Is it worth the extra money to purchase 1st class tickets for the train from Madrid to Cordova?
yes, only if you want to get into another city say seville for the night, then it's better to take the fast train to save time. but if you stay in cordoba for the night then 2nd class train is fine.
Second class ("turista") on the AVE train goes just as fast as first class.
No its not worth the money. 2nd class is extremely comfortable and yes does get theer just as fast as the 1st class !
Thanks everyone. 2nd class it is & an extra $100 in our pockets.