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2009-10 Hyundai Tucson
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I can say that the Equinox was not near as responsive as the Tucson. I accidentally (somehow) revved the engine on the Equinox trying to get more from it that was not forthcoming in the lower gear. Maybe I caught it in between gears trying to get out of traffics way. After that I was afraid to go on the interstate, so I didn't. I did drive it at a pretty good speed on the surface street though. There was no further problem except that in a comparison with Tucson, the Tucson wins.
I've only had the Tucson 2 days and have not really gone anyplace to put it through it's paces. I have gone on the interstate twice though. I've got to say that on the ramp it just sets down and goes with no worry about merging. I purposely gave it more acceleration than needed and there was no hesitation and plenty of power. On the road I drove at around 75 mph at just slightly more than 2000 rpm. There seemed to be plenty of pedal left, and what little engine noise I heard, it didn't seem to be straining.
With all the bells and whistles and pretty lights, for the price, I think I like this car better than any I've owned. The car purists who see nothing but parts of other cars that may or may not have been copied, get over yourself. I cannot tell the difference between a Beemer grill and a VW grill, and I don't even know anybody who knows anybody who can. I know I will never buy a Lexus or a BMW, but I do know I bought a very stylish, good looking car. I got the Garnet Red. and it looks rich and eye catching. I bought the first one in CNY, the dealer only had it over night, and it was the only one he had.
I traded in an '03 4 cyl Hyundai Elantra that I was getting 32 MPG combined driving, not just on the highway. That car was just as tight as the day I bought it, not a squeek or a rattle to be heard. The absolute only money I spent on it was recently 4 new tires, 2 brakes, and a battery that I don't think I needed but the mechanic talked me into it.
About the Exterior
Starting from the front and continuing to the rear, the 2011 Tucson’s exterior communicates a supple, curvaceous, sophisticated shape and shares an obvious family resemblance with its much bigger, Veracruz sibling.
The Interior
Working my way into the cabin, I found the interior to be quite accommodating, yet exuding the feeling of an upscale, comfortable, roomy and inviting space. All the controls felt top notch and there weren’t any hints of ticky, tacky plastics in any of the touch spot areas. Although the dash area does have hard plastics, which is not unusual for this class of vehicle, the one area that I noticed that could’ve been plusher, was the center arm rest, which could have used a little bit more padding.
The GLS I drove came with alloy wheels, cloth leather combo seating, AM/FM/Satellite/CD, tilt/telescopic steering and steering wheel controls. One of the nicest convenience features of the steering wheel controls, aside from the standard Bluetooth which syncs up to your cell phone, controlling CD/volume/channel surfing, was the ability to turn on/off the radio. Other pluses were the express auto up/down, with pinch control for the driver side.
I found the front seats as well as all the other seating positions to be very comfortable. The driver’s seat in particular, felt like Hyundai had designed a custom fit glove for me. Impressive. Rear seats do fold flat to increase storage. The other thing that I noticed was that the dash gauge lights are controlled by an electronic dimmer soft push button with plus and minus symbols that offers various levels of either full on bright or all the way to dark. Nice touch.
As I experimented with the electronic dash, dimmer light switch, it reminded me of more expensive vehicles, like BMW, Genesis, Cadillac and others costing thousands more that already have this feature. I know this may sound corny but just the manner in which you can control the soft dash lights to glow at different levels added a more upscale ambiance to the interior.
The Test Drive
Pulling out on to the asphalt, the 2.4 liter equipped, 176 horse powered 4 cylinder engine, (which is the only engine currently available) gave an excellent accounting of itself. The acceleration was there immediately as soon as I hit the gas and the automatic six speed transmission was silky smooth. There was not a hint of hesitation in the automatic gears as I hammered the accelerator to get a feel of the Tucson’s speed.
The Tucson is not go-cart fast, but it’s quick enough to get you in and out of traffic smoothly, competently and quietly. Did I say quietly? Because this is one of the quietest riding CUVs that I have tested in recent memory. I found it to be much quieter than either the escape, Rav4 or the CR-V. Cornering felt sure footed and confident. I found the brakes to be a bit touchy but maybe because my tester barely had 15 miles on it.
During my test drive, the Tucson actually felt as big as its midsize sibling, the Santa Fe. This translated to even more of a feeling of comfort and safety. Rolling over road surfaces, the Tucson gobbled up smooth stretches of highway effortlessly and handled the gnarled road surfaces without complaint. Here, Hyundai definitely got the ride and suspension just right.
I also tested backing up and can admit the rear window area could’ve been wider but it didn’t prevent me from seeing out or from judging distances between objects, especially another parked vehicle.
