The best little SUV that 30K can buy !
We were in the market for a new car, we decided to go SUV for comfort and ability to carry at least four people. I should mention that we have been in Kia / Hyundai's for the last 16 years. Going into this search I did a lot of reading online, in my mind the clear leader was the Mazda CX-30, with the Hyundai Kona not far behind.....sadly they were both on the small side, so we upped the size, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Seltos......the Kia got into the mix due to a neighbor buying one. The Kia impressed, the CX-5 was great, with a few small complaints. The Hyundai Tucson impressed from the get go, my only fear was that the 2.5 engine might be a little weak, the others had a turbo. I should mention here that we drove the Ultimate trim level on the Tucson, it had all the bells and whistles that I was hoping for except for....except the the heads-up display. We've had it about a month and every time we drive it I am amazed by the smooth ride and comfort. The salesman was a bonus, he worked for us.....hard to believe, he texted us an online discount that we knew nothing about. I since have figured out that the Kia Seltos and the Tucson are basically the same car.... I find the Tucson a bit more comfortable. The reason the Kia lost? They couldn't get any more, the factory in South Korea had been shut down for the virus, it was a 2021. The reason the Mazda lost?? Lack of a real warranty...3 year 36,000 miles is pathetic, that was strike one, two was the infotainment system.....it was archaic, and strike three was a little known thing called cylinder deactivation......basically it shuts down half the engine to save gas at high speeds......the idea just didn't sit well. Now the reason the Tucson won.....knowing the systems used was a huge advantage, I love the way Hyundai does their back up camera, a system I NEVER thought I would use, I now LOVE. The infotainment system had not changed much from our 2017 Elantra, so no learning curve. The panoramic sunroof is outstanding, the stereo system is good, and the ride.....at any speed as smooth as glass. I washed and waxed it today, took it on the interstate to wind dry it, took it up to 95 just to see what it would do.....as smooth as 60 mph. The ONLY regret I have is that the 21's will be out in a few months and they are doing a massive redesign....but I never would have gotten the deal I did on a 21, they will probably be in very high demand. 30 days in and I haven't found anything to complain about, I knew going to an SUV our miles per gallon would suffer, and they have......but I'm at a stage in my life where I'd rather be comfortable. Speaking of that, the air conditioned seats are GREAT !!!
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