2017 Hyundai Tucson Pricing and Specs

The extra purchase price of a diesel engine over a petrol one is only the start of the cost comparison. Generally speaking, diesels will cost a bit more to service (it depends on the make and model) and that’s if you don’t have problems with the diesel particulate filter (DPF) or soot build-up in the engine’s intake system that needs to be manually cleaned out.

You also need to consider your driving habits to decide whether a diesel is right for you. As a rule of thumb, if you don’t go for a decent drive at highway speeds for about an hour or so at least once or twice a month, then a diesel is not for you. Using a diesel engine exclusively for short trips at suburban speed can often see the DPF requiring more attention than it should, and that equals cost.

Also, modern petrol engines have really closed the fuel-economy gap that the diesel once enjoyed. The fuel consumption difference between the diesel Tucson and the petrol version is likely to be about a litre per 100km (based on the official combined figure for each). That means that even at $2 per litre (and based on the $6000 difference in price you’ve quoted) you’d need to drive 300,000km before the diesel began to pay for itself in terms of fuel saved. I’m not sure there’s a full $6000 separating the two versions of the Tucson, but even so, you get the idea.

It could be either the car or the remote-control unit at fault, and it’s impossible to tell without actually examining the vehicle. A remote-control unit with a battery that is low on voltage can cause all sorts of mysterious problems with a car’s central locking. But it’s also possible that the vehicle’s body-computer (which controls all the functions involved in unlocking and starting the car) could be malfunctioning also. If that’s the case, it will be a much more involved and expensive job than changing the battery in a remote-control unit.

The AWD versions have 7-speed dual-clutch transmissions, the FWD ones have 6-speed automatics, and there is a manual gearbox option. I don’t see any reason for the dual-clutch transmission to have issues in traffic; it won’t have any adverse impact on inner city driving.