Hyundai
Hyundai Tucson
A sharply styled compact SUV with class-leading equipment, backed by the longest powertrain warranty in the segment.
The Tucson's pitch is content. Features that cost extra on a RAV4 or CR-V — heated seats, blind spot monitoring, a full driver assistance suite — arrive standard or in cheaper packages, and the styling on both recent generations is more distinctive than anything else in the class.
The warranty is the other half of the argument, and its details matter. Ten years and 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage applies to the original owner only. Buy a used Tucson and you inherit 5 years/60,000 miles from the original in-service date, which on a four-year-old car may be nearly exhausted. Confirm the in-service date, not the model year.
Mechanically, the third-generation car is at its simplest from 2019 onward, when Hyundai dropped the 1.6T dual-clutch in the US and standardized on naturally aspirated 2.0L and 2.4L engines with a conventional 6-speed automatic. Earlier 1.6T cars are quicker and more economical but hesitate off the line in stop-and-go traffic in a way owners frequently mistake for a fault. Test drive one in real traffic before deciding it is acceptable.
Generations
What changed, and which years share the same hardware.
Third generation (TL)
2016–2021
Launched with a 2.0L naturally aspirated four and a 1.6L turbo paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch. The dual-clutch drew complaints for low-speed hesitation, and for 2019 Hyundai dropped it in the US entirely, moving to 2.0L and 2.4L engines with a conventional 6-speed automatic through the end of the generation.
Fourth generation (NX4)
2022–present
A dramatic redesign with a much longer wheelbase, far more rear legroom, and the 2.5L Smartstream four replacing both prior engines on the base car. Added conventional hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants using a 1.6L turbo with a 6-speed automatic. A 2025 facelift restored physical climate controls.
Model years
Reliability, reported issues and annual running costs, year by year.