The Hyundai Tucson straddles the line between the crowded small crossover car segment and the rapidly growing gaggle of compact crossovers. It's a few inches shorter than popular crossovers like the Honda CR-V, the Toyota RAV4, and Hyundai's own Santa Fe Sport. Yet the Tucson is larger than the new breed of subcompact crossovers like the Honda HR-V and the Mazda CX-3. In addition to combining the utility and relative interior room of small crossovers with the fuel efficiency and parking ease of compact crossovers, the all-new 2016 Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD also stands out for its sleek new styling, roomy interior, and energetic turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. It also boasts the best active safety in the segment.
How Much?
Pricing for the 2016 Hyundai Tucson starts at $22,700 for the base SE model and goes up to $31,300 for the top-of-the-line Limited AWD that we tested. In between are the Eco trim that starts at $24,150 and the Sport at $26,150. Our Limited tester also came with the $2,750 Ultimate Package option and $125 carpeted floor mats. With a destination and handling charge of $895, the total sticker came to $35,070.
What Does It Come With?
The 2016 Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD we tested comes equipped with a 1.6-liter, turbocharged 175-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine and a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission that sends power to all four wheels. Standard features include 17-inch alloy wheels, body-color side mirrors with turn signals, roof side rails, front solar glass and rear privacy glass, hill start assist, lane change assist, blind spot detection with rear cross traffic alert, a rearview camera, a six-way adjustable driver's seat, keyless entry and ignition, a hands-free liftgate, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.
Tech includes Bluetooth for phone and audio, Hyundai's Blue Link telematics system, and an 8-inch color touch-screen head unit with navigation, AM/FM HD Radio, satellite radio, CD, USB and aux-in ports, as well apps for Pandora Internet Radio and Soundhound.
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The $2,750 Ultimate Package option adds HID adaptive headlights, lane departure warning, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, rear parking sensors, a panoramic sunroof, front LED map lights, a 4.2-inch color instrument cluster display, ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats.
How's the Tech?
The 8-inch head unit that's standard on the 2016 Tucson Limited is the largest available in the segment, allowing for a logical layout of controls and menus, making the interface easy to use. A My Menu page can also be configured so that the most frequently used features are quickly accessible. Like similar Hyundai systems, the Tucson Limited only offers two apps: Pandora and Soundhound. We've never seen much of a need for Soundhound and consider it more of a novelty, since music metadata is already displayed for onboard sources, but it does have unique features such as search and chart info for the musically curious.
The navigation system has Yelp and Google local search, while other connected features such as weather, fuel, and traffic info are provided by SiriusXM Travel Link, although these are all subscription-based, and can get pricey.
The Blue Link system offers typical telematics features such as automatic crash notification and stolen vehicle assistance, as well as atypical ones such as curfew, speed, and valet alerts that can be sent to a mobile device.The tech that really makes the 2016 Tucson stand out from the competition is its wealth of cutting-edge driver assists, the most comprehensive in the segment and much of it standard equipment. We like the extra flexibility, such as the ability to adjust the sensitivity for the forward collision warning system.
How Does It Perform?
The 2016 Tucson's engine offers good acceleration as well as great gas mileage (24mpg city/28mpg highway), while the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is remarkable for its smooth and quick shifts. The vehicle is well-composed in most driving situations and handles curves well. The Drive Mode Select feature allows you to choose between Sport and Eco modes (in addition to the default Normal) to either adjust the acceleration and transmission timing to be more aggressive or slightly subdued for better gas mileage.
Should I Buy It?
The 2016 Hyundai Tucson is an excellent choice for buyers who are trying to decide between a small crossover like the Ford Escape and a compact crossover like the Nissan Rogue ($29,520.00 at Truecar) . And the Limited trim we tested adds a wealth of standard features–including advanced driver assists–that cost more with most competitors. So while the 2016 Hyundai Tucson Limited fits between two segments, it also fills a niche like few other vehicles can.
The 2016 Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD crossover stands out for its sleek new styling and roomy interior, and boasts the best active safety in the segment.
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