2027 Honda CR-V vs Kia Sportage: Hybrid MPG, Price and Tech Compared
Published September 30, 2026 · Last updated September 30, 2026
The 2027 Honda CR-V vs 2027 Kia Sportage matchup is one of the closest in the compact SUV class, and New York City drivers have good reasons to pick either one. The Honda CR-V is the more efficient city hybrid and offers genuine leather. The Kia Sportage costs less, has bigger screens, a panoramic sunroof option and a much longer warranty. The short answer: CR-V for city fuel economy and refinement, Sportage for value and features.
CR-V or Sportage: The Short Answer
- Choose the 2027 Honda CR-V if you want the best city fuel economy (43 mpg city as a hybrid, 30 mpg combined as a gas model), a slightly tighter turning circle, and genuine leather-trimmed seats from $35,800.
- Choose the 2027 Kia Sportage if you want more for your money: it starts at $28,990, the Sportage Hybrid costs about $5,400 less than the cheapest CR-V Hybrid, 12.3-inch screens and a panoramic sunroof are available, and Kia covers the powertrain for 10 years or 100,000 miles.
- Bottom line for NYC: heavy city commuters get the most from the CR-V Hybrid; budget-focused buyers, feature fans and anyone who can charge at home should look hard at the Sportage.
Honda CR-V vs Kia Sportage Specs at a Glance
| Spec | 2027 Honda CR-V | 2027 Kia Sportage | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting MSRP | $31,520 (LX); $36,030 (Sport Hybrid). Destination $1,550 | $28,990 (LX); $30,590 (Hybrid LX). Destination $1,495 | Sportage |
| Powertrains | 1.5L turbo, 190 hp; 2.0L two-motor hybrid, 204 hp | 2.5L, 187 hp; 1.6L turbo hybrid, 232 hp; plug-in hybrid, 268 hp | Sportage |
| EPA mpg, gas (city/hwy/comb) | 28/33/30 FWD; 27/31/29 AWD | 25/33/28 FWD; 24/30/26 AWD | CR-V |
| EPA mpg, hybrid (city/hwy/comb) | 43/36/40 FWD; 40/34/37 AWD | 40/42/41 FWD; 35/36/35 AWD | CR-V (city & AWD) |
| AWD | +$1,500; standard on TrailSport & Sport Touring | +$1,800 on gas trims; +$1,600 on S and EX Hybrid; standard on X-Line, X-Pro | CR-V |
| Cheapest trim with a moonroof | EX, $33,550 — one-touch power moonroof | EX, $30,790 + Panorama Roof Package; standard panoramic on SX, $34,590 | Tie |
| Cheapest trim with leather | EX-L, $35,800 — leather-trimmed seats | EX, $30,790 — SynTex synthetic leather; no genuine leather offered | Sportage (synthetic) / CR-V (leather) |
| Touchscreen | 9-inch on every trim | 12.3-inch on every trim | Sportage |
| Digital gauge cluster | 7-inch (LX, EX, Sport Hybrid); 10.2-inch (EX-L and up) | 12.3-inch on gas trims; optional on X-Line Hybrid via Technology Package | Sportage |
| Wireless Apple CarPlay / Android Auto | Standard | Standard | Tie |
| Cargo (seats up / down) | 39.3 / 76.5 cu ft (gas); 36.3 cu ft seats up (hybrid) | 39.6 / 74.1 cu ft (gas); 39.5 / 73.7 cu ft (hybrid) | Tie |
| Rear legroom | 41.0 in | 41.3 in | Tie |
| Length / turning circle | 184.8 in / about 37 ft | 184.4 in / about 38.6 ft (19.3-ft radius) | CR-V |
| Ground clearance | 7.8 in (hybrid) | 7.1–8.3 in by trim | Tie |
| IIHS rating | No award (Poor in updated moderate overlap); ratings apply to 2023–27 models | 2026 Top Safety Pick+ (built after May 2025); 2027 not yet published | Sportage |
| NHTSA overall | 5 stars (2027 gas FWD) | 5 stars (2027 gas FWD) | Tie |
| Awards | Car and Driver 10Best Trucks and SUVs, 2026 | Cars.com 2026 Best Value New Cars, compact SUV (Sportage Hybrid, third straight year) | Tie |
| Warranty | 3 yr/36,000 mi basic; 5 yr/60,000 mi powertrain; hybrid battery 8 yr/100,000 mi | 5 yr/60,000 mi basic; 10 yr/100,000 mi powertrain; hybrid battery 10 yr/100,000 mi | Sportage |
Price and Value
The 2027 Kia Sportage is the value leader, especially as a hybrid. The Sportage LX starts at $28,990, $2,530 below the 2027 Honda CR-V LX, and the Sportage Hybrid LX starts at $30,590, $5,440 less than the least expensive CR-V Hybrid (Sport Hybrid, $36,030). That's Kia's standout-value approach in a nutshell.
