Overview & Reviews

A compact crossover SUV, the Hyundai Tucson is aimed at buyers seeking the tall ride height and cargo convenience of a utility vehicle in a small, affordable package. Introduced for the 2005 model year, the Tucson has always offered a generous list of standard equipment and a lengthy warranty.

Although early versions of this Hyundai crossover have a decidedly budget feel, 2010 and later Tucsons have distinctive exterior styling and a slick interior to match. Acceleration and handling are also much better on the newer models, and fuel economy is significantly improved. Recent Tucson models are worth consideration if you're shopping for a used small crossover.

User Reviews:

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  buy it - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By bobbyg - December 23 - 6:56 pm

  great suv fun to drive,decent mpg,easy to maintain.very roomy and great design on the folddown seats.buy one,you wont find a better value in a suv.

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  Love This Car, Perplexed By Other Reviews - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By J Wend - December 17 - 11:02 pm

  I guess each car is different, which is why I made sure I did a nice long test drive on my specific Sport Model Tucson with the Turbo engine. My CUV decision was down to the Mazda CX-5 Touring and the Tucson Sport. I wanted the Sport/Touring models because both have the blind spot lane detection systems as well as the backup camera with rear cross traffic warning (like when you back up in a parking lot and someone is coming perpendicular to you). I had ruled out the Nissan Rogue and Honda CR-V based on rides, options and/or price. The Tucson was hands down the best LOOKING CUV, but I was not going to allow that to be my decider. I took the reviews into consideration, and even discussed them at the dealership. None of the salespeople had heard about the lurching issue, and several suggested premium gas really wasnt needed to assist "turbo lag". Maybe my Tucson had this "firmware" fix some other poster had mentioned. At a stop, I will concede that when I lift the brake, the car will start to move, but it is not a lurch, it is a very slow creep and it is temporary. My old Nissan Murano would creep when I let off the brake. Our 2014 Rogue does the same. Maybe people have different perceptions, I dont know. I have fortunately not seen it. I also have had no issues at all with Turbo lag, but will admit that one model I did test drive (I think it was the Limited, but it was the same turbo engine I have) did have a tiny stutter on a few occasions. Mine --- none at all! I have had the car about 3+ weeks now, and close to 1k miles. I love it, It is a very pleasant ride. Smooth, quiet, crisp. The layout and controls are very nice on the interior, and I love the XM Satellite option. I wish there were reviews written about any and all CUVs in terms of AWD. I am from Ohio, and AWD is important to me. No one seemed to comment if this car or any other performs well in snow. but it has been a mild winter. I am hoping it performs, but I really cant say. I do love the 19" wheels and alloy rims. Very sporty This car has really been a pleasant purchase from my experience. I really feel I made a great decision, and I will admit I was feeling a bit leery reading some Edmunds.com comments. But I just dont (thankfully) have anything but positive things to say about this CUV so far. Maybe that will change over time, but I do like the 10 year 100,000 mile warranty and roadside assistance, Both nice, Just to show my impartiality, I do have one disappointment so far. Oddly the option I told my wife I was least interested in has become a favorite of mine. The sport and higher models come with front and passenger heated seats. I was kind of like "meh, what a wimpy option" - just seemed like something else that could break over time......well, my only beef with the Tucson has been that it take a long time for the engine to warm and move the thermo needle off cold. I find myself about a good 8 minutes into a drive at least before it moves. So, those heated seats have been a darn nice option these last few days keeping my AZZ and back warm waiting for the heat to crank. Wish it warmed faster, but now I just start it a few minutes in my garage before I leave........but thats my one complaint. I love the comfort of this car, I love the look of the car, And it does indeed glide, quiet as can be at high speed on the highway. My advice? Test, test, test yourself. Test the exact car you are going to buy; maybe there are subtle differences from engine to engine. I think I got the best bang for my buck with this car!

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  excellent!!! - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By dvid - November 27 - 1:00 pm

  Fun to drive, especially with shiftronics. I also love the 4 wheel drive lock mode I can use in slippery places instead of waiting for the "real-time" mode that many other SUVs use to kick in. Great looking vehicle, always get compliments wherever I go. Test drove CR-V among others and this is the best looking, best performing out of em all with many many features not to mention a 100000 mile warranty. E.g. front passenger seat that automatically turns off the air-bag if the passenger is less than 100lb, air bags in the back for side impacts, heated wipers..and so forth.

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  Very disappointed with this car - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Stacey B - November 27 - 1:38 am

