2021 Hyundai Kona vs 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser

The 2021 Hyundai Kona was a small SUV that combined a playful and unique exterior with a more subdued rear design. Its front end featured a busy array of lighting elements, including a grille flanked by lights, additional lights above, and fog lights on certain trims. This design appealed to younger buyers seeking a fun and funky vehicle. Inside, the Kona maintained its playful attitude with neat seat patterns and standard cloth upholstery, while higher trims offered leather upgrades. The interior was well-organized, featuring a high-mounted infotainment touchscreen and intuitive climate controls, making it user-friendly despite its compact size.

In contrast, the 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser presented a more traditional and robust appearance, especially in its Heritage Edition trim. This version celebrated the SUV's 65th anniversary with distinctive features like bronze BBS wheels and a Yakima Megawarrior roof basket. The standard Land Cruiser, however, appeared more understated, with a basic two-box shape adorned with chrome and large lighting elements. Inside, it offered a mix of high-quality materials and dated design themes, including a hand-operated parking brake and a CD player. The Land Cruiser's interior felt like a throwback, providing a sense of nostalgia rather than modernity.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona offered two powertrain options. The base model featured a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The optional turbocharged 1.6-liter engine delivered 195 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available for an additional cost. While neither engine was particularly powerful, they provided sufficient performance for city and highway driving. The Kona's handling was surprisingly agile, offering a fun and engaging driving experience. Fuel economy varied depending on the configuration, with the base engine and FWD achieving an EPA-estimated 27/33/30 mpg city/highway/combined.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser was powered by a 381-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 engine, shared with the Toyota Tundra. This engine was remarkably quiet during acceleration, contributing to its average fuel economy of 14.7 mpg, slightly better than the EPA rating of 14 mpg combined. An eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel-drive system with a two-speed transfer case provided robust off-road capabilities. The Land Cruiser featured a Torsen limited-slip differential, mud-and-snow tires, and a suite of off-road technologies like Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select. On-road, the Land Cruiser offered a refined driving experience, though its size required more steering effort in tight spaces. It was rated to tow up to 8,100 pounds.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona provided decent front-seat headroom and legroom, with a simple and intuitive layout for controls and displays. The front seats were wide and well-padded but lacked support for spirited driving. Rear-seat passengers enjoyed good headroom, though legroom was limited. The Kona's cargo space was smaller than many competitors, but folding rear seats expanded the available space. Small-item storage was generous, with large door pockets and a spacious center console.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser's interior was luxurious, with plush leather upholstery and heated and ventilated front seats. The second-row bench seat offered ample space and comfort, while the third-row seat could accommodate adults if the second row was adjusted. The Land Cruiser featured a four-zone climate control system and numerous air vents. Cargo space was accessible via a split clamshell-style liftgate, with 16.1 cubic feet behind the third row and up to 82.8 cubic feet with the second row folded. The lower tailgate provided a convenient seating area for outdoor activities.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona came equipped with an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen, Bluetooth, six speakers, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Optional features included SiriusXM radio, navigation, wireless device charging, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with a colorful and responsive interface that made accessing features easy.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser featured a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Toyota Entune technology. While functional, it lacked the swipe and scroll capabilities of modern smartphones, relying on tap commands. The system did not support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but it included Siri Eyes Free voice control and a three-month SiriusXM subscription. The dashboard featured large buttons and knobs for easy control, while the rear-seat entertainment system offered DVD playback and HDMI connections. A 14-speaker JBL Synthesis audio system provided good sound quality.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona earned a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. Standard safety features included forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and more. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser came with 10 airbags and standard Toyota Safety Sense (TSS-P) driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. Additional features included blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. However, the Land Cruiser lacked more advanced driving assistance systems, such as stop-and-go adaptive cruise control and automated lane-keeping.