I drive a Hyundai Santa Fe, which is basically the big brother of the Tuscon. i have heard very good reports on the Tuscon, and I think that Hyundais are very good value for money.

My suggestion would be to look at the safety ratings for all the cars on your list, and see which one had the best crash test results. For example my Santy was rated as the safest small SUV in 2004, so I feel pretty safe driving it. IMHO is a car is TOTALLED in an accident and all the occupants walk away, then the crumple zones and safety features have done their job - I dont feel it is an indication of a bad car.

Also be aware of mileage - my Santy has a 3.5 L engine and I only average 12 MPG.