2020 Hyundai Tucson At A Glance

For just over 15 years, the Hyundai Tucson has been a value- and content-packed compact crossover. Its success is no accident.

Fresh from a facelift and a few other tweaks for 2019, the 2020 Hyundai Tucson soldiers on into the second decade of the 21^st as a popular compact SUV for those who prioritize functionality and content above all.

Hyundai enters the compact SUV field with an ever dynamic-looking vehicle at a price point that slightly undercuts many of its major rivals. Even with a lower starting price, the 2020 Hyundai Tucson is loaded with all the trimmings, from a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, keyless entry and far more.

The Tucson is available with one of two 4-cylinder engines with a standard 6-speed automatic transmission and with the possibility of selecting FWD or AWD. Once this is sorted out, the top-line Tucson Ultimate is equipped to near-luxury SUV levels with a comprehensive battery of active safety features, an Infinity audio system, ventilated front seats, leather, 19-inch wheels and more for less than $40,000.

It can be difficult to select the right compact SUV for your needs as this segment is among the most crowded in the industry. The 2020 Hyundai Tucson certainly holds its own however here’s are some points you need to consider.

Things the 2020 Hyundai Tucson does well

With a starting price under $26,000, the 2020 Hyundai Tucson is one of the least financially painful ways to get a small SUV in your driveway.
The available 2.4-litre 4-cylinder engine provides decent power and responsiveness without any penalties as far as fuel consumption when compared to the 2.0-litre with AWD.
Unlike other recent Hyundai products, the Tucson’s styling is nice. It won’t age as rapidly as the new Sonata or Santa Fe.
The cabin is quite well appointed. Hyundai works very hard on first impressions and these efforts shine through with quality fit and finish and functional ergonomics.

Things the 2020 Hyundai Tucson doesn’t do so well

When compared to the majority of the competition, the 2020 Hyundai Tucson suffers from a small cargo area.
Although the 2.0-litre allows for a lower price point, its fuel consumption is equal to that of the 2.4-litre when AWD is selected. The provided data shows a 10.1L/100km which is among some of the highest numbers in the segment.
Medium-term reliability remains a concern especially for those who plan on keeping their Hyundai Tucson more than four years.

What we tell our friends

The issue that comes up more often than not with recent late-model Hyundais (and Kias) is that they don’t stand the test of time. The problem is that these vehicles are stars at initial quality but most owners typically intend on holding on to their vehicle longer than a year or two. We’ve seen and experienced a number of recent Hyundai products with disturbing rattles or worse after only three years and average mileage. And these are the least important bugs with many of these vehicles.

Again, there are so many options in the segment that the Hyundai Tucson lands mid-pack at best on our list of top compact crossovers. With the heavy-hitting and nearly flawless Toyota RAV4 in the game, spending about $2,000 more for a similar package works out to be a near guarantee of satisfaction. Plus, over a 5-year finance term, it’s peanuts per month.

The Subaru Forester, Honda CR-V (despite various bugs over the last 18 months or so) and the Nissan Rogue all have tremendous arguments in their respective favour.