Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Sat 2 Mar 2019 15:28
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - stephen waddingham

After owning a few older cars, (vectra and fiesta) and not paying anymore than 2.5k for a car, I'm looking for an suv with a few years manufactures warranty. Both me and the wife will be driving it, around 15000 miles a year. We test drove a 1.5dci qashqai and a 1.6gdi tucson 2018 models. I preferred the tucson, she liked the qashqai n connecta. We compromised and decided to look for a tucson but diesel version with some toys on it (reverse camera, sat nav, touchscreen infotainment system).

Budget 12-15k.

At least 2 years manufactures warranty left on the car.

Ideally I'd like to keep it for as long as I can really so it needs to have a reliable engine and not too bad on fuel, but understand I won't get the greatest mpg from an suv.

I've been using cargurus.co.uk to compare prices.

We live in the North East. Can anyone recommend any good dealers we could try? What's your views on the tucson?

Many thanks in advance

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 2 Mar 2019 15:44
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - Avant

If your 15,000 miles a year includes a lot of short journeys, don't get a diesel, particularly as you intend to keep the car long-term.

Nissans used to have a good name for reliability, but since the tie-up with Renault quality has gone downhill. I think that as well as the Tucson you should look at a similar Kia - I think that's the Sorento but you could also inclide the Sportage - and the Toyota RAV-4.

As warranty cover is, quite reasonably, important to you, Toyotas have a 5-year warranty like Hyundais, and Kias have 7 years. Look carefully at the terms and cinditions of these warranties, and make sure that a previous owner has kept to them.

I think Nissans have only a 3-year warranty, but someone will correct me if that's wrong.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 2 Mar 2019 15:56
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - oldroverboy.

For that money you can buy an MG ZS with the best part of 7 years warranty used.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?sort=price-asc&...0

I am getting 40 ish mpg.

Edited by oldroverboy. on 02/03/2019 at 16:13

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 2 Mar 2019 16:27
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - RT

The Tucson has a Kia sibling, the Sportage which gets an even longer warranty of 7 years or 100,000 miles

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 2 Mar 2019 16:43
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - badbusdriver

I think it is quite funny that after deciding to 'compromise', you are going for the car you want (albeit as a diesel)!. Nice, i wish my wife was as keen on those types of compromises!.

Ignoring that, the problem i'd have with the Tuscon and its Kia counterpart (the Sportage) as a 1.6 petrol is that they are rather heavy. This, combined with an engine light on torque means that while fine around town, could be very frustrating on the open road, especially if you want to overtake. The Qashqai, as mentioned, is essentially a Renault Megane on stilts, so don't go thinking you will be buying into Japanese reliability!.

I'd be thinking about the Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC. This is a diesel, but unlike most modern diesels, it does not suffer from the usual emissions equipment related problems. It is very reliable, as you'd expect being a Honda, very efficient for it's size and despite the relatively small engine, doesn't struggle for performance (though it ain't no rocket ship!). Here is one in Stockton-on-Tees,

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20190219507...1

I'd also be thinking about a Mazda CX-5, but only as a petrol (the diesel has a somewhat troubled reputation). Great looking car and, as a petrol, very reliable. Here is one in Harrogate,

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20190110381...1

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 2 Mar 2019 16:49
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - SLO76
Stretch the budget a bit and get a good low mileage approved used Tucson from a Hyundai dealer. It’s a good car, well liked by owners and the trade for its rugged looks yet compact SUV dimensions.

Reliability is good and get one with a full dealer history and you’ll enjoy the remainder of that 5yr unlimited mileage warranty again as long as you service it with the main dealer. Accept no excuses, if there’s anything other than a Hyundai dealers stamp in the book the warranty is gone.

The diesel is the best option at this money, the petrol just can’t cope with the weight. But you will need to do regular longer distance runs to keep the DPF clear. It’s a car I like and would buy.

A Honda CRV 1.6 DTEC is another worthy at this money too with prices dropping as the new one hit the market. These are bigger and always easy to sell on again plus they’re both exceptionally economical and surprisingly lively. A good all round family car.

Auto Trader:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20190217503...3

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 2 Mar 2019 17:40
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - concrete

We always compromise. If SWMBO wants a blue car and I want a red one, we compromise and get a blue one. Simples. Cheers Concrete

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 3 Mar 2019 13:45
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - edlithgow

I've read somewhere (maybe here) that the Trucson diesel has sometimes suffered fairly poor fuel economy, I THINK partly due to binding brakes, and turbo spooling behaviour. A British mechanic that runs a car-sourcing business here had the problem with his wifes car.

IIRC a software update was produced to improve economy so this is probably no longer relevent.

A friend here has had a petrol (diesel is fairly pointless in Taiwan) automatic model for 8 years or so. Seems quite a nice car and she hasn't had any trouble with it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 3 Mar 2019 13:52
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - stephen waddingham

Great thanks everyone for replying. Given me a few things to think about. I think diesel is the way to go for us, do plenty of motorway miles. Anyone had any dealings with motorpoint? Are they any good?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 3 Mar 2019 15:00
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - 72 dudes

. Anyone had any dealings with motorpoint? Are they any good?

Not personally but plenty of stories on here about them and other multi-site car supermarkets.

Don't risk it, go to a Hyundai dealer and spend a few hundred more.

As SLO says above, make sure it has a full Hyundai service history, or the remaining warranty will be questioned if/when you come to claim?

.Ask yourself, how do these Tucsons find themselves outside the main dealer network at such a young age?

Ex daily rental? Short term lease?

Might be fine, might not. In any event, certainly not the pick of the crop.

