Benefiting mightily from the design-led transformation at Hyundai, the company’s compact SUV entry is a delightfully playful looking vehicle. In fact, in Japan the small SUV is called the Hyundai JM, for “Joyful Mover”.
Fortunately, the vehicle is also endowed with a strong feature set.
Currently in its second generation, in the minds of many, Tucson replaced Santa Fe in Hyundai’s lineup. But that is actually not the case. Though the first generation Santa Fe was similar in size to the current Tucson, Santa Fe has since grown in dimension and serves as Hyundai’s mid-size SUV entry.
Introduced in 2005, there have been two generations of the Tucson offered to date.
Used Hyundai Tucson: 2005 – 2009Considered somewhat dowdy by the rakish standards established for Hyundai’s automobiles these days, the original Tucson was something of a revelation for Hyundai when it was introduced as its compact dimensions housed some pretty significant bits of kit. Based on Hyundai’s Elantra of the day, it also shared the platform with Kia’s Sportage.
Two engines were offered with Tucson at launch; a 140-horsepower, 2.0-liter inline four producing 136 ft-lbs of torque and a compact 173-horsepower, 2.7-liter V6 generating 178 ft-lbs of torque. The V6 came with a four-speed automatic transmission. The 2.0-liter four could be had with either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. Also available with either engine was a choice of front-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive. Three trim levels were available, GL, GLS and LX. GLS and LX models ran the V6, while the GL was the sole domain of the inline four.
As standard equipment, the base (GL) Tucson offered:
• Variable intermittent wipers
• Privacy glass
• Rear defogger
• Intermittent rear wiper
• Roof rack
• Remote power door locks
• Power mirrors
• Heated mirrors
• One-touch power windows
• Cruise control
• Front console with storage
• Front and rear cupholders
• Front and rear door pockets
• Overhead console with storage
• Front seatback storage
• Power steering
• 12V front, 12V rear and 12V cargo area power outlet(s)
• Tilt-adjustable steering wheel
• Air conditioning
• Cargo area light
• Front reading lights
• Front, rear and cargo floor mats
• Dual vanity mirrors
• Six speakers
• 80-watt stereo amplifier
• AM/FM in-dash single CD player stereo
Used Hyundai Tucson: 2005 - 2009 TrimsStepping up to the GLS brought all of the above, plus a cargo net, premium cloth for the seats, leather trim for the shift knob and steering wheel, seven speakers, and a 140-watt amplifier. The LX model included heated driver and front passenger seats, leather upholstery, a 200-watt amplifier, an AM/FM in-dash six-CD player audio system, and a subwoofer.
Hyundai renamed the LX designation Limited for model year 2006. In 2007, the GL designation was dropped, GLS became the entry trim level, lost its V6 option, but kept all of its other equipment choices. The mid-level position formerly occupied by the GLS was dubbed SE and was a V6 only specification. The audio system was upgraded on the Limited model and MP3 capability was introduced. For 2008, active head restraints for front seat occupants and XM satellite radio was introduced to the Tucson lineup. The Limited trim level was offered with both four- and six-cylinder power, came pre-wired for telephones and got the six-disc changer as standard equipment. Options were a sunroof and Bluetooth connectivity.
Remarkably, the last year of production of the 1st generation Tucson was the one of its most change heavy model years. For 2009, Hyundai reworked various mechanical components to improve fuel economy, and a navigation system was offered. Tucson SE models equipped with four-wheel drive got heated seats as standard equipment and the sunroof was finally offered as standard equipment for the Limited.
Used Hyundai Tucson: 2010 A ground up redesign for the 2010 model year endowed the Tucson with exceptional good looks, a new engine, new transmissions and a simplified trim designation system. The GLS and Limited packages returned, the GL and SE did not. Within each of the two trim designations, there were sub-designations; GLS PZEV and Limited PZEV. The green-oriented among you will recognize PZEV as an acronym for Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle, which the Tucson’s alternate engine qualified it for.
That said, the primary engine choice for the 2010 Hyundai Tucson was a 176-horsepower, 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine generating 168 ft-lbs of torque. In PZEV configuration the engine made 170 horsepower and 163 ft-lbs of torque, while burning fuel more cleanly.
Transmission choices were a six-speed manual as standard equipment for front drive Tucsons. The all-wheel drive Tucson got a six-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment, but shared it as an option with front-drive models.
Used Hyundai Tucson: 2010 TrimsAs standard equipment, the base 2010 Hyundai Tucson GLS model offered:
• Variable intermittent wipers
• Rear defogger
• Intermittent rear wiper
• Height adjustable driver seat
• Height adjustable passenger seat
• Cloth upholstery
• Bucket front seats
• Split-folding rear seatback
• Remote power door locks
• Power mirrors
• One-touch power windows
• Front console with storage
• Front and rear cupholders
• Front and rear door pockets
• Overhead console with storage
• Front seatback storage
• Speed-proportional power steering
• 12V front and 12V cargo area power outlet(s)
• Tilt-adjustable steering wheel
• Interior air filtration
• Air conditioning
• Cargo area light
• Simulated alloy trim on dash
• Front reading lights
• Simulated alloy trim on shift knob
• Dual vanity mirrors
• Six speakers
• 160 watts stereo amplifier
• AM/FM in-dash single CD player with CD MP3 Playback stereo
• XM satellite radio
• Auxiliary audio input and iPod integration
• Three months of satellite radio service
• USB connection
Upgrading to the Limited got you all of the above plus; leather upholstery, a six-way power adjustable and heated driver’s seat, audio and cruise controls on the steering wheel, dual zone climate control, leather and simulated alloy trim on the shift knob and steering wheel, phone pre-wiring, and Bluetooth. On the safety front, the 2010 Tucson offered really cutting edge stuff; stability control, traction control and electronic brakeforce distribution were among the highlights.
Used Hyundai Tucson: Current Model (2011)For 2011, the GL trim set makes a reappearance as front-drive manual transmission only offering, this time featuring a 2.0-liter inline four making 165 horsepower and 146 ft-lbs of torque. Equipment that was previously offered optional for the GLS is folded into the standard mix, with a commensurate price bump.
Used Hyundai Tucson: SummaryOn the whole, either iteration of the Hyundai Tucson makes a decent used car buy. Hyundai’s always come really well equipped and they are generally bargain priced compared to the competition. For several years of Tucson production Hyundai offered a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, five years (from the date of manufacture) and 60,000 miles of which are transferable to subsequent owners — making the later model vehicles even more enticing on the used car market.
Also in Hyundai’s favor, is the relative dearth of recalls afflicting its vehicles. Still, some do exist and you should make it a point to investigate the model year of your choice with an Internet search for “Hyundai Tucson recall” And, of course, every used car should be subjected to a thorough pre-purchase inspection by a trusted professional mechanic, one fluent in the vehicle of your choice.
