Used Hyundai Tucson 2015-2020 review

Rugged, rocky and arid. That’s what the Arizona desert is like, and it’s the sort of imagery that the name of the Hyundai Tucson is intended to conjure up. But don’t be misled: the Tucson is categorically not a hardcore all-terrain explorer.

In fact, it’s a family SUV along the lines of the Nissan Qashqai, Peugeot 3008 and Skoda Karoq, so it's better suited to more everyday tasks like the school run or hauling the family away for its annual holiday. Although, to be fair, such challenges can be just as daunting as a trek through the Santa Catalina mountains.

Engines & Performance: Until its facelift in 2018, and eventual replacement by an all-new fourth generation version in 2020, the Tucson offered a choice of two petrol engines – a 133bhp 1.6 and a 174bhp turbocharged version – and a choice of 113bhp 1.7 (134bhp when paired with an auto gearbox) and 134bhp and 181bhp 2.0-litre diesels.

However, in 2018 the two least powerful diesels were ditched in favour of two new 1.6-litre units, rated at 113bhp and 131bhp, while the most powerful diesel was replaced by a 2.0-litre unit with mild hybrid technology. The option of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox remained throughout, and this could be combined with four-wheel drive on some models.

On the move, the Tucson generates a bit of engine noise when you’re accelerating, but it settles to a quiet, smooth cruise, even if you choose one of the diesel models. You’ll find the two least powerful versions to be rather gutless, but go for one of the other two diesels or the turbocharged petrol and you’ll have more than enough power on tap.

Ride & Handling: Don’t imagine the Tucson is a driver’s car. Its steering is very remote, making it hard to tell what the front end is doing, so even though there’s plenty of grip and the body doesn’t lean over too much, it’s not actually that much fun to drive. At least the light steering makes it easy to park.

That the Tucson controls its body well in corners shouldn’t come as a great surprise, because the suspension is quite firm. So while it doesn’t wallow over larger bumps, you also find the Tucson fidgets and shimmies even on smooth motorway surfaces, while at slower speeds, it’s rather too susceptible to an unpleasant crashing sensation over ruts and potholes, especially on the largest 19in wheels.

Interior & Practicality: Climb aboard the Tucson and it’s hard not to be a little disappointed with its interior. It’s a sea of grey plastic, some of it not all that high in quality, and it feels rather cheaper than its rivals, even in the pricier models. For all that, though, it is at least clearly laid out and easy to use, while the touchscreen infotainment system, where fitted, is slick and intuitive.

Space is good all round; there’s loads of room in the front seats, while even tall people will be able to get comfortable in the rear since there's slightly more legroom than a 3008 or Karoq, and is aided by the fact that the rear seatbacks recline. The also split 60/40 and fold, but they don’t slide back and forth, nor are they removable, unlike some rivals’. Slim windows do restrict the view out for young children, and the panoramic roof on some versions cuts into headroom.

The boot is of a similar size to a 3008 and Seat Ateca, but the rear wheelarches do intrude. There are some thoughtful touches, though, such as the handy hooks to hang bags from, tie-down points to strap shopping to and a multi-level boot cover.

Trims & Equipment: The range kicks off with the basic S model (later known as S Connect), which gets you air conditioning, Bluetooth, LED daytime running lights and DAB radio (and, on later models, a touchscreen sat-nav system). SE adds dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and rear parking sensors, while SE Nav adds sat-nav (SE was dropped on the facelift, leaving SE Nav as the next step up from S Connect).

The range tops out with Premium – which provides a few more toys, such as heated rear seats and parking sensors – and Premium SE, with its LED headlights, keyless entry and panoramic roof. There have also been a smattering of special editions with additional toys, such as the Go SE and Sport Edition.

If you're interested in finding a used Hyundai Tucson or any of the other SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

A high-mileage example of the entry-level Tucson will now set you back less than £8000, but we’d suggest spending around £10,000 in order to buy yourself an example with at least average mileage and a full service history.

If you increase your budget to between £10,000 and £13,000, that should be enough to get yourself a low-mileage diesel model in SE Nav trim from 2017 or 2018. If you’re after a four-wheel-drive version, expect to pay at least £12,000. An automatic car will cost you a similar amount. For a 2018 onwards facelifted example with low mileage, you can expect to pay around £13,000, and upwards of that on a 2020 model.

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MPG: You might need a flowing oil well of your own if you want to buy one of the petrol-powered versions of its automotive namesake; the turbocharged 1.6 model is painfully thirsty at 37.2mpg under the older NEDC tests. The naturally aspirated 1.6 is marginally better at 44.8mpg combined.

The same goes if you choose the most powerful diesel, which only comes with fuel-sapping four-wheel drive and is accordingly rated at 47.9mpg (autos are worse at 43.5mpg). Thankfully, if you choose either of the two lower-powered diesels, you’ll find fuel economy to be broadly on a par with that of all but the most efficient of the Tucson’s rivals: 61.7mpg for the 113bhp or 57.6mpg if it's the 134bhp version.

Under the later, more realistic WLTP tests, the 1.6 diesel averages 54.3mpg, the 134bhp 1.6 diesel 52.3mpg and the 2.0 diesel 42.8mpg. The 1.6 130 petrol averages 36.2mpg while the 175bhp 1.6 petrol averages 35.8mpg.

CO2 emissions: The worst model for CO2 is the turbocharged 1.6 petrol at 177g/km, followed by the four-wheel drive 2.0 diesel auto at 170g/km. The 133bhp 1.6 petrol is better at 147g/km, but you're better off going for the mid-range diesel models such as the more popular 134bhp versions of the 1.7 and 2.0-litre diesels that produce 129g/km and 130g/km, respectively. The best overall is the 113bhp 1.7 diesel at 119g/km.

Road tax: Any Tucson built after 1 April 2017 will be subject to the new flat rate of tax applicable to every model, currently £190 a year. However, models built before that date will be taxed according to their CO2 emissions.

Insurance and servicing: Insurance groups waver around 15, which is very reasonable for this kind of vehicle.

Servicing costs on the Tucson are reasonably good value, and will drop once the car is outside of warranty and can take advantage of fixed price essential servicing. There are three levels of service: basic from £99, interim from £169 and full from £229.

Reliability

The Hyundai Tucson stands out for its reliability, according to feedback from our readers, who have faced few issues with the vehicle. When problems did arise, Hyundai dealerships were quick to resolve them, enhancing owner satisfaction.

The dealer service for the Tucson is highly regarded for its efficiency and quality of customer care. The prompt and professional handling of issues, combined with reasonable repair costs, contributes to a positive ownership experience.

Discover more about used Hyundai Tucson reliability and common problems on our dedicated reliability page.

Engine

With neither petrol option being particularly attractive, we’d choose the mid-range diesel option. That means a pre-facelift 134bhp 2.0 or a post-facelift 134bhp 1.6.

Specification

We’d then team that with the SE Nav specification, which brings all the toys you need without any excessive fripperies.

Our favourite Hyundai Tucson: 1.6 CRDi 136 SE Nav

The Seat Ateca is one of our favourite used SUVs in this class, and while it’s more expensive to buy than the Tucson, the more pleasurable driving experience it offers makes it worth the extra cost.

If you want an interior with more class than the Tucson's, you should also look at the Peugeot 3008. Its swish dashboard, with high-quality plastics and lots of neat styling touches, makes it a far nicer place to spend journeys.

If a long warranty is what you’re after, you could also look at the Kia Sportage, which is similar beneath the skin to the Tucson but has a slightly smarter interior and comes with a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty.

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If you're interested in finding a used Tucson, or any of the other SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.