Honda CR-V VTi-LX v Hyundai Tucson Highlander v Nissan X-TRAIL Ti 2018 Comparison

The Hyundai Tucson is one SUV most of us here at the motoring.com.au office would readily buy for ourselves or recommend to friends and relatives. In the past we've pitted it against Renault Koleos, Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5 and Volkswagen Tiguan, and the only car that currently has its measure is the Mazda.

Hyundai has recently introduced an upgrade to the Tucson. At the top end of the updated range the Hyundai Tucson Highlander is priced higher, but now comes with a heated steering wheel and inductive smartphone charging. One of the highlights of its revised looks is a new design of 19-inch alloy wheel. None of that will be enough to leap-frog the CX-5, but how does the Tucson stack up against other rivals in the segment?

To find out, we pitted the Hyundai Tucson Highlander against the Honda CR-V VTi-LX and the Nissan X-TRAIL Ti – both petrol-engined flagships in each respective range.

There's a diverse range of models offered in the medium SUV segment, and these three reflect that breadth of choice. All three are range-topping models, well equipped for around $45,000, but the market perceives the Tucson to be the driver's choice, the X-TRAIL is the boxy, functional alternative for lugging loads and the CR-V is the option for fanciers of leading-edge technology and impeccable dependability. Are the market perceptions on the money, or is there more to these three?

These three SUVs are aimed directly at families that want a vehicle capable of transporting up to three kids (four, if it's not the main family car) and all the paraphernalia. Can they also pack a tent or tow a light caravan for a holiday away? With all that, they have to be compact enough to negotiate the local shopping centre car park, and use relatively little fuel in weekday commutes.

So the target buyer is a family with kids up to early/mid teenage years. But there are outlier demographics too, such as the empty nesters who want a higher hip point and are part of a wider social circle gathering once a week at the local RSL. There's room in the back for a couple of 50- or 60-something friends – and boot space for the zimmer frames.

Perhaps the retirees fancy undertaking a 'grey nomad' trip around Australia, but towing a light van behind a medium SUV means you're not spending big on fuel for a motorhome that's going to be hard to park in the main street of regional towns or on the forecourt of the service station while refuelling.

The beauty of medium SUVs is they are really versatile for a number of different purposes and buyer types.

At $44,290 the Honda CR-V is the cheapest of the three vehicles on test. For not much more – $44,790 – there's the Nissan X-TRAIL. And belying the traditional (and out of date) view that Hyundai products are 'cheap', the Tucson tops the list at $46,500. What does the Tucson offer in addition for that price premium?

Not as much as you might expect. The Tucson's autonomous emergency braking system appears to be more sophisticated than the systems offered in the other two cars, operating at high speeds as well as low and in three modes. In addition to the heated steering wheel and inductive smartphone charging already mentioned the Tucson also features various bits and pieces the Nissan and the Honda miss out on, such as puddle lights, rear fog lights, ventilated front seats and insulating side glass, according to analysis by RedBook.

But the Honda has its unique rear-facing camera that picks up and displays the left/rear blind spot on the infotainment screen every time the driver indicates to move left.

In spite of the extra money, the Tucson doesn't really do any better than matching the CR-V for warranty – five years and unlimited kilometres for both – and the service interval is the same for both as well: 12 months or 10,000km. According to RedBook the CR-V costs less in fuel to run and yet the Honda's power to weight ratio is better, although the Tucson enjoys an advantage in peak torque. Despite being the lightest, the X-TRAIL costs more to keep fuelled and its power to weight ratio is the worst, as is its torque peak.

Cementing its position at the top of the CR-V range, the Honda in VTi-LX form is supremely comfortable. It rides with a mix of suppleness and control missing in the other two vehicles – although the Tucson comes very close – and the Honda is also the quietest across a range of road surfaces and in differing conditions. Fuel consumption favoured the CR-V too, bettering the economy of the Tucson and X-TRAIL by over a litre per 100km on a 30km drive loop.

The CR-V features lots of detail differences to set it apart from the other two SUVs. There are two USB recharging ports for rear-seat passengers, for instance, versus just one for the Tucson and none at all in the X-TRAIL.

Rear-seat accommodation in the Honda offers headroom and legroom that's comparable with the Tucson and better than the X-TRAIL. Additionally, the Honda has the best front seats (better shaped than the Nissan's and with softer cushioning than the Hyundai's).

Levers in the load compartment flip the Honda's rear seats forward for extra load-carrying capacity. The seat base moves forward to leave more room for the squab to fold flat and flush with the boot floor, and the loading lip for the boot is lower than in the other two. Under the floor is a full-size spare tyre with matching alloy wheel, which is also the case for the Tucson.

