Compare the2022 Toyota Rav4 HybridVS 2021 Hyundai Tucson

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Hyundai Tucson doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Toyota Rav4 Hybrid has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Tucson doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Rav4 Hybrid has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Tucson doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Rav4 Hybrid (except LE/XLE) offers optional Parking Assist with Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Tucson doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Rav4 Hybrid. But it costs extra on the Tucson.

Both the Rav4 Hybrid and the Tucson have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid is safer than the Hyundai Tucson:

	Rav4 Hybrid	Tucson
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid is safer than the Hyundai Tucson:

	Rav4 Hybrid	Tucson
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	94
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.8 inches
Hip Force	246 lbs.	356 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	241
Spine Acceleration	49 G’s	55 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches
HIC	299	312
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	835 lbs.	1028 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid is safer than the Tucson:

	Rav4 Hybrid	Tucson
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	120	209
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.47 in	.75 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.34 in	1.5 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	8 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Pelvis Force	1093 lbs.	1874 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.94 in	2.2 in
Shoulder Force	290 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	2.13 in
Torso Deflection Rate	8 MPH	14 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

There are over 50 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Rav4 Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 7th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Hyundai is ranked 6th.

Engine

The Rav4 Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 58 more horsepower (219 vs. 161) than the Tucson’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Rav4 Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 38 more horsepower (219 vs. 181) than the Tucson’s optional 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid is faster than the Hyundai Tucson:

	Rav4 Hybrid	Tucson 2.0	Tucson 2.4
Zero to 30 MPH	2.9 sec	4 sec	3.4 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	11 sec	9.6 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.7 sec	6.9 sec	4.9 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	18.3 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	80.2 MPH	83 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 Hybrid gets better mileage than the Tucson:

			MPG
Rav4 Hybrid
	AWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	41 city/38 hwy
Tucson
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy
		2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	22 city/25 hwy
		2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Rav4 Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Tucson doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Rav4 Hybrid’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The Tucson doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Tucson (5 to 7). This means the Rav4 Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Tucson every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Rav4 Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Tucson doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Rav4 Hybrid stops shorter than the Tucson:

	Rav4 Hybrid	Tucson
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Rav4 Hybrid’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the Tucson’s (58% to 42%). This gives the Rav4 Hybrid more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the Rav4 Hybrid has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tucson (8.1 vs. 6.4 inches), allowing the Rav4 Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Rav4 Hybrid uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Tucson doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Rav4 Hybrid has .7 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tucson.

Cargo Capacity

The Rav4 Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Tucson with its rear seat up (37.6 vs. 31 cubic feet). The Rav4 Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Tucson with its rear seat folded (69.8 vs. 61.9 cubic feet).

The Rav4 Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Tucson’s in almost every dimension:

	Rav4 Hybrid	Tucson
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	40”	34.3”/69.5”
Max Width	59”	53”
Min Width	39.4”	40.7”
Height	36.6”	35.2”

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Rav4 Hybrid. The Tucson doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Payload and Towing

The Rav4 Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Tucson’s (1750 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Rav4 Hybrid uses the Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Tucson doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Rav4 Hybrid has a higher standard payload capacity than the Tucson (1210 vs. 1138 lbs.).

The Rav4 Hybrid has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Tucson (1210 vs. 1146 lbs.).

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Rav4 Hybrid (except LE/SE), the optional memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Tucson doesn’t offer memory seats.

The Rav4 Hybrid’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Tucson’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Rav4 Hybrid the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Tucson can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Rav4 Hybrid has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Tucson SEL/Sport/Limited/Ultimate.

Both the Rav4 Hybrid and the Tucson offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Rav4 Hybrid has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Tucson doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Recommendations

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

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the Hyundai Tucson by almost three to one during the 2021 model year.