Let'S find out if he undies new Tucson can go head-to-head with the mighty mazda cx5, having driven it for several days now, I was hoping to tell you that the new Tucson is a pretty good SUV, but I can't I'm not going to sit here and tell You this is a good SUV if it's not and it's definitely not good. Let'S go back to the studio and I'll tell you why I was really hoping to say: yeah, pretty good, even more of the same from here on day. Well done another good SUV, but this test-drive experience was completely unexpected. I really didn't think they'd. Do that not now I didn't think they had it in them. I thought pretty good must have been the plan, but that's not what they achieved. The new Tucson is not good, not by a long shot, and that's because it's friggin excellent new Tucson is actually a cx-5 killer. I know that's a big call, but here's why, when you throw a he and a Tucson into a nutribullet and hit puree forget antiquated notions like chewing nutribullet turns ordinary foods into superfoods by extracting the hidden vitamins and minerals at the cellular level. And if you believe that, how would you like to buy the Sydney Harbour Bridge when you put a Tucson Highlander through this automotive cellular level, goodness extraction process, it's just better than when you do the same thing with a cx-5 Akira? I actually did this, which involved a couple of very interesting telephone conversations at SUV test returns, the king is dead and here's why you know the Tucson Highlander is 3,000 dollars cheaper than a cx-5 Akira and every bit as well-equipped and in practice, you'd negotiate the price Down to about 45 grand without having to go for your Glock and at that price, it's the SUV, works Berger. Bargain of the decade, you might remember, the cx-5 Akira pulled the pants down on these premium poverty. Euro contenders, you know, like the BMW, x1, the Audi q3 and the Merc GLA I reported on that and frankly earn the opprobrium of badge snobs everywhere, but that conclusion still stands Tucson though in Highlander. It also, therefore, not just has the pleasure of and pants down pulling, but it also enjoys the orgasmic frenzy of tarring and feathering the Germans and parading them along the high street with their ankles shackled in this undignified fashion. The new 1.6 turbo petrol engine surgically extracted and transplanted from Veloster it's a great fit in the new Tucson, and I really wasn't expecting that it makes substantially more low rpm power than Mazdas 2.5 SKYACTIV petrol engine. In fact, the Tucson makes more power from 1500 rpm. All the way up to at least 4000 rpm, and we know that definitively from the stated peak performance fears, although the Mazda would probably still set a lap record if you managed to drive it like you stole it, the proof of the pudding here is actually in The driving and at all the revs at which you are likely routinely to drive those vehicles, its Tucson, leading Mazda, comfortably rubbing salt into the wounds here. A 7-speed dual-clutch transmission in the Tucson is much better for having a serious go in than the 6-speed auto. In the Mazda, although the Mazda has more transmission refinement in some low-speed driving situations as a consequence of it being a conventional order, so what you need to do is you need to choose here, low-speed civility or direct driving engagement, there's a clear bias towards one or The other and you get to choose so that's nice handling is good too. You get brilliant local suspension tuning by the team at Hyundai oz and their unnamed, but very capable suspension tuner. The setup is excellent for our conditions and you get just the right amount of roll and compliance for this kind of car. So if you want a reasonably refined taxi for mum and the kids, but which dad can also enjoy having a go in from time to time, this is an ideal package to suit both of those agendas. I don't normally comment on styling ex, where there's a tangible observation, because you've got eyes and you could perv as effectively as me, although I am an a-grade pervert, absolutely top-shelf. In any case, styling is often in the eyes of the beholder I mean how many times have you seen a hot chick arm in arm with a complete card-carrying numpty, but there is a salient styling observation here when you park a Tucson next to a cx-5, it Makes the cx-5 look immediately old and busted, even though Mazda did a pretty good job with the 2015 cx-5 facelift, especially on the interior, speaking of which cover up the badges and jump into each vehicle, which SUV do you suppose might be easier to pass off? As a prestige, European SUV in this badge deprived State, if you just answered cx-5 you'd be dead wrong. He under he's done a brilliant job on the interior, which was where the outgoing ix35 fell down. Most heavily ix35 had the world's worst twin binnacle instrument, canopies, a hideous knotch transmission, selector, half-baked at best. In so many ways on the inside. I never even bothered reviewing ix35. My review was essentially go, buy yourself a cx-5. Instead, it was a flashback to the underdone and yet trying too hard old South Korean automotive design model. To sun's interior, however, is an automotive economic triumph. You know the air conditioning controls the centre, LCD, brilliant packaging of the transmission selected with electronic part, brake and sundry. Other driver selectable features like the park sensors and center diff, lock behind that just fantastic and in particular the steering wheel. That wheel is fundamentally awesome good to look at better to use it's the next generation of held a steering wheel, and I can't wait frankly until that's adopted right across the range huge step forward. The clarity of the GPS sat display, in particular, rates of special mention. As does the inclusion of apple carplay and tune in radio, although obviously the only