Stop Buying The Hyundai Tucson — This SUV Destroys It

8 minutes reading

Friday, 28 Aug 2026 17:00 0 6 autotech

You would probably think that the highest-selling vehicle segment by volume is a mid-size SUV because they’ve essentially replaced the minivan and are talked about often, but you’d be wrong. The most bought and sold car in the USA currently is the compact standard SUV segment. Think about it, they do everything you need for a reasonable price, you can get them with premium features, and they just do it all (except for maybe two).

The Hyundai Tucson Has A Lot Going for It — Here’s Where It Falls Short

Profile action shot of 2023 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid driving on road

Hyundai

Hyundai as a brand does a lot of good posturing for itself in the market. They know they’ve had some ups and downs with their powertrains, which is why they offer one of the best warranties in the business at 10 years or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first) to offer you peace of mind when it comes to maintenance. Speaking of the engine, the standard model is powered by a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine that produces 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque.

It Looks Good, But It Falls Short

2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid front 3/4 shot

The design of the exterior (especially the front facade) can sometimes be a deal-breaker for some prospective buyers, but there are some specs that give further pause. While these numbers are still impressive, there’s one that can do fuel economy better than the Tucson. The hybrid Hyundai Tucson can achieve a combined EPA rating of 38 MPG for the Blue SE model. The other trims can achieve 36 MPG combined.

For the gas-only variant, you’re looking at about 25 miles per gallon combined with front-wheel drive and 24 miles per gallon combined with all-wheel drive. Good, but still not the best. The Hybrid Limited also has an incredibly high cost to own, according to Kelley Blue Book, with an apparent $52,126 within the first five years. This includes maintenance, depreciation, and the like.

What About Reliability And Resale Value?

The resale value and reliability of a car aren’t talked about as much as they should be, because they are just as, if not more, important than the purchase decision itself. The Hyundai Tucson, according to iSeeCars, has a depreciation of about 44.9 percent within the first five years of ownership. Other hybrid compact standard SUVs only depreciate at 32 percent, while the standard version is right at the average line. The good news is that it does rank with a decent score for JD Power’s quality and reliability, with 83 out of 100 and an 81 overall.

The Honda CR-V Beats The Tucson On Fuel Economy And Long-Term Reliability

Front 3/4 shot of 2026 Honda CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid parked

While the Toyota RAV4 is still one of the highest selling compact SUVs in the country, number two takes the form of the Honda CR-V. This is one of the top dogs in this segment. It comes standard with a small, but mighty turbocharged 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine that outputs 190 horsepower. It has a starting MSRP of $30,920, which is slightly more than the Tucson’s but still incredibly reasonable.

Like most (if not all at this point) in this segment, it also comes with a more powerful and more fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain. It comes with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine connected to a two-motor hybrid system that comes in either front or all-wheel drive. This engine outputs a combined 204 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque.

One Of The Best Powertrains You Can Buy

Close-up shot of 2026 Honda CR-V engine bay

Because the Honda CR-V has a smaller engine not only for the gas-only version, but also the hybrid variant, it’s going to be able to deliver better fuel economy. The front-wheel drive can achieve 30 miles per gallon combined, while the all-wheel drive only knocks off one MPG.

The hybrid achieves an even more impressive 40 combined for the front-wheel drive and about 37 miles per gallon on the all-wheel drive. This is the sixth generation of the popular compact, which began with the 2023 model year and, according to RepairPal, earned a reliability score of 4.5 out of 5 with an average repair cost of around $407.

There’s No Way This Is A Compact

Profile shot of 2026 Honda CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid parked

Automakers have been very effective at maximizing space and cargo capacity across every model lately. The Honda CR-V has a cargo capacity max of 76.5 cubic feet of storage. The legroom sits at a fairly comfortable 41 inches total. The second row doors also open at a near 90-degree angle for easy access to car seats.

Comparing And Contrasting The Two

Rear 3/4 action shot of 2026 Honda CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid driving on road

We’ve done a lot of the comparison already, but there is still much that we could talk about in terms of these two compact standard SUVs. We still haven’t fully covered the powertrain differences, as well as the full pricing differences between the two models. Although competitors like the Toyota RAV4 have since introduced a Sport model, these two brands have yet to do the same for their venerated compact vehicles.

The CR-V’s Simpler Trim Structure Makes It Easier To Buy — And Cheaper To Own

Shot of 2026 Honda CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid interior showing cabin

The non-hybrid Honda CR-V has a starting MSRP of $30,920. There’s the LX, EX, and the EX-L. The EX-L is the most expensive at $35,400. Getting to the hybrid, as you can imagine, is more expensive and has different trims. They all have sport in the name, and it lines up as such: Sport, Sport L, TrailSport and Sport Touring.

These range from $35,630 to $42,550. The Hyundai, on the other hand, has a ton of trims: SEL, SEL Plus, XRT, SEL Premium and the Limited. The Hybrid has the SE FWD, SEL FWD, Blue SE AWD, SEL Convenience AWD, SEL PHEV AWD, Limited AWD, Night AWD, Limited PHEV AWD. To make a long story short, the Tucson, combined with the hybrid, starts at $31,300 for the base gas engine and climbs all the way up to $48,900 for the top-trim PHEV.

Rear 3/4 shot of 2026 Honda CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid parked off-road

The Hybrid Tucson has considerably more power, with 231 horsepower compared to the Honda CR-V’s 204 horsepower. The Tucson can tow an impressive 2,750 pounds while the Honda can only tow a maximum of 1,000 pounds (1,500 pounds for non-hybrid trims).

Which One To Keep For The Long Haul

Honda has recently had some issues with its fuel pumps and related recalls, but these should have been fixed by now. Hyundai, on the other hand, has been dealing with substantial recalls related to the emergency braking system and issues with the digital dashboard glitching. There are plenty of examples of the 2026 Honda CR-V lasting for close to or right at 300,000 miles with proper maintenance and care. The Hyundai Tucson’s lifespan is slightly less, around 200,000 to 250,000 miles, but RepairPal does rate it 4.0 out of 5.0 for reliability.

The Hyundai Tucson won the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award for the past five model year. Surprisingly, the Honda did not win any awards and did poorly in the moderate overlap test. JD Power gave the Honda CR-V a solid score of 83 out of 100 for quality and reliability, and for the vehicle overall. The Hyundai Tucson actually received the same quality and reliability score but scored a little bit lower, with 81 out of 100 for the overall experience of ownership.

2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring AWD

What that tells us is that the Honda, even though it is less powerful, is going to deliver a better driving experience. Meanwhile, the Hyundai Tucson is going to offer a little more safety and security and a faster straightaway, but with lower fuel economy. The Honda is a little less aggressive in its overall design language, but the Hyundai offers a tad more refinement, especially in the Limited models.