2027 Honda CR-V trims
Gas: LX $31,520, EX $33,550 and EX-L $35,800, with AWD for $1,500 more. Hybrid: Sport Hybrid $36,030, Sport-L Hybrid $39,125, TrailSport Hybrid $39,200 (AWD standard) and Sport Touring Hybrid $42,950 (AWD standard). Honda lists a $1,550 destination charge. Browse new Honda CR-V inventory in NYC or the new CR-V Hybrid lineup.
2027 Kia Sportage trims
Gas: LX $28,990 ($30,790 AWD), EX $30,790 ($32,590 AWD), SX $34,590, X-Line $34,790 (AWD), SX-Prestige $36,590 ($38,390 AWD) and X-Pro $39,890 (AWD). Hybrid: LX $30,590, S $31,290, EX $32,290, X-Line $35,790 and SX-Prestige $40,690, with front-wheel drive now offered on the LX, S and EX Hybrid. The Plug-in Hybrid starts at $40,590. Kia's destination charge is $1,495. Shop new Kia Sportage inventory in NYC or the Sportage Hybrid lineup.
What you pay for a moonroof and leather: The CR-V's cheapest moonroof is the EX at $33,550, a conventional one-touch unit, and its cheapest leather is the EX-L at $35,800 (Sport-L Hybrid at $39,125). The Sportage EX at $30,790 offers a panoramic sunroof as the Panorama Roof Package, and the panoramic roof is standard from the SX at $34,590 and the X-Line at $34,790. Sportage seats are SynTex, Kia's synthetic leather, from the EX up; no Sportage offers genuine leather.
Lease specials are updated every month, so check the current Honda lease specials (updated monthly) and Honda manufacturer incentives and rebates, plus the current Kia lease specials (updated monthly) and Kia manufacturer incentives and rebates. Trading in? Get a Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer on your current car before you visit.
At the top of the range, the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid adds a 12-speaker Bose system and Google built-in, while the Sportage SX-Prestige Hybrid costs $2,260 less and brings a panoramic sunroof, ventilated SynTex seats and a surround-view camera.
Performance and Fuel Economy in NYC Traffic
The 2027 Honda CR-V is the better city hybrid; the 2027 Kia Sportage is the stronger one on the highway. With front-wheel drive, the CR-V Hybrid is rated 43/36/40 mpg and the Sportage Hybrid 40/42/41 mpg, so the CR-V wins in crawling traffic on the BQE or Cross Bronx while the Sportage edges ahead on long runs out to Long Island. With AWD, the CR-V Hybrid's 40/34/37 mpg clearly beats the Sportage Hybrid's 35/36/35.
Among gas models, the CR-V's 190-hp turbo is rated 28/33/30 mpg with FWD versus 25/33/28 for the Sportage's 187-hp 2.5-liter. The Sportage Hybrid is the more powerful hybrid at 232 hp versus 204 hp, and the Sportage Plug-in Hybrid adds 268 hp and an EPA-estimated 34 miles of electric range, enough for many NYC round trips on electricity if you can charge at home.
Over 12,000 miles a year, based on EPA combined ratings, an AWD CR-V Hybrid uses about 324 gallons and an AWD Sportage Hybrid about 343. Between gas models, the gap is larger: about 414 gallons for an AWD CR-V versus 462 for an AWD Sportage.
For weekend trips to the Catskills, Montauk or the Hudson Valley, the Sportage Hybrid's highway rating and extra power make it an easy road-tripper, while the CR-V's smooth two-motor hybrid feels relaxed and quiet. Honda's engineering also gives the CR-V a more responsive, fun-to-drive feel on winding roads.
Size, Parking and Cargo Space
These two are almost the same size, so neither has a big parking edge. The Sportage is 184.4 inches long and the CR-V 184.8 inches; the CR-V's turning circle of about 37 feet is slightly tighter than the Sportage's roughly 38.6 feet, which helps with U-turns and garage ramps. If both feel too big for your block, see our Honda HR-V vs Honda CR-V comparison.
