6 Things I Loved (And 2 I Didn’t) In the Capable and Comfortable Hyundai Tucson XRT
Subaru, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, and Jeep should be very nervous about the Hyundai Tucson XRT. For the most part, anyway.
The Hyundai Tucson, like the Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester, and the Honda CR-V, is (and always was) a staple SUV. It checks a lot of “just right” boxes. It’s just the right size, with just the right amount of cargo space, gets respectable mileage, has just the right amount of creature comforts and features, at just the right price.
Starting at $28,705 MSRP, it’s one of the more affordable family-friendly mid-sized SUVs on the market—even if you opt for the more expensive HEV or PHEV versions. And, with Hyundai’s renaissance in full swing, it means a now-stylish and comfortable interior, tasteful and responsive touch screen with driver functions as buttons and knobs, and improved quality overall.
I tested the XRT model, which is Hyundai’s off-road-ready trim of the Tucson. The starting price for that model is $34,325, features exclusive styling, model-specific wheels, black exterior cladding over the wheel wells, and water, odor, and stain-resistant H-Tex seats (which proved to be especially helpful for toddlers).
If you’re looking into a mid-sized SUV that can handle your daily driving as well as the occasional dirt or gravel road, let me explain why you should consider the Tucson XRT… As well as reasons you might want to eye the competition.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Loved: The Price and Factory Warranty is Hard to Beat
The standard Hyundai Tucson starts at $28,705 MSRP, and the adventure-ready XRT trim starts at $32,325, which is an incredibly fair price for what you get. However, the same could be said for its competitors. The gas-powered Toyota RAV4 with AWD starts at $32,357 and the comparable Woodland edition starts at $34,945. The Subaru Forester, also comparable with standard AWD, starts at $29,995 at the base and the most comparable trim level, Premium, starts at $32,310.
Honda’s CR-V starts at $31,600 with all-wheel drive, the Jeep Compass goes up to $32,245 for the Limited edition, the Nissan Rogue Rock Creek starts at $33,490, and the Mazda CX-50 starts at $30,500. The CX-5 is even more affordable at $28,770.
This is all to say, there’s a lot of competition for the Hyundai Tucson XRT. But the price point plus Hyundai’s legendary 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, 5-year/60,000-mile new car limited warranty, 24/7 roadside assistance, and 7-year/unlimited-mile anti-perforation warranty make it incredibly hard to pass up.
Loved: The Hyundai Tucson XRT Stands Out With Style
As we mentioned before, the Tucson competes with quite a few mid-sized SUVs. Namely aforementioned, as well as the Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX-50 and CX-5, and Jeep Compass. And now that every automaker wants in on the off-road-ready segment, the competition is even fiercer. However, the XRT’s design is what sets it apart from the rest.
First, you’ll notice the blacked-out badges on the blacked-out grille (as opposed to silver on the standard and upper trim levels), exclusive 18-inch wheels, which to me sort of look like wrenches, instead of 19-inch wheels, more aggressive tires, and black mirrors.
Additionally, the lower front and rear fascias, wheel wells, and side cladding are black and more rugged-looking. And of course, it wouldn’t be off-road ready if it weren’t all-wheel drive.
Originally listed as add-ons for other models, the XRT also has roof rails for crossbars, cargo baskets, or boxes. Oh, and of course, XRT badging all around.
Plus, how cool are those headlights? It looks like something out of a movie set in the future, in a very complementary way.
Loved: The Interior Sees Some Important Changes, Too
Like the exterior, there’s a lot of blacked-out goodies. In addition to an all-black (but still classy) interior, my favorite feature had to be Hyundai’s H-Tex seating material. It’s a material the company’s designed to mimic the look and feeling of leather, but it’s all synthetic, stain, odor-resistant, and is incredibly easy to keep clean.
An important thing to note, aside from all the driver functions being easy to identify and use without taking your eyes off the road, it has a traditional shifter, making it an easy transition for all sorts of buyers.
I really appreciated how overwhelming the interior of the Hyundai Tucson wasn’t. Just like the other mid-sized SUVs it competes against, it’s meant to be driven daily, so it’s easy to adjust to, easy to clean, and nice to look at.
