Hyundai's Tucson continues to please in numerous ways

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- Over the years, I've bragged a lot about the Hyundai Tucson. I considered it the perfect choice for a motorist looking to buy his/her first sport-utility vehicle.

I've even recommended the Tucson to some who ended up buying one. So, a recent opportunity to again climb into a Tucson cockpit offered me a chance to change my mind about things.

That did not happen. If anything, my confidence in the Tucson was boosted even further after a week in the 2023 Hyundai Tucson PHEV Limited AWD. How so?

In this era when seemingly everyone is talking about "checking the boxes," the Tucson checks so many boxes that they need to be continued on the next page.

For starters, it's perfectly sized as a compact crossover SUV ... especially for those looking to jump into the SUV market for the very first time.  No need to move things around to make room in the garage.  You feel comfortable behind the wheel within seconds of slipping it into Drive for the very first time.

It handles with midsize sedan ease. My Tucson had a 1.6-liter turbo-4 base power plant handling the chores. The engine is rated at 180 horsepower; the electric motor maxes at 90 horses. Strong enough, and then some.

In the tester, fuel cost concerns fell to the bottom of the list. My ride had a combined city-highway fuel rating of 35 miles per gallon. Throw in the electric factor, that jumped to a whopping 80 miles per gallon.

Right away, you feel like you're ahead of the game. Because you are.

So, now it's time to look around the interior cabin and appreciate what has been installed there.

There's admirable roominess for a small SUV, and beyond that, my tester was loaded with luxury and customer-pleasing perks. The lengthy list included leather seating surfaces/steering wheel, a hands-free power liftgate, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance system, surround-view monitor, rain-sensing windshield wipers and an excellent 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.

My tester was essentially a $50,000 to $55,000 package, but Hyundai has a habit of offering its vehicles for thousands less than similarly equipped competitors. So, no surprise at the bottom line on the tested Tucson: $46,305.

Throw in Hyundai's generous warranties and ever-improving reliability ratings and one is hard-pressed to find a worthy compact crossover SUV segment rival.