The 2023 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid has always been a favorite visitor to the office. Its futuristic styling and its fuel-sipping 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid motor make it a commendable companion on long road trips. However, the 2023 Tucson is not the only contender in the hybrid SUV wars and is facing a growing pool of rivals. One of them is the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, which aims to bring electrification technology to this popular nameplate. But which one is the right fit for your family budget?
A Tale of Contrasting Personalities
The Tucson and the RAV4 have gone a bit since their last major refresh, but they still have distinctly different personalities when viewed side by side. The Hyundai Tucson’s styling has a flowing theme, and the 2023 model carries over largely unchanged, which will please buyers who want to have a degree of familiarity in their CUV purchase. Meanwhile, the Toyota RAV4 attempts to emulate the rugged look that defines its larger corporate running mates, and like the Hyundai, The RAV4 carries over into 2023 mostly unchanged. A prominent exception, however, is the new Woodlands Edition, which adds bronze accents, a TRD suspension kit, all-weather floormats, and black accents to try and project a more adventure-ready image.
The interiors of both SUVs also carry over mostly unchanged, but it’s in the fine details where differences between the two emerge. The Hyundai, for example, gets a bigger 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system standard versus the 8.0-inch unit in the RAV4. However, the script flips when you look at their optional systems, with the RAV4’s 10.5-inch unit being slightly bigger than the Hyundai’s optional 10.3-inch unit. Both of these systems come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but the Hyundai’s screen can only support wired phone connections for now and can’t go wireless like the Toyota’s can. The seats in these two SUVs are roomy and offer good amounts of space, but the RAV4’s firmer chairs and the SofTex leatherette can’t match the Tucson’s seats, which have better cushioning and back support.
Performance between the Hyundai and the Toyota is virtually identical, with the RAV4’s hybrid equipped 2.5-liter making a combined 225-hp while the Tucson makes 226-hp (a one-hp difference.) All-wheel drive is standard on both models, but the Hyundai uses a six-speed automatic while the RAV4 Hybrid gets a CVT automatic.
How Do They Measure Up In The Finance Department?
SUVs are a red-hot vehicle segment, and that’s reflected in the number of lease plans and payment figures that buyers can expect to see when shopping for one. In the case of the Toyota and the Hyundai, the figures buyers will see reflect this increased demand. For this test we compared the data on a 36-month lease period with 12,000 miles annually and $2000 cash down to see how the two would measure up.
The RAV4 Hybrid buyer looking to build a lease payment for their SUV can expect to see an average lease payment of $512 a month with $3,162 due at signing. While the 36-month timeframe will undoubtedly be the brand and butter plan for many buyers, Toyota is willing to let buyers go as long as 60 months, but payments and other figures will vary if you choose to do that. Meanwhile, Hyundai’s payment calculator was down due to Hyundai “preparing new offers.” As a result, we had to do some digging to get a rough estimate for the Tucson, and our research revealed that Tucson Hybrid buyers would have to pay $376 a month for the same lease time period and the same payment parameters. However, Hyundai stands out by only offering a maximum time frame of 48 months for a lease plan and has no plans to enact a 60-month plan at the time of this writing.
If we were buying one for ourselves, we would actually go with the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid versus the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. The Hyundai is cheaper in payments than its key rival, and we like the fact that the Tucson goes for a sportier motif thanks to its turbocharged 1.6-liter gas engine and six-speed automatic, with the latter being better than the Toyota’s rubber-band like CVT.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.