I don't understand what the problem is because the center console doesn't have buttons 🤷🏻♂️ I use the buttons on the steering wheel to control the radio and the audio and info system without the need for unsightly buttons in addition to being able to use the voice assistant as well. In addition, you can choose the fully electric mode using the heating of the seats and the steering wheel without the thermal engine jumping. The car is a 10 after 7 months. I am delighted.
I drive a Hyundai phev in a cold climate near Syracuse NY and I still get the epa mileage and many times it beats the epa. Also it doesn't run the engine all the time in very cold weather it does run off and on to stay warm. Phev are smart for people that commute 30 miles or less, these other things spoken about doesn't really matter much. Also i love when people complain about colder climates...other than northern Alaska most vold climates in the US is anywhere from 3-6 months and lately about 2 months and not the whole month either.
I'm glad you mentioned the cold weather problem. I live in a cold climate and when I bought my Tuscon PHEV none of the reviews mentioned this. What's worse is when it drops below about 5F, and it insists on not only running the gas engine but driving on it too ("Switching to hybrid mode for heating/cooling"). I get around 12-18 MPG in town on the extremely cold days, and at that point there is no advantage to the PHEV.
You HAVE to routinely charge PHEVs in order to benefit from the electrified power train. If you do, the PHEV makes a ton of sense. To date, in the 10 months we've owned out Tucson PHEV, we're consistently getting over 150 mpg with ours. My wife uses it as her daily driver, and typically has to charge it every other day, since most of her trips are within ~10 miles of our house. While I appreciate a candid review, car reviewers should emphasize the importance of charging PHEVs in order to educate people on how to maximize their practicality. However, if you don't have the ability to charge them where you live (say an apartment building), buying a regular hybrid makes more sense.
Yes. I've had my Santa Fe phev since August. Around town, in summer, you get 100 mpg routinely. But highway driving and long trips over 12 miles both ways make it harder to see a big difference over the regular hevs. I wish it had maybe ten more EV miles. That would make a big difference.
Mpg says nothing. Phev owners always forget the cost for electricity. In my country the cost of electricity per mile/km is just as high as fuel. And 95% of all electricity is made through burning gas. So what is the big advantage of phev again? You always carry 250kg of weight.
I just traded our 2021 Mach-e Premium in on a beautiful black Tucson Ltd. phev. The main reason: this is my wife's car and she said she felt like a prisoner in the Mustang. Every time we ventured out of town it was an adventure, and not in the good sense. Charging an ev is requires planning, time and luck. She refused to take it out of town by herself. I've only had it for five days but so far am quite impressed. It looks and rides better than the Ford. The front seats are more comfortable and have at least a hint of side bolstering as opposed to the totally flat Ford seats. It has normal door handles vs. the little electric buttons that work about 80% of the time. It doesn't automatically lock itself as soon as you walk away making it impossible to open if you happen to go into the garage without the key. I don't buy into the fantasy that an electric car is any better for humanity than modern ICE vehicles, but the concept of a phev is cool. I love when I turn it off after a jaunt around town and it tells me it got 150+ mpg.
Great review! I have to disagree with the recommendation between the regular hybrid and the plug in. I had the regular hybrid and I was filling up my tank every week and half. And now I have the plug in and I can go 3-4 weeks without having to fill up my tank. I love that it charges in 2 hours on a level charges that makes it a lot easier to charge compared to my wife's plug-in outlander which takes 7-8 hours to charge and get about the same electric milage.
Your point about cold weather is right on, our experience in the Northeast US is that EV mode is useless below 50 degrees. The gas engine runs at a high idle whenever the defrost is on and actually uses more gas than just running in HEV mode. Great car in warm weather though.
I think there might be something wrong with your Tucson if it is running at 'high idle'. My Tucson PHEV has a gently rolling smooth idle for heat. My Tucson PHEV is getting well over 100 miles per gallon still on my 16 mile highway commute at 25 degrees. Have gotten over 300 mpgs at 40ish degrees. Can always keep heat off at 40-50F as well, especially on sunny days and just use heated steering wheel/heated seat, then zero gas burned.
I agree we’re not ready for Full EV. Battery depletion is real here in the North East. Range Anxiety to a Broken EV Charger is real and waiting for a charge is real when you live in a complex and not other way to charge
Although the engine runs to provide heat, remember that a) it is only in idle so not running very much and b) it is charging the battery from that as well.
Our experience is different. A) it idles at high idle using more gas than driving in HEV mode. B) It does not charge the battery when idleing. In the northern US we have to drive in HEV mode just to keep the windows from fogging up, The gas motor runs at high idle whenever the heat/defrost is on.