Cargo space is close. The gas Sportage offers 39.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 74.1 folded, versus 39.3 and 76.5 for the gas CR-V. Among hybrids, the Sportage keeps more space behind the rear seats: 39.5 cubic feet versus 36.3 in the CR-V Hybrid. Rear legroom is 41.3 inches in the Sportage and 41.0 inches in the CR-V, so both handle rear-facing car seats and airport runs to JFK or LGA easily.
Both swallow a stroller plus a week of groceries. The CR-V's bigger folded cargo volume helps with bulky items like flat-pack furniture, while the Sportage Hybrid's bigger seats-up space helps with everyday bags.
Interior, Tech and Comfort
The 2027 Kia Sportage has the more high-tech cabin; the 2027 Honda CR-V has the simpler layout and genuine leather. Every Sportage has a 12.3-inch touchscreen, and gas trims pair it with a 12.3-inch digital cluster in one wide panel; on the X-Line Hybrid, the 12.3-inch cluster comes with the Technology Package. Every CR-V has a 9-inch touchscreen, with a 7-inch cluster on the LX, EX and Sport Hybrid and a 10.2-inch cluster from the EX-L up. Both include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Kia's wide dual-screen dash reflects its bold design, while the CR-V's physical climate knobs are easy to use without looking away from traffic.
If you want a leather look for less, the Sportage EX gets you SynTex seats $5,010 sooner than the CR-V EX-L. If genuine leather matters, only the CR-V offers it.
Both center consoles keep the essentials within easy reach. The CR-V puts a wireless charging pad ahead of the shifter, while the Sportage groups its drive-mode and seat controls around a conventional gear selector.
Safety Ratings and Awards
The 2027 Kia Sportage has the stronger published safety record. The 2026 Sportage built after May 2025 earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, and the 2027 Sportage has a 5-star NHTSA overall rating. Kia Drive Wise driver-assistance features are standard on every Sportage, and Honda Sensing is standard on every CR-V, in keeping with Honda's safety-for-everyone approach.
NHTSA: The 2027 Honda CR-V also earned a 5-star overall rating. IIHS: The CR-V's ratings, which IIHS applies to 2023–27 models, include Good results in the small overlap front, side and headlight tests but Poor in the updated moderate overlap test, which measures rear-seat protection, so it has no award. IIHS has not yet published 2027 results for the Sportage.
Awards: The Honda CR-V was named to Car and Driver's 2026 10Best Trucks and SUVs list, a record seventh time for the model. The Kia Sportage Hybrid won Cars.com's 2026 Best Value New Cars award in the compact SUV category for the third straight year.
Ownership Costs and Reliability
The 2027 Kia Sportage has the much longer warranty; the 2027 Honda CR-V should cost less in fuel. Kia covers the powertrain for 10 years or 100,000 miles and the vehicle for 5 years or 60,000 miles, versus 5 years/60,000 miles and 3 years/36,000 miles for Honda. Kia also covers the hybrid battery for 10 years or 100,000 miles, compared with 8 years or 100,000 miles for the CR-V Hybrid.
The CR-V has a long record of strong resale value, which offsets part of its higher price when you trade in. The Sportage's warranty protects the later years of ownership, when repair costs usually start to appear. Every 2027 CR-V also qualifies for Honda Service Pass, which covers factory-scheduled maintenance for 12 months or 12,000 miles.
Which One Should You Buy?
Daily NYC commuter
If most of your miles are stop-and-go, the CR-V Hybrid's 43-mpg city rating and 40-mpg AWD city rating save the most fuel.
Budget-first buyer
A Sportage LX starts at $28,990 and a Sportage Hybrid at $30,590, with 12.3-inch screens and a 10-year powertrain warranty.
Home charger owner
The Sportage Plug-in Hybrid covers up to 34 miles on electricity, enough for many daily NYC errands without using gas.
Genuine leather and refinement
The CR-V EX-L ($35,800) is the only one of the two with genuine leather-trimmed seats, plus a quiet, polished ride.
