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Hyundai Tucson

EPA MPG: 24 mpg
Average Retail Price
$4,875 - $6,975

RECALL ALERT:
There are 3 recalls on this vehicle. Learn More.

Road Test

The Tucson handles responsively and securely. Its civilized powertrain yields good fuel economy. The Hyundai also has a reasonably spacious and well-trimmed interior with easy-to-use controls. However, a stiff ride and pronounced road noise take away from the driving experience. Further, the swoopy styling robs cargo space and inhibits the view to the rear.

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2012 SUVs Reliability

This Car
NA
vs. Similar Cars

Crash and Rollover Tests

IIHS Front Moderate Overlap
Good
IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver
Poor
IIHS Side Crash
Good
NHTSA Overall Crash
NHTSA Overall Frontal-Crash
NHTSA Overall Side-Crash

Crash and Rollover Tests

IIHS Front Moderate Overlap
Good
IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver
Poor
IIHS Side Crash
Good
NHTSA Overall Crash
NHTSA Overall Frontal-Crash
NHTSA Overall Side-Crash

Hyundai vs. Other New Car Brands

Hyundai vs. Other New Car Brands

Crash and Rollover Tests

IIHS Front Moderate Overlap
Good
IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver
Poor
IIHS Side Crash
Good
NHTSA Overall Crash
NHTSA Overall Frontal-Crash
NHTSA Overall Side-Crash

2012 Compact SUVs Ratings

$4,875 - $6,975
economy-icon
EPA MPG 24 mpg
Road test
Reliability
Owner Satisfaction
$4,725 - $5,025
economy-icon
EPA MPG NA
Road test
Reliability
Owner Satisfaction
$5,325 - $6,050
economy-icon
EPA MPG 20 mpg
Road test
Reliability
Owner Satisfaction
$5,275 - $6,725
economy-icon
EPA MPG 20 mpg
Road test
Reliability
Owner Satisfaction
$5,275 - $6,725
economy-icon
EPA MPG 28 mpg
Road test
Reliability
Owner Satisfaction
Features & Specs
Body Style
    4-door SUV
Seating
2 front, 3 rear
Drive Wheels
AWD, Front
Engines Available
  • 2-liter 4 (165 hp)
  • 2.4-liter 4 (170 hp)
  • 2.4-liter 4 (176 hp)
Transmissions Available
  • 6-speed automatic
  • 5-speed manual
Warranty
Coverage varies among versions of this vehicle

In most cases, automotive warranties are based on the vehicle identification number (VIN), and the warranty will be valid regardless of ownership. The dealership can tell you exactly how much warranty is left.

Read more about extended warranties
Model History
2022-
Current Generation

The redesigned fourth-generation Tucson compact SUV is much more substantial than the mediocre model it replaces. With the standard 187-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder teamed with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the Tucson has a polished operation but accelerates leisurely. The hybrid’s pairing of a 1.6-liter turbo engine and electric assist got 35 mpg overall in our tests. The ride is firm yet steady, handling is responsive and secure, and the nicely-trimmed cabin is relatively quiet. The back seat is roomy and the cargo area is generous for the class. Controls are easy to use. But higher trims replace physical volume and temperature knobs with touch-sensitive controls and a push-button gear selector. Standard active safety features include FCW, AEB with pedestrian detection, BSW, LDW, and LKA. Adaptive cruise control became standard in 2023 and remote parking is optional.

2016-2021
2016 Redesign Year

The redesigned-for-2016 Tucson shares only its name with the previous generation. Now it's more inline with the larger Santa Fe Sport and Santa Fe SUVs. The overall package is more competitive against the segment leaders. The base version has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, linked to a six-speed automatic. This version is rather slow and returned 24 mpg overall. More expensive trims get a 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder that uses a seven-speed automated manual transmission. This quieter and quicker setup returned 26 mpg overall, but it suffers from a vibration at very low speed, such as in parking maneuvers. Otherwise, ride comfort is pliant and composed, handling is responsive and secure, and the cabin is quiet. Controls are easy to use, and the rear seat is roomy. The Tucson has available lane departure warning, blind-spot warning, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking. A new 181-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed automatic arrived in 2018. In our tests, it was faster than the 2.0-liter but returned only 22 mpg overall. The Tucson got a freshening for 2019 which included replacing the previous top-level engine choice (1.6-liter turbo mated to a clunky seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission) with a 2.4-liter and a regular automatic. A few interior touches, such as an electronic parking brake, were introduced as well.

2010-2015
2010 Redesign Year
A decided improvement over its predecessor, the Tucson's 2010 to 2015 version was practical. However it was an also-ran in the crowded small SUV space. The only engine was a 2.4-liter four cylinder, which supplied decent acceleration, but tended to be noisy and unpleasant when pushed. It got 22 mpg overall. Handling was secure and responsive, but the ride was stiff and road noise pronounced. Cabin furnishings are quite basic with hard plastics, but controls are easy to use. This generation's styling also compromised cargo space and severely hampered outward visibility. While this generation did better in crash tests than pre-2010 models, it did poorly in the IIHS narrow offset crash test.
2005-2009
2005 Redesign Year
This version of the Tucson doesn't have much going for it. Crash protection wasn't up to snuff; the standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is not very zippy and is rather noisy. The optional 2.7-liter V6 delivers decent acceleration, but fuel economy is unimpressive. Handling is clumsy, but secure thanks to the standard stability control. The ride is fairly comfortable, but marred by suspension noise. Basically, skip this generation, look to the next one for a better execution all around.