I like the 261hp. That’s the same as a Porsche Macan and you will get the full tech way cheaper. I also plan to tow, so the extra ho and torque is valuable. Nice review.
$43,000 is a lot of money for this automobile. I paid $42,000 for my new Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring and it is more fuel efficient, bigger and nicely laid out on the inside without the crazy touch screen.
Yes, the VW Passat GTE lets you choose. But I personally don’t think this “heating by petrol” is a big problem in Kia’s and Hyundai PHEV models. The fuel consumption needed to heat the car is minimal. If it’s not extremely cold it will use the battery only to move the car. And the petrol engine will heat the cabin. From my experience the consumption is about 150mpg when on the highway in EV mode, 23f outside. That’s quite ok in my opinion.
For what kind of temperature range places is PHEV recommended? I live in Netherlands and the weather is not extreme cold and snow but there are 3-4 months of cold weather months.
So a hybrid burns a little gas, what’s the issue? Want zero gas, go electric. You will still take a hit on efficiency in the cold. I would not classify this as a warm weather commuter, as the car works extremely well in average cold temps. I got 103 mpgs on my 17 mile interstate commute this AM in this thing at 34F in MA. It will do better on the way home as it will be 20F warmer. Try doing that in a Prius! May want to revise the title of your video 🤔. This thing burns zero gas in more mild weather over 30+ miles of 75 mph driving. Amazing vehicle overall.
Wanted to add that I considered the Rav4 Prime but I think the Tucson is superior for the following reasons: AWD is definitively better with a physical connection in drivetrain, you can actually shift the car with paddle shifters so more control, handling better (see Savagegeese review of the Prime!), interior is arguably nicer with real leather seats (like how seat moves up and back for driver as you start car), Tucson does still have physical buttons for many of the features inc heated/cooled seats and drive modes, infotainment is better integrated into dash, displays are just better (more visible in daylight, less glare), seats more comfortable, back seat has 2" more legroom, Hyundai has the turn signal cams, there arent a million of them on the road (Latest model of Rav4 is like 1:10 cars around Boston seemingly, feels like a fleet vehicle), Hyundai has enough EV range for most local drives (none of them are going to cover a long drive), Hyundai uses some gas which you actually need to do to keep gas in good shape, Hyundai has better warranty and costs $6-8k less for basically same features. I would also argue that overall efficiency of the Hyundai vs the Toyota is marginal at best. I have averaged 50 mpgs over 7,000 miles of mixed driving (far more highway than City % wise), and I see on Fuelly.com MANY Rav4 Prime owners getting about the same fuel efficiency.
This is a really good review, but it’s hard to believe he made the glare comment. Was there glare? I suppose. I don’t think he’s lying. Is he really struggling to find a control? I can’t speak to his experience, but I can speak to mine, it’s not a problem
I own the 2023 Tucson Hybrid. I'm an older guy and a fan of knobs... I was in agreement with you to not liking the all digital dash, UT was so in love with everything else in this SUV, I went for it. I've been driving it for a few weeks and it takes some getting used to, but I will say this... the dash is more for the passenger than the driver... most of the controls on the dash have physical buttons to control it on the steering wheel. If I used to change stations or volume on the dash before, I'm just now controlling it with the controls on the steering wheel. A lot can be voice controlled too. Some adjustment time, but my fears of an all digital dash seem to have been unfounded. It's a great car and I love driving it.
Lol. I’ve tried changing the controls while driving and . . . When not using the ones on the steering wheel (which are used mostly) . . . It hasn’t been a problem at all. His statement about the glare is valid, I supposed, but I have no issues with it, and your comment is absurd.
I don't understand what the problem is because the center console doesn't have buttons 🤷🏻♂️ I use the buttons on the steering wheel to control the radio and the audio and info system without the need for unsightly buttons in addition to being able to use the voice assistant as well. In addition, you can choose the fully electric mode using the heating of the seats and the steering wheel without the thermal engine jumping. The car is a 10 after 7 months. I am delighted.
I drive a Hyundai phev in a cold climate near Syracuse NY and I still get the epa mileage and many times it beats the epa. Also it doesn't run the engine all the time in very cold weather it does run off and on to stay warm. Phev are smart for people that commute 30 miles or less, these other things spoken about doesn't really matter much. Also i love when people complain about colder climates...other than northern Alaska most vold climates in the US is anywhere from 3-6 months and lately about 2 months and not the whole month either.
I'm glad you mentioned the cold weather problem. I live in a cold climate and when I bought my Tuscon PHEV none of the reviews mentioned this. What's worse is when it drops below about 5F, and it insists on not only running the gas engine but driving on it too ("Switching to hybrid mode for heating/cooling"). I get around 12-18 MPG in town on the extremely cold days, and at that point there is no advantage to the PHEV.
