2023 Hyundai Tucson Black

The Hyundai Tucson is an affordable compact SUV that’s roomy, stylish, and high-tech, plus it earns excellent safety scores. Pricing starts at $26,450.

You have tons of options when shopping for a compact SUV. Many big-name players in this class tend to blend together in traffic, but one that can’t be accused of dull styling is the Hyundai Tucson. The Tucson not only benefits from stand-out aesthetics, but it’s practical thanks to its spacious interior, lengthy warranty, and affordable price tag. It also has advanced tech features and nice variety in its model range with the rugged XRT model, the sporty N-Line trim, and the premium Limited model. The Hyundai Tucson competes directly with the likes of the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Chevrolet Equinox.

Reviewed separately, the 2023 Tucson lineup also includes extra-efficient hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions.

2023 Hyundai Tucson Pricing

Pricing for the 2023 Hyundai Tucson starts at $26,450 for the SE trim, $28,050 for the SEL model, $33,275 for the rugged XRT trim, $33,325 for the sporty N Line model, and $35,710 for the premium Limited trim. AWD is a $1,500 option on every trim.

A $1,295 destination fee applies to all Tucson models.

The Tucson is on the more affordable side of the compact SUV class. It’s priced similarly to the Kia Sportage and Subaru Forester. Some big-name rivals in this class, like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Nissan Rogue, feature slightly higher starting prices than the Tucson.

Driving the 2023 Hyundai Tucson

The same 4-cylinder engine powers every non-hybrid variant of the Hyundai Tucson. This engine won’t win many drag races, but it strikes the right balance of performance and efficiency that most drivers in the market for a compact SUV are looking for. It has no trouble getting up to speed on the highway and is pretty good on gas.

The chassis of the Tucson delivers a smooth and comfortable ride while being pretty agile in the corners. The ride quality of this Hyundai is better than you might expect from an SUV at this price point. It has a serene cabin with little road and wind noise, even on the highway.

Interior Comfort

A stylish interior design welcomes the driver and passengers into the airy cabin of the Hyundai Tucson. This 5-seat SUV has plenty of room in both rows of seats, and you’re unlikely to hear complaints from your rear-seat passengers.

Some nice standard interior features include an 8-inch infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 60/40 split folding back seats, steering wheel audio and cruise control, and cloth upholstery. Going into the upper trims brings upgrades like leather seating, a 10.25-inch infotainment system with navigation, wireless charging, and a digital gauge cluster.

Cargo space is above average for this class. It has 38.7 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, and folding those seats down yields a maximum cargo capacity of 74.8 cubic feet.

Exterior Styling

The stylish Hyundai Tucson speaks a design language Hyundai calls “Sensuous Sportiness.” Whatever you want to call it, this is a sharp-looking SUV that stands out in traffic. A unique light signature and dramatic body lines give this practical SUV an exotic aesthetic.

The look of the Tucson changes a bit depending on the trim. For example, the N-Line trim has a sporty appearance package with a unique front fascia, twin-tip exhaust, N-Line rear spoiler, and gloss black trim. The XRT model doesn’t add any mechanical upgrades, but it gives the Tucson a more rugged look with exclusive exterior cladding, underside covers, and roof cross bars.

The size of the Hyundai Tucson is about average for a compact SUV. Its dimensions are similar to the Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota RAV4, and Honda CR-V.

Favorite Features

1. “Sensuous Sportiness” design
The Hyundai Tucson uses a design language that Hyundai calls “Sensuous Sportiness.” Most SUVs in this class tend to blend together, but the dramatic styling of the Tucson makes it stand out from the crowd.

2. Hyundai SmartSense technology
The Tucson comes generously equipped with standard driver assistance features. Standard SmartSense features on every Tucson include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver attention warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beams, and more.

3. Feature-rich infotainment systems
The standard infotainment system is an 8-inch screen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The XRT trim and up use a 10.25-inch screen with navigation, but it requires a USB connection to use smartphone connectivity features.

4. Hyundai Digital Key
The optional Hyundai Digital Key allows you to use your Android smartphone as a key for your SUV. The app also remembers the driver’s seat, mirror, and navigation settings, and you can share it with other Android devices. This feature comes on all but the base SE trim.

5. Remote Smart Parking Assist
The Tucson can pull in and out of tight parking spots with the push of a button on your Smart Key. This option is exclusive to the Limited trim.

6. Highway Driving Assist
This semi-autonomous driving system on the Limited trim uses features like adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and GPS data to make highway driving safer and more relaxed.

Engine & Transmission

A 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine powers the Hyundai Tucson. It delivers more than adequate performance for the daily commute, and it returns respectable fuel economy.

The Tucson employs an 8-speed automatic transmission that delivers quick and smooth shifts. Like most of its rivals, front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is optional.

2.5-liter 4-cylinder
187 horsepower @ 6,100 rpm
182 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 26/33 mpg (FWD), 23/28 mpg (AWD)

KBB Vehicle Review and Rating Methodology

Our Expert Ratings come from hours of both driving and number crunching to make sure that you choose the best car for you. We comprehensively experience and analyze every new SUV, car, truck, or minivan for sale in the U.S. and compare it to its competitors. When all that dust settles, we have our ratings.

We require new ratings every time an all-new vehicle or a new generation of an existing vehicle comes out. Additionally, we reassess those ratings when a new-generation vehicle receives a mid-cycle refresh — basically, sprucing up a car in the middle of its product cycle (typically, around the 2-3 years mark) with a minor facelift, often with updates to features and technology.

Rather than pulling random numbers out of the air or off some meaningless checklist, KBB’s editors rank a vehicle to where it belongs in its class. Before any car earns its KBB rating, it must prove itself to be better (or worse) than the other cars it’s competing against as it tries to get you to spend your money buying or leasing.

Our editors drive and live with a given vehicle. We ask all the right questions about the interior, the exterior, the engine and powertrain, the ride and handling, the features, the comfort, and of course, about the price. Does it serve the purpose for which it was built? (Whether that purpose is commuting efficiently to and from work in the city, keeping your family safe, making you feel like you’ve made it to the top — or that you’re on your way — or making you feel like you’ve finally found just the right partner for your lifestyle.)

We take each vehicle we test through the mundane — parking, lane-changing, backing up, cargo space and loading — as well as the essential — acceleration, braking, handling, interior quiet and comfort, build quality, materials quality, reliability.

More About How We Rate Vehicles

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