2026 Hyundai Tucson vs. 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross

Car Chomper says the Toyota Corolla Cross's $24,935 MSRP significantly undercuts the Hyundai Tucson's $29,200 by $4,265, though the Tucson offers considerably more utility at 187 hp versus 169 hp and a much larger cargo area at 38.7 cubic feet versus 24, while the Corolla Cross wins slightly on fuel economy at 32 mpg combined versus the Tucson's 28, naming the Corolla Cross better for commuters and value, and the Tucson better for families and enthusiasts. TrueCar confirms the Corolla Cross's $26,930 TSRP undercuts the Tucson's $31,350 MSRP by $4,420, and the Corolla Cross also wins on fuel economy at 31 city/33 highway mpg versus the Tucson's 25 city/33 highway.

Which to choose, and why

$4,265 cheaper, thriftier Corolla Cross; more power and cargo for the Tucson

Car Chomper (opens in a new tab) says the Toyota Corolla Cross's $24,935 MSRP significantly undercuts the Hyundai Tucson's $29,200 by $4,265, though the Tucson offers considerably more utility at 187 hp versus 169 hp and a much larger cargo area at 38.7 cubic feet versus 24, while the Corolla Cross wins slightly on fuel economy at 32 mpg combined versus the Tucson's 28, naming the Corolla Cross the pick for commuters and value, and the Tucson the pick for families and enthusiasts.

TrueCar confirms the price and mpg gap

TrueCar (opens in a new tab) confirms the Corolla Cross's $26,930 TSRP undercuts the Tucson's $31,350 MSRP by $4,420, and the Corolla Cross also wins on fuel economy at 31 city/33 highway mpg versus the Tucson's 25 city/33 highway.

Questions buyers ask

Which is cheaper, the Hyundai Tucson or Toyota Corolla Cross?

Car Chomper (opens in a new tab) says the Corolla Cross, by $4,265.

Which has more cargo space, the Hyundai Tucson or Toyota Corolla Cross?

Car Chomper (opens in a new tab) says the Tucson, at 38.7 cubic feet versus the Corolla Cross's 24.

Side-by-side matrix

The published fields that can change the decision.

Hyundai Tucson: 5 records · Toyota Corolla Cross: 3 records.

Decision field	Hyundai Tucson	Toyota Corolla Cross
Exact EPA records	5	3
Model / option labels	5	3
Drive layouts	All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive	All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive
Engines / propulsion	1.6L 4-cyl SIDI; Hybrid, 1.6L 4-cyl SIDI; PHEV, 2.5L 4-cyl SIDI & PFI	2L 4-cyl SIDI & PFI, 2L 4-cyl SIDI & PFI; Hybrid
Transmissions	Automatic (AM-S6), Automatic (S8)	Automatic (AV-S10), Automatic (AV-S6)
Fuel types	Regular, Regular Gas and Electricity	Regular
EPA classes	Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD	Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Combined efficiency	26–38 MPG/MPGe	30–42 MPG/MPGe
Electric range	32 miles	Not listed
Annual fuel / energy estimate	$1700–2500 per year	$1550–2150 per year

Head to head

Hyundai Tucson vs. Toyota Corolla Cross: size, power, capability and price.

Measure	Hyundai Tucson	Toyota Corolla Cross
Starting price (KBB base)	$31,050	$26,485
Top trim price (KBB base)	$42,525	$32,860
Horsepower	187 hp	169 hp
Torque	178 lb-ft	150 lb-ft
Curb weight	3,572-3,800 lb	3,285-3,325 lb
Length	182.3 in	175.6 in
Wheelbase	108.5 in	103.9 in
Cargo volume	80.3 cu ft	24.3 cu ft
Towing capacity	2,700 lb	1,500 lb
Seating	5 seats	5 seats
Basic warranty	5 years	3 years

Figures are ranges across each model’s trims from Kelley Blue Book records (2026 model year); prices are KBB base prices.

