Comparison Data
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2024 Hyundai Kona N-Line Ultimate
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2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness
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Engine Displacement
1.6L
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2.5L
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Engine Cylinders
Turbo I4
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H4
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Peak Horsepower
190 hp @ 6,000 rpm
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182 hp @ 5,800 rpm
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Peak Torque
195 lb-ft @ 1,700 rpm
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178 lb-ft @ 3,700 rpm
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Fuel Economy
9.7 / 8.3 / 9.1 L/100 km cty/hwy/cmb
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9.4 / 8.1 / 8.8 L/100 km cty/hwy/cmb
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Cargo Space
723 / 1,803 L seats folded
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566 / 1,555 L seats folded
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Base Price
$35,499
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$37,995
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A/C Tax
$100
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$100
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Destination Fee
$1,925
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$2,295
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Price as Tested
$40,524
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$40,390
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Optional Equipment
$3,000 – Ultimate Package, $3,000
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None
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Gather ‘round, folks, we’ve got a good ol’ fashioned duel on our hands.
At one end, the city slicker in dashing red duds, while fifty paces away, the grizzled, gravel-chewing cowpoke is ready to have at ‘er. This is no “good guy versus bad guy” battle, though – just two distinctly different approaches to the subcompact crossover. Both the 2024 Hyundai Kona and 2024 Subaru Crosstrek are admirable entries, but each one is bound to appeal to different types of users.
Power
Each of these mudslingers has a four-cylinder engine holstered under the hood. In the case of this particular Subaru, it’s a 2.5L horizontally-opposed setup with 182 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque. The Hyundai tested here uses a turbocharged 1.6L that makes 190 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. (Both crossovers are also offered with engines that make considerably less output.)
While talking power is fun for boasting in the local saloon, it’s torque that’s felt when accelerating; and not only does the Kona have more of it, but its turbo helps whip it up at lower engine speeds. This means the Hyundai is noticeably quicker when accelerating away from a standstill, and there’s more giddyup when passing, too.
The Hyundai’s eight-speed automatic transmission gets the draw on the Subaru’s automatic continuously-variable transmission (CVT), too. While it’s one of the best of its kind, it still makes the Crosstrek feel a little sluggish when compared to the quicker throttle and shift response from the Kona.
Hyundai Kona: 7/10; Subaru Crosstrek: 6/10
Fuel Economy
Fittingly, the Kona’s smaller engine sips fuel more frugally than the Crosstrek’s, but they’re both decently efficient machines. The government rates the Hyundai at 9.7 L/100 km in the city, 8.3 on the highway, and 9.1 combined. The Subaru, meanwhile, is rated for 9.4/8.1/8.8, respectively, and consumes regular-grade gas, just like the Hyundai.
After a test loop that included a mix of city, highway, and two-lane country roads, both trip computers showed better-than-expected results. AutoTrader Editor-in-Chief Jodi Lai reported the Kona’s consumption rate dipped to 7.9 L/100 km, while the Crosstrek managed a reasonable 8.3.
The Crosstrek’s fuel tank is 13 L larger than the Kona’s, which should translate to more than 120 km of extra driving between fill-ups.
Hyundai Kona: 8/10; Subaru Crosstrek: 7.5/10
Driving Feel
The Kona is quicker on its feet, kicking up its heels on the two-lane two-step with snappier steering and better grip when cornering thanks to its tauter suspension and low-profile tires. Of the two, the Hyundai feels more like a fun little hatchback than a utility vehicle when being driven spiritedly. The Crosstrek, on the other hand, sits taller – especially the Wilderness trim tested here – and tends to roll around more when cornering. The nose also pitches forward more under moderate braking.
Even still, we’ve come to know that if you trust the Subaru despite its roly-poly nature, it offers controlled, competent handling, though its all-terrain tires will give up their grip and howl in protest before the Kona’s all-seasons do.
Hyundai Kona: 8/10; Subaru Crosstrek: 7/10
Practicality
If the Kona is wearing sneakers, the Crosstrek Wilderness has boots on. Sure, they can’t run as fast on the pavement, but out on the dusty trail they’re the choice for trampling terrain and kickin’ away rattlers. The Crosstrek has genuine off-road capability thanks to its elevated ride height, serious suspension articulation, and tires to handle a bit of mud and rock.
The Kona has enough ground clearance – and all-wheel drive – to help get through a Southern Ontario winter storm, whereas the Crosstrek Wilderness can get its adventurous owners down a gnarly trail to do some backwoods camping. Different use cases will dictate how important one is versus the other, but if towing a small trailer is also in the cards, the Crosstrek Wilderness is rated for 1,588 kg (3,500 lb), whereas Hyundai doesn’t recommend towing anything with the Kona. Similarly, the Crosstrek’s elevated roof rails are beefier and better equipped to actually hold the sort of toys a proper adventure requires compared to the sleek, nearly flush rails on the Kona.
