22-05-2025
Five Things You Should Know About The Mazda CX-30
Mazda CX-30
Mazda CX-30: Many cars have flaws and it's my job, alongside other journalists, to find and report them to you, the reader.
I'm yet to test a car that has no negative attributes, whether that's limited space, questionable build quality, or so-so performance, but Mazda got almost everything right with the CX-30. However, here are five things you should know before parting with hard-earned cash.
After receiving a line of overly fancy and technologically complicated cars to test last year, it was nice to reside in the Mazda CX-30's cabin. It's simple but functional.
Likewise, there are no fidgety touchscreens, just lots of tactile switches, and the dashboard is soft to the touch. It's a fine place to be.
It also has everything you need like a DAB radio, Bluetooth, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, sat-nav, a decent sound system and wireless phone charging.
I drove a 140 PS 2.5-litre CX-30 through the Arctic Circle recently and it performed flawlessly. Road closures aside, the CX-30 easily tackled snow and ice without wheel slip thanks to the studded tires and returned between 35-40mpg.
Mazda CX-30
Many cars are now only equipped with automatic gearboxes, but Mazda still offers the CX-30 with a manual gearbox, in the U.K., at least. American cars come with a six-speed automatic.
Only higher-spec U.K. models come with four-wheel drive, while all U.S. cars have this as standard. But the front-wheel drive has plenty of grip and will pull you out of some tricky situations.
The CX-30 is near-perfect, and this point is just a nitpick, but some of its rivals are more engaging to drive. The Mazda leans on the firmer side, although it's still comfortable; it thwacks instead of smashing over sharper road ruts.
Mazda CX-30
If you like the odd B-road blast, then the CX-30 might disappoint. The Ford Puma has a sporty character and is a bit more fun to drive spiritedly.
Front space is very generous for a car of this class. The driver's seat sits low and has plenty of adjustment, the steering wheel moves up, down, in, and out, and there's plenty of storage for hiding treats, wallets and phones.
Rear space is not nearly as generous and most average-sized adults will find it cramped. Headroom, however, is a bit better.
Mazda CX-30
Open the trunk, and you'll find a 430-liter cargo area, which extends to 1,406 liters with the seats folded flat.
Mazda U.K. offers the CX-30 in five trims: Prime-Line, Centre-Line, Homura, Exclusive-Line and Takumi. U.S. buyers get S, S Select Sport, S Preferred, S Carbon Edition, S Premium, Carbon Turbo, Turbo Premium and Turbo Premium Plus.
Similarly, U.K. buyers choose from two engine outputs: 140 and 186 PS, while America gets meatier 191 and 250 PS powerplants.
The Mazda CX-30 is priced from $25,195 (£26,135)
