2024 Hyundai Kona vs 2025 Buick Enclave

Hyundai's 2024 Kona was designed with an electric vehicle (EV) focus, evident in its sleek, modern appearance. The front grille resembled the Ioniq 5, featuring a single-piece design typical of EVs. The Kona adopted the "seamless horizon" styling seen in the new Sonata, with a prominent skinny LED headlight. Despite being nearly 6 inches longer than its predecessor, the Kona maintained its recognizable silhouette. The doors featured a new "parametric surface" design, and the black body cladding on various trims became more substantial and angular. The Kona lineup included standard LED headlights, taillights, and daytime running lights, with a single taillight spanning the rear. Wheel sizes varied by trim, with 17-inch wheels standard and larger options for higher trims. Inside, the Kona's cabin was updated with a driver-oriented center stack, a relocated gear shift, and a curved display housing driver-information and infotainment screens.

The 2025 Buick Enclave presented a bold and modern design, reminiscent of a scaled-up Envista. Its front featured slim DRLs, a large angular grille, and a high beltline, giving it a sharp appearance. The side profile was more generic, but the Enclave looked bolder than its predecessor. It had fewer side creases, a flatter roof, and slightly sharpened wheel arches. Standard 20-inch wheels adorned the base and Sport Touring trims, with unique touches for the latter. The top Avenir trim boasted 22-inch wheels with a special finish. Inside, the Enclave felt modern and premium, with a floating center console and a large curved display. The Sport Touring trim featured perforated leatherette seats with contrast piping. However, the limited sunroof availability was a drawback, with the panoramic power sunroof only available on higher trims.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona retained its predecessor's engine lineup, featuring a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine for the SE and SEL trims, producing 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, paired with a CVT. The N-Line and Limited trims had a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, now mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Paddle shifters were available on the N-Line and Limited trims, with an option for the SEL Convenience Package. The Kona offered front-wheel drive as standard, with all-wheel drive available for an additional $1,500. Opting for AWD slightly reduced fuel economy estimates.

The 2025 Buick Enclave came with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque. Power was routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission, with both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations available, the latter for an extra $2,000. The Enclave's fuel economy was slightly affected by AWD, reducing it from 23 to 21 mpg combined. The Enclave could tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. Buick offered two versions of Active Noise Cancellation, with the engine noise version standard only on the top trim. The Enclave's steering was loose at slower speeds, but this was not a major concern for its class.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona's increased length was evident in the rear seat and cargo area. Rear-seat legroom increased to 38.2 inches, providing more space than the 2023 Kona and the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross. Headroom also improved, and cargo capacity expanded to 25.5 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 63.7 cubic feet with them folded down. The Kona Limited featured a power hands-free liftgate for easy access. Inside, a handy shelf on the passenger's side of the dash provided additional storage, and a "guardrail" kept phones in place on the wireless charging pad. The Kona offered various seating options, with ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel standard on the Limited trim.

The 2025 Buick Enclave featured eight-way power adjustability for the driver's seat and six-way for the front passenger's seat. Captain's chairs in the second row allowed for a seven-person maximum capacity. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel were standard, with the Avenir trim adding heated second-row seats and front-row ventilation. Tri-zone climate control was standard, with middle-row passengers having their own temperature controls. The Enclave offered power-folding second and third-row seats on higher trims, with a standard AutoSense liftgate providing easy access to 22.9 cubic feet of cargo space. Folding the third row expanded cargo volume to 57.1 cubic feet, and with both rear rows folded, it measured 97.5 cubic feet.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona featured a 12.3-inch infotainment system touchscreen display as standard, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available on lower trims. An OTA update was promised to add wireless connectivity to higher trims. The Kona included wireless device charging, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a Bose stereo system. Dual 12.3-inch screens created a panoramic view in higher trims, and OTA update capability was standard. Hyundai's Bluelink connected services were included for the life of the vehicle.

The 2025 Buick Enclave showcased its premium positioning with a large 30-inch curved display standard across all trims. The display integrated the infotainment and digital gauge cluster, though smartphone projection interrupted its seamless appearance. A 12-speaker Bose Premium audio system was standard, with a 16-speaker Bose Performance system exclusive to the Avenir trim. Wireless charging, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto were standard, along with Google Built-In and Wi-Fi hotspot capability. The Enclave offered wired charging with USB ports in each row.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona came equipped with advanced driver-assistance safety features, including Safe Exit Warning, blind-spot collision avoidance, and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance. High-beam assist was standard, with adaptive cruise control available on higher trims. The Limited trim included Surround View Monitor and blind-spot view monitor. Hyundai's Highway Driving Assist suite impressed with its smooth lane-keep assist.

The 2025 Buick Enclave prioritized safety with features like blind-zone steering assist, intersection automatic emergency braking, traffic-sign recognition, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. HD Surround Vision with multiple camera views was standard, and adaptive cruise control was included. The Enclave featured GM's Teen Driver technology and offered Super Cruise, GM's hands-free driving technology, as an option. The 2025 Enclave had not yet been rated by safety organizations, but the 2024 model received favorable ratings.