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Comments
As to some of the extremely low mileage(9 mpg?)claims this seems very doubtful considering the size, vehicle weight ratio of this vehicle. Miles-per-gallon in the low teens is more likely. Also consider that other factors such as brand of fuel used i.e. Shell, Chevron, Exxon, etc. can make a difference, whether the vehicle is equipped with 4 or 6 cyl, two-wheel vs. 4WD/AWD or driving with A/C on all times, percentage of city/highway driving.
When these factors are considered MPG is not as open and shut on the Tucson as some who've posted about low mileage would like to believe. Check the Honda CR-V Owner MPG Real World Numbers and you'll see this is also a far from settled topic of discussion for this make as well.
Second, the claimed mileage is for a 4 cylinder front wheel drive car.
So, add the new huge 3.5 liter 270 hp V-6 and AWD automatic and see what the EPA ESTIMATES are..actually I just checked and they are: 2WD...22/29....4WD...21/28. Does anyone really think a 270 hp SUV will get those numbers??
Frankly I still don't see how a V-6 Tucson can possibly get 12 mpg. There may be some extreme set of circumstances or conditions i.e. stuck in terrible traffic each and every day spending 1hr setting still and idling for every mile of forward progress. I have never..never experienced anything remotely bad enough to drag mileage below 15 mpg and this in a 3.5 liter Santa Fe, in winter, warming the car sufficiently to melt the frost off the glass, driving in small city urban conditions in Pa. at 30 degrees or less outside. The 2.7 liter Santa Fe previous to the 3.5 liter was about 1 mpg or so better under the same conditions as is the current Tucson. I acknowledge that many of the current Hyundai engines are not of the latest and greatest architecture i.e. VVT.but 12 mpg is BIG S.U.V. territory..."yeah, its a HEMI".
With respect to the poor mileage, the brakes might be applied evenly. Maybe inspection of the brake pads might turn up something?
On another note; are there any Tucson owners here from Colorado? How does yours do on the passes, say between Denver and the ski resorts or any other high traverse? With which engine? I wouldn't really expect the smaller engine to do too well on steep grades. Just wondering if you can maintain 65 mph with the 2.7 liter version.
The wiper de-icers simply use heat strips embedded in the windshield identical to those in the rear window. And just like for the rear window, they are activated by a button on the dash. The wiper de-icers work very well.
As for the engine at altitudes... I have the GLS V6 AWD and it performs very well. I took it to Colorado in March, 2005 and was also anxious to see how it would perform at high altitudes. It passed the first test of the Raton Pass (about 8,000 ft.) at the NM/CO border with flying colors. No problem maintaining the speed limit. I proceeded to Denver and then to Lake Dillon on Hwy 70. There was absolutely no problem with power or keeping up with traffic. Admittedly, traffic was slowed down and not going the speed limit, but there was power to spare. I then visited Montezuma which is over 10,250 feet in elevation. The lack of power at that elevation is noticeable (as would be the case with any vehicle), but not enough to be a show stopper in purchasing the vehicle. The highest point reached on the trip was I believe Hoosier Pass which was somewhere south of Lake Dillon with an elevation of about 11,000 ft. There wasn't much traffic, so I was able to go significantly faster, but was still slowed by snow and ice conditions. Again there was some lack of power, but not a significant show stopper. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised.
I have also used the all wheel drive in up to 6 inches of snow and again was pleasantly surprised by the Tucson's ability to plow through. No doubt the standard traction control feature helps out with that. With the AWD locked in, it was able to tackle even deeper drifts.
So if you live in Colorado or want to use this vehicle for a bit of adventuring to such states, I highly recommend the Tucson. For the features and price, it simply cannot be beat for value.
Mark
During that trip I averaged over 23 mpg. That's with the GLS V6 AWD in a mix of hot and cold, snow and ice. In mixed driving here in Texas, I average about 20 mpg. ...which is about the EPA estimate, so I can't complain!
Mark
aloha,
I'm very enthusiastic about making the Tucson my next car. I may wait a year to see what happens with the 2007 model. The overwhelming majority of negative comments I see on this Tucson thread have to do with poor gas mileage. With the hint that new more economical engines are coming, it might be worth waiting to see what Hyundai does next year.
Other less significant improvements I'd like to see before buying would be auxiliary audio input (iPod integration) and a darker interior color choice. Otherwise, I think the Tucson is nearly perfect for me. It might be hard to wait.
