Compare the2026 Hyundai TucsonVS 2026 Lexus NX

Both the Tucson and the NX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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

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 Hyundai Tucson is safer than the Lexus NX:

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Hyundai Tucson is safer than the NX:

The Tucson comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The NX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Tucson 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the NX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the NX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The Tucson’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the NX’s (7 vs. 6 years).

There are almost 4 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Tucson’s warranty.

On the EPA test cycle the Tucson AWD gets better fuel mileage than the NX 350 running its gasoline engine (24 city/30 hwy vs. 21 city/28 hwy).

Both the Tucson and the NX have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Tucsons have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The NX 350h/450h+ doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Tucson uses regular unleaded gasoline. The NX 350 AWD requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Tucson stops much shorter than the NX:

The Tucson has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the NX; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Tucson’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The NX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tucson’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the NX (108.5 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Tucson XRT AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the NX 450h+ Premium AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Tucson Limited AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the NX 450h+ Premium AWD (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Tucson has a greater minimum ground clearance than the NX 350 F Sport Handling AWD (8.3 vs. 7.7 inches), allowing the Tucson to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Tucson’s minimum ground clearance is .2 inch higher than on the NX (8.3 vs. 8.1 inches).

The Hyundai Tucson may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 700 pounds less than the Lexus NX.

The design of the Hyundai Tucson amounts to more than styling. The Tucson has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is lower than the NX (.34 to .35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Tucson get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Tucson uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The NX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Tucson has 1.8 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, 5.2 inches more rear legroom, 1.4 inches more rear hip room and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the NX.

The Tucson has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the NX with its rear seat up (38.7 vs. 22.7 cubic feet). The Tucson has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the NX with its rear seat folded (74.8 vs. 46.9 cubic feet).

The Tucson’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the NX’s (2750 vs. 0 pounds).

The Tucson has a higher standard payload capacity than the NX (1288 vs. 1125 lbs.).

The Tucson has a higher maximum payload capacity than the NX (1289 vs. 1205 lbs.).

The power windows standard on both the Tucson and the NX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Tucson is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The NX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Consumer Reports rated the Tucson’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the NX’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Hyundai Tucson outsold the Lexus NX by over three to one during 2025.