Edited by 72 dudes on 03/03/2019 at 15:01

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 3 Mar 2019 15:17
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - catsdad
Main dealers will have some demonstrators, pre-reg and (alleged) ex-management cars for sale. However I dare say most of their stock will come from exactly the same sources as the car supermarkets.

The main difference will be the service and warranty continuity of cars within the dealer network. Even so these will include ex-rental and lease cars. I don't see an issue with such cars. Our local Honda dealer openly states when cars are ex-rental.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 3 Mar 2019 15:26
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - Zippy123

I have a 1.7DCTi Tucson Premium DCT. I do about 22k miles a year, mixing regular A roads, dual carriageway and motorways.

I like the car but it is not trouble free.

MPG varies between 40 and 45 MPG.

I have broken down twice now. Once the engine management light came on (emission control) which was fixed by the AA. Once the car just stalled and would not restart.

The conclusion, in both instances is that the air throttle is being contaminated with oil.

No one has been willing to say where this oil is coming from but I got this from HJ "Oil in a throttle assembly is usually a very bad sign that it is being pumped in the from the engine. Could be that the DPF is not actively regenerating properly and post-injected diesel intended to promote active DPF regen raised the sump level."

Considering that I do about 300 of my approximately 400 miles a week on fast roads I would have expected my DPF regen not to be an issue - TBH, the driving style is more like 1 week no miles and then another week a thousand miles - with about 20 hours on motorways.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 3 Mar 2019 16:52
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - RT
Ask yourself, how do these Tucsons find themselves outside the main dealer network at such a young age?

Ex daily rental? Short term lease?

Might be fine, might not. In any event, certainly not the pick of the crop.

The ex-daily rental and short-lease vehicles go back into manufacturer's approved schemes - but only if they're good enough, the manufacturer/dealers getting first choice.

The answer to your question is that they simply aren't good enough for a) manufacturer's approved scheme or b) franchised dealers non-approved stock

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 3 Mar 2019 21:02
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - Senexdriver
Digressing slightly, I’m disappointed to read that the petrol version isn’t up to the job. I had mentally shortlisted the Tucson for when (if) I change my car for an SUV in September. I had hoped that the more powerful petrol engine might be powerful enough at 177 bhp but, being an SUV perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that it’s too heavy for an engine with that output.

It’s a shame because the Tucson is just the size I have in mind, I like the looks and it’s very well spec’d in SE Nav trim. It’s also very competitively priced, although I presume that has implications for residuals when trading in. If anybody has experience of the 1.6 GDTI (I think it is) I’d be interested to hear it. For comparison purposes, my current car is an A4 2.0 TFSI 190 PS, so I would notice a significant reduction in performance from reviews I have read and from the comments above.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 4 Mar 2019 16:13
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - skidpan
Digressing slightly, I’m disappointed to read that the petrol version isn’t up to the job.

I think the comment above "the petrol just can’t cope with the weight" is referring to the GDI version which does not have a turbo. Having driven the GDI engine in Ceed (it was not great) I would hate to think what its like in a heavier, larger SUV. People on the Kia forum who have the Sportage with the 1.6 Turbo petrol seem delighted (except for the 30 or less mpg they get).

But why not do what I always do before buying, drive one and decide if its OK for me.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 4 Mar 2019 16:27
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - badbusdriver
Digressing slightly, I’m disappointed to read that the petrol version isn’t up to the job.

I think the comment above "the petrol just can’t cope with the weight" is referring to the GDI version which does not have a turbo. Having driven the GDI engine in Ceed (it was not great) I would hate to think what its like in a heavier, larger SUV. People on the Kia forum who have the Sportage with the 1.6 Turbo petrol seem delighted (except for the 30 or less mpg they get).

But why not do what I always do before buying, drive one and decide if its OK for me.

Yes, the OP refers to the GDI, which has a n/a 1.6 packing 132bhp, but only 161nm of torque at 4850rpm. The version with 177bhp is the T-GDI, which i'm sure would be sufficient as it has 265nm of torque between 1500 and 4500rpm, which is a big difference!.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 4 Mar 2019 18:13
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - Senexdriver
Apologies - I meant the T-GDI, I just didn’t know the correct designation, but it’s the one with a bhp closer to my Audi.

I will of course be test driving in due course as decision time for the changeover is not until September. I just wanted to hear the experience (if any) of others as part of the research process.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 4 Mar 2019 23:42
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - Ethan Edwards

Its a personal preference but I found the N/a 1.6 Tucson leaden and an uninvolving drive , poor performance coupled with mediocre fuel economy. I prefer my Suzuk Vitara 1.4 Turbo.. My message to the OP is keep looking. A huge warranty isnt going to make a dull car more interesting.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 5 Mar 2019 23:17
Hyundai Tucson - Advice please first big purchase - Nomag

I live in the North East and bought a used 2.0 diesel 4wd IX35 (Tucson predecessor) from Motorpoint in 2013, and kept it until last year.

During warranty I had it serviced at the closest Hyundai dealership to my work, Bristol Street Motors in Peterlee. They were fine, but if it needed any consumables (brakes) I had these done at my local indie.

The only warranty repair needed was the propshaft bearing which is a common failure on many 4wds. Please note this occurred despite religiously rotating the tyres to ensure even wear. I ran it on 16" steel wheels and full winter tyres through the winter months and it was very tractable indeed.

MPG was always around 35mpg over my 70k miles (purchased with 11k, sold with 80k).

I've since bought another car from Motorpoint and don't see any issue if they are cheaper than the main dealer- just check the service history and if it's under warranty you can have any issues addressed at the main dealer anyway.

I had the misfortune of driving a petrol NA IX35 once, hateful thing, so underpowered.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

If you cover no more than 100 miles per day and have easy access to a charging point at home or work, then an EV is ideal for you.

Is an electric car right for me?