Toyota 4Runner vs Hyundai Tucson Hybrid

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid arrived with a bold new design, featuring sharp, angular cues across its fascia and sides. It was longer and wider than its predecessor, making it unmistakable from the 2021 model. The Tucson's grille, seamlessly blending with the LED headlights and running lights, gave it a dramatic, futuristic look, especially in the top-tier Limited trim with its dark chrome finish. The interior was spacious and airy, with heated front seats, cloth upholstery, and an eight-way power driver seat standard on the Blue trim. The SEL Convenience trim added a 10.25-inch digital driver information display, wireless device charging, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, while the Limited trim offered 64-color ambient lighting, ventilated front seats, and a memory function for the driver’s seat.

In contrast, the 2023 Toyota 4Runner 40th Anniversary Special Edition (40 ASE) was based on the SR5 Premium trim and featured retro body stripes, a heritage grille design, and bronze 17-inch wheels. The 4Runner had a rugged, truck-based SUV look with a strong SoCal vibe, enhanced by its bronze exterior and interior badges. The interior was purposeful, with plenty of plastic but solid and quality materials. The controls were easy to locate and use, even with gloves on. The 4Runner's seats were comfortable, and the second-row offered good legroom and headroom. However, the optional third-row seat was cramped and took up valuable cargo space.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid impressed with its 1.6-liter turbo-four engine paired with an electric motor, delivering a combined 226 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. The all-wheel-drive system and six-speed automatic transmission provided responsive and direct steering. The suspension was outstanding, soaking up road imperfections while keeping the vehicle balanced through corners. The Tucson Hybrid achieved an EPA rating of 37 mpg city, 36 highway, and 37 combined, with the Blue trim level rated at 38 mpg across the board. During testing, it averaged 36.5 mpg. A plug-in hybrid version with a 13.8 kWh battery and an EPA rating of 80 MPGe was expected to offer 33 miles of all-electric range.

The 2023 Toyota 4Runner, powered by a 4.0-liter V6 engine, produced 270 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque. It had a five-speed automatic transmission and a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. The 4Runner offered two 4WD systems: a part-time system and a full-time system available on the Limited trim. The EPA rated the 4Runner at 17 mpg combined, and during testing, it averaged 16.9 mpg. The 4Runner excelled off-road with features like Hill-Start Assist Control, Downhill Assist Control, and Active Traction Control. It also offered off-roading technologies like locking differentials, Crawl Control, and Multi-Terrain Select. However, its on-road performance was less impressive, with leisurely acceleration, heavy and slow steering, and a brake pedal that lacked finesse.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid offered impressive cargo space, with 38.8 cubic feet in the trunk and 74.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. It provided over 41 inches of front and rear legroom, and the rear seats reclined for added comfort. The cargo floor had a dual-level system, and the doors featured angled bottle holders. The center console had two cupholders, and the rear seat had a fold-down center armrest with additional cupholders. The Limited trim's ambient lighting added a touch of flair to the cabin.

The 2023 Toyota 4Runner's standout feature was its power-down rear window, providing an immersive driving experience when combined with the sunroof and automatic windows. The 4Runner's seats were comfortable, with the 40 ASE trim featuring SofTex artificial leather and heated front cushions. The second-row seating area was roomy, with good legroom, headroom, air conditioning vents, and USB charging ports. The optional third-row seat was cramped and took up cargo space. The cargo area offered 46.3 cubic feet of space behind the second-row seat and up to 89.7 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The tailgate bumper doubled as a seat, and the cargo area had several storage cubbies and a 120-volt AC power outlet.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen in the Limited trim, but Android Auto and Apple CarPlay only utilized about 8 inches of the screen and required a wired connection. The Blue and SEL Convenience trims offered wireless connectivity with an 8-inch screen. The touch-capacitive buttons for the infotainment and HVAC controls were frustrating to use, but the steering-wheel controls helped mitigate this issue. The Tucson provided plenty of USB ports, including two for rear-seat passengers, and the Limited trim had a Bose premium stereo.

The 2023 Toyota 4Runner had traditional analog gauges with a narrow digital driver information center and an 8-inch touchscreen. The infotainment system included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. The 4Runner could also be transformed into a Wi-Fi hotspot. Upgrades included a navigation system, additional connected services, and a JBL premium sound system. The voice recognition system performed well, handling most commands accurately and quickly.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid came standard with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic alert, driver-attention monitor, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, safe-exit warning, and rear occupant alert. The Limited trim added a surround-view monitor, highway-driving assist with adaptive cruise control, blind-spot view monitor, and remote smart park assist. The Tucson received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The 2023 Toyota 4Runner included forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, automatic high-beam headlights, and a rear-seat reminder system as standard. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard on all trims. The adaptive cruise control performed well, but the lane-departure warning could be irritating. The 4Runner received a four-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with three-star ratings for front passenger protection and rollover resistance. The IIHS gave it a Marginal rating for driver protection in the small overlap frontal-impact test.