 I bought my first Hyundai in 2002. It was the first generation Santa Fe and I loved it. As the first of five Hyundai’s since then, it made me a believer in the Hyundai brand. I have owned all three models of the Santa Fe Sport and two of the three models of Tucson.                                                                                                             In October of 2017 I leased a 2017 Tucson value package edition. It seemed to be the perfect combination of features, having everything I needed and nothing I didn’t. I gave up leather (nice but not necessary) and navigation (it’s free on my phone) in exchange for a panoramic roof and a power lift gate. It also has cross-traffic detection, blind-spot detection, and dual climate control. (More about that later.)The ride quality of the Tucson is firm but compliant. It handles all but the most serious of bumps with finesse, and the steering is quick and responsive. As for road noise, it could be quieter. Doors seal tightly with a nice, firm shunk. Upholstery is high-quality fabric with even stitching and stain-resistant properties, but that’s where it ends. The very basic dashboard design is plain and uninspired. There are no wood grain or carbon fiber accents here, no fabric on the doors, and far too many hard surfaces overall. If you’re looking for luxurious appointments, look elsewhere.  Despite its deficiencies in the luxury arena, the new Tucson outshines its overly-ubiquitous competitors with a handsome exterior. The Tucson’s panoramic roof provides a brightly lit cabin, although I would be content with a standard panel sunroof over the front seat, especially since the panoramic roof is going to rain down a large quantity of glass fragments on all occupants in the event of a crash. It also makes interesting pinging noises, especially in cold weather. The fresh air return is an enigma. A sensor in the climate control system decides when air in the cabin becomes “stale” and automatically brings in outside air. You may be driving through a forest fire, but once it’s in fresh air mode, the system will not return to recirculate mode on its own. The frustrating part is that you can’t always manually return to recirculate mode until the system says it’s okay. This may involve rolling down a window and letting even more bad air into the car. It’s bad enough to have to press recirculate every few minutes, but it’s a real pain when the car won’t let you. Is there a fix for this thing? All my previous Hyundai’s remained in accessory mode after shutting off the engine, allowing the driver to listen to music or complete a phone call without the engine running. But when you shut off the Tucson’s engine, everything shuts off, forcing the driver to idle the car in order to finish a Bluetooth call or hear the end of a song. Why? To the best of my knowledge, no other Hyundai models do this. And now for the biggie: The Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT). What can I say? This is essentially a manual transmission due to its lack of a torque converter, but instead of being manually shifted by the driver, gearing is decided by the computer. This works fine in most situations, but depending on conditions and terrain, shifting can be jerky and unpredictable. Even my salesman tried to warn me against the DTC and I should have listened. Overall, it isn’t as bad as some reviewers make it sound, but it does take some getting used to.       Don't get me wrong; the car runs great. It's peppy, corners well, and is fun to drive. The issues I’ve had with my Tucson are mostly cosmetic, but are certainly not acceptable in a new vehicle. They pertain mostly to fit and finish problems and a lack of attention to detail. Misaligned body panels, broken clips in the headliner, a gap in the dashboard, and unusual noises emanating from the back end were annoying to say the least. Most of them have been addressed after repeated trips to the dealer, but it's disappointing just the same. Perhaps I got the last Tucson built on a Friday at closing time. Regardless, I wanted to love this vehicle, but I only like it, and I'll consider other brands when my lease expires.