The 2021 Hyundai Tucson Lost to Its Little Sibling in This Best Value Contest
Cars.com recently announced its Best Value of 2021 award winner, and it’s a Hyundai. For its inaugural award, the automotive website considered any 2021 model, whether new or updated, as long as the team has evaluated it following any major updates. Cars.com explained it identified the most affordable models across many popular segments based on average prices listed on the Cars.com site. The team then picked its favorites based on performance, features, warranties, and more.
Two 2021 Hyundai models — the Tucson and Venue — made it to the finals. But only one prevailed. However, both crossover SUVs offer great value. Let’s take a look.
The 2021 Hyundai Venue won
Cars.com awarded the Best Value of 2021 to the 2021 Hyundai Venue. The team explained that in a year when affordable cars became a necessity for many drivers due to pandemic concerns, the Venue stood out. It showed that just because a vehicle is cheap doesn’t mean it’s low-quality. The Venue boasts a fine selection of tech and standard safety features that many rivals offer as options or don’t offer at all.
The base model comes with an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration. This subcompact crossover SUV’s latest model has an automatic transmission, forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, keyless entry, and lane-keep assist. It’s available only in a front-wheel-drive configuration. But considering everything you get for a starting price of only $19,935, the lack of all-wheel drive is a minor drawback.
Cars.com pointed out that the 2021 Hyundai Venue comes with a five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty with a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. You also get three years or 36,000 miles of free maintenance.
The Cars.com team really liked the Venue’s fun Denim trim. It boasts a dual-tone blue-and-white exterior and denim-like upholstery.
The Hyundai Tucson was a runner-up
One of the other finalists for this award, the 2021 Hyundai Tucson, is a compact SUV that also offers great value. For less than $25,000, it gives you standard active-safety features and great user-friendly technology, Cars.com reported.
The base model’s 161-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, gets decent fuel economy. And, unlike the Venue, the Tucson offers all-wheel drive as an option.
The latest Tucson also offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay standard, along with a seven-inch touchscreen for navigating the SUV’s user-friendly infotainment system. Other great features include automatic headlights, a reclining back seat with a 60/40 split, and available adaptive cruise control.
Standard driver-assist features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, a driver-alert monitoring system, and lane-keep assist. Plus, the 2021 Tucson earned good scores on all of its Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) crashworthiness tests.
More about the 2021 Tucson
The forthcoming 2022 Hyundai Tucson will feature an exciting redesign, but the current model is no slouch. Car and Driver describes it as an underrated SUV that deserves more attention than it gets. With its upscale vibes, thoughtful cabin layout, and smooth ride, the Tucson also provides great value.
The Tucson also offers two engine choices. Aside from the base engine, there’s a slightly more powerful 2.4-liter four-cylinder producing 181 hp. The Tucson is available with either front- or all-wheel drive. It may not be at the head of its class for cargo or fuel economy, but it’s not far behind the leaders.
This compact crossover offers capable handling with controlled body roll and nicely weighted steering. It’s an SUV that inspires confidence. With a suspension that absorbs blows from the road, the ride is refined and comfortable.
The 2021 Hyundai Tucson has a lot to offer, including an infotainment system that’s pleasantly easy to use and a nice range of standard features. Though the engine choices leave something to be desired, the 2021 Tucson’s affordable starting price makes it an SUV worth a closer look.
