2020 Subaru Forester vs 2020 Hyundai Tucson
February 21 2020,
Subaru was among the first car makers to explore the potential of utility in cars. This vision not only gave them the foresight to create the extremely popular Outback but to launch the Forester, one of the first compact SUVs. Over time, all other carmakers have joined in and helped spawn the fastest growing most important segment in the country.
One of the manufacturers to join in early enough was Hyundai with its Tucson. To this day it remains quite popular and is the reason why we will measure the 2020 Subaru Forester to the 2020 Hyundai Tucson.
For the vast majority of Canadian consumers, an SUV equals all-season mobility and AWD. This is why Subaru includes its symmetrical AWD system as standard on all Forester trims. Other makes like Hyundai and its Tucson offer it only as an option in an effort to keep starting prices lower. With the option selected, the price gaps shrinks dramatically demonstrating the value in Subaru’s products.
The 2020 Forester’s horizontally-opposed 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine delivers 182-horsepower and 176 lb.-ft. of torque. The 2020 Tucson’s 2.0-litre 4-cylinder provides 161-horsepower and 150 lb.-ft. of torque. Normally, one could expect a smaller engine to consume less fuel but this is not the case. The 2020 Subaru Forester, at 9.0L/7.2L/100km (city/highway) with AWD and continuously variable transmission-equipped is far more efficient than the Tucson at 10.8L/9.2L/100km and its 6-speed automatic transmission. With the more powerful and expensive 181-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, the Hyundai downs 11L/9.1L/100km.
On the utility front, the Forester and Tucson deliver the goods. With the second row in place, the Forester provides 881 liters of usable volume, while the Tucson offers 877 liters. When maximum cargo capacity is needed, the Subaru holds an impressive 2,155 liters compared to 1,754 liters in the Hyundai.
Technology-wise, Subaru and Hyundai include a good-sized touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality as standard. However, a larger 8-inch display is available half-way through trims in the Subaru compared to being limited to the top model only in the Hyundai.
Subaru and its Forester provide value and performance from the onset – these are not options, nor is safety. Hands down, Subaru vehicles are the best-equipped to handle Canada, Canadian needs and our climate.
