2021 Honda Civic Type R vs 2022 Hyundai Kona N - Head to Head Review!

[@jordo2692]

I own a kona N premium, it's an absolute monster of a car.

[@thepassionofthegoose5472]

Excellent choice. I drove one at an autocross and was absolutely floored how good it was around a course. For reference I was driving a S2000 CR, so my benchmark was objectively good before getting into the Kona.

[@MrHiboost95]

We just purchased a 2022 Kona N Premium. My only complaint so far is that there isn't ventilating seats and the outer trim bezel around the instrument cluster. To me it looks like a cheap afterthought of a plastic molding styling part you would find at a car stereo and aftermarket parts accessories store from a weekend flea market.

[@jordo2692]

@@MrHiboost95 must not be a premium, because I've got heated and cooled seats with heated steering wheel.

[@Highlander1432]

How is this Kona N on daily drives and backroads ? I have wanted a fwd DCT car with performance for years

[@brennan817]

​@@Highlander1432its an amazing all around car. I love mine

[@kuseiii_3845]

I'm surprised you didn't put the Elantra N against the type R

[@DriverJ-N]

tons of those videos around its saturated lol nice he changed it up

[@kuseiii_3845]

@@DriverJ-N true but idc about those biased ass opinions lmao

[@leonbaptiste2272]

Elantra N can’t beat the CTR it’s better in every way. The CTR engine ain’t blowing up!

[@kuseiii_3845]

@@leonbaptiste2272 well the EN engine isnt blowing up and if it is its the owners fault for abusing the car. Also honda fanboy youre a blind believer

[@leonbaptiste2272]

@@kuseiii_3845 well you need to do your research before you reply and some of them ain’t even hit 10k miles Kia Hyundai & genesis vehicle are beautiful but what’s underneath the hood worries me their engines are still “Garbage”

[@chrisvalleqatsi]

It's been shown in several dyno pulls in the US and UK that the Kona N makes 276-286 at the wheels, (300-310 hp / ~320lb/ft at the crank, estimating 10% drivetrain loss), so it's more like equal power to the CTR but still somewhat heavier . I like the suspension in Sport - normal is too loose on rebound, and Sport+ is too hard unless your're on the smoothest surface.

[@BIGC728]

type r make 295 to the wheels according to some

[@ryanm9628]

I have the Kona N. I put 245’s on the car and it’s a big difference. The cool thing about the Kona is that it’s a true sleeper.

[@robertyoung3111]

any rubbing issues with the wider rubber?

[@kenpaisner324]

I rebadged mine as a Ford Escort, just to embarrass Macans.

[@slow_rednline4874]

​@robertyoung3111 shouldn't be I have 20 x10 on 245s so it would be no issue for a kona

[@MsTatiana50]

I pick my Kona N up in 3 days, cannot wait!

[@RE-wf2hz]

It’s been a year. How do you like your Kona N? I’m thinking of buying a pre owned 23. Let me know.

[@therifkamil]

Thanks for your review. My Kona N has my daughter in the back seat and with the split down I have room for two labs. When they're not with me I switch to custom n with the suspension dialed back

[@Unchainedmaple888]

Whichever one you can get for MSRP is the better one

[@xFlared]

Who knew an SUV would be able to compete with a Type R.

[@williambellisIII]

I own an FK8 and have experienced them with multiple wheel-tire setups. Have never felt “unnerving” torque steer, especially not in third gear. There’s a slight bit of it every once in a while for sure, but nothing to make me pause and slow down. Not saying you didn’t feel that much; It’s just interesting to hear different takes on this.

[@Jfresh55]

The car doesn't drive the same unless in N mode. You can customize the settings to allow for a softer ride, but the engine performance doesn't seem as aggressive

[@claycallahan3151]

Need to see an Elantra N review!

[@Zygrene]

Coming very soon!

[@shrijanaryal4923]

@@Zygrene pls do the manual review 🙏

[@damienfrizzell9394]

@@Zygrene still waiting

[@peteh3313]

It's bizarre, I own a MY19, 2020 build CTR and I've never experienced the gear grind that people talk about. My biggest issue is jumping into it after driving my DC2R ITR and having to remember that it's boosted not a high revver. Ironically, the NA ITR brings a bigger smile to my face despite the Civic being faster.

[@williambellisIII]

Have never experienced a gear grind in my 2018 either.

