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| 2006 Hyundai Tucson GLS AWD (Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123) |
You know, a car's name serves a more important purpose than to simply fill a space on the back of its trunk lid. It's hard, this naming business, nowadays. If a carmaker stands up to the temptation to simply use a letter/number combination, its options are increasingly diminished. Dodge has weapons-related names, like the
upcoming Caliber, and current
Magnum. Animal names are done again and again, with
Mustangs, Vipers, Talons, Cougars and Cobras. There have been cars with names that work against them in other cultures like the infamous Chevy Nova and more recently the Buick Lacrosse, which is now called the Allure. I'm not sure why, though my French pals tell me it is for good reason. What about cars named after atmospheric conditions, like Storm, Lightning, Tornado or, for a complete lack of creativity, the new Sky, from Saturn which itself is named after a planet. Just a thought, but I think I'm going to start a car company called Mars Motors and name the resulting vehicles after former US presidents or some such thing. Honestly, where else can carmakers look for names anymore? On a map, that's where.
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| 2006 Hyundai Tucson GLS AWD (Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123) |
Tucson... Tucson... that's a town somewhere, in Arizona I think. It's a hot, rugged climate down there, and Hyundai has borrowed its name for their mini-ute. So this Tucson must be pretty hot. Sure is- it's a compact yet competent looking machine. It's got fog lamps, alloys and body-colored cladding. The leather and sunroof in my GLS AWD tester sure added some hotness to the interior. Rugged? Yep, that too. You get all wheel drive and a locking differential. It's got ground clearance like a small truck, and can tow 2000 pounds. (If your serious into towing, this isn't what you'll buy. 2000 pounds is enough, you could probably haul around a snow machine or two, or small boat within that range.) What is this Tucson for then?
To explain, let me teach you something about you. The younger you are in your adult life, the more you want a vehicle to express who you are, whether you know it on a conscious level or not. Marketing research tells us that this is especially true for young males, and especially so for those working in or training for public service jobs. So, all you firefighting / police / paramedic students out there, are you hot and rugged but on a budget?
Think of it like this: a car will drive you around, get you from A to B and add convenience to your life at school, at home or at work. It's certainly
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| 2006 Hyundai Tucson GLS AWD (Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123) |
better than a bus pass and a pair of Nikes. A hatchback or wagon lets you do all this with room for more things and people to accompany you along the way. A SUV does all of the above, while helping you to tackle nasty winter conditions, off-road trails and even the roughness of whatever densely populated metropolitan area you may happen to drive in frequently. No saggy-pantsed kid in a souped up Civic is going to cut you off or steal your parking space if you drive something twice as big as he does. SUV's are also nice if you like to camp or have a family cottage, or if you amuse yourself with an activity that requires larger equipment than golf-clubs or skis.
