<FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size=6>Is<FONT size=3> the Tucson going to replace the Santa Fe? They seem very similar. Which of the two models is the "flagship" SUV? The Tucson does not offer as powerful an engine as the Santa Fe. What are the advantages to the Tucson?</FONT></FONT>

 

Hi garaged</P>


not sure what the position is in the states but here,if you drive a car supplied by the company you get taxed heavily on it<IMG src=smileys/smiley7.gif border="0">The amount of tax is calculated on both the price and the emissions of the car.The Tucson is a lot lower than the Santa Fe on Co2 emissions so for company car drivers here in the uk there is a very big tax advantage which is why I'm considering one for my next car</P>


marc</P>

 

Hey Garaged;</P>


No. The Tucson is in addition to the Santa Fe. The newer model of the Santa Fe will be out in 2006.</P>


The Flagship (so to speak) is the Santa Fe.</P>


Advantages... More of Comparison and what you the buying are more intrested in and what fits your needs. The Tucson is smaller than the Santa Fe. The largest engine you can get with it would be the V6 2.7 (and you can add 4WD option - which is actually all wheel drive, but controlled via a computer system. You can also lock it into 4WD)</P>


Because it's a newer vehicle, there are more saftey features as well as design features. Go here to review more details:</P>


http://www.hyundainews.com/tucson/TucsonPressRelease.html</P>


One feature I'm paticularly intrested in is the ability to fold down the back seats (flat) without having to remove the headrests and perform this pull/tuck process such as you do on the Santa Fe.</P>


Another is that the front passenger seat folds flat! Great for when you need to haul long items and need to use the full internal length of the interior.</P>


The link above has more line by line Specs for you (and all) to review.</P>


</P><edited><editID>lbocean</editID><editDate>38294.8090277778</editDate></edited>

 

<DIV>Well,</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>You are all right, kind of...</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I just purchased the Tuscon and to tell you the truth I made the best move even if I paid AMV(adjusted Market value) of $2995 due to shortage of the model in the US...</DIV>
<DIV>Better that than the 2004 Honda Civic I was driving...</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I have the GLS - V6, 2.7 179 HP with 4WD in black, simply gorgeous, fast and comfortable... Too bad they don't have a 5-speed with it.</DIV>
<DIV>When I put it in manual-shift mode, it "jerks" from 1st to 2nd...</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Otherwise, I am looking forward to some good times with this one... Quality is so much better than the Hondas (I used to have a Honda Odyssey also)...</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Take care...</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>

 

&gt;&gt;When I put it in manual-shift mode, it "jerks" from 1st to 2nd...&lt;&lt;</P>


manual mode = sport mode, the shifts are slightly harsher, depending on the torque output of the engine.</P>

 

<DIV>Duke,</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>yes, I agree with you, manual mode = sport mode, but since I have been a previous 2001.5 Audi S4 Avant owner (with the tiptronic),</DIV>
<DIV>I know that what I feel is NOT what suppose to happen. </DIV>
<DIV>First off, when in manual mode, I can place it in second while stopped and start in 2nd gear like that, in the Audi you cannot do that. </DIV>
<DIV>Second, when I change from 1st to 2nd, it takes about a second for the tranny to realize what happened and make the 2nd gear available, kind of like gear "hunting", especially when I am ON the gas... </DIV>
<DIV>Third, I would really like to talk to GIAC to see if they are willing to re-program the tranny computer to make it really shine for what it should do.</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I will let the forum know what I can come up with...</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Thanks for the input there Duke...</DIV>

 

well, WHATEVER you do with the g-lever, ALL YOU DOis to request things from the TCM. the TCM will then consider, if the requested shift is possible for this particular engine load/road speed condition. (kind of like gear "hunting").</P>


I personally want &amp; expect a crispier shift in the "sport mode",but find them too soft.</P>

 

going back to the origanal question, in a way the tucson does repleace the Sante Fe, but the Santa Fe is not going away, its going up market and up in size. It will be more of a Dodge Durange sized mid-size with a 3rd row of seats and the tucson plays the Honda CR-V/Toyota Rav-4 fighter.

As for sport or manual mode on the tranny, I still find it pretty useless. The main time I want it is going into a corner...But since you can't drop two gears quickly its actyually more annoying than helpfull...for me at least. not only does the tranny need to be reprogramed, but different gear ratios would help as well. better yet, this thing really needs a 5spd auto at worst or a 5spd manual option.