Overall
I think this second generation, 2011 Tucson builds on the no compromise, quality focused attitude that Hyundai has been delivering lately and has now unquestionably attained. The brand is now on an upward trek, embolden by the success of its Genesis, bolstered by ever increasing sales and growing market share. Lately, it seems Hyundai is doing everything right and the new Tucson is no exception. It is no longer in the little leagues, it is definitely a worthy competitor that is “Up For the Challenge!”
G'day from Aussie !!
2010 Tucson dosn't hit the road here until about 2nd qtr (Apr -June). Australian Price point for the entry level is looking at 30-35K Aussie Dollars. We can currently get the 2009 model for $22K for the City SX 5 Speed Manual (think this is the GLS elsewhere).
I've just ordered the 09 model. The 2010 looks amazing and will likely blow the competion away here. I know the 09 vs 10 are to totally different cars but cant really jusity the 10k plus difference between the models.. On a tight budget these days
Anyway, any tips or things to look out for with my new ride...
cheers Mikey.
I don't know how you can tell that the ride is quiet, it is not. To start with, the 2.4L engine is not enough. It doesn't merge easily on the freeway and can even be dangerous for not moving you in time. It doesn't have the guts to move this vehicle, and when it tries to do so it revs the hell out of itself, creating a LOT of engine noise in the cabin.
That was enough to step me away from this vehicle, but if people is not annoyed with that fact, there are things that i loved about this car, one of them being the stability (grabbed a curve and it handled it better than mi civic coupe) and how nice the leather feels on this car, leather and cabin feels very very nice.
Thank you.
A word of warning though to those who may be buying this vehicle for the fuel mileage. I feel like I was the lamb led to slaughter by believing hyundai claims. (23/31 if I remember) underneath the 31 claim on the sticker itself was the assurance that most people would realise 37 mpg.
I have only put 341 miles on so far, just going to work and home, and some very short side trips, and the best I have managed is 23.6 mpg. I don't live or work in the city, and I use back roads to and from work with only 2 stop signs and 1 light. The Elantra I traded in got 32 mpg in all situations. I bought the Tucson believing Hyundai had made a better engine with better mpg even though it is heavier.
I'm disappointed
Will test drive again this week. The Equinox had a better ride and quieter...
The manufacturers typically inflate them to the max so they won't flat spot during shipping.
Does the Tucson have a built in maintenance reminder feature that keeps track of when you should get your oil changed?
What is the oil change interval (miles & months) recommended in the owners manual?
What does your dealer charge for basic oil change service?
Looking at this vehicle for my daughter - she does not drive many miles - her Mazda3 required oil changes every 6 months to comply with warranty - a few times she only had 1,500 miles between changes.
I still think that you can get this in the Sportage and in the Ford Escape.
...Sank You!
:shades:
So I feel I need to post here again because maybe that Tucson I test drove was having a bad day indeed. I have finally bought my White 2010 Tucson, Limited with premium package, 8 miles on the odometer. MSRP was 28k, I got it at 25,800. The thing is a beauty, inside and out. The engine feels confident enough to move the vehicle, not torquey like a V6 but it is enough. Love the audio system and XM radio! Road noise, I haven't driven it a lot and only on local streets not on the freeway but it feels quiet. Interior build quality feels very high end, the car does NOT feel cheap. The only thing I would have loved the car included is HID lights and keyless engine start. AWD wouldn't hurt but it does hurt gas mileage. The only thing I don't like about this car is that motor driven steering, it feels kind of artificial and I don't feel as connected to the road as I do with my civic coupe.
the $25800 is the selling price, right? If it is the OTD price, then it is a hell of a deal! I don't think it is possible though, as the invoice for you car should be more than $27000, am I correct?
I decided to buy a new SUV and headed out to test drive the 2010 Tucson.
I liked the Tucson--lots of power with the 175 HP 4 cyl and lots of standard features.
The negative to me was that it has less cargo space than my 06 and I thought it was kind of odd looking.
I test drove a 2011 Sorento and was impressed.
It has more space and cargo room inside, is much better looking [IMO], and just seems to be more refined and more comfortable.
Same engine as the Tucson but a little heavier.
The 6 speed auto is smooth as butter and the acceleration with the 175 horse engine is impressive. I traded in my 06 Tucson. [ I paid $16200 for it just over 4 years ago and got $8500 in trade. ] The sticker price for the Kia was $24305.
LX with convenience package and floor mats.
They sold it to me for invoice price and gave me the $1000 rebate and an extra $500 auto show rebate. I traded for $13600 plus tax, title, and license.
With 500 miles on the Sorento I am well pleased and very impressed.
If you are thinking about a Tucson do yourself a favor and test drive a Sorento.
Comparatively equipped the are about the same price before the rebate.
It is a no brainer IMO.
I was wondering what the general opinion was?