Centurion AX underwhelming compared to 7/1?

I think the Centurion AX could really use some love from WG. I started to 3 mark my 7/1 (currently at 91%) and I decided to work on the Tier 10 alongside that. I have to say though, the Centurion 7/1 is more much more competitive one tier lower then it's tier 10 counterpart. Outside of the slight speed and reload buffs, I really don't see a reason to play it instead of the 7/1. The turret of the AX isn't reliable enough against most tier X guns and it has a cupola which isn't too hard of a target to hit. It tried to rely more on the sloping of turret but in practice this just doesn't work as well as a mantlet like on the 7/1. When the tier 9 excels at certain aspect, you also expect the tier 10 to do it better if not as well. I enjoy the speed increase but in practice you'll still get beat to positions by other mediums so while it's nice it doesn't change a whole lot about the vehicle. I don't know if there is something about the AX I'm missing or what but I can't get it to perform as well compared to the 7/1. If WG just gave the AX the 7/1's turret and keep everything else the same about it, I honestly would be content with that. If anybody has got some tips or anything they found about the AX that could help I'd be glad to hear them.