The ride is quite good overall and well behaved. Its chassis feels very solid. Even when driving over large bumps and rough roads, the truck held together, and best of all, there were no rattles. There is a firmness and stability that is unexpected in a vehicle of this price range that makes the drive almost rewarding. I would go so far as to say that it offers a better compromise of comfort and handling than the CR-V.
The original equipment Bridgestone Tires of the Sportage are very noisy at highway speeds. The Tucson was shod with winter tires so the comment does not apply. Otherwise, the cabin was a serene environment where normal level conversations could be held. Out of five driven Sportages and Tucsons, only one had a small door rattle.
Steering is sufficiently precise for a vehicle of this category. The Sportage felt as though its turn-in was crisper, but I believe that this is due to Tucson being equipped with the Nokkian winter tires. The brake pedal is generally firm; however there is very little feedback from the pedal. It can be difficult to modulate in brisk stopping situations. The ABS brakes had a tendency to behave oddly. On one such occasion, I was coming to a stop on a slippery surface and suddenly the ABS pump began working. I lost the use of the brakes and found myself slowly coasting through an intersection. These vehicles, like most SUVs and minivans, are sensitive to crosswinds.
Safety
The Tucson has standard dual front air bags, ABS brakes, traction and
stability control; all this in a $20,000 vehicle. The Sportage has all of the above including 4 standard air bags (side and side curtain) for the same price. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) have not yet crash tested the Hyundai Tucson.
Conclusion
The Hyundai Tucson and its clone, the Kia Sportage, are really out to get the buyers of the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. What the Hyundai and Kia lack in interior refinement and quality of materials, they make up with a responsive and solid chassis and a very aggressive pricing program as well as an excellent 5 year warranty. At the moment, I think these are the best Hyundais and Kias offered and they could easily creep into the compact station wagon sales thanks to their generous cargo capacity and their very reasonable fuel consumption (4-cylinder).
At $19,995 for a base FWD GL model, the only feature not included in the Tucson is cruise control whereas the Sportage has it. Otherwise, you will find power door locks, mirrors and windows, a CD/MP3 player, 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, stability and traction control and 16" alloy wheels in both of them. Let me put it this way: the price for a fully equipped Tucson GLS AWD or a Kia Sportage EX AWD is nearly the same price as a base Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4 with the optional automatic transmission.
A base Mazda Tribute, with less equipment, is $4,500 more. Same thing for the Ford Escape...$3,000 gets you a shorter list of standard features.
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Steering is sufficiently precise for a vehicle of this category. The Sportage felt as though its turn-in was crisper, but I believe that this is due to Tucson being equipped with the Nokkian winter tires. The brake pedal is generally firm; however there is very little feedback from the pedal. It can be difficult to modulate in brisk stopping situations. The ABS brakes had a tendency to behave oddly. On one such occasion, I was coming to a stop on a slippery surface and suddenly the ABS pump began working. I lost the use of the brakes and found myself slowly coasting through an intersection. These vehicles, like most SUVs and minivans, are sensitive to crosswinds.
Safety
The Tucson has standard dual front air bags, ABS brakes, traction and
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Conclusion
The Hyundai Tucson and its clone, the Kia Sportage, are really out to get the buyers of the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. What the Hyundai and Kia lack in interior refinement and quality of materials, they make up with a responsive and solid chassis and a very aggressive pricing program as well as an excellent 5 year warranty. At the moment, I think these are the best Hyundais and Kias offered and they could easily creep into the compact station wagon sales thanks to their generous cargo capacity and their very reasonable fuel consumption (4-cylinder).
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A base Mazda Tribute, with less equipment, is $4,500 more. Same thing for the Ford Escape...$3,000 gets you a shorter list of standard features.