The Toyota Corolla Cross starts $4,565 lower: $26,485 against $31,050 before options and fees.
On peak horsepower, the Hyundai Tucson leads: 187 hp against 169 hp.
On peak torque, the Hyundai Tucson leads: 178 lb-ft against 150 lb-ft.
The Toyota Corolla Cross is lighter, comparing lightest trims: 3,285 lb against 3,572 lb.
On length, the Hyundai Tucson leads: 182.3 in against 175.6 in.
On wheelbase, the Hyundai Tucson leads: 108.5 in against 103.9 in.
On cargo volume, the Hyundai Tucson leads: 80.3 cu ft against 24.3 cu ft.
On maximum towing capacity, the Hyundai Tucson leads: 2,700 lb against 1,500 lb.
Both list the same seating capacity: 5 seats.
On basic warranty, the Hyundai Tucson leads: 5 years against 3 years.

Background on each vehicle

What public sources say about the Hyundai Tucson and the Toyota Corolla Cross.

2026 Hyundai Tucson

The Hyundai Tucson is a compact crossover SUV produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai. It is named after the city of Tucson, Arizona, U.S. The second-generation model was marketed as the Hyundai ix35 in several markets, including Europe, Australia and China, before reverting to Tucson for the third-generation.

Source: Hyundai Tucson (Wikipedia)

Safety. There are dual-stage frontal impact airbags, torso side-impact airbags built into the front seats, and curtain airbags for side-impact protection for front and rear passengers. The 2009 Hyundai Tucson was rated by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): Frontal Rating (Driver): Frontal Rating (Passenger): Side Rating (Driver): Side Rating (Passenger):

Powertrain. The Hyundai Tucson received accolades from Canadian Car of the Year Best New Crossover award for 2005. It was named as one of the most reliable vehicles from the 2009 Consumer Reports reliability survey.

NHTSA rated the 2025 Hyundai Tucson overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 5 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.

Recent recalls (12 campaigns across the latest model years)

June 2026, Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle… Consequence: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
May 2026, Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, and Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles. Software in the front cameras may cause the forward collision avoidance system to activate prematurely and unexpectedly apply the brakes. Consequence: Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash.
April 2026, Air Bags:Sensor:Side Impact. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Elantra N, 2026 Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), and Elantra vehicles. The B-pillar impact sensors may have been misassembled, which can delay air bag deployment. Consequence: Air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Owners filed 283 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Hyundai Tucson, most often about forward collision avoidance (148), electrical system (63), unknown or other (57).

2026 Toyota Corolla Cross

The Toyota Corolla Cross is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automaker Toyota since 2020. Adopting the Corolla nameplate, it is positioned as a more practical and larger alternative to the C-HR and is built on the same TNGA-C (GA-C) platform as the C-HR, Lexus UX and E210 series Corolla. By size, the Corolla Cross is positioned between the smaller C-HR and the larger RAV4 in Toyota's global crossover SUV lineup.

Safety: The US market Corolla Cross was awarded the "Top Safety Pick+" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2021. It received overall Good and Superior ratings on all categories except headlights, as only the XLE trim with Adaptive Front Lighting System received the Good rating while the other trims were rated Acceptable.
Awards: The Corolla Cross was the 2022 South African Car of the Year.

Source: Toyota Corolla Cross (Wikipedia)

Design. The Corolla Cross is the second Toyota crossover built on the GA-C platform, after the smaller C-HR which was launched in 2016. The vehicle shares the same 2,640 mm (103.9 in) wheelbase as the C-HR, but occupies a larger footprint prioritising on interior space and practicality.

Production. As of December 2024, the Corolla Cross is produced or assembled in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Brazil, the United States, Malaysia, China, South Africa and Pakistan.

NHTSA rated the 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 4 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.

Owners filed 19 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross, most often about unknown or other (5), power train (4), service brakes (4).

Open both dossiers

Resolve the exact engine, drive and EPA ID.

01 · 2026Hyundai Tucson5 configurations →02 · 2026Toyota Corolla Cross3 configurations →

Comparison answer desk

13 answers for this exact pairing.

Q01Which is more efficient: the 2026 Hyundai Tucson or the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross?

Efficiency

The 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross lists the higher combined-efficiency midpoint in this snapshot (36 vs. the 2026 Hyundai Tucson's 32 MPG/MPGe).