Cabin & Comfort
Closely matched: both come with heated front seats.

Before you compare
Sport FWD vs SEL Premium FWD, compared on verified specifications and price.
The Sport FWD and SEL Premium FWD are closely matched on price: $28,400 vs $28,425.
Because these two trims sit at different points in their lineups, the category winners below reflect trim level as much as brand. Read them as evidence, and weigh them against the equipment you will actually use.
At a glance
If you're shopping the HR-V, the HR-V Sport FWD is the fit this site recommends — the two are closely matched on cabin & comfort, fuel economy and price & value; the Kona SEL Premium FWD leads on performance and cargo & daily use, so choose it if those matter most.
Close call — closely matched on price: $28,400 vs $28,425.
Kona SEL Premium FWD makes 190 hp vs 158 hp.
Close call — closely matched on efficiency: 28 mpg vs 28 mpg combined.
Head to head
The verified differences most likely to decide it — each shown side by side, with the winner called out.
Closely matched: both come with heated front seats.
Closely matched: 28 mpg vs 28 mpg.
Closely matched: $28,400 vs $28,425.
The Kona SEL Premium FWD makes everyday hauling and road trips easier with more cargo room.
The Kona SEL Premium FWD gives you stronger acceleration and easier passing.
The Sport FWD and SEL Premium FWD are closely matched on price: $28,400 vs $28,425.
On verified numbers, the SEL Premium FWD leads in horsepower, torque, and cargo volume. What the numbers actually mean for you here: the SEL Premium FWD's horsepower edge (190 vs 158 hp) shows up most when merging and passing rather than in daily commuting, the SEL Premium FWD's torque edge (195 vs 138 lb-ft) is felt most in everyday, low-speed response, and the SEL Premium FWD's cargo volume edge (63.7 vs 55.1 cu ft) is what decides how it handles road trips, gear, and family duty.
When it matters most: if you regularly carry more than a passenger or two of gear, the SEL Premium FWD's cargo volume edge (63.7 vs 55.1 cu ft) may decide it.
Visual comparison


HR-V Sport FWD
Kona SEL Premium FWD

HR-V Sport FWD






Kona SEL Premium FWD








The bottom line
HR-V Sport FWD
If you're shopping the HR-V, the HR-V Sport FWD is the fit this site recommends — the two are closely matched on cabin & comfort, fuel economy and price & value; the Kona SEL Premium FWD leads on performance and cargo & daily use, so choose it if those matter most.
What could change this: If more power matters most, the Kona SEL Premium FWD is the better fit.
On verified numbers, the SEL Premium FWD leads in horsepower, torque, and cargo volume.
The full picture
By the numbers
These are the figures most shoppers weigh first — price, power, efficiency, and room — with the full specification table below.
| Specification | HR-V Sport FWD | Kona SEL Premium FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Starting MSRP | $28,400 | $28,425 |
| Horsepower | 158 hp | 190 hp |
| Torque | 138 lb-ft | 195 lb-ft |
| Combined MPG | 28 mpg | 28 mpg |
| City MPG | 26 mpg | 26 mpg |
| Highway MPG | 32 mpg | 32 mpg |
| Max cargo — behind 1st row, seats folded | 55.1 cu ft | 63.7 cu ft |
| Seating | 5 | 5 |
| Drivetrain | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | Continuously Variable (CVT) | 8-Speed Automatic |
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Good to know
The questions shoppers ask most when weighing these two — answered with the verified facts.
Value comes down to the details. The Sport FWD and SEL Premium FWD are closely matched on price: $28,400 vs $28,425. Weigh the standard equipment each includes, their fuel economy, and the features you'll genuinely use. Cross-shop comparably equipped trims and let local incentives settle it.
"Nicer every day" is about the things you touch on every drive — the seats, the controls, and the screen. Comfort is personal, though: seat shape, driving position, and how intuitive the controls feel to you matter more than any feature list. Spend ten minutes in each on a route like your real commute — that test drive will tell you more about daily livability than any spec comparison.
We don't publish a feature-by-feature equipment comparison for this exact pairing, so we won't claim either way. Use the verified specifications and the verdict above — those come from confirmed data — and check each manufacturer's build-and-price tool for the equipment on the exact Sport FWD and SEL Premium FWD you're considering. Equipment also moves with option packages and model year, so the trim you drive may not match a general list. A back-to-back test drive of the two specific cars you're shopping is the reliable way to see what one offers that the other doesn't.
High annual mileage puts the spotlight on running costs, and that's mostly about fuel. Beyond fuel, a high-mileage driver should weigh seat comfort for all those hours and each model's reliability record — worth checking current ratings for the specific trims, since it matters most when you're piling on miles. If your year is mostly highway commuting, lean toward the more efficient, more comfortable choice; the small differences compound over 15,000 miles in a way they wouldn't for a light-use second car.
On space, expect more cargo room in the Kona SEL Premium FWD. Interior preference is partly personal — dashboard layout, seat shape, and where the controls fall all factor in — so the best test is to sit in both. If a richer, more feature-laden cabin matters to you, compare the specific trims' option packages directly; if you mainly want a comfortable, sensibly-arranged space, either will serve you well day to day.
For most shoppers, the right pick follows your priorities rather than a single score. Use the verdict above as the starting recommendation, then confirm it with a back-to-back test drive of the exact trims you're considering.
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