Mazda CX-5 versus 2019 Hyundai Tucson (Warning: contains nuts) | Auto Expert John Cadogan

Up next: CX-5 versus Tucson, plus: what’s really going on ‘down there’ in a car dealership, yet another Volkswagen ownership horror story and a big swinging handful of salty nuts at the end - mostly from Retardistan. “Do you still think the Tucson is better than the Mazda CX-5? Is the auto/manual dual plate transmission on the Tucson as good as, better than or worse than a standard auto?” - Don. This is not a simple answer - two complex questions there: Tucson versus CX-5 and dual-clutch versus conventional auto. Last question first: Conventional autos are more refined and more compatible with low-speed maneuvering under load but dual clutches are better for sporty driving and they save you a heap of fuel over the life of the vehicle. If you’re towing a heavy load, and especially if you’re maneuvering it slowly, get an auto. CX-5 versus Tucson: They’re both good SUVs, but Hyundai wins on warranty, they’re typically better value, and they’re better at customer support than Mazda. (Here I’m talking about the companies themselves - bear in mind that individual dealers can be dicks, or not.) Tucson has a full-sized spare tyre. Mazda has a somewhat more hateful space-saver. And Mazda’s i-Stop system is awful - I really don’t know why they bother with that, because no other feature degrades the driving experience more than i-Stop. Yes, you can turn it off, but you have to do so every time you start the car, and that gets old. However - and this is a big ‘however’ - I strongly advise you to wait if you are buying a Tucson. A facelift is imminent, and apart from the inevitable cosmetic upgrades it’s been revealed the new one will get the eight-speed auto we’ve already seen in the Kia Stinger, Sorento and Carnival. That eight-speed will be for the diesel Tucson only. The petrol powertrains will carry over. Adaptive cruise control - the radar one that adapts to traffic congestion - will also be added, although at this stage it’s unclear whether that’s gunna be standard across the range or just for the Highlander, or part of a safety pack in the lower grades. Adaptive cruise is really good - like Business Class. So pretty hard to go back to economy afterwards. But it does increase crash repair cost - because there’s a radar dome in the grille. Therefore, take care when parking nose-in, and hope some tradie with a towbar doesn’t park in the manner of Ray Charles while you’re out getting your wedding vegetables waxed. Whatever. I think they’re also gunna add a ‘surround view’ 360-degree camera system for the supremely spatially challenged. (I’m looking at you, Trump voters - quick shout-out to the United States of Retardistan. You know I love your country. Because you have nukes, and a nutcase with the launch codes.) Lack of adaptive cruise has always been the big plus for CX-5 - but even there, only the top-spec Akera gets it. So it’ll be interesting to see whether Hyundai upends Mazda by offering adaptive cruise across the Tucson range for 2019. Tucson facelift is due some time in the third quarter this year. Note to Santa... "You say car dealers buy their stock from car companies, so they need to sell as much of their stock as possible, and if they sell a certain amount, the car companies give them a bonus. Is all this true?" - Chris Yeah - when a car dealer in Shitsville takes delivery of a car, he owns it. Selling it is his problem. There is immense pressure to sell - car companies pressurise dealers, and the carrot is a huge, undisclosed bonus if they meet their targets. Every month. So if you see a new car on the lot that is the right colour and spec for you - the dealer is motivated to sell it. More motivated to sell it than if he has to order you one in, or pinch a car from a nearby dealer and split the profit. So make a firm, low offer at the end of the month, and see how you go. "My Tiguan has been leaking oil from the turbo since new. It is 2 years old. I left it at Osborne Park Volkswagen for 2 weeks whilst on holiday - for the fourth attempted fix. When I got back they had driven it 500 kms!!!! They said they wanted to drive it as much as possible to make sure they had fixed the leak!!!!!" - KJ Typical. A Volkswagen with a seemingly minor problem that they’re too incompetent to fix. Balance of probabilities: They know you were on vacation, so some peanut in the service department with a bone through his nose decided to use your car as his personal transport for a fortnight. Yessss! And yet, some of you still wonder why I don’t recommend buying a Volkswagen.