2005 Hyundai Tucson Reviews

Building cars people want is a sure way to success, as Hyundai discovered with the Tucson SUV.  The Tucson marked the beginning of a successful new era for Hyundai after a worrying slump in sales in the years preceding the all- purpose family wagon.From a high of 60,000 in 1997 sales had slipped to half that in the years before the Tucson arrived.  As the end of the year approaches Hyundai is sitting comfortably near the top of the sales charts, its sales racing ahead of last year's.  While the Tucson is not alone in driving this success it is one of the models that have contributed to it; it's one people want.MODEL WATCHWhen the Tucson hit the market in 2004 Australia was in the grip of an SUV fever; any company without one was doomed the struggle.  Ford was desperate to get one, and the Territory was the result, while Holden was scrambling to find one somewhere in the General's global portfolio, and eventually found the Captiva.Hyundai's response was the Tucson, a compact crossover wagon created to compete with the likes of the Nissan X-Trail, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and other similar vehicles.The Tucson looked much the same as the other SUVs in the market; it was a pleasant looking wagon with chunky lines that gave a solid look on the road.  The interior was roomy and flexible, with the ability to fold the seats flat to swallow whatever a family might need to carry, for sports or camping gear, to DIY hardware for that home reno project.There were also lots of handy nooks and crannies to stow things securely out of the way, plus shopping bag hooks and tie-downs for restraining larger items being carried.Hyundai launched three models initially, all powered by a 2.7-litre double overhead camshaft V6 backed by a four-speed sequential shift automatic transmission.A willing revver, the V6 would put out 129 kW at 6000 revs and 241 Nm at 4000 revs when at its peak.  There was a lockable centre diff, and all-wheel drive system was a Borg-Warner 'on-demand' one that automatically transferred drive to the rear wheels when needed for traction.A few months after the initial launch, in February 2005, Hyundai added a front-wheel drive model, the City, to the range.  The City was powered by a double overhead camshaft two-litre four- cylinder engine that churned out 104 kW and 184 Nm. It too was backed up by a four-speed sequential shift auto.The V6 range started with the Tucson, which came standard with air, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, and there was a full-sized spare wheel and tyre.Step up a rung and you got a Tucson Elite, which boasted among other things a sunroof, wider tyres and a trip computer.  Make it all the way to the top and you found yourself in an Elite S with body-coloured bumpers and side cladding.  When it arrived the City was also well equipped.IN THE SHOPHyundai has racked up more awards for its build quality than most in the last five or so years, so that's a good guide to the potential reliability you're likely to experience.Rarely to Hyundai's feature in the carsGuide complaints columns, which means owners are generally content.  Engines, gearboxes, drivelines all seem strong and reliable; there is little that seems to plague the body and hardware.All round the Tucson is getting through life with few concerns; those problems that do crop up are usually of a minor nature.  Make the usual checks for a service record to ensure the maintenance has been done, and of course look for signs of crash repairs that might not have been well done.IN A CRASHThe Tucson is quire well equipped to handle a crash. All models came standard with ABS antilock brakes, EBD brakeforce optimization, and traction control.They also came standard with dual front airbags, but the Elite and Elite S also boasted the added protection of head airbags and side front airbags.ANCAP gave the Tucson four stars in 2006.AT THE PUMPHyundai claimed the 2.0-litre Tucson would do 9.2 L/100 km on average, the 2.7-litre V6 11.0 L/100 km.  A carsGuide road test at the time of the launch had the V6 doing an average of 14.5 L/100 km.  Owners are saying they are happy with the economy of the 2.0-litre Tucson and getting around 9.5 L/100 km.OWNERS SAYJohn Murray has clocked up 70,000 km in his 2006 Tucson. He says its chunky style makes it easy to get in and out of for a 58-year-old, and the interior is roomy.On the road it is quiet and feels very car-like, the auto works well, the cruise and air are good, but the 2.0-litre engine, while economical, could do with more grunt.John also says the dealer service is expensive. He was told at the 30,000 km that the power steering fluid was contaminated and needed replacing. It was not covered by warranty and cost $106. Worse, he says, was that he wad told that had he not replaced the fluid future claims might have been denied.Paul Anderson has traveled 80,000 km in his 2006 Tucson City auto, which he says has never missed a beat. It is very good value for money with a good level of standard equipment, has a flexible interior with the ability to fold the seats down flat for carrying gear, and is economical.Paul's only complaint, something he'd like fixed before he would buy another one, is the gearing in the auto."It takes forever to change up, and works very hard to change up from first to second, and to third in particular," he says.LOOK FOR. Heaps of equipment. Roomy, flexible interior. Choice of AWD or FWD. V8 grunt or economy of four. Good value-for-moneyTHE BOTTOM LINEA well-equipped, value-packed, competent and reliable wagon for the family on the go.RATING80/100