[@TheFK8Life]

Thats not turbo lag - the boost isnt unleashed until above 3k to save the rods - full power happens in 3rd from Honda

[@johnkeltner6501]

Interesting, the Civic’s shift grind reminds me of an older Toyota Aisin manual gearbox (2003-2008 model years). Never bad but was pretty consistent from 3rd to 4th gear.

[@thepassionofthegoose5472]

Perfect timing. I'm literally cross shopping these two for my next work car. I love them both for different reasons, but I'll likely end up with the CTR because I'm a shameless Honda nerd. Regardless, the Kona N is an amazing car that is far, far more capable than most know.

[@LEVI-rs8vc]

I owned both I liked the Kona n more than the r

[@oraclemiata845]

Agreed.

[@Highlander1432]

CTR doesn't offer utility that Kona N does right ?

[@Datsun510zen]

Is that wheel feedback a deficit or an asset? Old fashioned as it may be, when hanging it out there I enjoy feeling what the car is doing.I believe the fun factor is enhanced by feeling connected with what's going on. My hat's off to Hyundai and Kia for closing the gap so quickly with legendary Japanese engineering. Great job Fenton.

[@Zygrene]

Steering feedback is great. Torque steer, debatable. Definitely keeps me on my toes but can be distracting if I'm trying to attack corners quickly and confidently.

[@Datsun510zen]

@@Zygrene Got ya. I could see your hands witching a bit around corners so I thought I'd ask. Funny, you'd think an eLSD would help eliminate torque steer better than that. I checked and the Civic R's Dif is helical so maybe that's the Honda mojo. For what it's worth, although the Elantra N has the same eLSD, chassis stiffening and integrated drive shafts seems to have cleaned that twitch factor up. Looking forward to you review on it soon.

[@kuseiii_3845]

@@Datsun510zen nah the torque steer is just as horrible in the EN. Everytime i floor it on a road that has a slight incline in any direction the car hops from side to side n spins till third in most occasions

[@Datsun510zen]

@@kuseiii_3845 Bumber. I was so hoping the Ns were going to feed Honda some humble pie, but not to be I guess. Who knows, if Hyundai coaxed another 50hp out of the Theta II T-GDi and switched to a helical LSD, it might quiet the Honda pie holes. During my time tracking RWD B Sedan 510s, FWD "performance" was always seen as an oxymoron. I find it particularly difficult to accept that the Type R shattered that old preconception, and all their indecent peacocking is well justified. That said, ICE performance is on it's last legs. The $60K Model 3 Performance crushes the $45K Civic R and the $80K BMW M3. I can't say I'm all together happy about that either, but I have to accept it as the new reality.

[@sportyrider6153]

Don't the paddle shifters work for you? Why reach for gears?

[@Daveyboy_RS3]

Once you hit the N button, The exhaust gets a lot "fruitier??" I don't know what to do with that...

[@carloscervantes836]

Some point outs on the Kona. The NGS button adds an extra 10hp for a total of 286hp but it's a gimmick, just a technicality. If you just put the car into N mode, your adjusted settings didn't apply, it has to be in custom mode. I saw your boost didn't hit 20 PSI but it seems you are on a mountain so not sure if octane learning was done and quality fuel used. I agree the Elantra N would make more sense but still a useful video.

[@robt3325]

You're 100% right about the N mode vs Custom_1 and Custom_2 modes. I'm at sea level and I don't think I hit 20psi unless I'm really on the throttle (which obviously I never do for legal reasons). The NGS in my experience opens the exhaust bypass fully, shifts at the highest safe RPM, and puts everything into "race" mode within a second or two of hitting the button. It doesn't do much if you are already in a custom N setting but you can hit NGS from "Snow" mode and it will throw you off the road.

[@C1K450]

Been looking for a nice, AFFORDABLE performance SUV that doesn’t cost an arm and leg like the Durango Hellcat, Urus, BMW X6 M.

[@Daveyboy_RS3]

Then the Kona N is not for you... It actually has less rear legroom then the Elantra N. It's just as compact as the VN, just sits a little higher. No way would I even consider this even a subcompact crossover or SUV... But more of a taller hot hatch.

[@MrDmann112]

I’m curious what your thoughts on the Gti compared to the civic would be. Mine is tuned pushing 350 to and 280 hp, so it makes up some of the diff in power, but sadly still open diff.

[@Zygrene]

I've never really enjoyed 200hp+ FWD cars with open diffs, to be honest. My first car was a manual Audi A3 2.0T (basically a reskinned MK6 GTI) with a stage 1 tune and it couldn't put power down to save its life.

