Recently we rented a 2022 Tucson. This vehicle had the 2.5 NA inline 4.
Right from the start it was a total dog. You had to beat on it just to accelerate at a decent pace.
When it was time for it's first fill, I checked online and according to sites like fuel economy.gov, it takes regular fuel, so I proceeded with filling it accordingly.
After roughly 20 minutes of driving at highway speeds (due to road conditions) I noticed the fuel level dropping.
By the time we made it to our destination, it was noticeably worse on fuel than almost anything else I'd rented before (I attributed it to being AWD).
After we checked into the hotel, I had some time to research the fuel requirement according to Hyundai.
I stumbled across this Tucson site, where they indicated that despite being a NA engine, Hyundai informed customers that they NEED to fill their vehicles with prem.. this is not the usual "recommended" suggestion they usually give. Just to be sure I checked the owners' manual in the glove box and sure enough it also stated "91 octane required".
Most attribute the need for prem. to the 13:1 compression ratio. I think I'd have to agree.
Armed with this new info I proceeded to fill the tank again, this time with prem (91 octane).
Sure enough the engine ran smoother, was more powerful and got much better fuel economy.
I can honestly say by simply changing to prem. fuel, that action alone was enough to make me change my mind about the vehicle.
I initially thought the Tucson was worse than my other rental of a comparably equipped 2022 rav4, but now I think I actually appreciate the driving dynamics of this vehicle instead. If I had the option to get this or a Rav4, I'd choose this. It has more of that "comfy car" feel I'd attribute to something like a Volvo XC60.
Just thought I'd share my recent experience.
Happy holidays!
Right from the start it was a total dog. You had to beat on it just to accelerate at a decent pace.
When it was time for it's first fill, I checked online and according to sites like fuel economy.gov, it takes regular fuel, so I proceeded with filling it accordingly.
After roughly 20 minutes of driving at highway speeds (due to road conditions) I noticed the fuel level dropping.
By the time we made it to our destination, it was noticeably worse on fuel than almost anything else I'd rented before (I attributed it to being AWD).
After we checked into the hotel, I had some time to research the fuel requirement according to Hyundai.
I stumbled across this Tucson site, where they indicated that despite being a NA engine, Hyundai informed customers that they NEED to fill their vehicles with prem.. this is not the usual "recommended" suggestion they usually give. Just to be sure I checked the owners' manual in the glove box and sure enough it also stated "91 octane required".
Most attribute the need for prem. to the 13:1 compression ratio. I think I'd have to agree.
Armed with this new info I proceeded to fill the tank again, this time with prem (91 octane).
Sure enough the engine ran smoother, was more powerful and got much better fuel economy.
I can honestly say by simply changing to prem. fuel, that action alone was enough to make me change my mind about the vehicle.
I initially thought the Tucson was worse than my other rental of a comparably equipped 2022 rav4, but now I think I actually appreciate the driving dynamics of this vehicle instead. If I had the option to get this or a Rav4, I'd choose this. It has more of that "comfy car" feel I'd attribute to something like a Volvo XC60.
Just thought I'd share my recent experience.
Happy holidays!