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.

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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.