Compare the2023 Honda HR-VVS 2021 Hyundai Tucson

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda HR-V have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Hyundai Tucson doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 HR-V are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Tucson doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Honda HR-V has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The HR-V EX-L has standard Low Speed Braking Control 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.

Both the HR-V and the Tucson have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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 all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

There are over 29 percent more Honda dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the HR-V’s warranty.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 1 place higher in reliability than Hyundai.

On the EPA test cycle the HR-V gets better mileage than the Tucson:

The HR-V has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Tucson doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The HR-V 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.

For better stopping power the HR-V’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Tucson:

For greater off-road capability the HR-V LX/EX-L has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Tucson (7 vs. 6.4 inches), allowing the HR-V to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The HR-V Sport’s minimum ground clearance is .9 inch higher than on the Tucson (7.3 vs. 6.4 inches).

The HR-V uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Tucson doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The HR-V’s standard driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the switch, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The Tucson’s standard power window’s switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully. The HR-V Sport/EX-L’s front power windows open fully with one touch of the switches, and its driver’s window also automatically closes. With the Tucson Value/SEL/Sport/Limited/Ultimate’s power windows, only the driver’s window opens or closes automatically.

On a hot day the HR-V’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Tucson can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.