That way, families can still enjoy the flexible and large interior space that an SUV offers without the high petrol bill that an all-wheel-drive system and larger engine creates.Hyundai says the Tucson City is made for parents who run the kids to school or weekend sport, single women aged 25 to 35 or couples in the same age bracket.Instead of the plastic grey bumpers of some of the other compact SUVs, and the City's bigger brother Tucson, it gets refined colour-coded bumpers. The City badge on the rear is another feature to separate them.The City is 158kg lighter than the Tucson and saves nearly two litres of fuel per 100km with a claimed fuel economy of 9.2 litres/100km from the 2.0-litre powerplant shared with the Elantra.The City's most recent competition comes from Holden with the Astra and Viva wagons as well as Mitsubishi's Lancer Sportswagon and the Toyota Corolla wagon. But the City is also an alternative to some of the smaller hatches. While shorter in length than most of the wagons on the market, the City offers more interior cargo space. With the boot at waist level, it has easy access.The City's SUV advantages are a high-driving position and easy ingress and egress which eliminates the need to bend and strain the back to get small children in and out of the car. A negative is the tendency for body roll that comes with the SUV-style, although the City sits on a pretty good chassis so there is little body roll to speak of anyway.The 104kW, 184Nm engine does well to shift the 1467kg with starting acceleration sprightly off the line. Traction control helps acceleration in both wet and dry conditions.Under medium to harsh acceleration the small engine is a little noisy. It is noticeable on take-off, overtaking or accelerating uphill. The four-speed automatic is geared lower than the Tucson but does a good job and is rarely left hunting.The new model sits on 16-inch alloys and has a full-size alloy spare. Inside, it is almost identical to the Tucson, except for the missing 4WD lock button.The City has airconditioning, four-wheel disc brakes (front vented) with ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution, cruise control, power windows, mirrors and steering,roof rails and front and rear fog lights as standard features.One small gripe is the leather steering wheel. The smooth feel is nice but it lacks grips to hold when turning a corner. When the wheel slides between the hands the stitching tends to bite a bit.The lack of steering wheel-mounted stereo controls is a bit of a bugbear, especially when the company's baby car, the Getz has recently acquired them.The seats fold down to a flat floor and there is no need to remove the head restraints.The City has a lift-out, washable cargo area floor and washable backs of seats.There are plenty of storage places including four cupholders and four bottle holders.Safety is good with traction control, four body rollover hoops and dual front airbags.

Almost all of them are powered by four-cylinder engines. Buyers want something with a little off-bitumen ability but economical to run, plus they must be easy to drive and park.Hyundai claims to be the only one with a V6 engine priced under $30,000 in this category, although 4WD Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.5-litre V6 meets that criteria when it is being discounted.The Hyundai Tucson is a worthy addition to this AWD set. Its 2.7-litre V6 quad camshaft engine delivers 129kW power at 6000rpm and 241Nm of torque at 4000rpm. Tucson comes only with automatic transmission – a four-speed with sequential mode shift.Tucson normally runs as a front-wheel-drive. As soon as front wheel spin is detected, torque is sent also to the rear axle via an electro-mechanical clutch mounted just ahead of the rear limited-slip differential.For tricky going, the driver can hit a dashboard button to lock the torque to a 50-50 split front-rear.As it accelerates from 30km/h to 40km/h, the 50-50 lock progressively reverts to on-demand AWD.A second dash button allows the traction control to be disabled. This is handy when a certain amount of wheelspin is desirable such as in sandy beach driving.Tucson is very pleasant to be in and drives easily.It has a fresh, modern interior that is also practical.Even the front passenger seat back can fold forward flat to be used as a shelf.Ground clearance is 186mm and despite the mid-range Elite version having bitumen-biased tyres, the AWD system put it through light mud tracks and surprised with its competence on soft and cut-up beach sand.The willingness of the V6 engine is evident compared with four-cylinder rivals, but then, fuel consumption is a drop more, too.

