Hyundai i40 Tourer 1.7 Style vs. Mazda 6 Tourer 2.2D SE Nav

Hyundai i40 Tourer 1.7 Style

Price: £23,015

Hyundai has made a name for itself as the go-to manufacturer for motorists who want extremely well equipped cars for a super low price. Take this car, the Hyundai i40 Tourer 1.7 Style, for example - German cars such as the BMW 3-Series Touring at the low end of the range skip on any luxury, but this Hyundai has power folding mirrors, satellite navigation, cruise control, climate control, and automatic headlights to boot. Amazingly, this version of the i40 is the second to lowest in the range.

And it's not just that which makes Hyundai such a great car manufacturer. They currently make cars that are really good to drive and for families, cars such as the i40 Tourer are ideal.

Let's start with boot space. This car has it an abundance. You get 553-litres that can be extended to 1,719-litres by folding the rear seats flat, which is more than you get in a 3-Series Touring (495-litres)and Audi A4 Avant (490-litres). In fact, it's more than you get from the Mazda 5 Tourer (506-litres).

Inside, this car also has more cup holders and cubby spaces than you can shake a stick at. As you would expect, there is also tons of space in the rear and up front there's more than enough room for those lucky enough to stand upwards of 6 ft 3.

Out on the road the i40 Tourer, like the saloon version, is designed for comfort. It glides over rough surfaces and potholes like they aren't even there and the seats are extremely well designed and supportive. The 1.7 CRDi engine in this car has 134 bhp and 240 lb /ft of torque, which is more torque than you get from one of the VAG 2.0 TDIs. As such, this car has lots of flexibility in-gear, and it makes short work of motorways.

There is one problem with the way this car drives though. It doesn't have much feel. The throttle response is sharp enough, but the steering to devoid of any feedback and because the suspension is so soft, it feels as though you're driving on a cloud. It was always going to be a tough ask to balance comfort with feel, and in my opinion Hyundai has some way to go to perfecting this.

Of course, any test drive will let you know whether this works for you.

The i40 Tourer looks good though. It suits the extra length nicely the i40 and it's rather unique looking, unlike the current crop of Audi's which all look the same.

The Hyundai i40 Tourer isn't the only family car that blends comfort and equipment, though. The Mazda 6 Tourer, this cars biggest competitor, does too. 

Mazda 6 Tourer 2.2D SE Nav

Price: £23,495

Mazda and Hyundai are closely matched car manufacturers. Mazda has the more premium badge of the two, but in recent years Hyundai has been churning out well equipped and frankly well built machines. It used to be Mazda who did this best, but Hyundai can now lay claim to that title. Or can it?

The Mazda 6 Tourer aims to be the best family car that under £25k can buy. It is a direct competitor to the Hyundai i40 Tourer and it costs only a few hundred pounds more. Let's kick start this comparison with some facts.

The Mazda will return 67.3 miles per gallon versus the Hyundai's 62.8 miles per gallon.

The Mazda has a CO2 rating of 116 g /km versus the Hyundai's 119 g /km.

The Mazda has a minimum boot capacity of 506-litres versus the Hyundai's 553-litres.

The Mazda will accelerate from 0 - 62 mph in 9 seconds versus the Hyundai's 10.6 seconds.

 As you can see, in three of those four battles, the Mazda wins. It is more economical and efficient, despite have 0.5-litres of extra engine capacity, and it is also much faster as a result. The only thing that the Hyundai has to fight back is boot capacity, which is actually rather incredible - 553-litres is huge. To that end, if you need an obscene level of boot space, the Hyundai is the better car.

But it's not the better machine. You see, the Mazda is just that little bit sweeter. I personally think it looks better, but out on the road, it drives miles better. Both machines are very comfortable and deal with potholes and rough surfaces exceedingly well, but the Mazda offers something that the Hyundai doesn't - performance. Now I know what you're thinking, that performance isn't essential in a family car, but when you consider that these two cars cost near enough the same, why would anybody go for less when you can have more, unless it's CO2 ratings, in which case the Mazda triumphs too?

And then there's equipment. Both of these cars are extremely well equipped. Like the Hyundai, the Mazda has satellite navigation, cruise control, climate control and automatic headlights. The Hyundai has power folding mirrors, something the Mazda doesn't, but the Mazda has a nicer interior and a more pleasant media entertainment interface.

In fact, the Mazda is a nicer place to sit full stop. The quality is better than in the Hyundai and the style is fresher, too.

Overall

Both of these cars are exceptional for families, but the Mazda is best. It triumphs in economy, efficiency, quality, and performance. It also looks better in my opinion.