Compare the2023 Jeep RenegadeVS 2023 Hyundai Tucson

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

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

Both the Renegade 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights and rear parking sensors.

There are almost 3 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Renegade’s warranty.

The engine in the Renegade has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Tucson has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

The Renegade’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 32 lbs.-ft. more torque (210 vs. 178) than the Tucson’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Renegade gets better fuel mileage than the Tucson AWD (23 city/29 hwy vs. 23 city/28 hwy).

The Renegade 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.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Jeep Renegade higher (6 out of 10) than the Hyundai Tucson (5). This means the Renegade produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Tucson every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Jeep Renegade, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Tucson.

The Renegade stops shorter than the Tucson:

The Renegade’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Tucson’s optional 55 series tires.

The Renegade Trailhawk offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Tucson; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Renegade’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Tucson doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the Renegade Trailhawk’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Tucson’s (35.3 feet vs. 38.6 feet). The Renegade’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Tucson’s (36.3 feet vs. 38.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Renegade Trailhawk has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Tucson (8.7 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Renegade to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Renegade is 1 foot, 3.7 inches shorter than the Tucson, making the Renegade easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Renegade has 1 inch more front headroom and 1 inch more rear headroom than the Tucson.

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

The Renegade’s front power windows 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 Tucson SEL/XRT/N Line/Limited’s rear windows don’t close automatically.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Renegade offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Tucson doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Renegade’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Hyundai only offers heated mirrors on the Tucson SEL/XRT/N Line/Limited.

The Renegade 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 costs extra on the Tucson and isn’t available on the Tucson SE.

The Renegade’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Tucson SE doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

The Renegade offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Tucson doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Jeep Renegade will be $1039 to $3207 less than for the Hyundai Tucson.