I like it. There's more to like than dislike and it's a significant cut above the Rav4 and CR-V, and this comes from a guy who has owned Toyotas for 40 years. Here are some of the things I like:
- Sport Driving Mode
- Excellent interior design
- Excellent Display Screens
- Excellent Cameras
- Birdseye View
- Lane change cluster display when using blinker
- Smooth and Quiet Ride
- Little highway road noise
- EV-like operation under 25mph
- Tesla-like short bursts when you need it
- Homelink transmits a long distance
- Excellent visibility
- Excellent BT phone capability
- Heated/cooled seats
- Heated Steering wheel
- Infotainment response (touch buttons better than expected)
- Seat comfort & arm support
- Rear seat comfort is excellent
- Passenger seat full electric range functionality
- Comfortable front seats
- Smart Cruise control (although frustrating at times)
- Bose Sound System (not great but very good)
- Hidden Storage
- Heated rear seats
- Paddle shifters
- Excellent sunroof
Things I don't like so far:
- The artificial noise produced when driving in Reverse; quite obnoxious & embarrassing and can't be turned off or lowered. Apparently mandated in the US by the NTSB (or similar agency).
- The Integrated Memory System (aka, Memory Seat button) only applies to the Driver Seat Position and does not integrate the outside mirrors (hard to understand this one).
- No Wireless CarPlay & Android Auto (requires USB cable on higher end trim levels).
- No sunglasses holder.
- No firmware wireless update capability (only downloaded files installed using old school USB).
- Frustrating Smart Cruise Control that sometimes works then doesn't (could be my own inexperience, will update later).
- No spare tire even though there's room for a donut if desired.
- Dust magnet piano black center stack (after two days it already looks bad, especially with the pollen we have on the East Coast of the US.
- The lack of USB-C ports, the standard the industry is moving toward (this is minor)
- Cluster display use of icons, unfortunately I can't understand what most mean (written words in the selected language would have been better IMO).
- The Menu system is extensive and deep. Although you'll ultimately figure the features out, Hyundai could have spent more time making the explanations more intuitive.
I'm sure I'll have more opinions with more experience with the Tucson. Again, I like it and glad we bought it. It's just not perfect and then again, no car is. Look forward to your delivery, I think you'll like yours too.
Since I referenced Smart Cruise Control in an earlier post, my mild frustration was due to my inexperience with Hyundai's system. It's an impressive driving system that unfortunately isn't foolproof. For those of you who have experience using the system, what I'm about to say is obvious. For others with less experience, this may be helpful:
Hyundai's semi-autonomous driving system is made up of multiple subsystems including:
- Lane Following Assist
- Lane Keep Assist
- Collision Avoidance Assist
- Smart Cruise Control
- Highway Driving Assist
Understanding each of these components and tailoring the corresponding settings for each to your preference, along with understanding how the cameras, blind spot sensors, and radar systems work together will help you make the best use of the driving system. When all of these subsystems are enabled, the vehicle can almost drive itself under favorable conditions. Those conditions include highway driving where lanes are clearly marked and traffic is generally moving consistently. In fact, if few cars are around, the system won't warn you to put your hands on the wheel. The more crowded traffic gets, the greater the frequency of warnings.
Although some use Smart Cruise Control even in bumper to bumper traffic, it's a bit too risky for me. That's a personal choice, but, enabling some of the other subsystems based on traffic conditions is an option. As you get more familiar with the system, you'll know what features work best for your driving style.
I'm of the opinion that we won't see full autonomous driving vehicles over the next many years for multiple reasons. And I personally hardly use any of the systems mentioned above except when driving long distances on a highway. However, my wife does use it all and it provides her with a higher level of driving confidence.
I'm sure Tesla has more advanced driving assistance algorithms and hardware, but, Hyundai has done a pretty nice job. There's certainly room for improvement including upgraded cameras and AI to better predict lane paths, as well as lane "centering" that is smart enough to skew vehicles within the lane but away from obstacles like oncoming vehicles. It's only going to get better and is worth taking the time to understand each of the systems Hyundai employs on the new Tucson. Well done.
