Used Hyundai Tucson Manchester NH

The Hyundai Tucson is a compact SUV that is nicely proportioned with clean lines and short overhangs front and rear. The Tucson is Hyundai's smallest SUV, intended to compete with the Ford Escape and Honda CR-V. Trim levels include the GLS, SE and Limited. Both versions can be equipped with front-wheel drive or optional four-wheel drive. The 2009 Hyundai Tucson has a re-designed front and rear garnish, new wheel design for all trims, and a new interior cloth pattern. For 2009 the Tucson gets a bolder front grille and rear treatment, a tweaked transmission management system and torque converter said to improve fuel economy. Upper-level models gain standard luxury feature. Standard safety features for the Tucson include side-curtain and side-impact airbags, all-disc anti-lock brakes with traction control, active front head restraints and an electronic stability system.

Tucson Power and Handling

A 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that uses continuously variable valve timing is standard. In uplevel trims, a 2.7-liter V-6 engine is offered. The available four-wheel-drive system can divert up to 50 percent of available power to the rear wheels in response to changing road conditions or torque demand. A button lets the driver lock the driveline into a 50/50 torque split. Hyundai says engine improvements and the transmission management system should improve fuel economy for the four-cylinder engine and increase city mileage for all-wheel-drive V-6 models.

Design of the 2009 Tucson

In 2007 the Santa Fe was redesigned with a more sleek and sophisticated look, chasing after the same up-level crossover look recently adopted by the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. Tucson for 2009 has clean lines with a relatively big grille up front and headlamps that blend in well with the hood line and edges of the fenders. The front bumper is a large one-piece molding that begins just below the grille, houses three large air openings and two fog lights and then forms a spoiler at the bottom. Yet in profile this impressive piece of plastic barely protrudes in front of the grille opening. At the back, the outer edges of the rear bumper reaches up to the tail lights; this bumper sticks out a few inches, adding protection. A single-bar grille contains the Hyundai logo. Riding a 103.5-inch wheelbase, the Tucson is 170.3 inches long and 66.1 inches tall. The base GLS is 70.7 inches wide, but the uplevel versions have plastic wheel-well flares for a rugged appearance, extending the width to 72.1 inches. Tucson's rear tailgate slopes forward, avoiding the van-like vertical look of many other small SUVs. The rear window can be opened separately from the main tailgate, although it is not very big, making it ineffective for loading much more than small light stuff. The SE comes with lower body cladding that runs from the front bumper, around the fenders and along the lower edges of the doors, to the rear bumper. Limited features a monochromatic look, with body-color cladding as well as the same body-color mirrors and door handles as the SE. All models come with 16-inch alloy wheels; although the wheels on SE and Limited are more intricately styled. Roof rack side rails and tinted windows are also standard on all models. The Tucson also has a relatively wide track, which helps improve its stability.

Hyundai Tucson Cabin

The Tucson's five-passenger interior has 22.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up and 65.5 cubic feet with the seat down. Standard equipment includes power windows and locks, heated mirrors, air conditioning and an intermittent rear wiper. All Tucson models are well outfitted and come with plenty of features. Trim accents are matte black in the GLS and metalgrain in SE and Limited. Tucson's new active front-seat head restraints help prevent whiplash by automatically reducing the space between itself and your head during certain rear-end collisions.  The instrument pod contains three gauges with a decent-sized speedometer in the center and a smaller tachometer and fuel gauge off to the sides. Big storage pockets in each of the four doors contain an indent for a large cup, plus room for several maps or whatever. In addition there are a couple of cupholders in the center console. There are no fewer than three 12-volt power outlets; apart from the usual one at the front there is one in the rear cargo area and one at the back of the center console for use by the rear seat passengers. Rear-seat passengers will find adequate head and leg room for all but the tallest people. The rear seatback splits 60/40 to fold down with the push of single lever for more cargo space; you don't have to remove the headrests. The front passenger seat also folds flat, providing room for long objects.

Conclusions

The Hyundai Tucson is fully competitive with the established players in this segment and the quality is good. Tucson costs hundreds of dollars less than its rivals yet it comes loaded with comfort and convenience features as well as a full complement of safety features. Safety features on the Tucson include electronic stability control, four-wheel antilock disc brakes (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), brake assist, and traction control. Side-impact airbags for torso protection and side curtain airbags designed to provide head protection for passengers in both rows come standard. New for 2008 are active front head restraints and a tire-pressure monitor. For more research and the latest updates, visit the official Hyundai Tucson Site.





Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com.