Hyundai vs Mazda: Which Is More Reliable?

Hyundai and Mazda are both popular car manufacturers known for their reliable vehicles.

But in the battle between Hyundai and Mazda reliability, Mazda is generally more reliable than Hyundai. Mazda beats Hyundai with higher reliability ratings, better dependability scores, better engines, and cheaper repair and maintenance costs.

Read on for details about Hyundai vs. Mazda reliability and how to make the right purchase decision for your driving needs.

Key Takeaways

Hyundai and Mazda are both reliable car makers, but Mazda takes the edge in the reliability comparison.
Hyundai offers higher safety ratings and sporty designs.
Mazda has cheaper repair and maintenance costs as well as long-lasting vehicles.
Compare specific car models and assess your driving needs to choose the right vehicle for you.

Hyundai vs. Mazda Reliability: A Detailed Comparison

Features	Hyundai	Mazda
Design	Sensuous Sportiness, structure, style, and technology.	KODO Design, Unifying theme, appeal, power, and precision
Engine and Performance	Great	Great
Safety	Higher Safety Ratings	High Safety Ratings
Gas Mileage	Good	Good
Technology	Good	Good
Repair and maintenance cost	Cheap	Cheaper
Durability	Hyundai cars last up to 200,000 to 250,000 miles, with an average lifespan of 15-20 years.	Mazda cars last between 200,000 to 250,000 miles, with an average lifespan of 13-17 years.

Hyundai vs. Mazda Reliability: Which Is Better?

Hyundai and Mazda are popular car brands with amazing models that stand out in the market. Compared to Hyundai, Mazda is more reliable.

According to the 2023 Consumer Reports reliability rating, Mazda is the 7th most reliable car brand, compared to Hyundai, which takes the 11th position.

Hyundai takes the lead with JD Power’s and RepairPal’s ratings. On RepairPal, Hyundai ranks 4th out of 32 car brands with a 4.0/5.0 rating. Mazda has the same 4.0 reliability rating but is slightly lower than Hyundai, ranking 5th.

However, although RepairPal ranks Hyundai above Mazda, Mazda gets cheaper repair and maintenance costs.

Aside from the ratings, crucial factors make Mazda more reliable than Hyundai.

With Mazda, you get superior engineering solutions and simplistic approaches that enhance efficiency and performance.

Hyundai offers the best warranty coverage, the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. However, you can rely on Mazda’s engineering principles for a cheaper overall cost of ownership.

Hyundai vs. Mazda Reliability: Design

Mazda and Hyundai adopt different design philosophies, impacting their deliveries and design approaches. While Mazda uses KODO design, Hyundai adopts the ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ design philosophy.

Hyundai harmonizes and balances structure, style, and technology to achieve this. The goal is to produce cars that are appealing while retaining functionality.

Hyundai produces cars that are stylish and modern. The brand’s vehicles feature sleek lines and a modern aesthetic that appeals to a wide range of buyers. Hyundai’s design language has evolved over the years, with the brand’s latest models featuring a more refined and sophisticated look.

On the other hand, Mazda has a reputation for producing sporty and well-designed cars. The beauty of Mazda is in its design philosophy.

They adopt an impressive design mechanism that makes them admirable at first sight — it’s more like breathing life into sheet metal. Mazda does everything possible to promote the joy of driving.

Mazda creates car frames that will last, but if you are a fan of sporty cars with a larger variety to choose from, then you should go for Hyundai.

Winner: Both

Hyundai vs. Mazda Reliability: Gas Mileage

Hyundai vehicles are known for their good fuel economy, and Mazda isn’t left out either.

Unlike Mazda, Hyundai doesn’t have many fuel-saving technologies on its cars. However, the gas mileage isn’t bad on Hyundai.

Hyundai introduced Continuously Variable Valve Duration (CVVD) to improve fuel efficiency in its cars. There are also systems like the stop/start systems and regenerative braking, which help to reduce fuel consumption.

On the other hand, Mazda develops engines that make the best use of every drop of fuel.

Mazda integrates a suite of technologies, SkyActiv technology, and i-Elopp regenerative braking to ensure that fuel consumption is reduced and efficiency is increased, without compromising overall driving performance.

