Compare the2024 Hyundai Tucson HybridVS 2024 Subaru Forester

The Tucson Hybrid Limited has a standard Around View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Forester only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Tucson Hybrid has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Forester’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Tucson Hybrid has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Forester and its not available on the Base and the Forester’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the Tucson Hybrid and the Forester 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

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 Forester:

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 Forester 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 Forester’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 Subaru covers the Forester. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Forester ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Tucson Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Forester’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. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Forester.

There are over 30 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it 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 Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 78 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 22nd.

The Tucson Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 44 more horsepower (226 vs. 182) and 82 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 176) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is faster than the Subaru Forester:

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

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

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

The Tucson Hybrid stops much shorter than the Forester:

For better traction, the Tucson Hybrid has larger tires than the Forester (235/65R17 vs. 225/60R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tucson Hybrid SEL/N Line/Limited has standard 19-inch wheels. The Forester’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tucson Hybrid’s wheelbase is 3.4 inches longer than on the Forester (108.5 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Tucson Hybrid is 2.2 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Forester.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited handles at .84 G’s, while the Forester Wilderness pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Forester Touring (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Tucson Hybrid Limited is quieter than the Forester Limited:

The Tucson Hybrid has .4 inches more front hip room, 1.9 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear hip room than the Forester.

The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Forester with its rear seat up (38.7 vs. 28.9 cubic feet). The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Forester with its rear seat folded (74.5 vs. 74.2 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 Forester doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Tucson Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Forester’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

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

The Tucson Hybrid’s front power windows 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 Forester’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s rear windows don’t close automatically.

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 Forester can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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

The Tucson Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Tucson Hybrid Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Forester doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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 Forester Wilderness/Limited/Touring.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid SEL/N Line/Limited has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Forester doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 Forester doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Hyundai Tucson outsold the Subaru Forester by 54% during 2022.