Compare the2024 Hyundai Tucson HybridVS 2024 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid

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 Rav4 Hybrid 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 Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

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 Rav4 Hybrid’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. Toyota charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Rav4 Hybrid.

Both the Tucson Hybrid and the Rav4 Hybrid 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, rearview cameras, 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 Rav4 Hybrid:

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 Rav4 Hybrid 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 Rav4 Hybrid’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 Toyota covers the Rav4 Hybrid. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Rav4 Hybrid ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Tucson Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Rav4 Hybrid’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tucson Hybrid for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Rav4 Hybrid (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai above average in initial quality. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota 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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fifth.

The Tucson Hybrid’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 7 more horsepower (226 vs. 219) than the Rav4 Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is faster than the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Tucson Hybrid Blue gets better fuel mileage than the Rav4 Hybrid Woodland (38 city/38 hwy vs. 38 city/35 hwy).

For better stopping power the Tucson Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Rav4 Hybrid:

The Tucson Hybrid stops much shorter than the Rav4 Hybrid:

For better traction, the Tucson Hybrid has larger tires than the Rav4 Hybrid (235/65R17 vs. 225/65R17).

The Tucson Hybrid SEL/N Line/Limited’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Rav4 Hybrid’s optional 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tucson Hybrid SEL/N Line/Limited has standard 19-inch wheels. The Rav4 Hybrid’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Tucson Hybrid has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Rav4 Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tucson Hybrid’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the Rav4 Hybrid (108.5 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Tucson Hybrid Limited handles at .84 G’s, while the Rav4 Hybrid Woodland Edition 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 seconds quicker than the Rav4 Hybrid XSE (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Tucson Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Rav4 Hybrid (8.3 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Tucson Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Tucson Hybrid has 9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rav4 Hybrid (107.9 vs. 98.9).

The Tucson Hybrid has .6 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, 3.5 inches more rear legroom and 6.2 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4 Hybrid.

The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Rav4 Hybrid with its rear seat up (38.7 vs. 37.6 cubic feet). The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Rav4 Hybrid with its rear seat folded (74.5 vs. 69.8 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Tucson Hybrid’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Tucson Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Rav4 Hybrid’s (2000 vs. 1750 pounds).

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 Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 Rav4 Hybrid’s power window (except driver window), power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Tucson Hybrid’s standard variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Rav4 Hybrid LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

The Tucson Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Toyota charges extra for heated mirrors on the Rav4 Hybrid.

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 Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.