We’re suckers for conveniences. Our kitchens are cramped with enough gadgets as proof.
Two pint-size crossovers, the 2020 Hyundai Tucson and 2020 Ford Ecosport, promise efficiency and practicality at a relatively low price—the one-pot pressure/sauté/rice/slow cookers of the car world.
Our TCC Rating indicates a clear winner: The 2020 Hyundai Tucson earns a 6.5 TCC Rating compared to the 2020 Ford Ecosport’s 4.0 TCC Rating.
It’s a decisive victory for the Hyundai, if not a landslide. The question may come down to price, however, and the Tucson may be short on answers on paper. The Ecosport starts at $ 2,000 less than the Tucson, but it’s a base model that we don’t recommend. Apples-to-apples, the Tucson closes that gap—and discounts are a different question—but the details on how to get there are worth chewing. Now we’re hungry, again.
MORE: Read our 2020 Ford Ecosport and 2020 Hyundai Tucson full reviews
2020 Ford Ecosport
2020 Ford Ecosport
2020 Hyundai Tucson
2020 Hyundai Tucson
The Ford Ecosport is a step down smaller than the Hyundai Tucson and it’s more than a foot shorter, bumper to bumper. That space is mostly reflected in the cargo area for the Ecosport, it offers 20.9 cubic feet of cargo room compared to the Tucson’s 31.0 cubic feet.
The cargo area for the Ecosport is tall, too. That means items that can’t be stacked, such as groceries or bulky items, may require tumbling one or two seats forward to fit. And the side-swinging tailgate could be an issue for city dwellers in small parking spots. (We’re not sure what they were thinking, either.)
Fitting four or more adults aboard favors the Tucson, too. The Tucson has a few more inches of rear seat leg room and, when the rear seats are reclined, we’d feel comfortable with four adults aboard. (Five is a stretch, there’s just not enough shoulder room.) Getting four riders aboard the Ecosport requires some horse-trading between front- and rear-seat riders, we’re not sure anyone wins in the end. Fitting four inside the Ecosport is possible, five is fantasy unless one of the riders is a child—or acts like one.
2020 Hyundai Tucson
But the tale of the tape was always going to favor the Tucson—it’s just bigger.
Where the two measure more directly is square in the pocketbook.
The 2020 Ford Ecosport costs $ 21,240 to start and includes front-wheel drive, a 1.0-liter turbo-3 engine, automatic transmission, power features, cruise control, cloth upholstery, 16-inch wheels, Bluetooth streaming, two USB ports, and not much else—no touchscreen, no active safety features. That base Ecosport is slow, not very well equipped, and not much of a deal compared to small sedans that offer more except a tall ride height.
2020 Ford Ecosport
The Ecosport SE we’d recommend costs $ 24,695, including destination, and adds a 6.5-inch touchscreen, steering wheel controls, parking sensors, and automatic climate control. Opting for all-wheel drive, which costs $ 1,500 more, upgrades the engine, too. A 2.0-liter inline-4 is more confident in all-wheel-drive Ecosports, even though it’s not appreciably quicker.
That means the Ecosport we’d recommend costs $ 26,195, before options. A popular equipment package that adds blind-spot monitors, navigation, and upgraded audio adds $ 1,495.
And that puts it squarely into the Tucson’s wheelhouse. The Tucson starts at $ 24,675, including destination, for a front-wheel-drive version powered by a 2.0-liter inline-4 and automatic transmission. It’s not fast either, but it’s adequate.
The base Tucson includes cloth upholstery, 17-inch wheels, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a USB port, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warnings, power features, and cruise control. All-wheel drive is a $ 1,400 option on every trim level.
2020 Hyundai Tucson
The Tucson we’d pick is the Tucson Value edition, which costs $ 26,125, and adds blind-spot monitors, heated front seats, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and keyless ignition. Add all-wheel drive and the 2020 Tucson Value costs $ 27,245.
Compared to the Ecosport SE with all-wheel drive and popular equipment, which costs $ 27,190, the Tucson may be a better deal. Better still, Hyundai backs the Tucson with a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty that Ford doesn’t match.
We’re sweet on the Tucson for its value and size. Like our Instant Pot, they’re both do-all appliances.
