Compare the2022 Hyundai TucsonVS 2021 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid

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 Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Tucson AWD’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

Both the Tucson and the Rav4 Hybrid 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 Rav4 Hybrid’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Tucson 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Rav4 Hybrid. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Rav4 Hybrid ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Tucson’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Rav4 Hybrid’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tucson for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Rav4 Hybrid (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 10th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 19th, below the industry average.

Both the Tucson and the Rav4 Hybrid 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.

For better stopping power the Tucson’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Rav4 Hybrid:

The Tucson stops shorter than the Rav4 Hybrid:

For better traction, the Tucson has larger tires than the Rav4 Hybrid (235/65R17 vs. 225/65R17).

The Tucson’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Rav4 Hybrid XSE/Limited’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tucson offers optional 19-inch wheels. The Rav4 Hybrid’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Tucson has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Rav4 Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tucson’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the Rav4 Hybrid (108.5 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

For greater off-road capability the Tucson has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Rav4 Hybrid (8.3 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Tucson to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Hyundai Tucson may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 350 pounds less than the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid.

The Tucson has 9.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rav4 Hybrid (108.2 vs. 98.9).

The Tucson has .6 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, 3.5 inches more rear legroom and 6.2 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4 Hybrid.

The Tucson has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Rav4 Hybrid with its rear seat up (38.7 vs. 37.6 cubic feet). The Tucson has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Rav4 Hybrid with its rear seat folded (80.3 vs. 69.8 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Tucson’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Tucson’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Rav4 Hybrid’s (2000 vs. 1750 pounds).

The Tucson has a higher standard payload capacity than the Rav4 Hybrid (1301 vs. 1230 lbs.).

The Tucson has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Rav4 Hybrid (1305 vs. 1230 lbs.).

The Tucson Limited’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Tucson’s standard variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Rav4 Hybrid LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

The Tucson has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The Rav4 Hybrid has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the XLE/XSE/Limited.

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 Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Tucson is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Tucson and the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.