2005 Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai is putting its money on the sound construction of the 2005 Tucson. The 10-year powertrain warranty is a sign of the company's optimism that this small sport utility will have a long life span.

The Tucson also comes with a bumper-to-bumper, 5-year/60,000-miles warranty and roadside assistance for five years, no matter how many miles are displayed on the odometer. The warranties alone are driving customers to take a good look at this sport-ute.

However, guarantees without substance are nothing but words on a paper. That isn't the case with the Tucson. After driving the mid-level GLS model for just a day, it had won my vote. The Tucson had large, comfortable seats and car-like handling that made it rank high on my what's-important list. Its excellent suspension absorbed rough roads, and it proved to be responsive both in town and on the highway, plus it successfully fielded road noise and was a breeze to park. What more could a girl want?

As an artist and collector of “stuff”, I'm often carting about paintings and art supplies, or some irresistible but totally unnecessary garage-sale find. With fold-flat rear seats that lower to enlarge the cargo area, the Tucson was up to the task.

Although this SUV looks small, it has an ample cargo area, plus the front passenger seat folds forward to accommodate lengthy items. If there's a need to haul more, this perky sport utility can tow up to 2,000 pounds.

Hyundai is making an effort to provide a lot of premium features without bursting a buyer's budget. Many of the standard features on the Tucson are often costly optional items in other vehicles. For example, it has a total of six airbags, which include roof-mounted side curtain airbags for both front and rear seat occupants and seat-mounted side-impact airbags for the driver and front passenger.

Other items on the tester's features list included 16-inch alloy wheels, roof rack side rails, fog lights, rear cargo cover and tray, heated outside mirrors, leather-wrapped steering wheel, plush carpet, windshield wiper deicer and body-side cladding. That last item could have been left off and I wouldn't have complained.

Hyundai designers must believe that the thick composite protective band that wraps the lower part of the body projects a tough image.

However, most people won't buy this vehicle to challenge steep hills, mud bogs, or jagged rocks protruding from a canyon wall. The toughest thing most SUVs face is Monday morning commuter traffic, so I hope Hyundai reconsiders that bit of embellishment. It doesn't need a macho statement to be what it is — a first-rate vehicle.

The Tucson is available in three models: GL, GLS and LX. A 2.0-liter, inline 4-cylinder engine that produces 140 horsepower at 6,000 rpm powers the base GL model. The GLS and LX models are paired with a 2.7-liter, 173-hp V-6 engine.

An important query from most people was about the mileage, since some SUVs are notorious for having an ample appetite for gasoline. The estimated fuel economy for the GLS is 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.

The next popular inquiry was the cost, which for the tester was $19,999. Base price for the GL is $17,499 and the top-line XL with an audio upgrade and heated leather seats comes in at $22,799.

That's not a bad deal for a classy looking, uncomplicated and dependable sport utility vehicle that has the comfort and driveability of a sedan.

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