The Hyundai offers snappier power delivery and kicks down readily, and it never feels like it's holding a gear just to save fuel. Performance is there when you want it and it doesn't feel devoid of character, since the engine is driving through a dual-clutch transmission rather than the continuously-variable units of the two competitors. At 1600kg, the

Tucson's towing capacity is better than the Nissan's and the Honda's (1500kg for each).
The Tucson's ride is basically on par with the CR-V, but with the added benefit of very good handling and roadholding. We liked the steering feedback and brake pedal feel too.

Simply put, the Tucson lives up to its reputation for driveability in this company. From the driver's seat the ergonomics and design presentation are more conventional than the CR-V's and the driving position is more car-like. Rear-seat cushioning is softer and more comfortable than counterparts in the Nissan and the Honda, whereas front-seat cushioning is actually firmer, but the side bolstering for the front seats can at least match the Honda's. The rear seats lock into place when folded down, so they won't jump up over bumps and speed humps. This is a nice feature for users who intend to carry larger loads in the rear of an SUV more than just once in while.

There's a 12-volt power outlet in the rear of the Tucson, just like the Nissan, and the Hyundai also has a 'dome' light mounted in the base of the D pillar on the left, just inside the tailgate. It shines forward into the luggage compartment so it shouldn't blind users at night.

We know from driving it previously that the X-TRAIL has steadfast front-end grip and secure handling, but the Nissan's forte is its flexible boot space.

Luggage capacity in the Nissan measures 565 litres, which is over 40 litres better than the CR-V and nearly 80 litres ahead of the Tucson. There are two half shelves that form a floor over concealed compartments that will hold wet items without leaving a mess. The flooring can be pitched up or positioned differently to hold in place items that would otherwise slide around, and the rear seats are easily folded down using handpulls on the seats, which are easily accessible from the tailgate.

As a bonus, the Nissan’s rear seating slides forward and aft, and folds in a triple split action for enhanced versatility. And younger kids will love the stadium seating arrangement, with an excellent view forward or out the side windows.

The two Japanese SUVs feature continuously-variable transmissions, which feel like they stifle performance. In the CR-V the transmission was less likely to drone than the X-TRAIL's, but the long pedal travel for the Honda's accelerator also discouraged using the available performance.

The rear doors of both the Honda and the Nissan closed with a tinny sound, in marked contrast with the Tucson, which felt and sounded quite solid. Only the CR-V made do without a 12-volt power outlet in the boot.

In the driver's seat of the Tucson, the off-side (right) mirror could not be adjusted far enough outboard to eliminate the blind spot to the vehicle's right rear, although at least there's standard blind spot detection to offset that.

Slightly less legroom in the rear placed the Hyundai at a disadvantage against both the Honda and the Nissan, and the Tucson's rear seats can't be folded forward and down from the tailgate. Users must lift the handpulls on the shoulders of the squabs from the side doors.

While the stadium seating is a boon for kids in the back of the X-TRAIL, it diminishes headroom for adults. The Nissan was the only vehicle that didn't come with USB recharging ports for rear-seat occupants. Also, the X-TRAIL was the only vehicle without a full-size spare, settling for a temporary-use space-saver instead – the downside of all that handy luggage space.

On the move, the X-TRAIL's ride was softest, but felt underdamped and the Nissan lacked the body control of the other two vehicles. It also had the lightest steering and slowest steering response. Finally, the naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine is not as refined as the turbocharged powerplant under the bonnet of each rival.

The X-TRAIL was the first vehicle to drop out of contention. It's a very practical machine for those who want to carry large volumes of stuff, particularly bulkier goods. But its drivetrain lets it down and it's neither as driveable as the Tucson, nor ultimately as comfortable as the CR-V. That said, however, buyers in the market for a vehicle offering very usable packaging would be well advised to choose the Nissan over the other two.

Which leaves us with what turned out to be a much more difficult decision than expected at the outset. On a different day, with two different reviewers, the result may have easily gone the other way – it was such a tight contest.

The Honda really impressed with its refinement and overall comfort, but on the strength of its blend of comfort and car-like driveability, the win goes to the Tucson. Its five-year warranty isn't the trump card it once was, we expected better fuel consumption and the purchase price isn't as affordable anymore, but the Tucson is enjoyable and easy to drive – and in most other respects it's a 'near enough' proposition to help it over the line.

2018 Honda CR-V VTi-LX pricing and specifications:
Price: $44,290 plus on-road costs
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 140kW/240Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 7.4L/100km (ADR Combined), 8.0L/100km (average, on-road)
CO2: 168g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP, 2017)

2018 Hyundai Tucson Highlander pricing and specifications:
Price: $46,500 plus on-road costs, $47,095 as tested, plus on-road costs
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 130kW/265Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.7L/100km (ADR Combined), 9.3L/100km (average, on-road)
CO2: 178g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP, 2015)

2018 Nissan X-TRAIL Ti pricing and specifications:
Price: $44,790 plus on-road costs, $45,340 as tested, plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 126kW/226Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 8.3L/100km (ADR Combined), 9.3L/100km (average, on-road)
CO2: 192g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP, 2017)