Compare the2024 Hyundai Tucson HybridVS 2024 Lexus NX

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

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Tucson Hybrid has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Parking Support Brake costs extra on the NX.

Both the Tucson Hybrid and the NX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is safer than the NX:

The Tucson Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The NX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Tucson Hybrid 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the NX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the NX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The Tucson Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the NX’s (7 vs. 6 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tucson Hybrid for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the NX (3/36,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Tucson Hybrid’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

The Tucson Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 23 more horsepower (226 vs. 203) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 184) than the NX 250’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Tucson Hybrid gets better mileage than the NX running its gasoline engine:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The NX 350 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Lexus NX (6 to 7). This means the Tucson Hybrid produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the NX every 15,000 miles.

The Tucson Hybrid stops shorter than the NX:

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tucson Hybrid’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the NX (108.5 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Tucson Hybrid Limited handles at .84 G’s, while the NX 350 AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the NX 450h AWD (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Tucson Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the NX (8.3 vs. 7.7 inches), allowing the Tucson Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The design of the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid amounts to more than styling. The Tucson Hybrid has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is lower than the NX (.35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Tucson Hybrid get better fuel mileage.

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

The Tucson Hybrid has 1.8 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, 5.2 inches more rear legroom, 1.4 inches more rear hip room and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the NX.

The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the NX with its rear seat up (38.7 vs. 22.7 cubic feet). The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the NX with its rear seat folded (74.5 vs. 46.9 cubic feet).

The Tucson Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the NX’s (2000 vs. 0 pounds).

The Tucson Hybrid has a higher standard payload capacity than the NX (1169 vs. 1125 lbs.).

The power windows standard on both the Tucson Hybrid and the NX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Tucson Hybrid is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The NX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Consumer Reports rated the Tucson Hybrid’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the NX’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Tucson Hybrid Limited’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The NX 350h/450h+’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid will be $6187 to $11394 less than for the Lexus NX.

The Hyundai Tucson outsold the Lexus NX by almost four to one during 2022.