I own a Tucson 2.0L CVVT automatic. Prior to my purchase, I was considering a Mazda 3V or an Innova E. The other entry lever SUV's were out of the question since it was beyond my budget of 1M. I've test driven both including the other SUV's (CRV, X-trail, Escape) and the Focus and was bent on getting me a Mazda 3. Then I saw the just released Tucson gas at a showroom near my place. I honestly never considered getting a Korean car at first but was impressed with the features and performance and amazed at the price that i settled for the Tuc in the end.

It may not be as long (but it's wider) that the Innova but all the passenger seats fold flat all the way to the front giving you room to squeeze in a fridge (if you dare lay horizontally). I sometimes work while on the road and I use the flat folding passenger seat as a table for my laptop. I've also slept in it comfortably once while out of town. I'm the second guy from work that has a Tucson and with it's smooth ride, generous space (I'm 6' tall), quiet engine, adequate power, reasonable fuel economy, solid built, good sound system, etc. etc...two other colleagues from work are getting a Tucson as well. The Innova and Fortuner are truck based so it rides like a truck while the Tucson is car based so go figure.

In the end, it all boils down to what your priorities are. But if you're looking for a good value SUV, I would definitely recommend the Tuc. You get more for at least around 200k less than other small SUV's. In as far as reliability, Hyundai has yet to achieve the brand image of its Japanese counterparts but it's fast catching up (in the US and Europe at least) and even besting them on some attributes.