2006 Hyundai Tucson Road Test - CarsDirect

Contents

Introduction
Walkaround
Interior Features
Driving Impressions
Final Word

Introduction

For tip-toeing over a narrow, rocky trail to your favorite fishing hole, a small and nimble vehicle may offer real virtues. And for the even more common SUV duties of urban commuting and suburban child-rearing, something small, affordable, and easy on gas is more sensible than a behemoth.

The Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V pioneered the compact SUV market, which Ford soon came to dominate with its Escape. Hyundai staked a claim in this territory a few years ago with the slightly larger Santa Fe; then added the Tucson for 2005 to take on the RAV4 and CR-V more directly.

The 2006 Hyundai Tucson features some minor appearance revisions and a new flagship Limited model.

The Tucson is a good choice among compact SUVs. It's not the best of them, but it's comparable to the other vehicles in this class, including those from the big brand names. We hope that answers your first question about the Tucson. To answer your second question, Hyundai quality has been quite good in recent years. In fact, Hyundai is so confident of this that it offers the longest bumper-to-bumper warranty in the business, five years or 60,000 miles. J.D. Power and Associates, which surveys owners on product quality, rated Tucson as the highest-quality all-new model for 2005. That does not mean the Tucson is the best quality vehicle available in dealer showrooms today, but it is an indication that Tucson buyers haven't had many problems with their new vehicles.

Safety features on the Tucson include electronic stability control, four-wheel antilock disc brakes (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), and traction control. That's impressive list of active safety features. Add to that six airbags, including side-impact airbags for torso protection and side curtain airbags designed to provide head protection for passengers in both rows. Tucson has earned a five-star safety rating from the U.S. government in front and side impacts. Tucson is the lowest-cost vehicle you can buy with this level of safety features.

Walkaround

Hyundai's larger SUV, the Santa Fe, has always drawn mixed reviews for its styling; some like its unusual curvy lines while others think it's goofy-looking. Although the Hyundai Tucson is built on the same platform as Santa Fe, it is a fraction of an inch longer in wheelbase and seven inches shorter overall, creating very different proportions and a totally different look. Where Santa Fe is elongated, Tucson is stubby and cute, not dissimilar from the Honda CR-V.

The Tucson has clean lines with a relatively big grille up front and headlamps that blend in well with the hood line and edges of the fenders. The front bumper is a large one-piece molding that begins just below the grille, houses three large air openings and two fog lights (on models that have them) and then forms a spoiler at the bottom. Yet in profile this impressive piece of plastic barely protrudes in front of the grille opening. At the back, the outer edges of the rear bumper reaches up to the tail lights; this bumper sticks out a few inches, adding protection.

Tucson's rear tailgate slopes forward, avoiding the van-like vertical look of many other small SUVs. The rear window can be opened separately from the main tailgate although it is not very big, making it ineffective for loading much more than small light stuff.

GLS comes with lower body cladding that runs from the front bumper, around the fenders and along the lower edges of the doors, to the rear bumper. Finished in matte black, the cladding is not too obtrusive. Limited features a monochromatic look, with body-color cladding as well as the same body-color mirrors and door handles as the GLS.

All models come with 16-inch alloy wheels; although the wheels on GLS and Limited are more intricately styled. A roof rack and tinted windows are also standard on all models.

Even though Tucson is not intended for serious off-road driving, it does have relatively short front and rear overhangs for improved clearance. This is largely thanks to the Tucson's long wheelbase, fractionally longer than that of the Honda CR-V or Ford Escape, even though both of those vehicles are several inches longer overall. Tucson's longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs is a sign of superior design. The Tucson also has a relatively wide track, which helps improve its stability.

Driving Impressions

We had the opportunity to drive a few different Tucson variants, all powered by the V6 engine. Around town and out on open highways the 173-horsepower V6 delivers adequate power for what is a relatively heavy vehicle for its size. This engine features variable-length intake runners for good power and torque across the rpm band.

The four-speed automatic shifts smoothly. Those who want to be more in command can push the shift lever over to the Shiftronic semi-manual mode. Just a few years ago such an option was only offered on high-end sports cars.

The steering felt connected, although a tad light in feel.

The brakes were smooth and stopped the vehicle efficiently. ABS keeps the wheels from locking up and sliding on slippery or uneven surfaces, so the driver maintains steering control even in a panic stop. EBD adjusts the front-to-rear proportioning of braking force according to the load on the wheels and continuously adjusts as the weight shifts forward during a stop. Again, this kind of sophisticated active safety equipment was the exclusive province of expensive cars just a few years ago.

A brief drive along a rocky dirt track showed that the Tucson can manage some light off-highway duty. Without low gearing and aggressive off-road tires it was not able to climb a really steep slippery slope. But judging from the old skid marks we found, it didn't look as though many other vehicles had managed to get up that particular slope, either.

A downhill stretch of smooth, slippery, muddy gravel road nearly afforded an opportunity to test the electronic stability control system. But then we eyed the high crown in the middle of the road, and the deep ditches on either side, and decided that this was not the place to try to induce a slide. We did, however, proceed at a reasonably brisk pace, and not once did we feel our Tucson begin to slip. So perhaps the stability control was working so transparently that we did not realize it had engaged.

We drove both four-wheel-drive and front-wheel-drive models on pavement, and somewhat to our surprise found that we liked the ride and handling of the 4WD versions slightly better. This might seem counterintuitive, but it was probably because the 4WD models pack a little more weight over their rear wheels, making them better balanced overall, even though they are slightly heavier. What's more, the 4WD models didn't spin their front wheels on wet and slippery roads, as the FWD models tended to do. All told, the 4WD option is worthwhile and we recommend getting it.

The four-wheel-drive system is a part-time setup, but once engaged it operates more like full-time all-wheel-drive, automatically routing power to the end of the vehicle that can use it best. (Unlike all-wheel drive, traditional part-time 4WD, the kind associated with older pickup trucks, does not alter the torque split according to conditions.) Most of the time the electronic brain sends most of the power (up to 99 percent) to the front wheels. Then as road conditions change the system diverts up to 50 percent of the power to the rear wheels. Called Electronic InterActive Torque Management, Tucson's Borg Warner system is essentially the same system Hyundai installs in the AWD Santa Fe, except that Tucson provides an additional mode that allows the driver to lock in a 50/50 torque split for really slippery conditions. The lock automatically disengages above 20-25 mph, or when the ABS is activated.

We did not have the opportunity to drive the base GL model with a four-cylinder engine. This is a relatively sophisticated power plant, with four valves per cylinder and Hyundai's continuously variable valve timing (CVVT). Still, it produces only 140 horsepower at 6000 rpm, and 136 pound-feet of torque at 4500. Judging from the modest performance of the V6-powered Tucson, we expect anemic acceleration from the four-cylinder, especially when harnessed to an automatic transmission or four-wheel drive. Possi

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