[@svandorst1]

The performance pack mk7’s like my ‘21 se has LSD. Mines making about the same power as OP but has little to no tq steer.

[@BitcoinTo150K]

Get LSD and 200 tw tires until then enjoy your rolling pulls

[@fkhothatchi]

turbo lag is actually beneficial for FWD car

[@caffeinefix2751]

How so

[@fkhothatchi]

@@caffeinefix2751 its just physics FWD its traction limited so you can't shove massive torque early in the powerband you want a more gradual build up

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@fkhothatchi I can't say I agree that laggy turbo engines would have a more gradual torque build up. By definition something like a naturally aspirated K24 (a worked over one) is going to have a more gradual build up in power as the revs rise, whereas turbocharged engines by definition make peak torque earlier (depending on how the turbo is sized) and then lose torque up to the redline (again, depending on how the turbo is sized). The peak torque will tend to be a lot higher on the turbo engine of the same power output too, which stresses the tyres more. If it is an older style big single scroll turbo then the sudden rate of change of power as the boost finally comes in after the lag would tend to stress the tyres more, wouldn't it? Although a lot of turbo engines are tuned with an artificial limit on the boost to have an artificially flat torque on the OEM map, but that's not how turbos really behave, especially if a car is remapped for maximum power.

[@333KINGPIN33]

I wonder if the new type r is worth the upgrade from existing type r?

[@CesarMartinez-gl9ko]

It is if you’re super into tracking your car and having the latest and greatest. If you currently have the FK8 then I don’t think it’s worth it unless you want the new tech and look

[@BitcoinTo150K]

With used ones going for damn near $50k seems like a good option

[@CesarMartinez-gl9ko]

@@BitcoinTo150K I am in the market for one, you can find decent ones in the low $40k range. I called a few dealers for the new one and they all said $15-20k mark up and an increase price from the last one... yikes.

[@BitcoinTo150K]

@@CesarMartinez-gl9ko new one is $43k you gotta be butt buddies with someone with clout or higher up get MSRP unfortunately

[@mharro88]

No. Price is ridiculous

[@Blballerboy]

What road does he do these reviews on?

[@archieunevski]

Thank you Brother, great honest review 👍.

[@kjwong4730]

Honestly who here would buy a Kona over the type R ? I’m just curious

[@thepassionofthegoose5472]

I might. I need a new car for work and the extra ride height is a big plus, especially since I travel a lot for jobs. I already have an S2000 CR and several motorcycles for track use, so a lifted hot hatch for backroad antics and travel is tempting. I'm also considering the CTR because of the cavernous interior space and the fact it's a masterpiece of a car.

[@carloscervantes836]

I did but then again I don't even like the look of the type R and the car market kind of sucks. I would have preferred a new Golf R if they still had the shape of 7th gen. No AWD kind of ruins the US model as it's already missing lots of features they get in the EU, including forged wheels. I'm leaning towards returning it.

[@carloscervantes836]

@@thepassionofthegoose5472 I wonder how much more desirable you would find the Kona N if it offered AWD in your case?

[@thepassionofthegoose5472]

@@carloscervantes836 I'm not in a region that AWD is needed, so I'm much happier with the reduced weight of FWD.

[@LEVI-rs8vc]

I had 2018 civic type r and just bought Kona n and I'm surprised that I liked my Kona n nit more than the r.

[@Titantitan001]

I love my dct in my Kona. Such a fun transmission. I wish they kept the styling the way it was in its earliest life. The styling on the one in the video is just not my thing.

[@ronaldblondeau3883]

learn tp push the clutch to the floor before shifting

[@Puma6922]

when these cars rub is it because the owners dont push enough to rub a lot or is it because they dont care?

[@fean121]

You forgot to mention the Kona N has the “NGS” button which actually gives the cars 10 more HP for 20 seconds! So actually 286hp🔥

[@RE-wf2hz]

Great video!

[@Theanhdy]

Elantra N would be a better comparison

[@Zygrene]

I'm reviewing a manual Elantra N very soon!

[@shrijanaryal4923]

@@Zygrene when ? I wanna put a timer for it. Cant wait. Thanks so much.

[@Zygrene]

@@shrijanaryal4923 I should be getting it tomorrow. Follow me on IG for updates!

[@Sonic_1000]

The Kona N is the Saitama of hot hatches. I love mine

[@Grimesitty]

Same bro same.. I have it parked outside and here I am watching videos about it 😂

[@Grimesitty]

When I'm not driving it I'm watching KZbin videos of her 😂

[@flyin18t]

Solid video and assessment. Thank you!

