2017 Mazda CX-5 vs 2017 Hyundai Tucson - In-Depth Review and Comparison

Hello and welcome to the cars dot Coz A studio where today we have a battle of the medium sized S U V s on my right , the brand new Mazda C X five , 2.2 D E all wheel drive Akira , the top of the range model .

And on my left , the Hyundai Tucson two liter C R D I Elite model , also the top of the range and also the best seller in the segment , right ?

Let's get stuck in right off the bat .

It's fair to say that these cars are both real lookers while the Mazda is a bit edgier , the Tucson is a bit more handsome , although the striking red paint job on the C X five really makes it stand out .

Big wheels always help .

And the Mazda rides on 18 inch alloys while the Tucson is fitted with 17 teams .

These cars are almost unbelievably closely matched .

Their diesel engines produce virtually the same power with similar fuel consumption .

Their acceleration times are almost identical .

They are similarly priced and they're very similar in size .

But there are some key differences .

These cars are very popular with families and of course , a big concern for families is load space .

So let's have a look at that .

Now , the first thing you'll notice is that the Mazda has an electronic tailgate something you can't even order as an option on the Tucson .

And for what it's worth , the Mazda on paper does have a smaller boot at 442 liters versus 488 in the Tucson .

But it does have this clever luggage cover which is actually connected to the tail gates .

Every time you open and close the boots , it moves with the tail gate , but you can remove it two clips over there , two clips over there .

And then I suppose you just leave that in your garage .

You also get more options with the seats folding down .

They fold in a 40 2040 split and there are handles conveniently placed here in the boot .

So you can drop the center seat , can drop the left seat a full and I can drop the right seats over there .

And that opens up a whole whack of space super convenient .

Let's take a look at the Tucson over to the Tucson where I have to do some manual labor to open the boot .

And we find that perhaps the load area is a little bigger , perhaps a little wider .

Interestingly , the Tucson has a full size 17 inch alloy with a proper tire , whereas the Mazda only has a temporary use tire and a steel wheel , this boot has a more traditional luggage cover , but there's nothing wrong with that .

The key difference here between the two cars is that I can't drop the seats from back here .

I actually have to walk around to the side of the car , open the door and use a handle at the base of the seat .

Then it flicks down rather violently .

But these are all minor details , minor differences .

They both offer flat load areas very good for things like bicycles and surfboards and other paraphernalia .

I think you're going to be hard pressed to tell these two apart .

They really are very similar in size .

This being the top of the range C X five Mazda rarely have thrown all the toys at it .

So there's an electric sunroof park , distance control , front and rear with a reverse camera , smart city brake support lane keep assist which gently steers the car between lane markings , six airbags , a 10 speaker Bose sound system , satellite navigation to you .

Speed ports under the armrest over here , automatic wipers , automatic headlights and electric , automatic windows all round , but it's not just the tech and the toys that impress , it's the build quality and the high grade finish which really is up there with the best of them .

And there's lots of nice little touches all round like leather on the doors and leather on the dashboard .

Rear seat , passengers are well catered for .

They have their own reading lights , their own air vents , pretty good knee room and decent headroom .

But one really nice feature is found in here in the center armrest and that's two USB charging ports , which I'm sure you'll agree is essential for the modern family .

The interior of the Tucson offers much the same as the interior of the Mazda .

However , there are a few little things missing .

For instance , there's no automatic wipers in here , there's no lane keep assist and although the sound system is good , it's not quite as good as the C X five .

However , there are a few differences .

This has a touch screen , for instance , which works nicely .

The glove box can be cooled and there's a huge panoramic sunroof .

But for me , the difference is really in the quality of the finish .

It's very well built , but the materials are not of such a high grade compared to the C X five .

And in that sense , it just doesn't feel as luxurious as the Mazda .

Welcome to the rear seats of the Tucson .

I would say that it is slightly more comfortable and a bit of a nicer place to be back here .

I also have my own reading lights , my own air events , my own arm rests with drinks holders .

But a key difference between the back of the Tucson and the back of the Mazda is that in here , I can stare out of the roof .

How romantic under the bonnet of the Mazda you'll find a two point two liter turbo diesel engine slightly bigger than the two liter turbo diesel in the Hyundai .

However , the Mazda has slightly less power but a bit more torque than the Hyundai .

But the numbers are so close , you're really not going to notice having driven the cars back to back .

I would say that the Mazda's engine is slightly quieter and a bit smoother than that of the Tucson in terms of fuel consumption , Mazda claims six liters to the 100 for their C X five .

While Hyundai claims 7.9 liters to the 100 for their Tucson .

However , in our testing in the real world , we found that both of them average 7.8 liters to the 100 that's a very good figure for cars of this size with this much power and torque .

Let's chat about drive trains and ride quality .

Both cars put their power through six speed automatic gearboxes .

But the key difference between the two is that the Mazda is an all wheel drive while the Tucson is a front wheel drive so great for gravel and wet road surfaces in terms of ride quality .

Well , obviously we're in a studio so a bit difficult to take them for a test drive , but we have driven both cars extensively .

And what we found is that the Mazda is slightly more set up for a sporty drive .

Although in saying that it is buttery smooth and although the differences are really slight .

The Tucson does let a bit more noise and vibration into the cabin .

So in terms of right quality , the Mazda just has the edge in terms of warranties and service plans .

The Mazda comes with a three year unlimited kilometer warranty , a three year unlimited kilometer service plan and three years unlimited kilometers roadside assistance with service intervals of 15,000 Ks .

While the Hyundai features a five year 150,000 kilometer warranty and an additional two year 50,000 kilometer drive train warranty .

It also includes five year 150,000 kilometer roadside assistance and a five year 90,000 kilometer service plan with service intervals of 15,000 kilometers at 500 and 57,000 rand .

The Mazda is a bit more expensive than the Hyundai Tucson which is priced at 539,000 900 but that's less than 20,000 rand difference .

And at this price point , that's not a huge amount of money .

The Mazda does offer noticeably more tech and nice little comfort features which the Tucson just seems to lack a little bit .

Although in terms of value , the Tucson offers a longer warranty , a longer service plan and longer roadside assistance .

So they are pretty closely matched .

But in terms of product , it just feels like the Mazda would be a bit easier and a bit more comfortable to live with on a day to day basis .

So in this comparison test .

The C X five is our car of choice .

Let us know what you think in the comments below .

We'd love for you to join our community by subscribing to our youtube channel .

Thanks for watching .