HONDA CR-V HYBRID VS KIA SPORTAGE HYBRID

The 2023 Honda CR-V and 2023 Kia Sportage are two highly rated small SUVs. Notably, they also come in hybrid versions that offer some compelling advantages.

The big one is significantly better fuel efficiency than the regular gas-only versions. They’re also more powerful and have the same interior space. Altogether, it’s pretty easy to justify the slight price premiums that the hybrid CR-V and Sportage command. But which SUV should you get?

The Honda CR-V has long been considered a benchmark of the class and it receives a full redesign for 2023 that ushers in a roomier interior, enhanced technology features, and an improved hybrid powertrain. The Kia Sportage also received a 2023 redesign. It’s got a bold new look, up-to-date tech, and an all-new hybrid powertrain to rival the CR-V’s. Experts compare them to find out which one is the fuel-sipping SUV champ.

FUEL ECONOMY & POWER

Both hybrid SUVs are efficient, but there’s a clear winner. The front-wheel drive version of the Sportage Hybrid gets an impressive EPA estimate of 43 mpg combined (44 mpg city/42 mpg highway). The front-wheel-drive hybrid version of the CR-V gets 40 mpg combined (43 mpg city/36 mpg highway). When all-wheel drive is equipped, the estimates become closer: 38 mpg combined for the Sportage and 37 mpg combined for the CR-V.

Also driven the all-wheel-drive versions of both SUVs on its real-world test route. Here, the results were less than the EPA’s estimates but still respectable: 34.5 mpg for the Sportage and 33.3 mpg for the CR-V.