The first thing that struck me as I got into the 2012 Hyundai Tucson is how far Hyundai has come since its introduction to our shores in the early 1980s. Hyundai’s first offering America in 1983 the Excel sold for right around $5,000 brand new. The engine was coarse, there was little if any sound insulation and it cornered like a grocery cart. The 2012 Hyundai Tucson on the other hand is a slick and nicely styled small crossover SUV, which comes with a ton of features for a very good price and competes well with most vehicles in its class.
I drove the 2012 Tucson GLS model which is below the Limited model, but above the base GL. For right around $23,000, the GLS came equipped with the larger engine option (the 2.4 4-cylinder instead of the base 2.0 4-cylinder), Bluetooth, iPod input, stability and traction control, a satellite radio, a 6-speed auto transmission and all wheel drive. The little SUV even came with side view mirror directional blinkers which were only available on the Limited in 2011.
The 2.4 liter motor is fairly smooth and doesn’t feel underpowered, however it is clear that the emphasis is on utility and not sport, which is fine with me. I was able to average over 30 mpg on the highway coming close to the EPA rating of 33 highway, even though the vehicle was new and not broken in yet. The 2012 model comes with low resistance tires to aid in fuel economy but the truck still handled very well when it came to stopping power and taking turns at speed. I liked the interior and rank it right up there with competitors such as Toyota’s Rav4 and ahead of Chevy’s Equinox. Gauges are easy to read and controls are easy to use and make sense to a first time user. The Tucson handles well and the sporty suspension is slightly on the firm side, so you may have a bit of a rough ride now and then if you drive in a city with a lot of pot holes, like New Orleans. However on a nice stretch of highway the suspension is a nice mixture of comfort and handling.
One thing you may want to note is that the back seat is a bit smaller than some of the Tucson’s competitors. If you have small children I wouldn’t really worry about it, but if you are looking to use this small SUV to drive around a bunch of older kids with sports gear and the like, then please look for something larger.
My final take away is that this is a very good little truck/car for the money and I would be happy to buy one if I was looking for something new right now. The fit and finish are quality, the vehicle tracks straight and true, and you really get a lot of useful features for the money. The time I spent behind the wheel of the Tucson was pleasant if not inspiring, but for this class of vehicle pleasant is a compliment. If you also take into account that technically this is a small truck with all wheel drive that gets over 30 MPG on the highway with an automatic transmission, I highly recommend this little SUV.