The Kona’s cargo hold will contain 723 L of stuff behind the rear seat, compared to the Crosstrek’s 566 L. Similarly, both have 60/40 split rear seats that fold nearly flat, expanding the available space to 1,803 L for the Hyundai and 1,555 L for the Subaru. Despite the notable difference in size on paper, we were hard-pressed to see where the Hyundai is holding the extra volume when comparing the two side by side.
Hyundai Kona: 7.5/10; Subaru Crosstrek: 8/10
Comfort
The other major benefit to the Subaru’s jacked-up suspension is its ride quality. Where the snappy Kona has a buttoned-down suspension with a comparatively stiff ride, the Crosstrek floats along smoothly, swallowing bumps and potholes with ease.
While front seat space is comparable in both machines, the Hyundai has notably more rear-seat legroom. And while headroom is very close between the two, the Crosstrek’s roofline slopes more dramatically, making it feel even smaller than the Kona.
Up front, the Kona’s seats are more supportive and their perforated faux-suede finish offers better breathability than the vinyl seats in the Subaru. We do appreciate the practicality of the Crosstrek’s easy-clean surfaces, however.
Hyundai Kona: 7.5/10; Subaru Crosstrek: 8/10
User-Friendliness
In typical Subaru fashion, the Crosstrek offers drivers expansive views with a low-cut dashboard and side mirrors mounted to the door skins instead of the corners of the window.s The Crosstrek’s traditional round gauges are simple, clean, and easy to read, although setting up the digital display in the Kona to prioritize big speed and rev numbers is pretty simple, too.
The driving positions in both are very good, with their thick, grippy steering wheels featuring sensible buttons to cycle through a myriad of functions. Both also offer volume and tuning knobs, plus hard-button controls to adjust driver and passenger temperatures.
Hyundai’s use of redundant hard-buttons for key menu functions is a nice touch compared to Subaru’s system that embeds most of the climate and seat heater operations into the vertically-oriented touch screen. Both systems proved responsive, although there were some connectivity glitches with Android Auto in the Kona during this test despite being a hard-wired hookup. We have been told that our early-production test unit hadn’t had the latest update during this evaluation, which could explain the issues.
Hyundai Kona: 7/10; Subaru Crosstrek: 7.5/10
Features
Being top-spec trims, the Kona N Line and Crosstrek Wilderness are well-equipped. Both feature big-screen infotainment systems with premium stereos, plus USB-A and USB-C ports, and wireless connectivity. Both have sunroofs, heated steering wheels and seats, and wireless phone chargers, too.
The Hyundai also gets snazzy 19-inch wheels and its sporty interior trim, plus cooled seats, while the Crosstrek, owing to its adventure-theme design, gets a skid plate, hill descent control, and all-terrain tires.
Hyundai Kona: 8/10; Subaru Crosstrek: 8/10
Safety
Hyundai and Subaru have each loaded up these models with comprehensive suites of advanced safety features. Both have automated lane-keeping, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with emergency automatic braking, automatic high-beam control, and more.
The Kona has been awarded a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and while the new Crosstrek hadn’t yet been evaluated at the time of writing, last year’s model also achieved a Top Safety Pick.
Hyundai Kona: 9/10; Subaru Crosstrek: 9/10
Styling
Nowhere are the distinctly different personalities of these two more evident than in their styling. The Hyundai’s deep red sheet metal looks stretched and folded around the wheel arches, with the blacked-out roof culminating at a sizable rear spoiler. But it’s the front end, with its sci-fi face, that’s bold and distinctive if rather polarizing. Inside, it’s futuristic and sporty, with its finishes splashed with red accents.
Subaru clearly followed a function-over-form philosophy with lots of practical, if homely, black plastic shrouding around the wheel arches and lower door panels. The large script along the front doors in the same yellow hue used for the tow-point indicators front and rear – as well as the roof rail end caps – is a bold choice, too. The Crosstrek looks best splashed with mud anyway, giving credence to its rugged form. Similarly, its cabin is designed to house dirty people and pets who’ve just finished hiking, biking, climbing, or paddling somewhere, and can then be easily cleaned out.
Hyundai Kona: 7/10; Subaru Crosstrek: 7/10
Value
Often these comparison tests present a clear value leader with one vehicle either being better equipped, or better priced than the other. That’s not the case here, with both machines priced within a couple hundred dollars of one another. Digging deeper, we can factor in the Kona’s slightly better fuel efficiency, too.
Hyundai Kona: 8/10; Subaru Crosstrek: 7/10
The Verdict
When the dust settles and smoke dissipates, who’s won the duel? We’d love to pillage the Kona’s engine, transmission, and seats and put them in the Crosstrek for the perfect little crosstrek. Buyers will need to choose their hero based on what their needs are. Urbanites looking for a zippy little commuter to bound between work, shopping, and dinner out will likely prefer the Kona. Those seeking ruggedness and adventure needn’t search any further than the Crosstrek. It’s an extremely close comparison, but the Crosstrek is the better utility vehicle, and the one we’d pick to ride into the desert sunset towards adventure, enjoying its smooth ride along the way.
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