Compare the2023 Toyota PriusVS 2023 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Prius 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 Tucson Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Prius 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 Tucson Hybrid 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.

Both the Prius and the Tucson Hybrid 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

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

The battery on the Prius is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Prius’ battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Tucson Hybrid’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

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 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Hyundai is ranked 6th.

On the EPA test cycle the Prius gets better mileage than the Tucson Hybrid:

The Prius 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 Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Prius LE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Tucson Hybrid Blue’s standard 65 series tires. The Prius XLE/Limited’s tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Tucson Hybrid SEL/Limited’s 55 series tires.

The Prius LE has a standard space-saver spare (not available on XLE/Limited) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Tucson Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Prius Limited handles at .87 G’s, while the Tucson Hybrid Limited pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Prius LE’s turning circle is 4.2 feet tighter than the Tucson Hybrid’s (34.4 feet vs. 38.6 feet). The Prius XLE/Limited’s turning circle is 3.2 feet tighter than the Tucson Hybrid’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.6 feet).

The Toyota Prius may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 550 pounds less than the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid.

The Prius is 9.7 inches shorter in height than the Tucson Hybrid, making the Prius much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The design of the Toyota Prius amounts to more than styling. The Prius has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Tucson Hybrid (.33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Prius get better fuel mileage.

The Prius has 1.8 inches more front legroom and .2 inches more front hip room than the Tucson Hybrid.

The Prius’ 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 Hybrid’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 Prius 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. The driver of the Tucson Hybrid can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Prius LE’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Tucson Hybrid’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Prius is available in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The Tucson Hybrid doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.