2008 Hyundai Tucson Overview, Reviews, Ratings & Specs

Rich on July 24, 2022

I bought a 2008 GLS with 106k miles for $6,000 (US) in 2019. It has needed a lot of love to get it into shape: New throttle position sensor, ignition switch, front struts, front CV joint, starter, timing belt, water pump, door seals, battery, tires, spark plugs, bulbs, air filter, cabin air filter and headlight restoration. Two A/C recharges and a heater core flush needed to be done as well. It has cost about $5,000 for all of this. Time will tell if it's all been a worthwhile investment. Things just keep failing on it in the almost three years that I've owned it. The first gen Tucson offers a great driving position, although the seat gave me back pain until I got it adjusted properly. It's good now. The steering wheel blocks the gauges for a 6'2" adult. I have an Ultragauge digital display to see speed and other info instead. The 2.0L i4 engine is underpowered given the weight of the vehicle but it can be fairly fuel efficient in the city (17-22 MPG when driven hard, 27-34 MPG when hypermiled). A/C drops MPG by around 20%. Highway MPG is poor due to the ancient 4-speed auto transmission and bad aerodynamics, getting low-mid 20's. There's a lot of usable interior space for the size of the vehicle, making it pretty good for camping. I'm able to fit two folding tables, a family tent, a screen room, two large bins of gear and several bags while seating two adults and a toddler. Overall, the purchase cost plus maintenance has amounted to $305/month so far. There are better vehicle options for that kind of money. I can't say I recommend the 2008 Tucson right now based on my experience unless I get at least a couple of good years out of it going forward. It's no Toyota, that's for sure. There are worse vehicles though, so the 2008 Tucson is decent.

SUV_Aficionado on April 29, 2021

In South Am scenario, despite newer and more expensive suvs like Jeep Compass and the new Corolla crossover, the “classic” Series (2004-2017) Hyundai Tucson still delivers! Roomy, quiet, reliable almost no maintenance and fun to drive compact SUV that you can park in a chic mall without shame or fight mud snow and irregular roads with confidence! Note: mine was purchased last year (2020) with original 60k miles and is a lovely bespoke and B4/NIJ IllA armoured unit so I don't think in trading it but conserve with me perhaps with a green one or a different toy in the future..

Thomas on October 6, 2020

Comfortable ride for a SUV. Plenty of power as you shift. Mobil and easy to drive. Cold AC in cabin. Great in adverse weather. Paint and clearcoat has held up over the years. Versatile fold down seats. Sharp looking with alloy rims. Bang for the buck.

Jerry C on August 16, 2020

Got the car for my daughter. Gets great gas mileage and seems to have plenty of power. Performed well on a trip to Fargo ND.

Peter on February 23, 2020

It was a decent small SUV. I bought the 2009 model with only 30k miles on it. Very soon regretted that decision. The Tucson drove ok but it was sluggish on the acceleration because it has weak engine. The ride was rough and the suspension was hard. I could feel every bump on the road. But hey, it was a budget SUV I could live with it. After 50k, this car stared giving me all kinds of problems. things just kept breaking down. I was tired of paying hundreds of dollars in repair cost and got rid of the xxxx thing. This vehicle was NOT designed and made to last. I will never buy another Hyundai again or any other Korean made car. The resale value is pathetic also.

Mountain living on August 1, 2018

This car has always been dependable great for winter driving holds to roads well. Very low maintenance comfortable ride lots of cargo space to use.

Hmommy123 on July 7, 2018

This car stayed really nice and I drove it for over ten years. It was comfortable and never broke down. Good car for a small family. Good car for dog owners.

TheFunkWithinYou on June 25, 2017

So, first of all, I live in Costa Rica, it's a tropical country and it rains a lot. Streets aren't in the best shape either. That's exactly why I chose the headline to be that. Currently, the car has reached the 100k miles and haven't had any major reliability issues, it's had a couple of very small crashes and still looks very good. Also, it's stepped in some major bumps and the suspensions seem to be very fine and have remaind untouched from the moment I bouht it - about 7 years ago. Performance wise, there's a problem with this car. As my country has a lot of hills, it's very noticeable. It's an underpowered car, it struggles a bit to get going when climbing hills. Don't get me wrong, it will never stall, it's just that one would like a much responsive car, one that doesn't take 10 to 15 seconds to "wake up" from the low range rpm's of the second gear. Everything else, mechanical/performance wise is very average, the suspensions are fine and its fuel consumption is about 22 mpg combined with an almost 10 year old engine. Now, in the"creature comfort" section, the car is not the prettiest, not its exterior neither its interior. Everything is very functional, but one can see it's a cheap car and it's not built for luxury. The suspensions don't help here, I belive they are a bit too stiff for a car of this characteristics, on the other hand, this gives the car a handling that makes you feel safe at road legal speeds. Which takes me to the last point to adress, the safety in the car is very good, it's never shown problems with the seatbelts and the airbags are fine according to Hyundai's mechanics that have made maintenance on it. So, if you're looking for a reliable car that can, eventually because it's not the fastest, take almost anywhere, even in non tarmac roads, you don't mind looking very average on your car and you don't drive too "enthusiastically". The Hyundai Tucson could be a very good choice for you.

Sweeny on September 9, 2016

I bought my 2008 Hyundai Limited with the 2.7 off the lot brand new, I still have it and use it as an everyday car. My average mileage to work is 40 round trip. I live in Texas and have driven to Northern Michigan twice, first time I pulled my boat and did not have a single problem, it still drove perfect and then the second time without the boat, both times was a comfortable ride. This vehicle to me is underrated for the type. I've driven through the mud , snow and rain with no issues at all. It is fun, quick, and excellent for family. Love the 2008 Tucson.

Crossover SUV Preferred on April 23, 2012

I currently own a red 2008 Hyundai Tucson SE FWD model (middle of the line). The high points are a good price, confidence on ice and snow, cross bars for cargo on top don't look out of place (unlike some SUV's), simple and best automatic shifter ever seen (all the way down is drive and when shifting to a lower gear, push to the right and down), heated outside mirrors, awesome interior and exterior style, tight and precise steering and handling, no chrome on the inside or on the door handles, versatile cargo bay, good ride (at least in the first 2 years), standard V6 on SE. But the low points are a rougher ride after 12,000 miles, ESC system kept shutting off when first bought but after dealer fixed worked fine afterwords, noisy rear window wiper (even when replaced with new one), major road noise on highway, light steering when going above 72 mph (scarry), V6 struggles a bit on steep mountain roads so manually shifting down a gear or two with automatic is recommended, Automatic also hesitates sometimes,see too much of the hood, mp3 audio jack has to be wiggled sometimes for proper connection even though Hyundai dealer says it's perfectly fine, top part of the middle of dash is way too shiny of a silver in the sunlight so I had to cover it up, cargo bay could be a bit deeper, cargo door a bit hard to close, seperate opening of window on cargo door would have been a nice touch except still to high for me or anyone shorter to reach over, no backup camera, sometimes hits head on door sill (I'm 6'/ 8" so I don't recommend this car to taller drivers), mp3 audio jack to high on dashboard, poor design of cargo cover that cuts into too much space so I made my own instead, cup holders could be another inch or so deeper, and a bit of a high step in for shorter people. Overall a fairly good and reliable starter car for younger drivers of average height who don't mind road noise or average ride quality but both shorter and taller drivers should look elsewhere. Santa Fe and Veracruze have more powerful V6's and more room but the Tucson is still the best looker in the bunch and for any compact SUV I've ever seen.