You HAVE to routinely charge PHEVs in order to benefit from the electrified power train. If you do, the PHEV makes a ton of sense. To date, in the 10 months we've owned out Tucson PHEV, we're consistently getting over 150 mpg with ours. My wife uses it as her daily driver, and typically has to charge it every other day, since most of her trips are within ~10 miles of our house. While I appreciate a candid review, car reviewers should emphasize the importance of charging PHEVs in order to educate people on how to maximize their practicality. However, if you don't have the ability to charge them where you live (say an apartment building), buying a regular hybrid makes more sense.
Yes. I've had my Santa Fe phev since August. Around town, in summer, you get 100 mpg routinely. But highway driving and long trips over 12 miles both ways make it harder to see a big difference over the regular hevs. I wish it had maybe ten more EV miles. That would make a big difference.
Mpg says nothing. Phev owners always forget the cost for electricity. In my country the cost of electricity per mile/km is just as high as fuel. And 95% of all electricity is made through burning gas. So what is the big advantage of phev again? You always carry 250kg of weight.
@@caskraker we live in a country we’re electricity is cheaper a lot cheaper that’s how it makes sense
@@thomasjaschke123 Which country? And what are the prices for electricity and fuel?
If you have solar panels at your home, PHEV makes even more sense. And absolutely, you have to charge it, daily, just like you do with your cellphone.
I just traded our 2021 Mach-e Premium in on a beautiful black Tucson Ltd. phev. The main reason: this is my wife's car and she said she felt like a prisoner in the Mustang. Every time we ventured out of town it was an adventure, and not in the good sense. Charging an ev is requires planning, time and luck. She refused to take it out of town by herself. I've only had it for five days but so far am quite impressed. It looks and rides better than the Ford. The front seats are more comfortable and have at least a hint of side bolstering as opposed to the totally flat Ford seats. It has normal door handles vs. the little electric buttons that work about 80% of the time. It doesn't automatically lock itself as soon as you walk away making it impossible to open if you happen to go into the garage without the key. I don't buy into the fantasy that an electric car is any better for humanity than modern ICE vehicles, but the concept of a phev is cool. I love when I turn it off after a jaunt around town and it tells me it got 150+ mpg.
Great review! I have to disagree with the recommendation between the regular hybrid and the plug in. I had the regular hybrid and I was filling up my tank every week and half. And now I have the plug in and I can go 3-4 weeks without having to fill up my tank. I love that it charges in 2 hours on a level charges that makes it a lot easier to charge compared to my wife's plug-in outlander which takes 7-8 hours to charge and get about the same electric milage.
Your point about cold weather is right on, our experience in the Northeast US is that EV mode is useless below 50 degrees. The gas engine runs at a high idle whenever the defrost is on and actually uses more gas than just running in HEV mode. Great car in warm weather though.
I think there might be something wrong with your Tucson if it is running at 'high idle'. My Tucson PHEV has a gently rolling smooth idle for heat. My Tucson PHEV is getting well over 100 miles per gallon still on my 16 mile highway commute at 25 degrees. Have gotten over 300 mpgs at 40ish degrees. Can always keep heat off at 40-50F as well, especially on sunny days and just use heated steering wheel/heated seat, then zero gas burned.
I agree we’re not ready for Full EV. Battery depletion is real here in the North East. Range Anxiety to a Broken EV Charger is real and waiting for a charge is real when you live in a complex and not other way to charge
The best thing about this is that it’s not a mediocre Toyota RAV4
That RAV-4 will last 300,000 miles, this Korean won’t make it to 100,000 miles, that is if it doesn’t catch fire.
Get it right. 28f outside and we drove 30mi. Mostly electric and the engine only runs enough to heat up. 125 mpg on this trip.
Thanks for the education because I honestly didn't there was such a thing a plug-in hybrid 🙂 Again, thanks, and God bless.
KIA PHEV Sportages just are impossible to find. Is Hyndia/Kia actually supplying these considering they are basically the same????
So...the regular Tuscon handles cold weather better, because it uses gas? Just like the plug in does?
Nice honest review
Although the engine runs to provide heat, remember that a) it is only in idle so not running very much and b) it is charging the battery from that as well.
Our experience is different. A) it idles at high idle using more gas than driving in HEV mode. B) It does not charge the battery when idleing. In the northern US we have to drive in HEV mode just to keep the windows from fogging up, The gas motor runs at high idle whenever the heat/defrost is on.
I like the 261hp. That’s the same as a Porsche Macan and you will get the full tech way cheaper. I also plan to tow, so the extra ho and torque is valuable. Nice review.
