The Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson are both reliable SUV options. But one has to be better than the other. Let’s take a look at price, power, features, and more to determine which compact SUV is best. 

The Kia Sportage VS. The Hyundai Tucson 

The Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage are so similar that if they didn’t have different logos, they would be difficult to tell apart. 

These two SUVs that can both seat up to five passengers even cost about the same. They both start around $23k, but the Tucson is listed for about $400 cheaper. 

If you upgrade in trim, the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson both quickly raise in price over $30k. However, the highest trim option for the Tucson is around $31k, while the top of the line Kia Sportage is $33k. 

The Kia Sportage gets about 23 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, making it pretty fuel-efficient. 

The Hyundai Tucson also gets up to 23 mpg in the city, but only gets 28 mpg on the highway, giving the Sportage a slight advantage. 

Hyundai Tucson And Kia Sportage Performance 

The Hyundai Tucson has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder base engine that produces 161 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. 

You can upgrade to the 2.4-liter engine for 181 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque. This amount of power allows the Tucson to tow up to 1,000 lb. But the Tucson has a sluggish pickup and takes 9.7 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. 

The Kia Sportage has a 2.4-liter inline-four base engine with 181 horsepower and  175 lb-ft of torque. 

However, you can upgrade to the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine that produces 240 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. Good lord, we didn’t expect that at all. 

Also, the Kia Sportage can tow up to 1,653 lb and can go for 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds. So, the Sportage can tow more and has a faster pickup than the Tucson. 

Both options are available with an all-wheel-drive if you live in an area that’s prone to inclement weather. But the Kia Sportage offers dynamic driving modes to adjust to changing conditions automatically. 

Kia Sportage And Hyundai Tucson Features 

The Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson are similar in height, length, and width. One doesn’t offer more passenger space than the other. 

They both have around 31 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat and 61 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats folded down. However, the Sportage does have a removable storage tray under the cargo floor. 

Both SUVs also have the same turning radius, making them both very easy to park and maneuver around tight city spaces. 

The Sportage and Tucson both have pretty nifty tech features such as wireless charging, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and more. But the Sportage can connect to your smartphone for wireless ignition, climate control, locking, and more. 

Both of these SUVs seem similar in safety as well. But the Kia Sportage offers stability control and downhill brake control. 

So, the Kia Sportage is the clear winner here. It’s worth paying a little extra for the Sportage over the Tucson for more power, enhanced safety, and cooler tech features.