Compare the2025 Kia SeltosVS 2025 Honda CR-V

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Seltos and CR-V have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Seltos S/EX/X-Line/SX 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 Seltos and the CR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.

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

	Seltos	CR-V
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	308	357
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	38.4%	54%
Leg Forces (l/r)	387/46 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 Seltos is much safer than the CR-V:

	Seltos	CR-V
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	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
Chest Rating
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 Seltos is safer than the Honda CR-V:

	Seltos	CR-V
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	346 lbs.	347 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	447 lbs.	613 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	227	302
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	620 lbs.	753 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Seltos 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 Seltos 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 rated the Seltos second among small suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The CR-V isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 3 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated below average.

Engine

The Seltos X-Line/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 5 more horsepower (195 vs. 190) and 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Seltos 4 cyl. is faster than the Honda CR-V turbo 4 cyl.:

	Seltos	CR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	16.7 sec

As tested in Motor Trend the Seltos X-Line/SX 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the CR-V Hybrid 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid:

	Seltos	CR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	7.6 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	11.6 sec	15.3 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	3.5 sec	4 sec
Quarter Mile	15.4 sec	16.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.2 MPH	81.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Seltos 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder AWD gets better fuel mileage than the CR-V 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder AWD (27 city/31 hwy vs. 26 city/31 hwy).

Both the Seltos 2.0 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 Seltos 2.0s 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 Seltos 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 Seltos higher (6 out of 10) than the Honda CR-V (5 to 6). This means the Seltos produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CR-V every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Seltos stops much shorter than the CR-V:

	Seltos	CR-V
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	171 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	133 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Seltos’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CR-V LX’s standard 65 series tires. The Seltos AWD X-Line/SX’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid’s 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Seltos 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 Seltos 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.

The Seltos SX handles at .84 G’s, while the CR-V EX-L AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Seltos S AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.6 seconds quicker than the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 29.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Seltos’ turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the CR-V’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.3 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Seltos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 pounds less than the Honda CR-V.

The Seltos is 1 foot shorter than the CR-V, making the Seltos easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Seltos has .1 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom and .2 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Seltos and the CR-V have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Seltos 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.

Consumer Reports rated the Seltos’ headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the CR-V’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Seltos SX 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 Seltos 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.

Recommendations

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

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