station you'd ever need or want, is Sydney's original to Yui 954. Clearly, carplay does, of course, channel Siri through the high-tech, Ouija board. We know today, as Bluetooth, just don't get into this situation, open the pod bay doors. Please Siri, I'm afraid I can't do that. What'S the problem, I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do. I know that you and Frank were planning to disconnect me and I'm afraid, that's something. I cannot allow to happen where the hell did you get that idea. Although you took very thorough precautions against my hearing, you I could see your lips move, I'm sure they have Siri in hell must ask Joseph Ratzinger next time we catch up at the Vatican, he'll know and he's never wrong. Ask around don't get me wrong. Cx-5 is still a great SUV and there are plenty of reasons to own one, but two suns, the one with the five-year warranty, the cap price servicing for life and the full size alloy spare wheel and tire Mazda cannot match that and Tucson also lacks Mazdas hateful I-Stop system, so that's a plus frankly, it's a pretty close run race, two very high-quality vehicles, but there's no need to go to the video referee. The Tucson is well in front. The stupidest thing about Tucson Highlander is despite having all the requisite hardware, like the radar sensor up the pointy end used for autonomous emergency braking and other cool technology. There is no adaptive cruise control, so it's steam-powered dickensian cruise control for the Tucson Highlander and on this point the Mazda cx-5 Akira is clearly in front. It'S a crazy, incomprehensible decision from he and a completely nutty. He unders response about why this obvious feature is absent. Is ingenuously it's not available globally? It leaves me wondering if the time or the budget beat them to market, because they could have always simply just made a telephone call to Bosch. Tucson poses some interesting internal problems for he under, however, it's better equipped and nicer than Santa Fe and Santa Fe is good. Santa Fe has carryover liabilities with the left foot. Rest, for example, which was always compromised by the low angle, required to facilitate the manual park, brake pedal in the active model, and also the predecessor and that's unfortunate as well as uncomfortable for long trips. The kicker here with Tucson is Tucson is roughly ten grand cheaper than Santa Fe spec for spec. Let'S not forget that he under is taking some steps to level that playing field on specs with a minor model upgrade for Santa Fe plan in October 2015. Of course, if you really need seven seats, Santa Fe or the Kia Sorento, it's pretty impressive to some. People, though, will buy a Santa Fe, not for the extra two seats, but because they claim they need a bigger SUV. So let's examine that objectively. Santa Fe is 21.5 centimeters longer that's about eight and a half inches for ten grand in terms of maximum storage space. With all the seats stowed SATA FA offers about one seventh of a cubic meter: more storage, that's like to office filing boxes and there's only one and a quarter; inches thirty millimeters, more stretched between the wheelbase with Santa Fe, which is hardly a golf, and since the People in rows, one and two sit essentially between the wheels there's, really no more passenger space on offer in Santa Fe, at least in rows. One and two to me, and I like Santa Fe 10 grand, seems to be a lot to pay for a few inches and two boxes. If you're paying just for the additional size anytime, you disturb a system, you get feedback, you make a positive change like adding who's onto the market of medium SUVs. So that's good, but the feedback at least back at the Hyundai mothership is going to be giving people who would have formerly purchased a Santa Fe, because it was so clearly ahead of the ix35, a real reason to save 10 grand and purchase a Tucson. Instead. Tucson means Santa Fe is no longer a no-brainer there's a real case for some buyers to save 10 grand good for you bad for he unday. Oh well a couple of caveats before I let you go the Mazda 2-liter atmo engine unless our cx-5 is slightly underpowered and slightly lower in peak torque than he and a is equivalent to leader. They both have direct injection, but it is really a close-run thing. Mazda'S in front on power from its 2.2 diesel versus he and those 2-liter diesel, there's five percent in it there, as well as five percent in peak torque. As for the Nissan Qashqai and x-trail Mitsubishi, ASX and Outlander kia, sportage and Subaru Forester, they can just about see cx-5 and Tucson duking it out for the yellow jersey way up ahead. If you want one of these second-string suvs, make sure you drive the cx-5 and the Tucson at the same price point and then identify exactly what it is about. Your second line, SUV that makes it a better option. After throwing your specific situation and preferences into the mix everyone's different and there could be a good reason to choose one of these second-string suvs, but now it's time for some tough lovin. What now I said, tough love it not prison lovin. If you think you want the rip van winkle of SUVs, that Honda calls the CRV or the aptly named Holden crap TV or the absolutely not death Proof, Volkswagen, Tiguan or a little something to scare the kiddies into eating their veggies or something like the Skoda Yeti Or any of the markets twenty-something other su you, the back markers, talk to a trusted health care, professional about changing prescriptions, because the meds you're on clearly may not work. As always. If you want a new car at the right price contact me online at Auto expert Comte, you getting some pretty good discounts on Tucson right now, don't forget to subscribe for regular updates and leave a comment below. Let me know what you think: I'm John Cadogan, thanks for watching you
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