Honda vs. Kia Comparison Page
Honda has been a trusted name in the automotive world for decades, probably the first brand that comes to mind when you think of things like reliability or resale value. But Honda isn’t the only brand out there, and newer brands like Kia have become real contenders in recent years. It’s not always obvious how Kia compares to the more established Honda, so we decided to take an in-depth look in order to illustrate the big differences.
Safety
Honda has an outstanding safety record, so it only makes sense that on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) list of 2023 Top Safety Picks, six different Honda models made the list1. Only one Kia made the list, and it was one of the brand’s largest models. Honda wins here not just with the most awards, but also with a better variety of vehicles on the list. Here are all of the Honda models that received awards:
- 2023 Honda Civic Sedan – Top Safety Pick
- 2023 Honda Civic Hatchback -Top Safety Pick
- 2023 Honda Accord – Top Safety Pick+
- 2023 Honda CR-V – Top Safety Pick+
- 2023 Honda HR-V – Top Safety Pick+
- 2023 Honda Odyssey – Top Safety Pick+
Kelley Blue Book Image Awards
The Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards are given every year to a variety of brands in different categories that best create enthusiasm among consumers. Honda and Kia both compete in the Value Brand category, and Honda hasn’t just beaten Kia for the award in 20232, Honda has won the award every year since 2015. Not only that, but Honda also took Best Overall Brand for 2023.
Car & Driver 10Best
The annual Car & Driver 10Best awards have been around for 40 years, and have become a yardstick for the entire North American automotive market. For 2023, Three Honda models made the list3, the CR-V, Accord, and Civic, to Kia’s two. But there’s more to it than that. Kia’s winningest model, the Telluride, has won 4 times in total, compared to 37 for the Accord, the winningest model in the history of the 10Best. All of the Kia wins add up to 7, the same number as just the Honda Odyssey. Honda has won a total of 89 of these awards, not just more than Kia, but more than any other brand, and by a huge margin.
Winner – Honda
For all of the improvements Kia has made in recent years, it still has a long way to go before it reaches Honda’s level of quality, safety, and excitement. With all of the awards from third-party independent reviewers, the results are conclusive. Choosing a Honda is the smart move, in more ways than one.