We drove a $34,000 Hyundai Tucson to see if it's a legitimate rival for Honda, Toyota, and Subaru. Here's the verdict.

Hyundai Tucson Ultimate 2019

The Hyundai Tucson compact crossover SUV has been refreshed for the 2019 model year.
The 2019 Tucson receives fresh styling, a new interior, updated tech, and a revised lineup of engines.
In the marketplace, Tucson's rivals include the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester, and Volkswagen Tiguan.
The Tuscon comes standard with a 161 horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Our test car came with the optional 2.4-liter, 181 horsepower, four-cylinder engine.
The base 2019 Tucson SE front-wheel-drive starts at $23,200 while the top-of-the-line Ultimate trim with front-wheel drive starts at $31,550. With options and fees, our Tucson Ultimate AWD came to an as-tested price of $34,120.
We were impressed by the Tucson's attractive styling, smooth ride, roomy cabin, and easy-to-use tech. We were less impressed with the 2.4-liter engine's lack of passing power and lackluster fuel economy.

Nearly 3.2 million compact SUVs left US showrooms in 2018. According to data compiled by Kelley Blue Book, that represents 18.2% of total US auto sales last year.

In spite of the sheer scale of the segment, competition for buyers is fierce. At the top of the sales chart, are the traditional industry stalwarts like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, and Jeep Cherokee. This top bracket sold between 239,000 units (Cherokee) and 427,000 units (RAV4) in 2018.

And then there's a group of capable performers that sell in slightly smaller, but still impressive quantities — between 100,000 and 200,000 cars.

These include the Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-5, Jeep Compass, and Volkswagen Tiguan.

Another member of this group is the Hyundai Tucson. The Korean compact SUV saw US sales jump 24% last to more than 142,000 units.

The current third-generation Tucson debuted in 2015 for the 2016 model year. This year, Hyundai gave the crossover a mid-life update that included a revised engine lineup, a brand new interior, new technology, and refreshed styling.

Recently, Business Insider had the chance to check out a new 2019 Hyundai Tucson Ultimate AWD in the roads in and around Atlanta, Georgia.

The base 2019 Tucson SE front-wheel-drive starts at $23,200 while the top-of-the-line Ultimate trim with front-wheel drive starts at $31,550. All-wheel-drive is a $1,400 option. With options and fees, our Tucson came to an as-tested price of $34,120.

Here's a closer look at the 2019 Hyundai Tucson:

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