The power assisted rack and pinion steering was also right smack in the middle. Turning the wheel takes just enough grip to make you feel in control of the vehicle without working too hard or having that weird, too-loose spinning effect you get with some power steering.
I experimented with the Shiftronic transmission shifter, trying to get the hang of something I've never really understood. In the move to all-automatic transmissions all the time, many car makers have gone to these trannies that provide you with a gate, off to the side, that allows you to manually shift through the four speeds.
I'm a manual transmission guy, and am proud to say I've never had to replace a clutch on more than half a dozen stick shifts I've owned. So I'm not that happy with the loss of choice in transmissions.
After awhile, I got over my resistance and got the hang of using the hybrid shifter. I can say that it definitely felt as if I got some control of the vehicle back, and was able to do things like downshifting to use the engine to brake, and revving the engine higher before shifting up. The Shiftronic system is dummy-proof, autmomatically shifting back down to first when you bring the Tucson to a stop.
I've included some pictures of the Tucson's rear hatch -- one through the window, with the 40-split seat folded down, the other a few steps back with the 60-side down. The independent hatch and window opening option is reminiscent of old-school station wagons. Given the moderate height of the Tucson, most people will be able to open the window to place bags and other "stuff" in through the window.
With both seats up, the Tucson has nearly 23 cubic feet of storage space, with them down, a little over 65 cubic feet. The vehicle comes with a thick rubber cargo tray mat, and a cover that fits between the rear seats and the hatch door.
One thing that struck me unusual about the Tucson is the inclusion of an ashtray, lighter and cassette player. Let's do the time warp again! But just because I won't use these features doesn't mean they won't be appreciated by actual Tucson buyers.