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If the Tucson doesn't exactly rewrite the book on mini-SUV dynamics, it at least knows how to read. Hyundai made the Sonata and Santa Fe's V6 standard on the mid-level GLS and high-end LX models, giving it an edge over all competitors stuck with four cylinders - Honda and Toyota would be two. The automatic transmission, complete with a manual shift gate (in a Hyundai?), seems to be biased in favor of downshifts, but they happen fast enough and the six cylinders sing a sweet enough song (if not as good as the best V6s, leagues ahead of past Hyundais).
What's missing is the forward shove that one expects with a V6, even after adjusting for this one's 2.7-liter displacement. It's partly the engine's slow-revving nature, but mostly it's because this 173-horsepower engine carries about 672 more pounds than it would in the Elantra, resulting in roughly the same power-to-weight ratio as its humble progenitor. The Elantra's 138-horsepower 2.0-liter 4 comes standard in the Tucson GL, where "adequate" would be too strong a word. One more point: with the 4-banger comes a shrunken fuel tank holding 15.3 gallons instead of 17.2. Definitely stick to V6 Tucsons.
As long as you don't get crazy with your driving, those extra 672 pounds won't show themselves too forcefully. The short length and wheelbase have a lot to do with that. Whether in the city, on the freeway, or up a twisty road, the Tucson mostly feels like a car on stilts. The ride is controlled enough - showing little of the old-school Hyundai chop - and while the steering is just a little slow and numb, it's secure enough to be trusted. At every corner where there's an independent strut (Hyundai calls the rear design "multilink"), there's also a disc brake with antilock control and brake-force distribution, and V6 models even have a front strut tower brace. Even the manual-shift automatic (oh, must I say it: SHIFTRONIC) is one of the better ones, allowing more freedom than some other designs that downshift against your will. A tighter lid could be kept on road rumble, but overall it drives fine. It's easy to go into a Hyundai expecting to find "CHEAP" written all over it, then a little frustrating when you fail to find enough to support your preconceptions.
Remember, though, that this is an SUV with a lower threshold of instability. The Tucson gets a little squirmy under sudden inputs in the mountains. Grip from the 16-inch tires vanishes fairly fast and I found it easy to activate the antilock and stability control, which are thankfully standard features. I also remember chirping the tires on two occasions when accelerating from a dead stop; maybe the throttle could use some desensitizing.
Any cheaping out on Hyundai's part would surely be revealed in the interior. That's where everyone fumbles, right? Well, let's see, you open an expensive-feeling door handle, slam the door shut with a solid thud, and wrap your hands around a leather steering wheel. Hmm, let's dig deeper: the inner door handles are hard plastic, but the controls all have those nicely-weighted motions of Japanese cars, and multi-adjustable driver's seat continues to support after a few hours. Nothing feels like it's going to break, which isn't something that can be said about certain Nissans. It's at about this point that you learn to give up the search for pinched pennies.
There's still room for improvement, of course. Even if quality isn't in question, it does look a little plain and unimaginative. The steering wheel looks naked - 100% beige monotony without a single radio or cruise control button for decoration - and the cheesy cloth seats wouldn't pass for props on That 70s Show. The climate controls deviate from the ergonomic norm a little - on/off operation is contained in the mode dial instead of the fan speed, and the bass-less stereo has an annoying tuner. (It can play MP3s, but they won't sound too good.) Also, the top two settings in the wipers' intermittent mode are exactly the same as its "low" speed - what's the point? The biggest problem: I sat with my seat all the way back. Not a good sign for the six-foot-plus crowd.
Step into the back seat - if you must - to discover where those Elantra genes didn't pay off much. Any 170-inch long vehicle will have to make a space sacrifice somewhere, and in the Tucson's case, second-row passengers were the chosen ones. Really though, the problem isn't as much legroom as it is thigh support. (What thigh support?) That cushion is way too low, and the backrest is a little upright. Also, folks with fat feet might find toeroom a tad tight under the driver's seat. (The passenger's is fine.) At least there are three head restraints and curtain airbags back there.
The Tucson finds redemption in its cavernous cargo area. Its very body style combined with folding back seats pretty much guarantees that, but there are some nice bonuses: the passenger seat folds forward too, there's a cargo net (and a power outlet), and the rear glass opens independently of the liftgate to help loading (if only the keyless remote could open either one). And all back windows are tinted.
The Tucson lineup is pretty easy to follow. The GL model is the appetizer, though not very appetizing. With power too pathetic to be bothered with (hint: worst in class), not even its attractive $18,094 price is enough temptation. It is the only way to get 4WD coupled with a stickshift, however. The GLS, tested here, adds the essential V6 and plenty of other items: 235/60R16 tires on different 6-spoke alloys, leather steering wheel and shift knob, better seat material, metal-look interior trim, AM/FM/cassette/CD MP3 stereo, cargo net, fog lights, body cladding, and windshield de-icers. Its $20,644 MSRP runs $1,700 above an automatic 2WD GL model and $1,250 below the LX model, which only adds heated leather seats and a stereo subwoofer. The two main option packages are a sunroof coupled with the upgraded stereo costing $1,190 on the GLS, and the sunroof by itself for $795 on the GLS or LX. The upgrade to all-wheel-drive - which, like all of its closest competitors, does not have a low-range mode - costs $1,500 across the board.
A Hyundai evaluation would hardly be complete without a price check, so let's use the $20,644 2WD GLS as a reference point. Honda CR-V LX 2WD: $20,510, slightly down on power, slightly up on room, roughly the same equipment. Toyota RAV4 2WD: $20,365 for less power and less space (the RAV4 is the lil runt in this field), and it takes some shopping to build the RAV4's equipment up to Tucson levels. Mazda Tribute i, Saturn VUE, Mitsubishi Outlander XLS, Ford Escape XLT: $20,960, $21,190, $21,274, $23,105. Hmm, aside from the far-out Ford, it's pretty close, with Hyundai having an average value advantage of a few hundred bucks in price and/or equipment. That's down from Hyundai's usual edge of a few thousand, but it's still something.
And then Hyundai drops the bomb on the lot of them with its 5-year/60,000-mile comprehensive and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranties. Only game-set-match Mitsubishi, now armed with identical numbers, is immune to the blow.
When you get an average SUV with an above-average warranty at below-average prices, you win.
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