Mazda CX-30 - Review, Specs, Pricing, Features, Videos and More

AutoGuide.com Staff
by AutoGuide.com Staff
Find everything you need to know about the Mazda CX-30 here, along with expert reviews, specs, photos, videos and more.
mazda cx 30 review specs pricing features videos and more
Our Rating4.0/5
Price $22,950 - $35,400
Engine 2.5-liter 4-cylinder / 2.5-liter turbo 4-cylinder
Power191 hp / 250 hp
Torque186 lb-ft / 320 lb-ft
DrivetrainAWD

Pros

Engaging drive, swanky interior, powerful turbo engine

Cons

Tight rear row, plastic-fantastic exterior styling, thirsty turbo engine

Bottom Line

If you only sometimes need the second row of your sub-compact SUV, the CX-30 remains one of the very best choices in the segment. Looking and feeling almost premium, it's a sweet-driving deal.

Mazda CX-30 vs Mazda CX-50 Comparison: The Inbetweeners

mazda cx 30 review specs pricing features videos and more

With SUVs continuing to dominate the sales charts, automakers are taking a Baskin-Robbins-style, 31-flavor approach to their lineups.

Mazda’s main flavor in this class is the CX-5, a great-driving compact crossover that now occupies fourth place on the sales charts. That success makes it ubiquitous, however, and Mazda now offers two additional flavors on either side of its best-seller.

The CX-30 came first, a slightly smaller offering with a classy interior. It’s a better buy than the equivalent sub-compact Mercedes. Now here comes the CX-50, which takes Mazda in a more rugged direction. It’s a little larger than the CX-5, yet all three offer same-but-different driving experiences. With this ability to tailor your ride to your exact needs, we spent a week with both of the double-digit offerings to figure out what sets them apart.

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2021 Mazda CX-30 Turbo Review: First Drive

mazda cx 30 review specs pricing features videos and more

The ol’ “too much of a good thing” idiom doesn’t seem to apply to Mazda.

The independent automaker is busy stuffing its torquey, turbocharged 2.5-liter engine into practically everything it offers, with consistent, positive results. It started with the larger models in the fleet, before trickling down into progressively smaller Mazdas. A few months ago the pumped-up four-pot arrived in the Mazda3, providing the compact car with the necessary go to match the show. And now there is this, the 2021 Mazda CX-30 Turbo.

Not to put too fine of a point on it, but this CX-30 is the more important member of Mazda’s turbo family. The sub-compact crossover, which only launched a little over a year ago, is already the second-best-selling Mazda in the US, and third in Canada. If the brand is going to convince critics and shoppers alike that “Mazda” belongs in the same sentence as “BMW” or “Audi,” taking the fight to the red-hot segment is crucial.

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Mazda CX-30 vs Mercedes-Benz GLA Comparison: Lofty Aspirations

mazda cx 30 review specs pricing features videos and more

Mazda wants into the luxury club. What better way to sneak in than through the sub-compact crossover door?

We’re big fans of the Mazda CX-30 here at AutoGuide. It’s seen off challenges from the volume brands time and again, largely due to a mature drive and one of the classiest interiors under $40,000. But at launch, it lacked the necessary power to really take the fight to the premium competition. Cover charge is at least 220 horsepower at this club.

The CX-30 Turbo has the numbers. So does the second-generation Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, here in 250 4MATIC guise. As the newest version of the German big three’s sub-compact offerings, it’s a massive improvement over the previous generation, and the stoutest challenge for Mazda’s crossover yet. Has Mazda truly crafted a vehicle that successfully makes the jump to premium status? We spent a week with both to find out.

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Toyota Corolla Cross vs Mazda CX-30: Which Small SUV Is Right For You?

mazda cx 30 review specs pricing features videos and more

It’s the era of the utility vehicle, and the market for small SUVs seems to be particularly hot right now as more and more North American new car buyers move away from sedans.

There appears to be almost a never-ending stream of brand new or completely redesigned models arriving all the time, and in the midst of all this, Toyota has just brought out the Corolla Cross. Slotting below the ever-popular RAV4 in the lineup, the Toyota Corolla Cross is a budget-conscious compact crossover with a solid powertrain, excellent fuel economy, and plenty of thoughtful standard equipment.

The size and price point make the Corolla Cross a practical competitor to the likes of the Mazda CX-30 – Mazda’s current semi-premium small compact SUV in the North American market. But how do the two really compare? Is the CX-30’s extra horsepower and stunning good looks enough to steal the Corolla Cross’s thunder? Or is the Toyota such a thoughtful, efficient family hauler that it stands on its own? It’s the Toyota Corolla Cross vs Mazda CX-30.

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Subaru Crosstrek vs Mazda CX-30 Comparison

mazda cx 30 review specs pricing features videos and more

Here comes the sun. Wait, no, it’s the bright yellow Subaru Crosstrek.

The plucky Subaru is rolling up to battle our reigning sub-compact crossover champion, the Mazda CX-30. Gifted a larger, more powerful engine for the 2021 model year, the Crosstrek impressed me on its first drive in the autumn. The 2.5-liter sweetened an already appealing package in the segment. It was clear right away: the Mazda would need to defend its crown after defeating the Kia Seltos last year.

So here we are. As managing editor Kshitij rolls up in the retina-searing Scooby, the actual sun makes a rare appearance. In the mid-afternoon light, it’s clear these two trucklets, despite similar dimensions and pricing, are two very different takes on this rapidly expanding class. Can the latest challenger topple the CX-30?

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Detailed Specs

Price $22,950 - $35,400
Engine 2.5-liter 4-cylinder / 2.5-liter turbo 4-cylinder
Power191 hp / 250 hp
Torque186 lb-ft / 320 lb-ft
DrivetrainAWD
Transmission6AT
Fuel Economy (city/hwy)22–26 mpg / 30–33 mpg
Cargo Capacity20.2 cu ft

Our Final Verdict

Mazda CX-30

Overall

4.0

Performance8.0
Features7.0
Comfort7.0
Quality and Styling9.0
Value9.0
AutoGuide.com Staff
AutoGuide.com Staff

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