Great value
My 2023 Hyundai Tuscon SEL is a great value. At first, I had no intention of buying a Hyundai, but a test drive changed my mind. It drives well, is quiet, and has many of the features I want, but at a price far below comparable models from other brands. I researched Toyota RAV4 (which was my previous vehicle), Honda CRV, Subaru Forester, KIA Sportage, and also Toyota Camry AWD (I previously owned one and loved it). In each case I found the seats very confining and uncomfortable. The seat bottom bolsters on all the cars are very confining and uncomfortable. The Tucson has smaller bolsters which give you a wider seat bottom and are very comfortable. This is surprising because KIA and Hyundai are from the same manufacturer. Also, I like the fact that the Tucson has an eight speed planetary gear automatic transmission (i.e. a "regular" automatic transmission). The CRV and Frontier have continuously variable transmission. I refuse to buy a car that has a CVT. This is the automotive version of a snowmobile transmission. The CVTs in these cars have a metal belt riding between two variable pulleys in an oil bath. This makes it a friction drive transmission rather than a planetary gear transmission. These should have gone the way of engine timing belts. There are two nitpicks that I would change, had I been asked to help design the car. The speedometer is analog on the SEL (which I prefer), and the miles per hour step up in 10 mph intervals (10, 20, 30, etc.). That is, until you hit 60 mph.. At that point, they start jumping up in 20 mph increments, up to 160 mph. I can think of no logical reason why this is designed this way. Keep the 10 mph increments throughout the entire range of the speedometer, even if you have to only go up to 120 mph (which is doubtful that this car could accomplish). Also, having mentioned the analog speedometer, it has analog speedometer and tachometer. I much prefer this. Also, I prefer the infotainment screen being integrated in the dash, not stuck up as an after thought in the middle top of the dash. The SEL also has real knobs to operate the radio and heater controls. I find the touch screen controls on the competitor's models annoying and distracting. The other nitpick is with the engine stop/start setting. I do not use this feature, and there is a switch on the console to turn it off (which is good). BUT it resets every time you start the car. It is annoying to have to remember to turn this feature on each time the car is started. Also, the warranty on the KIA and Hyundai are better than any of the other brands that I considered. Five year bumper to bumper and ten year powertrain (the only catch with the powertrain warranty is that it only covers the drive train components lubricated with oil. There are plenty of drivetrain components that are not lubricated by oil, and thus, not covered). So, I plan to keep it for the five years and at that point, seriously consider trading it in for another. I have three and a half years to go before I have to make that decision.
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