Volkswagen Tiguan vs Hyundai Tucson
Figures updated
The Volkswagen Tiguan and Hyundai Tucson are two of the UK's most popular family SUVs. We compare the Mk3 (2024–) Tiguan and the Mk4 (2020–) Tucson on price, size, boot space, performance, safety and running costs, plus how reliable each has been across 366,965 real MOT tests.
The short answer
Pick the Volkswagen Tiguan for the bigger boot and the better MOT record, or the Hyundai Tucson for the lower price.
- The Hyundai Tucson is the cheapest to buy new: from £30,985, £8,395 less than the Volkswagen Tiguan.
- The Volkswagen Tiguan has the biggest boot: 652 litres, 32 more than the Hyundai Tucson.
- The Volkswagen Tiguan has the better MOT record. Like for like on age and mileage, the Hyundai Tucson fails its MOT about 26% more often.
- Running costs are close: the petrol versions cost within £19 a year of each other to fuel at 7,500 miles a year.
- Watch the brakes on a Hyundai Tucson: it fails on them 1.7 times as often as the average car.
| Figure | Volkswagen TiguanMk3 (2024–), 5-door SUV | Hyundai TucsonMk4 (2020–), 5-door SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Price and practicality | ||
| Price newUK list prices, across the range | £39,380 to £49,885October 2026 price list | £30,985 to £46,305June 2026 price list (best) |
| Body | 5-door SUV | 5-door SUV |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| BootSeats up / folded | 652 litres / 1,650 (best) | 620 litres / 1,799 |
| Length | 4,539mm | 4,535mm |
| WidthWithout mirrors | 1,842mm | 1,865mm |
| Height | 1,658mm | 1,650mm |
| Performance | ||
| Power | 130–272 PS | 150–288 PS (best) |
| 0–62mph | up to 10.2 sec | 7.5–9.5 sec |
| Safety | ||
| Euro NCAP ratingTests get tougher each year | ★★★★★ (2024) | ★★★★★ (2021) |
| Economy and emissions | ||
| Fuel types | Diesel, Hybrid, Petrol, Plug-in hybrid | Hybrid, Petrol, Plug-in hybrid |
| Official economyVersions of this generation | 32.8–52.3 mpg | 40.4–49.6 mpg |
| CO2 | 9–195 g/km | 22–158 g/km |
| Running costs at 7,500 miles a year | ||
| Petrol or hybrid171.7p a litre, today's UK average | £1,346 (43.5 mpg) | £1,327 (44.1 mpg) |
| Diesel198.4p a litre | £1,293 (52.3 mpg) | – |
| Cheapest version to fuelWhichever fuel costs least | £1,293 (diesel) | £1,327 (petrol) |
| Car tax a yearCars registered from April 2017 | £200£640 in years 2–6 for versions listed over £40,000 | £200£640 in years 2–6 for versions listed over £40,000 |
| Reliability from real MOT tests | ||
| Reliability score | 131Well above average (best) | 104Above average |
| Failed MOT first time (ages 3–20) | 18.2% | 18.2% |
| Failed at 3 years old | 11.0% (best) | 13.3% |
| Failed at 5 years old | 12.6% (best) | 15.4% |
| Failed at 10 years old | 26.6% | – |
| Most common MOT fault | Tread depth (2.6% of tests) | Brake pads (3.2% of tests) |
| Fails more than average on | Nothing stands out | Brakes (1.7×) |
| MOT tests analysed | 232,516 | 134,449 |
| About the cars | ||
| Type | Family SUV | Family SUV |
| Owners' average miles a year | 9,200 | 8,500 |
| On sale | 2024 on | 2020 on |
Green marks the better figure where the difference is more than 3%. Reliability figures cover every version of each model tested in the year. Running costs use the typical official economy of recent versions (WLTP where available); real-world economy is usually a little worse for every car.
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
›Is the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Hyundai Tucson more reliable?
The Volkswagen Tiguan. Like for like on age and mileage, the Hyundai Tucson fails its MOT about 26% more often (reliability scores 131 and 104, where 100 is average). 18.2% of Volkswagen Tiguans and 18.2% of Hyundai Tucsons failed first time in 2024.
›Which is bigger, the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Hyundai Tucson?
They're almost the same length (4,539mm and 4,535mm). The Volkswagen Tiguan has the bigger boot: 652 litres against 620.
›Which is cheaper to buy, the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Hyundai Tucson?
The Hyundai Tucson: new prices start at £30,985, £8,395 less than the Volkswagen Tiguan (from £39,380). These are manufacturer list prices; dealers and brokers often sell for less.
›Which is cheaper to run, the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Hyundai Tucson?
Comparing petrol versions, fuel costs are within £19 a year of each other at 7,500 miles, using typical official economy and current UK average fuel prices.
›Which is safer, the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Hyundai Tucson?
Euro NCAP gave the Volkswagen Tiguan 5 stars (2024) and the Hyundai Tucson 5 stars (2021). Euro NCAP makes its tests tougher every few years, so ratings from different years aren't directly comparable.
›Should I buy the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Hyundai Tucson?
Pick the Volkswagen Tiguan for the bigger boot and the better MOT record, or the Hyundai Tucson for the lower price. The comparison above sets out price, space, performance, safety, running costs and reliability side by side.
Sources: manufacturers' UK specifications and price lists and Euro NCAP (listed on each model's page); DVSA anonymised MOT tests 2024 (Open Government Licence v3.0); Vehicle Certification Agency car fuel data, © Crown copyright, VCA cannot accept liability for its accuracy; fuel prices from the GOV.UK Fuel Finder scheme. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture.