[JASmith]

Ordered by Youtube Channel Subscriber Size:

 

[JASmith]

 

[Vols]

Overall, I'd say most are very impressed. Really happy to hear about the sportiness and overall comfort. I think Hyundai made a winner,

 

[micsandman]

I would really love to see a video of the non turbo. Of course they only let the media drive the Ltd version.

 

[JASmith]

I would really love to see a video of the non turbo. Of course they only let the media drive the Ltd version.

Yeah, I was a little concerned that redline reviews didn't think the non-turbo would have sufficient power for the weight, hmm...

I found that the SE AWD model would weigh 3,858lbs, and has 190hp. That's 20.3lbs/hp, and that is too high IMO, as 15lbs/hp is generally what we consider average sporty.

The Maverick Hybrid is 3,674lbs and 190hp, giving us ~19.3lbs/hp, and not really going to be all that much quicker, but at least you're sipping 37mpg combined which makes up for it, a whopping 14mpg difference.

The quickest (at least from a roll on) Mav is likely to be a Maverick XL Ecoboost FWD at 3,563lbs and 250hp for 14.3lbs/hp and that will be very noticeably quicker. Add a 4K tow package and CoPilot 360 a tonneau cover and a bed mat and it comes out to $24.5K after destination/delivery charges. That would likely do the same 23mpg combined, but be quicker and tow more with a 7-pin and integrated brake controller. FWD turbo SEL Premium SC would be 3,704lbs and 275hp for 13.5lbs/hp for the win!

The SC is hands down the nicer vehicle, probably more reliable, and with way better warranty, but the cheapskate in me is liking the bang/buck ratio on the Mav in lower trims. Heck, even the Lariat with Luxury package, ecoboost, 4K towing, ford360, still comes out to $32.7K. I think I just need to take a deep breath, chill, and see what real street prices are in February and stop constantly checking, lol!

 

[Sparkland]

Starting price of $40K in Canada. Pretty funny that two guys have to use step stools to get those bikes on the roof. Like to see one person attempt this. How many of those blue totes would fit in the bed of the Ridgeline?

The reviews were pretty fair. I do not like the hump in the floor of the middle of the second row which will limit this space to two adults. The tailgate dropping by pushing the key fob is a nice touch. Still not sure about the space in the second row. The 5'6" 135-lb youtubers fit well, but most people are not that small. The turbo engine seems to work great, but Hyundai should just ditch the naturally aspirated 4-banger because most customers will skip that engine. Who wants a sport adventure vehicle without any "sport."


Thank you for sharing the video links. Some YouTubers I have never heard of and will never watch again.

 

[JASmith]

Pretty funny that two guys have to use step stools to get those bikes on the roof.

Try washing the roof on a Ram 1500... I literally use a ladder and a special hose/brush attachment thing. The only other option is climbing into the bed and washing from there.

 

[Walking Black Bear]

I haven't watched them all yet, but the few I took in this morning were ... pretty short on actual driving impressions. More of the same reviews we got from the static walkarounds. I wonder how Hyundai is loving The Straight Pipes "Grandma Adventure Vehicle" tag line though ... at least they gave some feedback on the driving dynamics.

I think it sounds like I'm going to love this thing though. I don't need to be boy racer, but I want it to go when I push the dino-juice pedal to pass.

 

[JASmith]

I wonder how Hyundai is loving The Straight Pipes "Grandma Adventure Vehicle" tag line though ... at least they gave some feedback on the driving dynamics.

And that in typical fashion in their protest against gloss black, they probably ruffled their sweater over the dash and smeared fingers across it to show how it looks when dirty, lol!

Although one advantage is that eventually when you want to upgrade the infotainment, there will probably be single-unit Tesla style 14" portrait displays available to do everything on one big panel. In fact, that's one of the updates to the 2022 Ford Edge, its now one gigantic screen.

Driving impression wise, consensus seems to be that its very comfy, even softer sprung than a Tucson, and yet it seems to handle very well, with mild understeer only when pushed really hard. That's what I wanted to hear, and is good news.

 

[zroger73]

Try washing the roof on a Ram 1500... I literally use a ladder and a special hose/brush attachment thing. The only other option is climbing into the bed and washing from there.

I'm 5'-11" and have to stand on a two-step stool to wash the roof of my Ridgeline. I don't even want to think about washing anything any larger. I can wash my Miata in 5 minutes.

 

[Sparkland]

Where are the cup holders in the second row? Merely in the door? That would restrict you to narrow sealed drink containers.

Hyundai made that same mistake on the 2013 Santa Fe I owned. I won't be falling for that again.

 

[Walking Black Bear]

Yep. Just in the door. No flip-down center arm rest at all. I think that's the single biggest misstep on the interior. That's a pretty basic standard feature to miss. Oh well, I don't sit back there anyway. LOL

 

[zroger73]

There's no flip-down armrest with cupholders in the rear.

I'm also not a fan of the seemingly too-bright, metallic-look virtual gauges. It would be nice if the appearance could be changed to something less blinding without having to choose sport or auto modes.

Some won't like the lack of a volume knob and all the touch controls for the infotainment and HVAC.

Few I4 engines sound good to me and this one is no exception.

I'm not a fan of the SC's complicated styling - I tend to prefer a cleaner, simpler look like the Maverick and Ridgeline.

