Compare the2023 Mazda MX-30VS 2023 Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mazda MX-30 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 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Mazda MX-30 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 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The MX-30 has standard Whiplash-Reducing Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the MX-30 and the Tucson Plug-In 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.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. With 5 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mazda higher than Hyundai.

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

On the EPA test cycle the MX-30 gets better mileage than the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity (98 city/85 hwy vs. 87 city/74 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the MX-30 gets better mileage than the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid running its gasoline engine (98 city/85 hwy MPGe vs. 35 city/35 hwy).

The MX-30 can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 100 miles. The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid has to start its internal combustion engine after only 33 miles.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mazda MX-30 higher (10 out of 10) than the Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid (7). This means the MX-30 produces up to 11.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid every 15,000 miles.

For better maneuverability, the MX-30’s turning circle is 3.8 feet tighter than the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.6 feet).

The Mazda MX-30 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 550 pounds less than the Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid.

The MX-30 is 9 inches shorter than the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid, making the MX-30 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The MX-30 has .2 inches more front legroom and .2 inches more front hip room than the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid.

The MX-30 has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The MX-30 has a standard 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 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The MX-30’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the MX-30 has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the MX-30 is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The MX-30’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The MX-30 has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.