Compare the2022 Hyundai TucsonVS 2021 Lexus NX Series

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Tucson are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The NX Series doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Tucson and the NX Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The Tucson comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The NX Series’ 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Tucson 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the NX Series. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the NX Series ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The Tucson’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the NX Series’ (7 vs. 6 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tucson for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the NX Series (3/36,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Tucson’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 10th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 12th.

On the EPA test cycle the Tucson gets better mileage than the NX Series:

Both the Tucson and the NX Series 300h have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stop lights and heavy traffic. All Tucsons have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Tucson uses regular unleaded gasoline. The NX 300 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Hyundai Tucson, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the NX Series.

The Tucson stops shorter than the NX Series:

For better traction, the Tucson has larger tires than the NX Series (235/65R17 vs. 225/65R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tucson offers optional 19-inch wheels. The NX Series’ largest wheels are only 18-inches.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tucson’s wheelbase is 3.8 inches longer than on the NX Series (108.5 inches vs. 104.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Tucson is 1.7 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the NX Series.

For greater off-road capability the Tucson has a 1.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the NX 300h (8.3 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Tucson to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Tucson’s minimum ground clearance is 1.4 inches higher than on the NX 300 (8.3 vs. 6.9 inches).

The Hyundai Tucson may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 600 pounds less than the Lexus NX Series.

The front grille of the Tucson uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The NX Series doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Tucson has 36.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the NX Series (108.2 vs. 71.6).

The Tucson has 1.9 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 5.2 inches more rear legroom and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the NX Series.

The Tucson has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the NX Series with its rear seat up (38.7 vs. 17.7 cubic feet). The Tucson has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the NX Series with its rear seat folded (80.3 vs. 54.6 cubic feet).

The Tucson’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the NX Series’ (2000 vs. 0 pounds).

The Tucson has a much higher standard payload capacity than the NX Series (1301 vs. 895 lbs.).

The Tucson has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the NX Series (1305 vs. 895 lbs.).

The Tucson’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The NX Series’ power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Both the Tucson and the NX Series offer available heated front seats. The Tucson Limited also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the NX Series.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Tucson (except SE) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The NX Series doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Tucson Limited’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The NX Series doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Tucson and the Lexus NX Series, based on reliability, safety and performance.