Glad to hear about the accessories needing the gas engine even in full EV mode…..I’m sure the dealer would not have mentioned it!
Canada there’s a $5000 rebate for plug in so it makes it the same price as the hybrid.
great review - will the engine fully charge the battery when driving. Thanks
$43,000 is a lot of money for this automobile. I paid $42,000 for my new Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring and it is more fuel efficient, bigger and nicely laid out on the inside without the crazy touch screen.
Thanks for the useful review. I was debating on getting that instead of rav4 but I change my mind now completed
Hydrogen? Hmm... Well, one good idea came out of California in the last few decades at least.
Does Rav4 Prime or BMW 330e have same problem in cold weather or do they have electric heaters ? Thx
Is any PHEV that can turn on heating without running engine in the EV mode?
Yes, the VW Passat GTE lets you choose.
But I personally don’t think this “heating by petrol” is a big problem in Kia’s and Hyundai PHEV models. The fuel consumption needed to heat the car is minimal. If it’s not extremely cold it will use the battery only to move the car. And the petrol engine will heat the cabin.
From my experience the consumption is about 150mpg when on the highway in EV mode, 23f outside. That’s quite ok in my opinion.
For what kind of temperature range places is PHEV recommended? I live in Netherlands and the weather is not extreme cold and snow but there are 3-4 months of cold weather months.
I think you'd be fine with a PHEV there!
Needs a Heat Pump. Most reviews neglect to mention the heater / engine running issue. Also the Kia / Hyundai dealer experience is generally horrible.
Looks good.
Fantastic analysis! This station wagon is not for the Northeast.
So a hybrid burns a little gas, what’s the issue? Want zero gas, go electric. You will still take a hit on efficiency in the cold. I would not classify this as a warm weather commuter, as the car works extremely well in average cold temps. I got 103 mpgs on my 17 mile interstate commute this AM in this thing at 34F in MA. It will do better on the way home as it will be 20F warmer. Try doing that in a Prius! May want to revise the title of your video 🤔. This thing burns zero gas in more mild weather over 30+ miles of 75 mph driving. Amazing vehicle overall.
Wanted to add that I considered the Rav4 Prime but I think the Tucson is superior for the following reasons: AWD is definitively better with a physical connection in drivetrain, you can actually shift the car with paddle shifters so more control, handling better (see Savagegeese review of the Prime!), interior is arguably nicer with real leather seats (like how seat moves up and back for driver as you start car), Tucson does still have physical buttons for many of the features inc heated/cooled seats and drive modes, infotainment is better integrated into dash, displays are just better (more visible in daylight, less glare), seats more comfortable, back seat has 2" more legroom, Hyundai has the turn signal cams, there arent a million of them on the road (Latest model of Rav4 is like 1:10 cars around Boston seemingly, feels like a fleet vehicle), Hyundai has enough EV range for most local drives (none of them are going to cover a long drive), Hyundai uses some gas which you actually need to do to keep gas in good shape, Hyundai has better warranty and costs $6-8k less for basically same features. I would also argue that overall efficiency of the Hyundai vs the Toyota is marginal at best. I have averaged 50 mpgs over 7,000 miles of mixed driving (far more highway than City % wise), and I see on Fuelly.com MANY Rav4 Prime owners getting about the same fuel efficiency.
You can't tell the difference from the the setup and the seek button? Please stop being dramatic.
This is a really good review, but it’s hard to believe he made the glare comment. Was there glare? I suppose. I don’t think he’s lying. Is he really struggling to find a control? I can’t speak to his experience, but I can speak to mine, it’s not a problem
You need glasses if you can't see
It is amazingly bad dashboard with no hard buttons or knobs. Try to change those while you drive. Absolutely unsafe vehicle.
I own the 2023 Tucson Hybrid. I'm an older guy and a fan of knobs... I was in agreement with you to not liking the all digital dash, UT was so in love with everything else in this SUV, I went for it.
I've been driving it for a few weeks and it takes some getting used to, but I will say this... the dash is more for the passenger than the driver... most of the controls on the dash have physical buttons to control it on the steering wheel.
If I used to change stations or volume on the dash before, I'm just now controlling it with the controls on the steering wheel. A lot can be voice controlled too. Some adjustment time, but my fears of an all digital dash seem to have been unfounded.
It's a great car and I love driving it.
Lol. I’ve tried changing the controls while driving and . . . When not using the ones on the steering wheel (which are used mostly) . . . It hasn’t been a problem at all. His statement about the glare is valid, I supposed, but I have no issues with it, and your comment is absurd.
He is overpaid to push this third world car.
Korea 3rd world 💀