Compare the2024 Hyundai Tucson HybridVS 2024 Mazda CX-5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid 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 Mazda CX-5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Tucson Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Tucson Hybrid’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The CX-5 doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

Both the Tucson Hybrid and CX-5 have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Tucson Hybrid has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The CX-5’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Tucson Hybrid and the CX-5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and available around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Tucson Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 67 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CX-5 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2023.

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 CX-5’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Tucson Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Mazda covers the CX-5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the CX-5 ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Tucson Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the CX-5’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tucson Hybrid for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mazda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CX-5.

There are over 52 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Tucson Hybrid’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai above average in initial quality. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is rated below average.

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 Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 12th.

The Tucson Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 39 more horsepower (226 vs. 187) and 73 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 185) than the CX-5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is faster than the Mazda CX-5 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Tucson Hybrid gets better mileage than the CX-5:

Regenerative brakes improve the Tucson Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CX-5 with the 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, 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 Mazda CX-5 (5 to 7). This means the Tucson Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CX-5 every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Tucson Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the CX-5:

The Tucson Hybrid stops much shorter than the CX-5:

For better traction, the Tucson Hybrid has larger tires than the CX-5 (235/65R17 vs. 225/65R17).

The Tucson Hybrid has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CX-5’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tucson Hybrid’s wheelbase is 2.3 inches longer than on the CX-5 (108.5 inches vs. 106.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Tucson Hybrid is .9 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the CX-5.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited handles at .84 G’s, while the CX-5 Turbo Signature pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the CX-5 (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Tucson Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CX-5 (8.3 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the Tucson Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Tucson Hybrid’s minimum ground clearance is .4 inch higher than on the CX-5 Carbon/Premium/Turbo (8.3 vs. 7.9 inches).

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 CX-5 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Tucson Hybrid Limited is quieter than the CX-5 Turbo Signature:

The Tucson Hybrid has 4.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-5 (107.9 vs. 103.6).

The Tucson Hybrid has .4 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-5.

The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CX-5 with its rear seat up (38.7 vs. 30 cubic feet). The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-5 with its rear seat folded (74.5 vs. 59.3 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Tucson Hybrid’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Tucson Hybrid uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The CX-5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The CX-5 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The power windows standard on both the Tucson Hybrid and the CX-5 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 CX-5 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

On a hot day the Tucson Hybrid’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the CX-5 can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Tucson Hybrid’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The CX-5’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Tucson Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mazda only offers heated mirrors on the CX-5 Premium/Turbo.

The Tucson Hybrid 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 is only available on the CX-5 Select/Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo.

Both the Tucson Hybrid and the CX-5 offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Tucson Hybrid has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The CX-5 doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

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 CX-5 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid will be $753 to $3772 less than for the Mazda CX-5.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and the Mazda CX-5, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Tucson outsold the Mazda CX-5 by 16% during 2022.