Kilometres travelled
25,000 - 50,000 km
Did you buy this car new or used?
New
How much did you pay? (including all on-road costs)
44000
What were your needs when you bought this car? Has it fulfilled those needs?
Our previous vehicle a 2014 Nissan X-Trail STI suffered hail damage in the Timaru hail storm and due to the anticipated repairs, new roof etc we lost faith in the 'new' car so traded it in on the Hyundai. Another X-Trail was too expensive so we researched the Hyundai, test drove and purchased it. It's done everything that we need it to do but we miss the 360 degree cameras for parking purposes.
What were your initial thoughts about the car? Tell us why it appealed to you.
The price was the appeal point for us as it was reduced by $4000.00 due to a Hyundai Deal at the time. We also wanted something with a higher ride height especially for getting in and out of the vehicle as my wife has arthritis and finds low entry cars difficult.
What have you discovered since owning the car?
That the original Kumho tyres needed replacing at 25000 km whereas we got 45000 km from the tyres on the X-Trail but can't remember the brand. The seating in the Tucson is superior to the X-Trail as the drivers seat in it required remaking as the side nearest to the drivers door had collapsed. Space is good and towing satisfactory. We've carried heavy loads in a trailer and it tows good. Probably too many media gadgets which can be distracting and there are still lots I haven't looked at let alone initialised. Hands free phone is great and accessing numbers simple without distracting from the job of driving.
What do you like/dislike about the car?
Only dislike is the fact that it was subject to a recall notice where and electrical component required modification to prevent a fire occurring. This was of particular interest to me as prior to retirement I was a Specialist Fire Investigator with the New Zealand Fire Service with 45 years experience. I challenged the 'fix' as it seemed to be temporary and this was confirmed by Hyundai NZ. I have correspondence from Hyundai and provided this to the local agent when I took the vehicle for the repair. They were surprised with the correspondence too. I enquired when a permanent fix might occur but there are no plans for this in the future.
Any other comments on the car?
It's a nice vehicle which will be ours for the foreseeable future. We're a retired couple and a one car family so an upgrade is out of the question. We had taken the latest model Tucson for a test drive and while it's very nice the cost to upgrade is too expensive.
Reliability
4
Features/technology
5
Performance/economy
4
Value for money
5
Overall rating
4
Lastly, would you buy this vehicle again?
Yes
Why would/wouldn't you buy it again?
Purchasing the same vehicle again would be subject to finances but the drivers cockpit layout on the new Tuscon is rather cramped compared to what we have now.