Hyundai and Mazda have models that outperform the other in fuel efficiency.

The Hyundai Tucson offers better gas mileage than Mazda Cx-5, just as Hyundai Elantra does it better than Mazda 3. Mazda 3 beats the Hyundai i30, and the Mazda MX-5 returns better fuel efficiency than Hyundai Tucson. The choice depends on which model of these brands you choose.

Winner: Both

Hyundai vs. Mazda Reliability: Engine and Performance

Overall, Mazda produces some of the best engines in the industry. It uses advanced transmission systems such as SkyActiv-Drive and SkyActiv-MT that help to improve performance and fuel efficiency.

However, the performance you get from Mazda depends on your chosen model.

With attention to detail, refined measures, and the latest technology and engineering practices, Mazda is an auto leader in engine designs and innovations.

However, Hyundai also pays attention to the need for power and smooth performance. Although most Mazda vehicles beat Hyundai’s with better smooth performance, horsepower, and torque, some Hyundai models deliver more engine power than Mazda. It all depends on the model that you choose.

For instance, Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson deliver the same 187 hp, but Mazda MX-5 delivers more engine power than Hyundai Tucson. On the other hand, Hyundai Sonata beats Mazda 6 with better engine power, but Mazda 3 beats Hyundai Elantra.

Winner: Mazda

Hyundai vs. Mazda Reliability: Safety

Both Hyundai and Mazda prioritize safety on their vehicles; however, Hyundai has more vehicles earning high safety ratings. Notably, though, Mazda has fewer vehicles in its lineup overall.

Hyundia integrates advanced safety features, including lane departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking as standard equipment, navigation, driver assist systems, and many more.

Unlike Hyundai, Mazda’s safety system is split into basic, preventive, and collision safety technology. However, because Hyundai has more cars earning the IIHS safety rating, we’ll have to give the win to Hyundai.

Winner: Hyundai

Hyundai vs. Mazda Reliability: Repair and Maintenance Cost

Brand	Warranty	Annual Repair Costs	Chance of Repair Shop Visit	Probability of Severe Damage
Mazda	3 year/ 36,000 mile basic 5 year/ 60,000 mile powertrain	$462	0.4%	10%
Hyundai	5-year/ 60,000mile basic 10 year/ 100,000 mile powertrain	$468	0.3%	10%

It is cheaper to repair and maintain a Mazda vehicle than a Hyundai. However, Hyundai’s 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty helps to reduce repair costs.

Mazda models only have a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

According to RepairPal, Hyundai has an average annual repair cost of $468 with a 0.3 chance of visiting the repair shop and a 10% probability of severe damage.

Mazda has an average annual repair cost of $462, with a 0.4 chance of visiting the repair shop and a 10% probability of severe damages.

You must understand that repair maintenance costs vary depending on the specific model of the car, the mileage, and the extent of the damage.

Winner: Mazda

Conclusion

It is obvious that Mazda is more reliable than Hyundai; however, the choice depends on your needs and preferences. You get better warranty coverage from Hyundai, but Mazda leads with better engine gas mileage and even cheaper repair and maintenance costs.

Learn more about how these car manufacturers stack up against the competition in our other reliability comparisons below:

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Mazda produces reliable cars. The 2022 Consumer Report voted them as the Most Reliable Car Brand, and since then they’ve remained in the top 10.

Overall, Hyundai is a reliable car brand with quality cars. However, compared to Mazda, Hyundai is slightly less reliable.

Mazda is considered slightly more reliable than Hyundai. However, you must compare specific models and evaluate your needs to determine the right car for you. Hyundai vehicles are less expensive, depreciate slower, offer more safety features, and have a greater variety of models available. Mazda offers greater horsepower, vehicle rankings, and reliability.

Yes, overall Mazdas are known for lasting long. They often last between 200,000 and 250,000 miles and over 10 years.

Mazda vehicles are made using affordable parts that are easy to source. When they do require repairs, the repairs are often affordable. The blend of quality construction and affordable maintenance/ repairs makes them highly reliable.