If you are in the market for a compact SUV, the odds are good you are feeling a tad bit overwhelmed with all of the choices. There are so many options for compact SUVs these days, and each one has its own unique pros and cons. The right one for you will be determined by the specific features your lifestyle requires. Today, let’s take a look at the 2021 Honda CR-V vs 2021 Kia Seltos and see which of these popular vehicles performs better for a variety of common lifestyles.
The Busy Professional
The lifestyle of a busy professional tends to include a lot of multi-tasking. Unfortunately, while we all know that distracted driving is not a safe practice, sometimes even the best of us just can’t help ourselves. Mistakes happen, but accidents should not. So which compact SUV is best for keeping the busy professional safe and on the road?
Imagine you are driving down the road trying to get to work in time for that morning meeting. Your morning coffee is in the cupholder, and you’re happily munching on a bagel while going through a mental to-do list of everything you need to get done that day. All of a sudden, the car in front of you comes to a screeching halt. You see it and try to react in time, but because your mind was on your day’s agenda, your reaction time is a second too slow. In some cars, this would mean a guaranteed accident. Thankfully, both the 2021 Honda CR-V and the 2021 Kia Seltos have braking assist features that will detect an impending accident and automatically apply the brakes in an incident such as this, thus keeping you accident-free.
Further, while emergency braking assistance is a wonderful technology, it is not the only safety feature that will help keep drivers such as this busy professional safe. While the 2021 Kia Seltos has a couple of good safety features available, including lane departure warning and rear cross traffic alert, every trim of the 2021 Honda CR-V comes standard with what’s known as Honda Sensing Suite. This includes a huge collection of smart safety technologies such as:
Adaptive Cruise Control allows you can automatically stay a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of you, even if he struggles to maintain a consistent speed.
Traffic Sign Recognition can see and read posted speed limits and pass this information onto you, so you never again have to ask yourself, “What was the speed limit on this road?”
Lane Keeping Assist will not only prevent you from accidentally drifting out of your lane (that is the job of the Road Departure Mitigation System), it will keep you centered in your lane as you drive.
While some of the higher trims of the 2021 Kia Seltos offer similar features, you can count on every trim of the 2021 Honda CR-V to keep you safe. When you’re a busy professional, you don’t have time to worry about which trim comes with which feature, so Honda makes it easier for you to stay safe no matter which options you choose. Now thanks to Honda, even when your best driving isn’t quite good enough, you can still make it home, or to work, in one piece.
The Busy Parent
On the opposite spectrum from the busy professional, we have the busy parent who is carting kids and their gear all over town. You’ll take them to school, practice, games, and other afternoon activities, meaning you’ll be spending more time in your car than you will be spending at home. So which compact SUV is best for you and your lifestyle?
What is the most important vehicle feature for a lifestyle such as this? Cargo space. And when it comes to comparing cargo space in the 2021 Honda CR-V vs the 2021 Kia Seltos, there is no question as to which vehicle is the winner.
While it is important to note that the 2021 CR-V has a cargo capacity of 75.8 cu.ft. with the rear seats folded down, this doesn’t do a busy parent much good because those seats are needed to cart around safely buckled kids! With all the seats up and in use, the 2021 CR-V has a usable cargo capacity of 39.2 cu.ft. On the other hand, the 2021 Seltos only offers 62.8 cu.ft. with the seats down and 26.6 cu.ft. with the seats up. This comes to a difference of 13 cu.ft. and 12.6 cu.ft. respectively. That’s a lot of space for soccer gear, dance bags, and even Costco hauls!
The Wise Investor
If you are a wise investor, you are very careful with your money. This doesn’t mean you never spend it, rather that you contemplate the repercussions before swiping that debit card. This is the type of lifestyle that looks closely not just at up-front expenses and the MSRP but at long-term costs associated with a given vehicle.
The wise investor understands that money does not grow on trees, and it is a good idea to be smart with any spending decisions that may come up. Finding a fuel-efficient vehicle is very important to the wise investor because a more fuel-efficient vehicle means less money spent at the gas pump. So which compact SUV is best for this lifestyle?
Both of these SUVs get some pretty impressive fuel economy ratings, and both can achieve a whopping 34 MPG on the highway. However, it should be remembered that the CR-V is not only a noticeably larger vehicle; it is considerably more powerful and comes standard with 190 hp. The base Seltos only has 146 hp, and upgrading to the optional 175 hp engine will drop its fuel economy down to 30 MPG on the highway while still not providing you with the same confident acceleration as the CR-V.
It is relevant to mention that the Honda CR-V has an available hybrid model that is rated for a jaw-dropping fuel economy of 38 MPG combined. The CR-V Hybrid is not slow either – in fact, at 212 hp, it is even more capable than the standard gasoline CR-V. It’s not really fair to compare the CR-V to the Seltos because that wouldn’t be comparing apples to apples, but it is an important option to keep in mind if you are considering one of these SUVs. Regardless, if you want the best bang for your buck, the CR-V is the obvious choice and is sure to make any wise investor very happy.
Which Lifestyle Do You Lead?
While the 2021 Kia Seltos is a wonderful vehicle and a good option for many who are shopping for a compact SUV, there are just certain lifestyles that would better benefit from the 2021 Honda CR-V. Now the only thing you need to decide is which lifestyle do you lead? Would the 2021 Honda CR-V or the 2021 Kia Seltos do better for you?
Are you the busy professional who needs a little extra help keeping your car on the road while your mind is (unintentionally) elsewhere? Are you a proud parent who spends your days providing your kids with culturally-enhancing extracurricular activities? Are you a financially savvy individual who would rather spend their money on just about anything rather than more gasoline?
No matter which lifestyle best describes you, we are sure that you will agree that the 2021 Honda CR-V is a compact SUV that is worth considering. Find your local Honda dealer and pick out your newest family member. Schedule your 2021 Honda CR-V test drive today!