  Lets start with the good.... The style and the look of this car is very nice and eye pleasing. The features this car offers with the Limited and the ultimate package Is great. The two tone interior is appealing to all who see it and the seats are very comfortable. I love the heat/cooled seats in front and the heated seats in the back. The gas mileage has been good to, better than I expected. The only little thing is the Remote start through Blue Link... When starting it the heated seats dont come on, and the flashers continually flash until you get in car or it shuts off after the 10 mins. This is very annoying...I have had my neighbors call me saying something is wrong with your car, stores, work and restaurants ask who owns that vehicle with the flashing lights. This causes more attention to your vehicle when its running with no one In it. This can cause more ease for someone to find your empty car and try and steal it. Not smart on Blue Links part. This is a feature that cost you $200 a year because you have to pay for the Connected Care package to get the Remote Start, which both cost you $99 each per year. Now, I love the fact that you can lock your doors, start your car and so on via satellite, however the attention that the lights bring to your vehicle is not good and makes me not want to pay for this feature yearly. Again money taken away from Blue Link. Many people have been complaining about this for a long time and they wont change it. :( Now the bad..... I have 4000 miles on this car and already have had it in the shop 5 times! Ive had problems with the car shaking and vibrating over 55 miles per hour, tires never staying balanced, transmission hesitation and lag and absolutely NO kick down power. I still have problems daily but so tired of bringing it back weekly. No pickup and or kick down in "Eco" & "Normal" modes.... When at HWY speeds when you need to step on the gas for quick acceleration good luck with that as there is massive hesitation (RPMs jump up to 5/6 before the car even begins to start to move which is about a 5 second delay) and no speed pick up. Ive noticed that if I want a pick up I have to switch to the "Sport" mode. When you are in a quick decision moment you dont have time to think of switching it and this is Very dangerous. The jerking and lack of power when taking off from a stop is very frustrating. When slowing down to a stop sometimes the car seems like its going to die as the RPMs flutter and car Boggs down. I had it to dealer and the say its because the dual transmission is staying in second gear and thats normal. Well if thats the case then when Im at a stop light for a minute and I take off it stays in second and never shifts to 1st... Dos that sound normal to you? The vibration at higher speeds is horrible . Had tires rotated and balanced 2 times already and it till has not fixed the problem. Dealership doesnt seem to find t to be that big of a deal. When its your car and you drive it daily...you know when sometime has changed and or not running right. Since day 1 when putting car in reverse and then to drive, there is a clunking popping sound from the back of car after it hits about 20 mph. Had that looked at 3 times and they cant figure it out. Its odd because the car has to be shut off for at least 20 mins (each time you drive it) for this to happen.. The said the last time I brought it in, they had another new one on the lot and it did the same thing.... Well thats is not true, as I drove 2 other new ones and they do NOT do it. So not sue what they are talking about. Overall I regret buying this car, and the money I spent on it I should be excited to get it and drive it everyday, but sadly I am not. I was on the fence buying this car in the first place, but the one I test drove had no issues and the one they ordered for me was terrible after a few days of driving it. I have bought many many cars in my life and this has Ben far on the crap list along with the new Fusion I bought when they first came out! If I knew then what I know now, well lets say I wouldnt be writing this review.

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  This car is unsafe to drive - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Lenny - November 22 - 8:20 pm

  I test drove this car righ after this model arrived at my local dealership. Liked everything about the car except one fatal flow - the DCT transmission failed to move the car from the intersection when the light changed to green for about 5 seconds after I depressed the pedal. The dealer made an awkward attempt to convey that this is normal for this transamission type. I turned around, drove back to the dealeship and parted our ways. If I ever drive this car agin - I would like to invite the company management family members for a ride along and see if they value the lives of their loved once the same way they value the lives of their customers. Please stay away from this car - it may get you killed.

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  Not the dual clutch transmission I had in my VW CC - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Art - November 22 - 8:20 pm

  The dual clutch transmission in the Hyundai Tucson is a piece of junk. Ive had 2 VW CCs and their dual clutch transmission worked flawlessly. The nightmare of a transmission in the Hyundai is unsafe at any speed. Sometimes you cant get the car to move, prompting horns to honk when the light turn s green. Other times it leaves the line like a dragster as the tires spin and Im shot off like a rocket. Ive read the other reviews and this car is not safe to be on the road. If Hyundai cant fix the issue, they should buy the car back. Im not one to depend on the Federal Government for anything except more problems, but in this case the NHTSA needs to step in and help the consumer.

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  So good! - 2007 Hyundai TUCSON
  By allgood - November 16 - 1:56 am

  I test drove all the compact SUVs on the market and finally decided on the Tucson. I never would have considered a Hyundai, didnt know anything about them as they are not widely driven in my area, but was suggested by a friend in another state because of the warranty. I read every review out there and liked what I read. I loved the car when I drove it, and it had all the options I wanted standard that I would pay thousands extra for in my other choices (Subaru Forester and Jeep Patriot were my top 2). I prefered the gas mileage and styling of the Patriot and reliabilty of the Forester, but when it came down to it the Tucson won out overall. It is a very stylish car and fun to drive.

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  Back For Another One! - 2010 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Elyse - November 13 - 3:03 am

  I bought a Tucson in 2005 (its first year) being a bit hesitant at that time of the brand, but wanting a SUV and loving the affordable price. Well after five years, 100,000 miles, and NOTHING ever going wrong with it, I decided to buy a new one. With its new slicker exterior and interior, the 2010 has a bit more to offer. I opted for the all wheel drive this time, and the ride isnt as smooth, but the added features have been nice.

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  Its Grrrrrrrrrreat!!!!! - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Jim - November 12 - 7:26 am

  This is one SUV that offers a luxury SUV feel with out the luxury SUV price. Great suspension, and gas mileage makes this car a great buy. I have ridden in other expensive SUVs but none compare to the feel of the Tucson. If I had to do it all again I would still go in the same direction.

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  Never again - 2009 Hyundai TUCSON
  By lb401 - November 10 - 2:56 pm

  Gas mileage is terrible considering similar SUVs with larger engines get the same or better. SUV that drives like an SUV... not a problem for me, but not a good vehicle to learn in. Would never buy another.