I do like the SC's ventilated seats and the fact that its existence serves as validation for the Ridgeline.

 

[Walking Black Bear]

The gauge appearance should be customized (to some extent) in configuration settings. IE: I'd just run that red 'sport' look right across the line. Not sure just how customizable the graphics themselves are. It would be SWEET if Hyundai gave people a way to use their own graphics/colors for the gauges. Will never happen, but it would rock.

 

[JASmith]

Few I4 engines sound good to me and this one is no exception.

I don't see how it can sound bad, you barely hear anything at all. If I go SC turbo, I'd probably just get the muffler removed and have a pipe exit pointing down by the rear passenger tire. Get a little weight savings, quicker turbo spool, and probably sound a little more aggressive. Also look cooler from behind, as you would no longer see the bright silver canister. The turbo and cat probably do plenty to muffle the exhaust already.

 

[JMII]

Overall, I'd say most are very impressed. Really happy to hear about the sportiness and overall comfort. I think Hyundai made a winner,

Sounds pretty much just like what we expected. Overall recap:
Rides way better then any truck, comfortable, very quiet almost luxury like, very CUV-ish because well duh - its a Tuscon with a bed and NOT a pickup. Very quick with the turbo + DCT combo (6 sec estimated 0-60), plenty of power and torque just a tiny bit of turbo-lag off the line, but has great mid-range get up and go, transmission doesn't hunt for gears and is well matched to the engine, ride is a touch firm with the 20" wheels but awesome at handling twists and turns thus actually fun to drive especially in sport mode, corners better then other CUVs so even car-like. Stable and smooth, well planted, very much UN-truck, no jiggles or bouncing when driving on smooth pavement, yet still very well damped on broken pavement. The piano black and all touch screen setup is a finger print magentic and having to tap blindly with no volume knob is super annoying. Seats are very comfortable, nobody complained about them. No hood over the gauges but the displays are super bright. Some soft touch materials up front with cloth inserts on the doors and dash, good fit and finish overall, leg / foot room a bit tight in the back for bigger guys (6 foot seems to be the comfort limit). Rear door opening on the small side so you have to squeeze in, no fold down center arm rest for those in back. Split screen infotainment is modern, slick and fast. Tilt and telescoping wheel means easy to find a comfortable driving position. Large slopping C pillar creates a blind spot but thankfully you've got the cameras on the Limited. Biggest miss is lack of a hybrid version (for now) and that it took 6 years to get this concept to market only to find themselves fighting against the cheaper, more traditional looking Maverick.

Random things that stood out to me:
Can drive hands free using lane following assist for just over 2 minutes - that is impressive! Almost all reviewers commented that Hyundai / Kia's driver assist features are among the best in the industry.
Bed is (4'3") 52" long, 53.9" wide with 42.7" between the wheel wells and 19.2" deep.
The headlights are down really low, doesn't seem like a good idea for off roading or even normal driving, how pitted are these going to get from being sand blasted by following vehicles on the highway?
360 camera comes on in reverse automatically, lots of camera views via on screen buttons.
The rear window is tiny, basically just a mail slot, then to add insult to injury your view is further blocked by that silly sliding porthole window.
You can't actually fill the brunk with ice or you'll freeze the locking latch.
Stone Blue has a touch of metal flake in... I believe this color has finally won me over the duller Sage.
Those that get the non-turbo with the traditional automatic are going to have just average performance and might be disappointed.
It rolls forward and back in gear due to the DCT? First time I've heard that mentioned.
Just a touch of under-steer (typical and safe), way less then a standard truck, minimal body roll (impressive given its 4,000lbs), better handling then your typical CUV easily approaching car-like levels of cornering.

Honestly this is a near perfect vehicle for me, it pretty much fixes all the complaints I have with my 20 year old Dakota which frankly drives like a ponderous truck. Plus I would get every modern tech feature you could ask for... well minus memory seats ARRRRRrrrrrr. Just need the towing MPG figures but it has to be better then my current 11 MPG, hoping for at least 15 with 2,500lbs of boat behind me. Now just looking forward to reviews where they really push the load limits.

Best part of all these reviews is the "you can't stand on the bed cover, but I am going to anyway"

 

[Walking Black Bear]

Also consider that, as far as build quality goes, Hyundai spent SIX YEARS developing this trucklet. Ford has been bragging that they pushed the Maverick from idea to product in under 25 months - and they were aiming for 20! I can only imagine how 'quality' that build will be in comparison. Sure, Ford has an extra year on that Escape platform, but they also have a track record of sketchy quality in the last several years. At least in Canada. That's why F-series is getting close to losing its best-selling crown for the first time since the 60s.

 

[JASmith]

Sure, Ford has an extra year on that Escape platform, but they also have a track record of sketchy quality in the last several years. At least in Canada.

That's my biggest concern with the Ford is a short warranty and worst ranking for predicted reliability on the 2021 Ford Escape:

Edit: BTW, the Bronco Sport also didn't land in recommended.

 

[Rxturbo7man]

That's my biggest concern with the Ford is a short warranty and worst ranking for predicted reliability on the 2021 Ford Escape:
View attachment 1540

But highest road-test score.

 

[Walking Black Bear]

At least until it breaks.