So far this year, I’ve been driving hybrid cars and PHEVs mainly to get a better feel for what they have to offer over EVs.
The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, which features a modest $33,365 base price for the entry-level trim and a 38 mpg fuel economy, seems like another worthy candidate as a family vehicle. For being an SUV, it’s definitely efficient given its larger size and payload capacity.
Specifically, I’ve been driving the 2025 Hyundai Tucson in the Limited trim. The fuel economy drops slightly to 35 mpg, but its price balloons to a staggering $41,195 cost. That’s a bit much for what I’d be confident in paying for any vehicle, but it does come with extra features that you'll typically find in premium EVs well over the $50k range.
These premium features do prove a point because as much as I don’t want to spend a fortune on my next car, they have an impact when it comes to safety and convenience — and they’re reasons why I think you should consider the Tucson.
2025 Hyundai Tucson Limited: Specifications
Engine | 1.6L turbocharged GDI 4-cylinder Hybrid engine |
Fuel Economy (mpg) | 35 city / 35 highway / 35 combined |
Fuel Tank Capacity | 13.7 gallons |
Horsepower | 231 hp |
Wheels | 19-inches |
MSRP | $41,195 |
2025 Hyundai Tucson Limited: Testing summary
In my week's worth of testing of the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, I drove a total of 210.9 miles that resulted in an average fuel economy of 32.4 mpg. That comes short of its 35 mpg combined rating, but considering that wintertime conditions adversely impacts the driving, I’m not too concerned
In fact, the Tucson came close to matching the 36.7 mpg and 36.2 mpg average I got with the Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid respectively — and they’re smaller vehicles than the Tucson.
If I were able to sustain its 32.4 mpg average, it would mean that the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Limited would have a range of 443 miles, which is an advantage over most EVs.
When it comes to highway driving, my first long distance test yielded an economy of 31.9 mpg driving 33.3 miles. However, my second long distance test with the return trip resulted in 31.5 mpg. Despite this, I was somehow able to get 47.6 mpg driving a short 5.8 miles with mostly clear roads.
There’s certainly an art to driving a hybrid car because braking does add back a little bit of charge to the battery, which at some point powers the drive with all-electric power until the charge is up. I know this because the real-time fuel economy increases whenever I see the EV logo pop up in the dashboard.
Total miles driven | 210.9 miles |
Average fuel economy | 32.4 mpg |
Best long distance fuel economy | 31.9 mpg |
Best short range fuel economy | 47.6 mpg |
2025 Hyundai Tucson Limited: What I Like
Excellent size
The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid closely reminds me of the Kia Sportage PHEV that I drove earlier this year because they’re classified as compact SUVs. Yet, I don’t find anything compact about the Tucson Hybrid because it’s quite spacious — including the rear seats that have enough leg room to comfortably fit adults.
In the driver’s seat, there’s ample room between myself and the steering wheel. I also like that it doesn’t feel intimidating to drive because of its size.
Surprisingly powerful engine performance
In my experience so far driving hybrids, they offer outstanding fuel economies, but they’re notoriously underpowered. Thankfully, that’s not the case here with the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Limited because of its 1.6L Inline 4-cylinder Turbo Hybrid Engine, which delivers a remarkable 231 hp performance.
This makes accelerating a breeze getting up to cruising speed, whereas other hybrids often struggle and stay longer at higher gears. When it’s running off the battery, the acceleration is even smoother with less gear shifting.
Decent economy for SUV
Even though EVs still offer better long term savings by charging them at home, hybrid vehicles like the Hyundai Tucson Limited will still save you money on fuel consumption because of how they’re much more efficient than all-gas powered vehicles.
The 32.4 mpg average I got driving it for a week might not look great, but I can’t stress enough how it’s still better than the 28 mpg combined rating that Hyundai has with the all-gas powered Tucson.
I asked Google Gemini to calculate the cost in gas over a period of 10 years driving 1,000 miles per month, and the difference comes out to about $2,328.
Blind spot monitors
One particularly helpful feature on the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Limited are the blind spot monitors. I’m surprised that this is available with a model like the Tucson because for the most part, I only see them in luxury vehicles like the Genesis GV60 and Kia EV9.
They provide additional safety while switching lanes because I can just look down into the cluster display to see the live feed of the blind spot, rather than twisting my body a bit to look for myself.
Additionally, I love the bird’s eye view that these cameras provide — which makes parking in between the lines a breeze.
Panoramic roof
Even though I’m unable to make more use out of it in the winter, the sprawling panoramic roof with the Hyundai Tucson Limited is a sight to behold because it provides an uninterrupted view of the sky above for your passengers.
It’s definitely bigger than what I typically see in compact SUVs, so much so that I’d say it’s on par in size to full-sized SUVs like the Lexus RZ 450e.
Stylish rims
I normally don’t call out the rims, but this one’s deserving because of their stylish cues. They remind me of rims on the Kia EV9 with their two-tone finish and angular spokes forming a star-like shape.
Affordable cost with base model
As I’ve mentioned already, the $42,000 cost of the Limited trim isn’t ideal for my budget, but the Tucson Hybrid in the Blue trim is much more appetizing at $33,365.
Sure, there are big tradeoffs, like no sunroof or a head up display, but its fuel economy rises to a slightly better 38 mpg — which is great given that there’s no change to the vehicle’s overall size, capacity and utility.
Other premium features
Again, I can’t believe the amount of features that Hyundai throws in with the Limited trim. Both the panoramic sunroof and blind spot monitors come standard with this trim, along with a head up display, larger 12.3-inch cluster display, heated steering wheel, auto-dimming rearview mirror, ambient lighting, fingerprint scanner, and a whole host of driving assistance features.
2025 Hyundai Tucson Limited: What I Don't Like
Design could be bolder
Okay, there’s only one thing I don’t like about the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Limited — its boring design. I know this can be subjective depending on who you ask, but it lacks the hard lines I see in other vehicles.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5, Subaru Solterra, and Acura ZDX Type S have much more attractive designs with their edgier looks. Needless to say, it’s a much more reserved look for the Tucson.
2025 Hyundai Tucson Limited: Bottom line
Family cars don’t have to be stripped of features because they’re trying to hit a lower cost. The 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Limited proves that with its robust features, while also proving to be an efficient model that won’t hit you as much in the wallet when it comes to fuel costs.
I think it’s an excellent family car that’s great for long trips, as well as the occasional pitstops around town. For its price, I’m most surprised by the dizzying amount of premium features the Tucson carries.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