It seems some manufacturers are able to match or exceed the EPA estimates and others are not. Too bad because I really think the Hyundai is a much better looking vehicle than the CRV.
Once my Tucson reaches 40 mph or more, the noise becomes so loud that the radio can be on level 30 and you can still have difficulty hearing the words.
It almost seems like it's not wanting to shift gears. I'm taking it in to the dealership tomorrow, but I was more curious to see if others are experiencing the same issue or if it's something up with mine in particular.
I also argue that there is no real world difference between the performance of the Tucson's V6 and the CR-V's I4. Especially given that the Honda has a 5-speed auto tranny standard.
I really think the Honda just has a better engineered engine (attention department of redundancy department ).
Thanks in advance.
Ours uses about10-11 litres/100km, which is about 20-22mpg in your parlance, and I'm pretty happy with that, considering it is AWD. One thing I plan is to take the crossrails off the roof rack and thereby reduce drag. Any experience of whether it has a useful impact?
lot of vehicles would think a Tucson can do better than 17 mpg.I have a Sorento and get 15-16 mixed,and 19-20 freeway so it would not be worth it $wise to downgrade.My wife has an 04 highlander which is nimble and gets 20 mpg but my KIA
is heavier and not sports car like.If I had a dream car
it would be sportscar/truck of high quality with 200HP.
A mini-Honda Ridgeline sounds good.Before I got the Highlander I had a CRV (02) and it was not planted as solid as the KIA and felt tippy in corners.In addition
the quality of the body was crap compared to KIA.Before
I knew about KIA I thought Toyota was tops.Now having
both Korean and Japanese cars I see the public's
perception of Korean cars is wrong.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
See different ratings on Tucson - 1,000, 2,000, 3,200 lbs. Has anyone had any experience towing? Good? Bad? Can you compare to Santa Fe? To Ford Escape? To CRV?
MPG seems to be in debate - any towers out there? What happens to MPG?
I am 56, had a dozen cars, lived 56 Winters and Springs , I know what gridlock is and warning- up my car in the driveway,and idling at the grocery store while getting
0 miles/gallon
My driving habits have not gotten worse or better only the cars have changed
Kia Sportage latest figures on gas consumption in Montreal Canada
9.75 miles/us gallon (128 oz.)
12,18 miles/ imp. Gallon (160 oz.)
23,31liters / 100 km
I am heading back to the dealer... I am crazy or he is if he thinks I will buy another Kia car from him. IF he fixes the problem I will think it over the 32 next payments.
Car is rated at 2000lbs for the v6 AWD IF THE TRAILER HAS BRAKES !!! :surprise: AND IF THE BRAKES ACTUALLY WORK !!
I basically pulls ok to and from the lake launch
I will try mountains and dirt roads next summer
What I don't feel good about is the cheap towing frame. The one with the skimpy one inch square socket and insert.
( I use a 2" ball)
The Sorento had a much more appealing 2.... 2.5" bar and socket good for 3500 lbs.
I can't comment one way or the other on Korean quality as I have never owned a Korean made vehicle. I have owned multiple Hondas and Toyotas over the years and they have all been exceedingly reliable and well built. Far ABOVE average and appropriately-hyped. They cost more but in my opinion are well worth the few extra dollars in purchase price (which they more than make up for in decreased maintenance and fuel costs over the life of the vehicle).
Your comments sound like sour grapes to me.
While everybody(except those in the know)has been sleeping Kia and Hyundai's have been winning awards left and right for their vehicles' quality and value.
The lack of decent Toyota and Honda body styling also turn me off to those brands in a large manner.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
We never really used the Blazer for towing so that wasn't a priority.
my "abnormal driving" consists of the usual driving around nothing elaborate, nothing new over the years.
Remote start the Kia and warm up 5 min . like a lot of other cars do up here in -20C
Drive to Wal-mart or Sears... pick-up groceries
drive over to father's place half a mile away
no screaming tires or speeding on 20 mph side streets.
Dealer initially said they can't do much for me before... 6000 miles is reached
I am now at 4400 so figure I will burn in excess of 250$ for nothing. Gas here is about $3.50U$/128 oz or 4 liters
I asked the dealer if the V6 awd are all the same and he said no! So I figure my car is the problem because I statistically can't be the worst driver in town ... or at the bottom of the heap of all Sportage/Tucson drivers.
The dealership director seems a good guy so I will let him follow-up and see what they will do for me .. before I reach 6000 miles !