[@bbbt8090]

I like the Kona but I need more trunk space for my kids

[@iheartgs400]

KDM vs JDM. That grind Fenton is the Honda’s MT disease we all live and deal with 🤣 cmon Toyota can you milk the CHR and put the GR Corolla drivetrain on it. We could use another GR chassis.

[@Zygrene]

CH...G...H...RHC?

[@Soh90]

GRCHR. Rolls off the tongue

[@jotta297]

There is A lot of cars have more horse power than civic type R and faster than civic. So civic type R can not be king it just has more horse power than Kona N That's all

[@MidnightinSavannah]

When doing a review why doesn't anyone take these cars to a drag strip?

[@promodelred]

There is NOT a notorious 2nd-3rd gear grind in the CTR, so if you have had it in multiple cars, that’s your driving my friend.

[@kdavid123186]

Honda has history of 6speed having synchro problems. Goes back to itr, 6th gen si and 6speed accord. Some s2k had it. If you been following Honda for few decades you would know. Just search KZbin for videos. I found savagegeese because he was on news talking about Honda 6speed problems

[@Wind_slash0]

Kona obviously 🙄

[@danielvalenzuela514]

wrong car to compare.....where is the Elentra N!!!!

[@carloscervantes836]

Not best car but I would say still useful to have this video.

[@geoffreysiverns2159]

Chip that kona like me the Honda has no chance none

[@markc6714]

The seats in the type R are vomit inducing garbage

[@mharro88]

The Elantra n is just better than the kona

[@CH3FSN1P3Z]

Too each their own. Personally test drove both for 48 hours and loved the Kona so much more! It’s more exhilarating to drive, it doesn’t feel that boring Grandmom car because yes even with the bar in the middle it feels like a Grandmom car eventually. I mean all they did was change the front seats and add a spoiler, then it’ll feel like an old person trying to be cool car.

[@mharro88]

@@CH3FSN1P3Z weird response. The Elantra n is quicker , handles better and sounds better , no idea why you think it's boring... You sure you didn't test drive a base trim? The Kona is smaller inside and doesn't handle anywhere as well on track, there's still body roll. Hate to break it to you but more old people buy SUVs now.

[@oraclemiata845]

@@mharro88 well, it doesn’t handle better, just differently. The short wheelbase on the Kona is actually a lot of fun on liftoff. The exhaust sounds the same. Maybe a little less pronounced.

[@mharro88]

@@oraclemiata845 I find it handles better, there's less body roll. Can push it harder.. The pops and bangs are more pronounced on the Elantra

[@neilchirico]

It's like comparing apples versus oranges both fruits but very different fruits and NOT comparable. Invalid comparison. SUV against Sport Compact CAR! WTF dude! I don't even care who won its just a dumb comparison. Like others have said why not compare car versus car or Civic vs. Elantra??

[@apexcobra.official]

The Kona N is more of a hot hatch than an SUV in reality. Basically just a slightly taller hot hatch with a bit more generous of a ride height. Both FWD, turbocharged 2.0t sport hatches when it comes down to it. Good comparison. Especially as he claims the Kona N gives up very little to the Type R, which is the best performance hatch of all time. That's saying something.

[@chrisvalleqatsi]

It's def not an SUV - they say that for marketing, but it's barely bigger than an i20 or i30. It's a 5-door hatchback that sits maybe an inch higher than it should. I saw mine & two others next to an I20 WRC in gravel trim, and the stock KN sits lower and has about the same footprint.

[@jjchockey]

If you have driven one you would know it drives a lot more like a hot hatch than literally any SUV ever made. It’s not a Type R but it is closer to other hot hatches than you would think. It weighs 100lbs less than a Golf R or Focus RS. It is 3.5-4” taller than a “hot hatch” that’s really the only difference.

[@DriverJ-N]

u are clueless of the kona N its a hot hatch more than a suv .. and would run circles around any suv lol i have one its far from a suv

[@oraclemiata845]

Agreed… it’s a hot hatch, pseudo rally car if you will. This is a good comparison. The Kona N is the real deal. I was shocked the first time I drove it.

[@adlerdivision6742]

Der Kona hat 280 Ps und nicht 276 Ps ( Ps = Horse Power )

[@turbored4969]

PS ist nicht HP. USA 276 HP = EU 280PS

[@carloscervantes836]

@@turbored4969 You get'em Turbo!