The 2024 Hyundai Tucson has all the makings of a sensible, uber-practical compact SUV choice. It’s really big, with one of the most
voluminous cargo areas around. It gets good fuel economy, including the surprisingly powerful and very-much-recommended Tucson Hybrid. The
interior is well put together and features user-friendly technology. The safety credentials are top notch in terms of equipment and crash ratings. Add it all up and you have a very sound choice.
Thing is, words like “sensible” and “uber-practical” are usually attached to bland, anonymous SUVs that practically disappear in a parking
lot. People almost expect them to be boring. “Oh yeah? Watch this!” That’s what we imagine Hyundai designers saying as they went about
putting together the explosion of creases, odd bulges and kitchen-sink details that is the Tucson. The smiling grille lights up on its
edges like a Vegas marquee; the wheel arches are angular rather than actual arches; there are diamond shapes in the rear bumper; the LED
taillights drop down into the liftgate like quadruple Dracula fangs. It’s a lot. Maybe too much, so if you like all of the above sensible
stuff but would rather a different look, consider the mechanically related Kia Sportage. We also recommend the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-50. Not that any of the above are that boring any more, but none make quite the statement of the 2024 Tucson.