Final Scorecard
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Sportage | From $28,990 gas and $30,590 hybrid |
| City fuel economy | CR-V | 43 mpg city (hybrid FWD), better gas and AWD ratings |
| Electrified choices | Sportage | Hybrid plus a 34-mile plug-in hybrid |
| Space and cargo | Tie | Nearly identical dimensions |
| Screens and tech | Sportage | 12.3-in touchscreen standard |
| Safety ratings | Sportage | IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and NHTSA 5 stars |
| Warranty | Sportage | 10-yr/100,000-mi powertrain |
| Overall for NYC drivers | Split | CR-V for city commuters, Sportage for value |
Still deciding? See how the Sportage compares with the Toyota RAV4 and with its Hyundai cousin in Kia Sportage vs Hyundai Tucson, or how the CR-V stacks up in Honda CR-V vs Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V vs Hyundai Tucson.
Free home delivery within 25 miles. Plaza Auto Mall delivers your new or pre-owned vehicle to your door — free within a 25-mile radius, which covers all five NYC boroughs and much of Nassau County. Farther away? Delivery is available on request.
Ask Our Team About DeliveryHonda CR-V vs Kia Sportage: Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Honda CR-V or Kia Sportage better for New York City driving?
Both work well, for different buyers. The 2027 Honda CR-V Hybrid is rated 43 mpg city and turns in a slightly tighter circle, which helps in stop-and-go traffic. The 2027 Kia Sportage costs less, has 12.3-inch screens, a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and a plug-in hybrid option with 34 miles of electric range.
Which gets better gas mileage, the CR-V or the Sportage?
It depends on the version. Gas CR-Vs beat gas Sportages: 28/33/30 mpg versus 25/33/28 with FWD. Among FWD hybrids, the Sportage Hybrid is rated 40/42/41 mpg and the CR-V Hybrid 43/36/40, so the CR-V is better in the city. With AWD, the CR-V Hybrid leads at 40/34/37 versus 35/36/35 for the Sportage Hybrid.
Is the Kia Sportage cheaper than the Honda CR-V?
Yes. The 2027 Kia Sportage LX starts at $28,990 MSRP, $2,530 less than the 2027 Honda CR-V LX at $31,520. The gap widens for hybrids: the Sportage Hybrid LX starts at $30,590, while the least expensive CR-V Hybrid, the Sport Hybrid, starts at $36,030. Destination is $1,495 for Kia and $1,550 for Honda.
Does the Kia Sportage come with real leather seats?
No. Every 2027 Kia Sportage trim we verified uses SynTex, Kia's synthetic leather, starting with the EX at $30,790 MSRP; top trims add premium SynTex. The 2027 Honda CR-V offers genuine leather-trimmed seats, starting with the EX-L at $35,800 or the Sport-L Hybrid at $39,125.
Which has a panoramic sunroof, the CR-V or the Sportage?
Only the Kia Sportage offers a panoramic sunroof. It is standard on the 2027 Sportage SX ($34,590) and X-Line ($34,790) and available as a package on the EX. The 2027 Honda CR-V uses a conventional one-touch power moonroof, standard from the EX trim at $33,550 MSRP.
Which is safer, the CR-V or the Sportage?
The Kia Sportage has the stronger published record. The 2026 Sportage built after May 2025 is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, and the 2027 Sportage has a 5-star NHTSA overall rating. The 2027 CR-V also has 5 NHTSA stars, but its IIHS ratings, which apply to 2023 to 2027 models, include a Poor rear-seat result, so it has no IIHS award.
Does the Kia Sportage have a plug-in hybrid?
Yes. The 2027 Kia Sportage Plug-in Hybrid starts at $40,590 MSRP for the X-Line, makes 268 hp and has an EPA-estimated 34 miles of electric range. The 2027 Honda CR-V has no plug-in version, but its four hybrid trims are rated up to 40 mpg combined.
Test-Drive the CR-V and Sportage at Plaza Auto Mall
Plaza Honda (2740 Nostrand Ave) and Plaza Kia (2746 Nostrand Ave) are a few doors apart on Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn, so you can drive the 2027 Honda CR-V and 2027 Kia Sportage back to back in one visit. Family-owned since 1975, Plaza Auto Mall serves drivers from Queens, Staten Island and Long Island, with free delivery within 25 miles. See the full Plaza Honda inventory and Plaza Kia inventory, read about the 2027 Sportage Hybrid for NYC drivers and the 2026 vs 2027 CR-V, or call Plaza Honda at (855) 528-6785 or Plaza Kia at (855) 531-8744.
*MSRP excludes destination, taxes, title and registration fees. Specifications and pricing are based on manufacturer information available as of September 30, 2026 and are subject to change. See dealer for details.
