Compact SUVs with two rows of seating, fuel-conscious engines, spacious cargo holds, and available all-wheel drive are the automotive bull’s-eye of family-friendly vehicles. Sure, there are still minivans, wagons, and midsize sedans to vie for the affection of car shoppers. Yet compact SUVs such as the 2024 Honda CR-V and the 2024 Hyundai Tucson are hugely popular and compete in one of the most hotly contested segments.

The sixth-generation of the CR-V arrived in 2023, and it ushered in more active driver aids, extra interior volume, and upgraded onboard technology. Honda kept the same basic formula, however, and the CR-V recently added another Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award to its trophy cabinet.

Hyundai decided not to hold back with its reboot of the 2022 Tucson. Gone was the outgoing model’s forget-me styling, and in came an edgy shape with a bold front end dominated by a large grille with hidden headlights. Similar to the CR-V, the Tucson got more standard and available content while keeping its price well within reach of mere mortals.

Let’s explore key highlights of the Honda CR-V and Hyundai Tucson.

2024 Honda CR-V

The CR-V has a starting price of $29,500, excluding destination fee. There are three trims: LX, EX, and EX-L. Let’s not forget there is also the CR-V Hybrid, a model we review separately.

Getting the CR-V down the road is a turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Adding all-wheel drive to any trim costs an additional $1,500. Fuel economy in front-wheel-drive format is an EPA-rated 30 mpg combined.

Ample low-end torque gets the CR-V away swiftly from a standstill, and the suspension copes nicely with potholes and other road imperfections. Steering feel and braking effort are all similarly well-engineered.

Honda CR-V Highlights 

Compact SUV finishing school: Honda was one of the first automakers to take a stab at the emerging small SUV market when the CR-V first arrived in the late-1990s. This experience shows in how well the 2024 CR-V gets down the road. It’s comfortable, quiet, and agile. The Tucson has fine driving matters, but the CR-V’s are better.

HondaSensing and safety scores: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the CR-V its top accolade, a Top Safety Pick+ rating. This ranking is related both to a vehicle’s performance in crash tests, along with the efficacy of driver aids like automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. As for HondaSensing, it’s an extensive bundle of active driver safety aids that comes standard on every CR-V.

Hill descent control: Do we think many CR-V shoppers are worried about tackling wild off-road trails and scrambling down steep descents? Probably not. It’s still nice to see Honda fit every CR-V (front- or all-wheel drive) with hill descent control. Think of this as a low-speed cruise control. It operates at speeds between 2-12 mph to keep the CR-V well controlled on steep and slippery descents. When activated, all the driver needs to do is steer, feet off any pedals, and let the system manage the CR-V’s speed.

Check this week’s?Fair Purchase Price?or see the CR-V models?for sale near you. 

2024 Hyundai Tucson 

The Hyundai Tucson enters the 2024 model year with a starting price of $27,250, a figure that undercuts the base CR-V by more than $2,000. In total, there are four trims: SE, SEL, XRT, and Limited. Front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive adds $1,500 for each.

While the funky front end might get all the attention, the Tucson has much more to offer. Motivating the Tucson is a 187-hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that works in conjunction with an 8-speed automatic transmission. While it’s within only 3 horsepower of its Honda rival, we’ve found the Tucson’s powertrain feels coarser and less energetic in city and highway driving. Similar to the CR-V, however, a hybrid model is also offered and reviewed separately. Additionally, the Tucson is also offered as a plug-in hybrid.

Hyundai Tucson  Highlights

Cutting the cord (kind of): Leave the cords at home because the Tucson comes standard with wireless smartphone connectivity. To get this in the CR-V means stepping up to the EX-L trim. One curious caveat, though: The Tucson’s two uppermost models – the XRT and Limited – have larger infotainment screens but revert back to wired connectivity.

Hyundai SmartSense, IIHS brownie points: Don’t look now, Honda, but the Tucson also earns an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating. We include this to underscore the point that the Tucson and CR-V are both savvy choices if safety is a top priority.

Tougher-looking XRT trim: A current trend among SUVs is to step away from the crossover approach and get back to sport-ute roots. In other words, a vehicle capable of traversing something more demanding than a grassy parking lot at an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch. With this in mind, the Tucson XRT trim comes with chunky black fender flares, roof rails, black-painted alloy wheels, and a tow hitch. It looks tougher, even if it’s a bit like putting a spiked collar on your pug.

Check this week’s?Fair Purchase Price?or see the Tucson models?for sale near you. 

Similarities

The CR-V and Tucson are within a few inches or cubic feet of each other in all important measurements, in everything from overall size and available rear legroom to the cargo capacity behind their split-folding rear seat backs. They also have great safety records and fuel-sipping 4-cylinder engines.

Conclusion

With the 2024 Hyundai Tucson, we appreciate its more budget-friendly pricing, standard touches like wireless smartphone connectivity, and exceptional warranty coverage. It has more dashing style compared to the more conservative approach of the CR-V. And the outdoorsy XRT trim is available for shoppers who want to look like they have a life outside of car-pool lanes and PTA meetings.

The 2024 Honda CR-V costs a bit more and fades a bit into the background, only because Honda sells so many of them each year (361,457 in 2023). There is a good reason for this: The 2024 CR-V is really, really good! Its degree of refinement and versatility make it an excellent pick.

Either of these compact SUVs are excellent choices, but we will end by noting the CR-V is our top-ranked compact SUV.