Compare the2023 Hyundai Tucson Plug-In HybridVS 2023 Kia Sportage PHEV

Both the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid and the Sportage PHEV 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, all wheel drive, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 106 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sportage PHEV is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the Sportage PHEV’s (7/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sportage PHEV.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 9 places higher in reliability than Kia.

The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid has 2.3 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, .5 inches more rear hip room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Sportage PHEV.

The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Sportage PHEV with its rear seat folded (66.3 vs. 65.4 cubic feet).

The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Limited’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Sportage PHEV’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Sportage PHEV’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

Both the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid and the Sportage PHEV have standard heated front seats. The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Limited also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Sportage PHEV.

Insurance will cost less for the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid will cost $1105 less than the Sportage PHEV over a five-year period.

The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid will retain 47.28% to 48.24% of its original price after five years, while the Sportage PHEV only retains 45.04% to 45.21%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid will be $6048 to $10625 less than for the Kia Sportage PHEV.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Tucson outsold the Kia Sportage by 52% during the 2022 model year.