Compare the2023 Toyota Rav4 PrimeVS 2023 Hyundai Nexo

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Rav4 Prime 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 Nexo doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Toyota Rav4 Prime 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 Nexo doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Rav4 Prime 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 Nexo 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 Prime XSE offers optional Parking Assist with Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Nexo doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Rav4 Prime has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Nexo doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the Rav4 Prime and the Nexo 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Rav4 Prime the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Nexo has not been fully tested, yet.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Rav4 Prime for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Hyundai only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Nexo.

There are over 49 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Rav4 Prime’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Hyundai is ranked 13th.

The Rav4 Prime’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 141 more horsepower (302 vs. 161) than the Nexo’s electric motor.

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 Prime running on electricity gets better mileage than the Nexo:

The Rav4 Prime’s maximum EPA estimated range on a full tank and a full charge is 622 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The Nexo’s range is only 354 to 380 miles, after which it can only refill at a pressurized hydrogen station, presently only available in 55 retail locations in the United States.

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

The Rav4 Prime’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Nexo are solid, not vented.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Rav4 Prime SE has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Nexo.

The Rav4 Prime has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Nexo; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better maneuverability, the Rav4 Prime SE’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Nexo’s (36.1 feet vs. 36.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Rav4 Prime SE has a 1.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Nexo (8 vs. 6.4 inches), allowing the Rav4 Prime to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Rav4 Prime XSE’s minimum ground clearance is 1.8 inches higher than on the Nexo (8.2 vs. 6.4 inches).

The Rav4 Prime is 3 inches shorter than the Nexo, making the Rav4 Prime easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

The Rav4 Prime has .3 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Nexo.

The Rav4 Prime has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Nexo with its rear seat up (33.5 vs. 29.6 cubic feet). The Rav4 Prime has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Nexo with its rear seat folded (69.8 vs. 56.5 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Rav4 Prime easier. The Rav4 Prime’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.8 inches, while the Nexo’s liftover is 29.7 inches.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Rav4 Prime. The Nexo doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Rav4 Prime has a 2500 lbs. towing capacity. The Nexo has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Rav4 Prime 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 Nexo doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Rav4 Prime to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Hyundai doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Nexo.

When two different drivers share the Rav4 Prime XSE, the optional memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Nexo doesn’t offer memory seats.

The Rav4 Prime XSE offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed 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 Nexo doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Rav4 Prime’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 Nexo’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Rav4 Prime 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 Nexo can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Rav4 Prime XSE offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Nexo doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Both the Rav4 Prime and the Nexo have standard heated front seats. The Rav4 Prime also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Nexo.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Rav4 Prime, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the Hyundai Nexo by over 980 to one during 2022.