That would cost about $90 in petrol, which by sheer coincidence is close to the price difference between the Hyundai Santa Fe and its barely smaller sister, the Hyundai Tucson.Naming its cars after historic western US cities is cute – though I'm nervously waiting for the Hyundai Tombstone, Lubbock or Pueblo – but needs some pronunciation lessons. Tucson is "too-son", not "tuck-son".The arrival of the Tucson produces a problem for Hyundai because it is similar in size, price and power to the long-standing Santa Fe.But the financial and physical closeness of the two Hyundai softroaders is temporary. The next model Santa Fe grows bigger to widen the gap and, as early as 2006, there's a much larger 4WD to outclass the Terracan.Tucson impresses as being more confident on the road than the Santa Fe, with better steering feedback – though still on the vague side – and crisper handling.The 2.7-litre V6 engine is shared with the other model, though feels livelier in the Tucson. But it gets thirsty when pushed.Both share a neat yet simple dashboard design, with lots of grey plastic relieved by the alloy-look centre console trim.The rather uninspiring dash isn't helped by a cabin decor of even more grey plastic, matched with grey cloth upholstery in the Elite as tested, overlaid with a pronounced plastic odour. Get over that and the Tucson is a pretty neat thing.It's a part-time 4WD, meaning it's a front-wheel-drive for dry bitumen work and automatically capable of directing power to the rear wheels when things get slippery.It drives well with good directional stability and pleasant steering wheel feedback.The visibility, thanks to big glass areas and the Tucson's height, is generally good, with guesswork required only for the front bumper.It seats four though, because of the vehicle's inflated height, feels airy even with three squashed along the rear seat.But best of all is this vehicle's versatility.Typically, the wagon design has split-fold rear seats enhanced by the fact the seats actually fold flat. There's shopping hooks at the back of the rear seats to stop plastic bags of groceries rocking and rolling in the rear.There's a cargo net plus tie-down hooks in the back to secure luggage. There's a tray beneath the front seat for extra items, plus enough cupholders to drown any thirst.The rear hatch includes a separate glass-only lift-up action to access smaller items.So the Tucson impresses as a sensible and versatile wagon.The car is well equipped. Even in standard it comes with electrics, cruise control and airconditioning, but gets better with the Elite version by adding an electric sunroof, side and curtain airbags, trip computer and leather-rimmed steering wheel.Personally, the standard model offers more for less.

Picnic basket, rugs, director's chairs complete with chair covers, my bag, his suitcase (yes, suitcase), an Esky, camera, cushions, food ... and the dog in her portable cot.Now, I better allow some space for a few cases of wine as well ...Hoorah for the Hyundai Tucson. All this wouldn't fit in my little hatchback. From the outside, this is a mid-size SUV yet it hosts a lively V6 2.7-litre engine, making it a powerful figure around the Barossa. Hop inside and it's like you've stepped into a large room because from the driver's seat, the boot looks a long way back.Yes, it's great for the long-legged varieties and great, too, for those of us who haven't learned to pack minimally. Luckily, there are plenty of storage pockets for maps, sunglasses, keys, books and small bags.In the back, there are even shopping bag hooks to keep perfect purchases in perfect place and I discover an under-seat tray for tucking items like shoes out of sight.Still searching for more storage pockets, I am pleased to find that one of the cup holders in the front – tucked neatly out of the way of the handbrake – can fit a 1.25-litre bottle. Very handy if you're hot and on a road trip. Anyway, back to the technical details. There's a choice between driving manually or in automatic mode for it has an electronic automatic transmission. Most of the time, I opt for convenience and keep it in auto while revelling in the Tucson's quiet efficiency.I am also feeling lazy, so I click on the cruise control and all that is left to do is sit back in its spacious seats and enjoy the scenery. And on the dirt road up to the B&B, the traction keeps me in control with a solid grip on the dusty gravel.Yes, the Tucson makes our journey very easy, perhaps because we are left wanting for little. Airconditioning keeps the heat at bay, the sunroof shows us what a beautiful day it is, while the CD player reminds that neither of us can sing.The dual vanity mirrors also let me know that after a few hours in a car, it's always time for a lipstick touchup, especially before you say hello to your hosts for the weekend.After all, good first impressions are imperative – especially when you may be coming home later that night a wee bit sozzled and may wake up your neighbours – but not in the Tucson, of course!And had I bought more wine than expected, I could have made use of the Tucson's ability to fold its seats completely flat – it is a thought I keep in the back of my mind as we pass winery after winery after winery ...Hyundai Tucson Elite THE rear window flips up without having to open the entire boot, which makes it easy to slip in bags, shopping or extras.ADJUSTABLE armrest that doubles as a centre console.THE plastic leather-look veneer on the dash looks a bit cheap.HEAVY on the fuel.