Compare the2024 Subaru ForesterVS 2024 Hyundai Tucson

The Subaru Forester has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Tucson doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Forester has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Tucson doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Forester. But it costs extra on the Tucson.

Both the Forester and the Tucson 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, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Forester is safer than the Hyundai Tucson:

	Forester	Tucson
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	186	364
Neck Injury Risk	23%	24%
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	293	325
Neck Injury Risk	31%	35%

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Forester is safer than the Hyundai Tucson:

	Forester	Tucson
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	66	71
Chest Movement	.6 inches	1 inches
Abdominal Force	122 lbs.	223 lbs.
Hip Force	389 lbs.	440 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	56 G’s	59 G’s
Hip Force	670 lbs.	751 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	121	332
Spine Acceleration	40 G’s	46 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Forester the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 54 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Tucson has not been fully tested, yet.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Forester’s reliability 26 points higher than the Tucson.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Forester third among compact suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Tucson isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 6 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.

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

	Forester	Tucson
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	9.3 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	14.1 sec	15.5 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	4.1 sec	5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	17 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	86.2 MPH	83.6 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Tucson doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

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

			MPG
Forester
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
		Wilderness 2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/28 hwy
Tucson
	FWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy

The Forester has 2.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tucson (16.6 vs. 14.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Forester has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Tucson doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Forester stops shorter than the Tucson:

	Forester	Tucson
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	118 feet	Motor Trend

The Forester’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Tucson’s standard 65 series tires.

The Forester Wilderness has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Tucson; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better maneuverability, the Forester’s turning circle is 3.2 feet tighter than the Tucson’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.6 feet).

The Forester has 3.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Tucson (111.6 vs. 108.2).

The Forester has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 1.9 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tucson.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Forester. The Tucson doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Maximum trailer towing in the Hyundai Tucson is limited to 2000 pounds. The Forester offers up to a 3000 lbs. towing capacity.

The engine in the Forester is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Tucson. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Forester’s standard driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The Tucson’s standard driver’s power window switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s exterior PIN entry system. The Tucson doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Blue Link can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Forester has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Tucson doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the Forester Touring is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Tucson’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Forester’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Tucson offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Forester and the Tucson offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Forester has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Tucson doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Forester as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its June 2023 issue and they ranked the Subaru Forester Touring two places higher than the Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD.