2016 Mazda Cx-5 Vs 2016 Hyundai Tucson - Design!

The Difference Is In The Drive

After Driving The Two Crossovers Back To Back, One Thing Become Very Clear: The Mazda Is Still The Better Car If Driving Fun And Engagement Is What You’re Looking For. It Feels More Connected To The Road, You Get Much More Feedback From The Direct And Responsive Steering Wheel, And It Just Dives Into Corners With More Enthusiasm Than A Crossover Has A Right To.

Unfortunately, Engaging Driving Typically Matters Diddly Squat To People Shopping This Segment. That’s A Shame, Because The Cx-5 Is The Best In Its Segment For Driving Dynamics.

That’s Not To Say The Tucson Is A Bad Performer, Either, But You Can Really Feel Mazda’s Sporting Heritage In The Way The Cx-5 Drives. The Tucson, On The Other Hand, Feels Softer In The Corners And The Steering Feels A Bit Disconnected, Artificial, And Over-boosted, All Pretty Typical Traits In This Segment. On The Highway, You Will Find Yourself Over-correcting Your Steering In The Tucson Because It Is Too Light At High Speeds, Although The Lightness Helps When Navigating Tight Areas Like Parking Garages.

Because The Tucson Is Softer Sprung Though, It Feels More Comfortable And Floaty Over Rough Pavement, Where A Bit More Roughness And Nvh Makes Its Way Into The Cx-5’s Cabin.

Interior Game Strong

Both Interiors Here Are Clean, Logical And Functional, But The Hyundai Feels More Plush And A Bit More Luxurious And Refined. The Mazda Does Have Better Switchgear And More Interesting Finishes, Though, And It Feels Particularly German The Way They Satisfyingly Click Into Place. The Cream Colored Leather In The Cx-5 Is Also Lovely, But I’m Not Sure How Practical It Would Be.

I Prefer The Tucson’s Infotainment Setup: The Touchscreen Is Responsive And Very User Friendly. The Mazda Uses A Touchscreen And A Rotary Dial Knob, An Added Step Because The Touchscreen Is Further Away From The Driver, Which Makes It Slightly Less Intuitive To Use. It Is Faster To Complete Tasks Like Pair A Phone Via Bluetooth, Enter A Navigation Destination Or Find A Radio Station With The Tucson Because Of The Touchscreen And The Fact That Its Operating System Uses Fewer Menus.

At This Price Point, The Tucson Is Very Well Equipped With A Giant Panoramic Sunroof, Heated Steering Wheel, Heated Front And Back Seats And Blind Spot Monitoring. From That List, The Cx-5 Only Has Blind Spot Monitoring And Heated Front Seats, But Adds Adaptive Cruise Control, And Lane Departure Warning.

How Good Are They At Being Suvs?

If You Want An Suv, It’s Either Because You Need Some Off-road Capability Or You Need To Haul Stuff. The Two Crossovers Here Are Very Different In These Two Respects As Well.

The Tucson Is Better At The Off-roading Part, As It Comes With Various Off-road Driving Modes, Hill Descent Control, And A Locking Differential, Which Helps When You Need More Traction. Both Cars Are Equipped With Awd At This Price Point, But The Tucson Holds The Edge For Being More Capable Off Road. These Cars Will Never See Anything Worse Than A Cottage Road Or Bad Weather, But The Tucson Has A Big Advantage Here.

In Terms Of Hauling Stuff, The Tucson Has A Slightly Smaller Trunk, With 31 Cubic Feet Of Cargo Space Behind The Rear Seats And 61.9 Cu. Ft. With Rear Seats Folded Down. The Mazda Has The Advantage Here With 34.1 Cu. Ft. Feet Of Cargo Space And 64.8 Cu. Ft. With The Rear Seats Folded Flat.

The Verdict: 2016 Mazda Cx-5 Vs 2016 Hyundai Tucson

These Two Crossovers Are Easily The Best-looking Ones In The Segment. Both Designs Are Cohesive And Smart, Without Being Too Flashy Or Overly Aggressive. The Mazda Used To Be The Best Looking, But Even Its Stylish Lines Are Beginning To Look A Bit Dated When Compared To The Tucson’s Fresher Face, Especially When It’s Painted In This Beautiful Metallic Blue.

If A Sporty, More Engaging Drive Is What You Want, Then The Mazda Cx-5 Is The Crossover You Should Be Looking At, But The Tucson Really Impressed Us During This Comparison, And It Wins For Being So Well-rounded And Good At Just About Everything Where It Really Matters. At This Topline Price Point, The Tucson Is Slightly More Expensive, But Is Very Well Equipped And Has A Few More Useful Features Than The Cx-5.

Hyundai’s Makeover Of The Tucson Is Hugely Significant, Because It Simply Makes It One Of The Best Cars In Its Segment. We Have Always Loved The Cx-5, But The Hyundai Does Everything Slightly Better, And Can Confidently Take The Cuv Crown From Our Perennial Favorite, Which Is A Huge Compliment.
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