2022 Honda Odyssey vs 2022 Hyundai Kona

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was a minivan that catered to families with its practical design and thoughtful features. Its sliding side doors made it easy to load toddlers into rear-facing child safety seats, and the comfortable third-row seat accommodated additional passengers like grandparents or carpool kids. The Odyssey also offered substantial cargo space, rivaling that of a Chevrolet Suburban when the third-row seat was folded down and the second-row seats were removed. Despite its utilitarian design, the Odyssey had a sense of style, especially in the Elite trim with its dark gray 19-inch aluminum wheels and quality leather upholstery.

In contrast, the 2022 Hyundai Kona received a significant makeover, making it 1.6 inches longer than its predecessor and adding revised front and rear fascias, enhanced LED lighting, and sporty new character lines. The interior featured a more horizontal layout, new ambient lighting, and a rear USB port for added convenience. The Kona also introduced two new trim levels: the sporty N Line and the even sportier Kona N, both of which brought unique styling elements and performance upgrades. The N Line had exclusive black seats with red stitching and alloy sport pedals, while the Kona N featured wide fenders, 19-inch alloy wheels, and N sport bucket seats.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It employed a 10-speed automatic transmission with pushbutton controls mounted on the dashboard. The Odyssey was front-wheel drive only, with no all-wheel drive or electrified powertrain options. It had an EPA fuel economy estimate of 22 mpg in combined driving. During a test drive in Southern California, the Odyssey averaged 22.6 mpg. While the Odyssey was quick and responsive, its brakes tended to heat up and produce pedal vibration and an audible grumble during repeated use, especially when descending hills.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona offered a variety of engines and transmissions. The lower trims, SE and SEL, featured a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The N Line and Limited trims had a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 195 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). The new Kona N trim was powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque, paired with an N eight-speed wet DCT. The Kona N also featured performance enhancements like launch control, a variable exhaust system, and high-performance brakes and tires. The Kona N Line with the 1.6-liter turbo engine and AWD provided ample power and a sporty driving experience, with minor turbo lag and some clunkiness in the lower gears.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey offered easy access with wide-opening doors and a lower ride height. Inside, the Odyssey Elite featured quality leather, supportive front seats with power adjustment, heating, and ventilation, and a tri-zone automatic climate control system. The minivan had impressive storage space, including shelving in the front door panels and a handy floor tray. The second-row seats were comfortable and could be configured in various ways, including the Magic Slide feature for easier access to the third row. The third-row seat was also comfortable for adults, with good leg support and foot room. The Odyssey provided 32.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 88.8 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 144.9 cubic feet with the second-row seats removed.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona, while small, offered ample headroom and legroom for front-seat occupants. The N Line's front seats provided good support during spirited driving. However, rear-seat occupants faced challenges with small door openings, limited headroom due to the sloping roof, and compromised legroom. Cargo space was tight, with 19.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 45.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The Kona was not recommended for towing.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey Elite was packed with technology, including an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display, satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto starting with the EX trim. The Touring trim added navigation and HondaLink connected services, including WiFi hotspot access. The Odyssey also featured CabinWatch and CabinTalk technology, a rear-seat entertainment system with a 10.2-inch display, and an 11-speaker premium audio system in the Elite trim. However, the Odyssey's infotainment system was increasingly outclassed by rivals, with a small 8-inch screen and a navigation system that required specific voice commands.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona added more tech for the model year, starting with an 8-inch display in the base SE trim. The SEL trim added SiriusXM satellite radio, HD Radio, and Hyundai Blue Link. The Limited and Kona N trims featured a new 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation and traffic information, and an eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were standard with the base 8-inch screen, while the larger screen only offered wired versions. The Kona also had a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster in higher trims, wireless device charging, and Hyundai Blue Link connected services.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey came equipped with Honda Sensing, a suite of safety features including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. The Odyssey also had automatic high-beam headlights and a rear-seat reminder system. However, the safety features lacked refinement, with occasional false warnings and abrupt responses. The Odyssey earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona offered standard safety features like automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assistance, lane-following assistance, driver attention warning, and rear occupant alert. Available technologies included adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, Highway Drive Assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safe Exit Warning. The Kona received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and "Good" ratings in all six crashworthiness tests from the IIHS. However, the Kona's child-seat anchors received a "Marginal" rating, preventing it from achieving Top Safety Pick status.