ArcaMax

The Juke's back seats are hopeless for humans, too. One caution, though, about the Tucson's otherwise admirable 1.6 liter engine: It is thirsty. If you use the turbo. And of course, you will. Otherwise, why bother?

Lay off the thing - and you may see the EPA's sounding-good 26 city/33 highway (25 city, 31 highway with AWD). But lay into the turbo - as I did - and your real-world mileage will likely average low-mid 20s. It doesn't suck.

But it's not what you might be led to believe. And that's the thing. Car companies are resorting to small displacement turbocharged engines to give the appearance (and the potential) of very good mileage with the availability of on-demand performance. The catch is that when you do demand performance, the mileage droops like Liberace's wiener at the Playboy Mansion.

ON THE ROAD

"Eco" usually means slow. That's definitely not the case here. While it isn't a tire-fryer, the turbo Tucson's mid-seven second to 60 capability sets it apart from everything else directly comparable. It goes when you hit the gas. Most of the others, don't. Now, you can definitely find something speedier than the Tucson - but it'll also be larger. Or - as in the case of the Nissan Juke - smaller.

The turbo engine'd Tucson goes because it's … turbocharged. The others (Juke excepted) aren't. They make less power - and whatever power they do make, you have to make them work harder to make it. With almost 200 ft.-lbs. of torque available at 1,500 RPM, the turbo Tucson has what's needed to get almost 3,400 pounds of vehicle moving quickly without feeling as though its straining. This is the brightest feather in its cap, no doubt.

The seven-speed automated manual is another. It makes excellent use of the power available and with one more gear than most rivals, acceleration feels quicker and more relaxed at the same time. There's less gap between shifts (vs. the others' conventional automatics) and less mechanical racket (vs. the CVTs in others). Best to just leave it in Drive, though, as the manual mode doesn't make for quicker ETs and the computer will override you anyhow, if you try to force a downshift when it thinks not - or hold it in gear when it decides it's time to move on to the next one.

They pretty much all do this, though. Warranty considerations. This is where a manual you control offers more control - if not quicker shifts and better ETs.

If you floor it from a dead stop, you'll experience a moment's flat spot, as the 1.6 draws breath - but then it pulls hard as long as you keep your foot in it, all the way to 90, 100 MPH and beyond.

Which creates a problem. You become desirous of the power on tap in the same way that having a half gallon of rocky road in the freezer is enticing to someone trying to lose weight.

You can try to keep your foot out of it. Just like you can try not to dig in to the rocky road. Good luck with that.

Which'll leave you with mileage that will vary.

The 22.3 MPG I averaged was just barely out of the teens. Had I really put my foot down, I might have rang the bell. Now, the HR-V and CX-3 can't keep up with the turbo Tucson. But no matter how hard you hammer either of them, you will always do better than 22.3 MPG. Fuel consumption being a function of airflow more so than your right foot. The turbo Hyundai simply has bigger lungs - and so, a bigger appetite.

AT THE CURB

There is nothing revolutionary about the Tucson's appearance. It's a perfectly good-looking crossover SUV that has the same basic profile as lots of other crossover SUVs. The function dictates the form (as with minivans). It's size that sets the Tucson apart.

At 176.2 inches long overall, it is a little more than half a foot (7.1 inches) longer than a subcompact like the HR-V and about 3.2 inches shorter overall than a Honda CR-V (179.4 inches).

This splitting of the difference gives you a vehicle that fits into tighter parking spots, takes up less space in the garage - but which isn't either too small (or too big) on the inside.

First and second row-wise, the Tucson actually has almost exactly the same legroom (41.5 inches and 38.2 inches, respectively) as the larger-on-the-outside CR-V (41.3 inches and 38.3 inches). On headroom, the Hyundai actually has slightly more than the Honda in its second row (39.2 vs. 38.6).

The smaller HR-V has impressive first and second-row legroom (41.2 and 39.3 inches, respectively). But when it comes to cargo room, the HR-V falls short: 24.3 cubic feet behind the second row vs. 31 for the Tucson. This isn't as much as you'd have in the CR-V (35.2 cubes) but then, you also have an easier time slotting into curbside parking spots and maybe now your lawn mower will fit in the garage, too.

Also, something you can't see but which you'll be able to feel is the Hyundai's much tighter turning circle relative to both smaller and larger rivals. Just 34.9 feet vs. 37.5 for the CR-V and (big surprise here) 37.4 for the much smaller HR-V.

THE REST

Base SE trims come with some notable features - such as LED headlights, heated outside mirrors and satellite radio - as part of the standard equipment package. The only negative here - if you want something-special performance - is that the SE cannot be ordered with the 1.6 liter turbo engine.

But the standard 2.0 engine is an adequate powerplant. Keep in mind that the SE Tucson is no slower than the Honda CR-V (or the HR-V) and people love them, regardless.

The Eco, Sport and Limited trims all come with the 1.6 engine (and the seven-speed automated manual) But the Eco comes standard with lower rolling resistance tires on 17-inch wheels which in turn boost its mileage to 26 city/33 highway (FWD).

The Sport and Limited trims come with much larger nineteen inch wheels and tires, which knock the mileage down to 25 city/30 highway (FWD) and 24 city, 28 highway with AWD.

Cool features include a tailgate that opens automatically - without having to foot swipe. A proximity sensor senses you're there and opens it for you without you're having to assume any yoga poses.

The Limited gets a class-largest eight-inch touchscreen monitor (a smaller, less fancy five-inch display comes in other trims) and can be ordered with a panorama roof, automated braking/collision avoidance, heated rear seats, ventilated front seats and rear park sensors.

Unfortunately, these features are not even available as options on lower trims, which detracts from the economic appeal of the Tucson. A Limited with AWD and the "Ultimate" package - which includes most of the features just described - stickers for just over $34k. You do get a lot - but it's also a lot of money. Not too far from BMW (X3, $38,600) money. Which may be too much money… for a Hyundai, no matter how "nice" it happens to be. But the SE, Eco and Sport trims are very appealing on multiple counts, including value.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Hyundai did something smart by splitting the size difference between the lesser and the larger - and by offering the Tucson with more engine than is generally available in this class.

========

www.ericpetersautos.com or EPeters952@aol.com for comments.