Compare the2026 Mazda CX-5 VS 2027 Hyundai Kona

The Mazda CX-5 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Kona doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The CX-5 has a standard Secondary Collision Reduction System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Kona doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-5. But it costs extra on the Kona.

Both the CX-5 and the Kona have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4189-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Kona:

	CX-5	Kona
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	86	251
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Torso Max Deflection	1.38 in	1.57 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	9 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	781 lbs.	915 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	67	282
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.87 in	2.09 in
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.79 in	1.61 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the CX-5’s reliability 19 points higher than the Kona.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda third in reliability, above the industry average. With 61 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 25th.

The CX-5’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 40 more horsepower (187 vs. 147) and 54 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 132) than the Kona SE/SEL Sport’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Mazda CX-5 is faster than the Kona SE/SEL Sport 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder:

	CX-5	Kona
Zero to 30 MPH	3.3 sec	3.8 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	9 sec	9.8 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.6 sec	6.2 sec
Quarter Mile	17 sec	17.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	84 MPH	82 MPH

On the EPA test cycle the CX-5 gets better fuel mileage than the Kona SEL Premium/Limited AWD (24 city/30 hwy vs. 24 city/29 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the CX-5’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Kona doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The CX-5 has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kona 2.0’s standard fuel tank (15.3 vs. 12.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The CX-5 has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kona 1.6T’s standard fuel tank (15.3 vs. 13.2 gallons).

The CX-5 has a tether attaching its gas cap to prevent its loss. The Kona’s gas cap isn’t tethered, so it can be left at a gas station if the driver forgets to screw the cap back in.

For better stopping power the CX-5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Kona:

	CX-5	Kona 2.0	Kona AWD/1.6T
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	11 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	11.2 inches	11.2 inches

The CX-5 stops shorter than the Kona:

	CX-5	Kona
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the CX-5 has larger tires than the Kona (225/65R17 vs. 215/60R17).

For superior ride and handling, the Mazda CX-5 has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Kona 4x2 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The CX-5 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the CX-5 flat and controlled during cornering. The Kona 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-5’s wheelbase is 6 inches longer than on the Kona (110.7 inches vs. 104.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CX-5 is .7 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Kona.

The CX-5’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (57% to 43%) than the Kona’s (59% to 41%). This gives the CX-5 more stable handling and braking.

The CX-5 S Premium Plus handles at .83 G’s, while the Kona SEL Premium HTRAC AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the CX-5 S Premium Plus is quieter than the Kona Limited HTRAC AWD (67 vs. 69 dB).

The CX-5 has 5.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kona (106.5 vs. 101.2).

The CX-5 has .9 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kona.

The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kona with its rear seat up (33.7 vs. 25.5 cubic feet). The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona with its rear seat folded (66.5 vs. 63.7 cubic feet).

The CX-5 has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Kona has no towing capacity.

When two different drivers share the CX-5 Preferred/Premium, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Kona doesn’t offer a memory system.

The CX-5 Preferred/Premium’s standard Entry/Exit Assist glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Kona doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The CX-5 Preferred/Premium has a standard heads-up display that projects speed in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Kona doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-5’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Kona’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Kona SEL/Limited’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

On a hot day the CX-5’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Kona can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The CX-5’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Kona’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The CX-5’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Kona’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-5 Premium Plus has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Kona doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the CX-5 Preferred/Premium is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Kona’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Kona offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The CX-5 offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Kona’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Both the CX-5 and the Kona offer available heated front seats. The CX-5 Premium also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Kona.

The CX-5 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Kona SEL/Limited.

The CX-5’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Kona’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

With standard voice command, the CX-5 offers the driver hands free control of the radio and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Kona doesn’t offer a voice control system.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Mazda CX-5, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Hyundai Kona isn't recommended.

The Mazda CX-5 outsold the Hyundai Kona by 82% during 2025.