Should I buy the dual-clutch petrol or normal automatic diesel?

QUESTION

Hi John,

I recently test drove the Hyundai Tucson 1.6-litre turbo-petrol and 2.0-litre diesel, back-to-back. I found that the 1.6T was shifting through the gears trying to find the right one, and it didn't have much low-line torque to push this bigger, heavier Tucson. So I don't think this option is a good fit for the car, or more importantly me. I think it should have the 2.0-litre turbo from the Kona N with 392Nm of torque and 206kW.

The 2.0-litre diesel on the other hand was very impressive with the extra torque which comes in nice and strong. I instantly became very comfortable with its performance but I do worry about the diesel particulate filter thingo, as I don't do many long trips. I mentioned it to the salesman and he told me that Hyundai has solved this issue and it no longer needs to be driven at a constant speed (80+) for an hour or so, he said it can be driven to the local shops and back for years with no adverse effect on the vehicle. This was news to me.

Test drove the Mazda CX-5 GT SP (they did not have a Akera 2.5T) I was very impressed with its performance and handling; very comfortable behind the wheel and everything is where I expect it to be. Feels very familiar. But the exterior styling does not draw my attention as much as the Tucson.

Kia Sportage GT 2.0L diesel seems same-same only different to the Hyundai Tucson. Sales person said strictly no discounts on this vehicle before I walked in the door and a minimum wait of 8-10 months.

I also test drove a number of other vehicles that did not make the cut. Audi Q3 35 TFSI S Line, Volkswagen Tiguan 162TSI Elegance, Subaru Outback Touring.

Questions:

Pre-Paid Servicing, is this a good option to include? And if so, should I include it at time of purchase or at the first service?

Can the Tucson and/or Akera parallel park itself?

Should I include a factory fitted towbar or aftermarket one? Not towing anything bigger than an 8 x 5 trailer.

Now, this is where you come in, because my budget is under $60,000 - it will be interesting to see how much you can get the price down.

My first choice is the Hyundai Tucson Highlander 2L diesel with N-Line pack in ‘Titan Gray’, second choice is Mazda CX-5 Akera 2.5T in ‘Machine Grey’ Metallic’ or ‘Snowflake White Pearl’.

Thank you,

Alex

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ANSWER

Alex,

Thanks for the kind words mate. I appreciate your interest.

Diesels make roughly twice the power of (equivalent) petrols in the mid-rev range. (Your reference to torque below - it’s actually power, but, yeah. They go a lot harder without revving their tits off, and it seems effortless.)

The shifting thing with the 1.6T is because it has a dual-clutch transmission, whereas the diesel is an epicyclic auto. (DCTs are always trying to predict the future, and sometimes they get mixed up.)

I’d buy the diesel. I’ve driven Hyundai-Kia diesels extensively and never had a DPF issue, even in the pandemic with my 2018 Santa Fe. I’ve never had a Hyundai-Kia DPF complaint from an owner. Insiders tell me this is because those engines (the 2.0 and the 2.2) are designed to be good at ‘passive’ regeneration - meaning a few minutes here and a few minutes there, as conditions allow.

CX-5 is good too - but Mazda is not as good as Hyundai or Kia at customer support, and the CX-5 has a space-saver spare, which is impractical on longer trips in Australia.

I wouldn’t buy a Mazda diesel, however. That engine has been plagued with issues.

Volkswagen: Don’t do it to yourself, dude. And Outback is a nice car with the wrong (underpowered) engine. (They offer it with a 2.4T in other markets, and it goes just fine.)

Servicing is generally cheap, but if you want to pre-pay it, OK.

I don’t think the Tucson or Sportage parks itself. (Santa Fe and Sorento do, I’m pretty sure. CX-5: probably not. (How hard is it? They have cameras and dynamic guidance lines, and 360-degree top-down views…)

Factory fitted is the way to go with a towbar. Modern towbars have to plug into the CAN bus (the car’s computer network) so that when you plug a trailer in, it invokes a range of tow-only dynamics control systems (sway control, reversing sensor disablling, etc.) You want full factory integration there.

Have a think about what you want, then please get back to me - we can work out pricing and availability for you.

Sincerely,

JC

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