In the Kona’s base trim, you get forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection. You’ll also find a driver attention monitor that alerts you when it’s time to take a break and a rear-seat alert to remind you to check for kids or pets before you get out of the car. Many of the same features are available as add-ons in the Crosstrek.
Kona vs. Crosstrek Pricing and Trims
The 2023 Kona is sold in five trims, while the Crosstrek comes in four. The Kona’s trims are the SE, SEL, N Line, Limited, and N. The trims for the Crosstrek are the base, Premium, Sport, and Limited. The Kona has a price advantage, with its base price starting at $21,990, while the Crosstrek starts at $23,645.
Highlights in the Kona’s trim lineup include a power-adjustable driver’s seat in the SEL trim and the more powerful 195-horsepower engine in the N Line. The Limited trim gets leather-trimmed seats, a premium stereo, and LED headlights and taillights. The range-topping N trim is performance oriented and more luxurious, as you get a 276-horsepower engine, leather and suede upholstery, and 19-inch alloy wheels. A sport-tuned suspension, paddle shifters, and a limited-slip differential are also included.
The Crosstrek’s trim upgrades include heated front seats, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel in the Premium trim. The Sport trim is the first with the larger engine. It also gets synthetic leather upholstery, push-button start, and USB ports in the rear row. The top Limited trim adds leather upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and a larger touch screen. Other benefits include 18-inch wheels, blind-spot monitoring, rear collision warning, and reverse automatic emergency braking.
As you can see, there are many reasons to recommend both of these SUVs. However, we think the Kona has a slight edge, thanks to its stronger engine lineup and more extensive array of infotainment features. To learn more about the 2023 Kona or arrange a test drive near Dallas, Texas, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team here at Huffines McKinney will be more than happy to answer your questions or get the purchase process started. You can reach us by phone or online message, or drop by our Hyundai dealership to explore our Kona inventory for yourself.