READ MORE: The 2025 Hyundai Tucson Wants to Help Take Care of Your (Actual) Baby
Loved: There Was Plenty of Room For the Whole Family
The front passenger’s seat was comfortable for my husband at 6’2″, and he especially enjoyed the rear seats.
The rear passengers have their own climate control settings, A/C vents, and charging ports to make long trips a breeze. The amount of legroom looks minimal in the pictures, but there was plenty. Plus, easy-to-access lower anchors and upper tethers made putting my toddler girls (one rear-facing and the other front-facing) a cake walk.
My daughters loved the large windows to see out of, and I appreciated how easy it was to get their seats in and out of because of the wide opening and ride height. It felt very similar to my Subaru Forester in that regard—which goes to show that Hyundai knew exactly who they were targeting with the Tucson XRT.
Hyundai’s “Baby” mode in the power train settings helped keep my youngest asleep too, as it softened up the acceleration starting from a stop, and helps smooth everything out to avoid sudden bursts of acceleration in other driving scenarios. When traffic hit, it helped keep everything smooth.
Loved: The “Hey, Hyundai” Feature Has Been Improved
The 2025 model year of the Hyundai Tucson has the improved “Hey Hyundai” voice recognition, making it that much easier to have the car adjust the cabin’s temperature, navigate to your favorite spots, check stock prices, sports scores, adjust the media volume, make a phone call, and so much more.
Hyundai made it a point to say the software is more sensitive, so it’s less likely to misinterpret what you’re saying or not hear you at all. So, if you’re a big fan of voice assistance, you’ll love the Hyundai Tucson XRT.
Of course, if you’re a regular user of the Tucson’s wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, you can always call on Google or Siri, too. But I can confirm—the voice recognition is vastly improved.
READ MORE: In A Word, The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid SUV is Fun
Loved: I Was Surprised by the Hyundai Tucson XRT’s Cargo Space
The trunk space was truly impressive in the Hyundai Tucson XRT. Out of all the mid-sized gas-powered SUVs that I’ve test driven, I truly did not expect to see the trunk this large for how small it looks at first glance. Both of my toddlers are out of a stroller now, but this would have easily fit their double stroller, diaper bag, and a grocery run without breaking a sweat.
If not for the trunk, I also appreciated Hyundai’s clever addition of cubby holes, nooks, pockets, and storage spaces for everyday items. It’s no Ford Explorer, but it definitely gives its competition a run for their money when it comes to passenger comfort and overall space.
If you get a roof basket or cargo box for the roof (thanks to the reinforced roof rails), the cargo space improves dramatically.
Didn’t Love: The Lack of a Rear Wiper Was A Tad Annoying
Hyundai has been criticized for the lack of a rear windshield wiper in their cars for some time now—particularly the IONIQ 5 and the Tucson. When I test drove the XRT, it was quite rainy, and not being able to see out of the rear window while driving was quite frustrating.
I can already hear you saying, “first world problems,” and you’d be right—because you can always press the camera button and have the rear camera show you what’s behind you. But you shouldn’t have to do that when every other new car has a rear wiper you can set to intermittent and have it wipe the rain away for you.
For me, the lack of a rear wiper might be a deal breaker for someone who lives in a climate that regularly sees rainfall or snow.
READ MORE: I Traded My Hyundai Santa Fe for a Week to Drive the 2022 Hyundai Tucson
Didn’t Love: No Spare Tire Included
Since Hyundai advertises the XRT trim to be more off-roady than any other trim, you’d think there’d be more to the trail-readiness than just the styling and a different interior material used. Usually, if a car is designed for off-road, there’d be a more robust sturdiness factor to it. And while the Tucson is definitely capable, it’s not completely prepared thanks to a lack of a spare tire.
If you’re heading to your family’s usual campsite and there happens to be a sharp rock or a particularly spiky twig in the road, you’re screwed, because the Hyundai Tucson doesn’t come equipped with a spare tire under all that trunk space.
So, if you plan to go off-road in this trim of the Hyundai Tucson, beware. You’ll have to bring your own gear. However, it does come with a flat repair kit, which may come in handy, but only if you know how to use one.
All in all, for a person who lives in a multi-season climate, the Hyundai Tucson is more than enough of a machine to get you through the day. Plus, it looks a lot cooler than the standard trim of the Tucson.
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