Compare the2022 Mazda CX-5VS 2021 Hyundai Tucson

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2024/05/03

The CX-5 has standard Whiplash-Reducing Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Tucson doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CX-5 Turbo Signature has standard Smart Brake Support-Reverse 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 CX-5. But it costs extra on the Tucson.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CX-5 has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Tucson Value/SEL/Sport/Limited/Ultimate has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the CX-5 and the Tucson 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Hyundai Tucson:

	CX-5	Tucson
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	82	172
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	97 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	156	226
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	37%

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 Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Hyundai Tucson:

	CX-5	Tucson
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	81	94
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.8 inches
Hip Force	189 lbs.	356 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	208	241
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	435 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 Mazda CX-5 is much safer than the Tucson:

	CX-5	Tucson
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	155	209
Neck Tension	223 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.51 in	.75 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.34 in	1.5 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	8 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	POOR
Pelvis Force	848 lbs.	1874 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	22 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.42 in	2.2 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.26 in	2.13 in
Torso Deflection Rate	9 MPH	14 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-5 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 76 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Tucson is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2021.

Reliability

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

Engine

The CX-5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 26 more horsepower (187 vs. 161) and 36 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 150) than the Tucson’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The CX-5’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 6 more horsepower (187 vs. 181) and 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 175) than the Tucson’s optional 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder. The CX-5’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 75 more horsepower (256 vs. 181) and 145 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 175) than the Tucson’s optional 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Mazda CX-5 is faster than the Hyundai Tucson:

	CX-5 4 cyl.	CX-5 turbo 4 cyl.	Tucson 2.0	Tucson 2.4
Zero to 60 MPH	8.6 sec	6.4 sec	11 sec	9.6 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.4 sec	n/a	6.9 sec	4.9 sec
Quarter Mile	16.6 sec	14.9 sec	18.3 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85 MPH	93.6 MPH	80.2 MPH	83 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the CX-5 gets better mileage than the Tucson:

			MPG
CX-5
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/30 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 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

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CX-5 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The Tucson doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the CX-5 Turbo’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Tucson:

	CX-5 Turbo	Tucson
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	12 inches

The CX-5 stops shorter than the Tucson:

	CX-5	Tucson
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-5’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the Tucson (106.2 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For greater off-road capability the CX-5 has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tucson (7.6 vs. 6.4 inches), allowing the CX-5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The CX-5 Turbo’s minimum ground clearance is 1.5 inches higher than on the Tucson (7.9 vs. 6.4 inches).

Passenger Space

The CX-5 has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear hip room than the Tucson.

The front step up height for the CX-5 is 1.4 inches lower than the Tucson (17.6” vs. 19”). The CX-5’s rear step up height is 1.8 inches lower than the Tucson’s (18.2” vs. 20”).

Cargo Capacity

The CX-5’s cargo area is larger than the Tucson’s in almost every dimension:

	CX-5	Tucson
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	38”	34.3”/69.5”
Max Width	57”	53”
Min Width	41.3”	40.7”
Height	32.4”	35.2”

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the CX-5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Tucson doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The CX-5’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Tucson’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the CX-5 Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo, the 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 CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Tucson doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-5’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.

The CX-5’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Tucson’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Consumer Reports rated the CX-5’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Tucson’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the CX-5 owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the CX-5 with a number “1” insurance rate while the Tucson is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the CX-5 is less expensive to operate than the Tucson because it costs $264 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the CX-5 than the Tucson, including $95 less for a water pump, $113 less for a muffler and $18 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Mazda CX-5 as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its April 2019 issue and they ranked the Mazda CX-5 three places higher than the Hyundai Tucson Ultimate AWD.

The CX-5 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 4 of the last 5 years. The Tucson has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

The Mazda CX-5 outsold the Hyundai Tucson by 21% during the 2021 model year.