http://www.hyundaiusa.com/Vehicles/Tucson/Main.asp

I just checked out and test-drove the 2005 V6 AWD Hyundai Tucson. While I have written and posted much on CL about how good the Subaru AWD systems are and what good inexpensive all-weather cars they are, here, clearly, is a good alternative...especially for those of you who have college-age kids and are about to send them off to school in harsh-climate areas, or for any reason just want a nice brand-new inexpensive snow machine yourself. The Tucson GL, fully loaded with V6, automatic, AWD, and everyday options, goes for 22-23K, and even top-of-the-line LX loaded models are only about another $1500 or so. You can use the website connection I provided to check prices and equipment on a specific build-your-own model.

I'm sure you can read many different Tucson reviews both in magazines and on the Internet, but here's my take on it: The Tucson is built on a raised and modified Elantra platform, and replaces the Santa Fe as the entry-level Hyundai car-based SUV. It keeps much of the Santa Fe's exterior styling, especially up front......the interior, however, is quite different. It is noticibly smaller than big-brother Santa Fe, which will soon be going upmarket and up-size into the mid-size SUV category with the Ford Exporer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and others. It comes standard with front-wheel drive, but the ON-Demand 4WD / AWD system is an inexpensive option...and WELL worth it for snowy climes, and of course AWD helps even on wet roads too. There is a driver-controlled dash switch that locks the center differential for tough conditions and does not allow the wheels to slip....this, as with any locking differential, should NOT be used on dry pavement.
Normally the two front wheels are driven until the computer senses a loss of traction, then the computer re-routes torque to the two rear wheels until front-wheel traction is once again restored.
Two engines are offered....a 2.7L V6 with 173 HP and 178 ft.lbs. torque, and a smaller 2.0L in-line 4 with 140 HP and 136 ft.-lbs. torque. The V6 in both FWD and AWD is automatic-only (with a manual auto-shift gate), and while the 4 cylinder is offered in both manual and automatic versions, Hyundai wisely offers the AWD 4 cylinder only with the stick. I say wisely because in my opinion, even the V6 automatic AWD (which I drove) was rather sluggish (one of the vehicle's few weaknesses). This clearly is not a high-powered engine, and the smaller four would have been inadequate for both automatic and AWD.......the extra weight and drag would have been too much for it. True, it was almost a brand-new vehicle with 400 miles on it and a tight, unbroken-in engine, but even so this clearly is not a 0-60 or quarter-mile machine. I did not try the 4-cylinder AWD with the stick, as most of people who shop for this type of vehicle usually want automatic anyway.
The suspension is rather softly-sprung for an SUV, which, combined with the tall ride height and short wheelbase, allows some of the back-and-forth porposing and body roll quite common in small SUV's. The standard-equipment stability system ( a real bargain in this price range) will help things from getting completely out of hand, though, as with any SUV, it must be remembered that they are NOT sports cars and should not be driven as such. And...if this is a concern to you parents who are afraid Junior might roll it over, the nearly identical Kia Sportage http://sportage.kia.com/ is slightly stiffer-sprung and offers all of the Tucson's advantages in a package that is somewhat more resistant to body roll, at the cost of a stiffer ride. (The Tucson and the Sportage were designed on the same platform and body shell, though the interiors are different ) The steering system has a firm feel at lower speeds, and the steering wheel has a strong tendency to return to center.
The interior is well-done for an inexpensive vehicle. The only thing I was not impressed with was the plastic smoke-gray " Techno " trim around the console and lower dash. IMO it looked and felt cheesy...otherwise the interior had fit-and finish as good as many Toyotas and Hondas, with a precise and high-quality feel to all of the controls and hardware. They body IMO was well-assembled with no apparant squeaks or rattles, although the hood and doors did not feel quite as solid as the Santa Fe's, and there is no underhood insulation pad for the engine.

Of course, there are a number of relatively inexpensive AWD vehicles on the market...and as I have said so many times, Subaru produces many of the best of them, with perhaps the most well-proved AWD systems on the market. The Tucson, though, IMO, is a good alternative to the Subarus if for any reason you don't want ( or can't get ) a Subaru. The Tucson has a more complex AWD system than Subarus due to its sideways-mount engine in front, but that complex system is protected for 10 years with the Hyundai / Kia warranty, and that warranty is transferrable within the immediate family if the car is sold. The Suzuki Aerio AWD has an excellent price ($18,000) but is quirky, low-slung, and has very little ground clearance for getting through snow. The base AWD Subaru Impreza also has an excellent $18,000-$19,000 price but fairly low ground clearance...not as low as the Aerio's. In the Subaru line, you have to move up to the $25,000 Outback to get really good ground clearance....even the Impreza-based Outback Sport doesn't have the Tucson's ground clearance. The downside, of course, is the Tucson's greater body roll.
The AWD Toyota RAV4 is reliable, has plenty of round clearance but is underpowered with the 4 cylinder automatic, and a 6 is not offered. Neither can it match the Tucson on price and warranty. Ditto for the Honda CRV....and the CRV has somewhat quirky controls and comes with only a 3/36 warranty. The Toyota Matrix / Pontiac Vibe AWD twins are reliable, attactively priced ($20,000) but also have low ground clearance. The Suzuki Vitara is low-priced, with part-time 4WD (AWD in some versions) and plenty of ground clearance...but is truck-based with a body-on-frame design, harsh-riding, and clumsy in the handling and steering departments. It is designed primarily for slogging it out off-road, climbing rocks, and fording creek beds.....not for getting Junior through snowstorms on paved roads. Its part-time 4WD system cannot be used, in most conditions, on paved surfaces.

Well....there you have it. I posted this because I honestly think that for the reasons I described the AWD Tucson (and Sportage) is money well-spent. It will give Junior a nice, inexpensive all-weather machine that should not get him or her into serious trouble if driven with common sense. It will not, in most instances, break Mommy or Daddy's bank account. And best of all, Hyundai / Kia will stand behind this vehicle more than just a couple of years with the 10 / 100 drive-train and 5 / 60 bumper-to-bumper warranties.

 

Damn, great review, very in depth. So it looks to be another winner for Hyundai huh?

here are some pics.

 

We'll see. It's got a lot of competition, but I was impressed with it.......and its warranty..... for the money. Still think Subaru is the king of AWD though.

 

What I don't understand is why in Canada, side airbags (torso and curtain) are not standard... or even offered as an option/package deal.

That is a deal breaker already.

 

They are available on Tucsons in the U.S. You might (?) be able to buy one in Detroit and drive it home across the border and register it. Not sure, though... check with your local laws there in Ontario. Also keep in mind that U.S.-spec Hyundais, like most vehicles, will have the dash gauges and specs set up for Engilsh rather than metric units, though some vehicles can be converted. I don't know if the Tucson can be or not, but many vehicles today have dual-ring speedometer numbers.

 

Id rather take the bus.