Used 2021 Hyundai Tucson

The 2021 Hyundai Tucson doesn’t exactly redefine the compact SUV/crossover class. This corner of the automotive world rumbles with such titans as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Both roomy, mature, and resale-value kings. The Subaru Forester, meanwhile, is the darling of the Snow Belt. The Mazda CX-5 and Kia Sportage are pretty darn good as well.

Which obliges the Tucson to take a different approach. It has an unbeatable 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. It could also be said that the Tucson offers a more muscular engine and all-wheel drive, but plenty of rivals can make these claims as well. Handling-wise, the Mazda CX-5, and Ford Escape have that area covered.

Some of the Tucson’s driver aids in the higher trims, like adaptive cruise control and automatic high beams, are available at the entry level of some competitors. But the 2021 Tucson still represents good value for money, and owners won’t lose their shirts on it when the time comes to sell.

There are no big surprises or troublesome learning curves with the 2021 Tucson. It’s comfortable and quiet, and the suspension has been tuned to take corners with confidence, despite the vague steering feel. Sport trim’s 19-inch wheels tend to reduce ride quality and increase sound levels, so test-drive a few versions to find the ideal choice.

Selecting Sport mode from the drive settings tweaks the responses of the throttle and transmission for a little more fun. But acceleration is not a Hyundai Tucson strong point, not even with the optional 2.4-liter engine.

Generating only 181 horsepower, this motor lags far behind its turbocharged rivals. Power for low-speed passing maneuvers is accessible when required, thanks in part to the excellent 6-speed automatic transmission, but don’t expect any kind of breathtaking action beyond that.

A sensible dashboard houses simple controls for the climate and audio systems. At night, those controls have soft blue back-lighting. The digital display doesn’t overload the driver with too much information. A 7-inch infotainment touchscreen (measured diagonally) is also standard, going up to an 8-inch unit in the Ultimate. Limited and Ultimate trims have leather seating surfaces.

The rear seats are comfortable enough, even if passenger space back there is not class-leading. And the luggage area’s adjustable floor also includes storage for the cargo cover. With the rear seats in place, cargo space is 31 cubic feet. When folded, it’s 61.9 cubic feet.

The clean look of the 2021 Hyundai Tucson is arguably easy on the eye, especially for fans of Audi’s styling approach. There’s nothing wrong with a mainstream marque paying homage to something upscale and successful. It makes the commute more bearable and lets the owner feel good.

Beneath the styling is a chassis made up of more than 50 percent high-strength steel, contributing to the Tucson’s excellent safety credentials. SE and Value models ride on 17-inch wheels, while the SEL, Limited and Ultimate move up to 18s. The Sport trim rolls on 19-inch wheels.

HANDS-FREE SMART POWERED TAILGATE
No need to wave a foot under the bumper, simply approach the rear of the Tucson with the key fob in your pocket, wait a few seconds, and the tailgate opens automatically.

YES ESSENTIALS STAIN PROTECTION
The Tucson’s Yes Essentials seat fabric is a brilliant addition to an already nice cabin. Beyond repelling stains, the material also helps to reduce the build-up of odors and static electricity.

A lavish amount of standard equipment for the money has long been a hallmark for Hyundai. In ascending order, the 2021 Hyundai Tucson’s trim levels are SE, Value, SEL, Sport, Limited, and Ultimate.

SE starts off with a 164-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, front-wheel drive, 17-inch alloy wheels, heated/power-folding side mirrors, 6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, Bluetooth, and smartphone integration.

The obviously but aptly named Value trim adds blind-spot monitoring, an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, satellite radio, and keyless entry/ignition.

LED headlights and an Infinity audio system come in at the Sport level, while the Limited trim has leather seating surfaces, a heated steering wheel, and a 360-degree camera system. The Ultimate comes with an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, navigation, adaptive cruise control, and a panoramic sunroof.

All-wheel drive is optional in every trim level. The bigger 181-horsepower engine goes into the SEL trim and above.

To acquire other desirable extras — like pedestrian detection for the forward collision mitigation system, rain-sensing wipers, powered tailgate, panoramic sunroof, wireless device charging, and heated rear seats — buyers must look to the higher trim levels.

The base SE and Value Edition employ a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine making 164 horsepower. It does its job, but not in any noticeably refined manner. The rest of the range is propelled by a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 181 horsepower. Both engines connect to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

All-wheel drive (AWD) is available with either engine, replacing the standard front-wheel-drive (FWD) setup.

2.0-liter inline-4
161 horsepower @ 6,200 rpm
150 lb-ft of torque @ 4,700 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 23/28 mpg (FWD), 22/25 mpg (AWD)

2.4-liter inline-4
181 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
175 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/28 mpg (FWD), 21/26 mpg (AWD)