Compare the2026 Kia SportageVS 2026 Honda CR-V

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Sportage (except LX/EX) offers an optional Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The CR-V only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Sportage and CR-V offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the Sportage with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning also has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The CR-V’s Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Sportage and the CR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and blind spot warning systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Sportage is safer than the Honda CR-V:

	Sportage	CR-V
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Compression	14 lbs.	48 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	48/154 lbs.	217/317 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	307	357
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	30.9%	54%
Neck Stress	177 lbs.	211 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	292/203 lbs.	408/341 lbs.

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Sportage is much safer than the CR-V:

	Sportage	CR-V
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	MARGINAL
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	POOR

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 Kia Sportage is safer than the Honda CR-V:

	Sportage	CR-V
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	70	72
Hip Force	247 lbs.	347 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	47 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	581 lbs.	613 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	270	302
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	480 lbs.	753 lbs.

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

The Kia Sportage has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The CR-V is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

Warranty

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

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Honda covers the CR-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 CR-V ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated lower.

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the Sportage and the CR-V have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Sportages have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sportage uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CR-V with the 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Sportage higher (6 out of 10) than the Honda CR-V (5 to 6). This means the Sportage produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CR-V every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Sportage	CR-V
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	12.3 inches

The Sportage stops shorter than the CR-V:

	Sportage	CR-V
70 to 0 MPH	180 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

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

The Sportage has vehicle speed sensitive 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 CR-V doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sportage’s wheelbase is 2.2 inches longer than on the CR-V (108.5 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

The Sportage X-Pro Prestige handles at .84 G’s, while the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Sportage AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid (27.9 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 29.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Sportage has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CR-V (8.3 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Sportage to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Sportage X-Pro Prestige is quieter than the CR-V EX-L AWD (37 vs. 38 dB).

Passenger Space

The Sportage has .1 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, .3 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V.

Cargo Capacity

The Sportage has a larger cargo volume than the CR-V with its rear seat up (39.6 vs. 39.3 cubic feet).

Towing

The Sportage’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the CR-V’s (2500 vs. 1000 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Sportage 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 CR-V doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

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

The Sportage’s standard Smart Key allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, unlock the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Pushbutton Start standard on the CR-V only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle. Pushbutton Start is not available on the CR-V EX/EX-L/Sport/TrailSport/Sport-L/Sport Touring.

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

When the Sportage with available tilt-down mirrors 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 CR-V’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Kia Sportage and Honda CR-V offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Sportage offers optional power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the CR-V’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

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

Compared to the Honda CR-V, the Kia Sportage eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Compared to traditional radio, the Kia Sportage’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the CR-V EX-L/Sport-L/Sport Touring.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Sportage and the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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