Mazda's New Small CUV Is A Winner - 2020 Mazda CX-30
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Date: 2020-05-22
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Comments and reviews: 10
Stephen
Interesting take on the CX-30, Alex. As a hatchback fan (I drive a GTI) I find the entire sub-compact SUV category to be rather puzzling. They're mostly hatchbacks on stilts for people who don't like hatchbacks but neither need nor want a larger compact SUV. I don't get it but that's OK. A few observations about the CX-30. ) I'm sure I'm not alone in seeing the CX-30 as the CX-3 killer, at least in the US. The latter seems to have been designed for the international market where the Mazda2 is sold and exported to the US simply as a placeholder in the sub-compact category until the CX-30 was available. If you're one of the few American consumers who find the CX-3 appealing, get one soon. I doubt it will be around for very long. ) The CX-30 shares both the strengths and weaknesses of other Mazda SUV's, most notably the CX-9. The strengths include its good looks noted in the review that results from the relatively long hood and shortened cabin. It's an approach that sports car designers have used for about a hundred years to suggest potency and performance even when those attributes are lacking. (Freud can explain the design's appeal) Add to that Mazda's efforts to offer a comparatively upscale cabin in their vehicles and you have an appealing package. Unfortunately in an SUV, however, it also results in vehicles where the U in SUV's is lacking. The KIA Seltos, for example, offers 26. 6 cubic ft of cargo space behind the seats and 62. 8 cubic ft of total cargo space. The CX-30, on the other hand provides 20. 4 cf behind the rear seat and a total of only 45. 2 cubic ft in overall cargo space. To add insult to injury the Seltos is about 3 shorter than the CX-30! ) Furthermore, the CX-30 suffers from the same issues of an aging engine and drive train found in other Mazda models. The naturally aspirated 2. 5L engine and the six speed AT are undoubtedly adequate for their mission but the combination fails to deliver the performance of the KONA's and Seltos' optional 1. 6L turbo and 7 speed DCT. At the same time, the Mazda combo trails other rivals with CVT's in terms of fuel economy. Internet fan boys will loudly proclaim the need for a turbo on the naturally aspirated CX-30 engine but a MazdaSpeed version is very unlikely considering the risk of cannibalizing sales of their best (indeed their only strong) selling CX-5. ) I like the Mazda brand. I've owned four of their vehicles over the years and I wish Mazda luck with the CX-30. But they're going to need it. Sales from all automotive manufacturers were down an astounding 800, 000 units in the US in the first quarter of 2020 compared to estimates at the beginning of the year. And that disaster is going to look good compared to what's coming in the second quarter and with unemployment at Great Depression levels even a modest recovery won't help much. As far as Mazda is concerned the CX-9 was dead last out of 19 mainstream midsize SUV's with slightly over 7000 units sold. Sales of the Mazda6 dropped by 35% from January though March to 4500 units. Sales of the Mazda3 (sedans and hatchbacks) dropped a catastrophic 47% to slightly over 8000 units. And the CX-3 sales plummeted to about 2600 units. In this disastrous picture the only rather dim bright spots were the CX-5 with 35, 000 sales (down 10%) and the CX-30 with 8300 sales since its introduction. Unless things turn around in a big way soon, I wouldn't be surprised to see Mazda cease being the smallest independent mainstream manufacturer on the planet and live on as a division of Toyota.
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Interesting take on the CX-30, Alex. As a hatchback fan (I drive a GTI) I find the entire sub-compact SUV category to be rather puzzling. They're mostly hatchbacks on stilts for people who don't like hatchbacks but neither need nor want a larger compact SUV. I don't get it but that's OK. A few observations about the CX-30. ) I'm sure I'm not alone in seeing the CX-30 as the CX-3 killer, at least in the US. The latter seems to have been designed for the international market where the Mazda2 is sold and exported to the US simply as a placeholder in the sub-compact category until the CX-30 was available. If you're one of the few American consumers who find the CX-3 appealing, get one soon. I doubt it will be around for very long. ) The CX-30 shares both the strengths and weaknesses of other Mazda SUV's, most notably the CX-9. The strengths include its good looks noted in the review that results from the relatively long hood and shortened cabin. It's an approach that sports car designers have used for about a hundred years to suggest potency and performance even when those attributes are lacking. (Freud can explain the design's appeal) Add to that Mazda's efforts to offer a comparatively upscale cabin in their vehicles and you have an appealing package. Unfortunately in an SUV, however, it also results in vehicles where the U in SUV's is lacking. The KIA Seltos, for example, offers 26. 6 cubic ft of cargo space behind the seats and 62. 8 cubic ft of total cargo space. The CX-30, on the other hand provides 20. 4 cf behind the rear seat and a total of only 45. 2 cubic ft in overall cargo space. To add insult to injury the Seltos is about 3 shorter than the CX-30! ) Furthermore, the CX-30 suffers from the same issues of an aging engine and drive train found in other Mazda models. The naturally aspirated 2. 5L engine and the six speed AT are undoubtedly adequate for their mission but the combination fails to deliver the performance of the KONA's and Seltos' optional 1. 6L turbo and 7 speed DCT. At the same time, the Mazda combo trails other rivals with CVT's in terms of fuel economy. Internet fan boys will loudly proclaim the need for a turbo on the naturally aspirated CX-30 engine but a MazdaSpeed version is very unlikely considering the risk of cannibalizing sales of their best (indeed their only strong) selling CX-5. ) I like the Mazda brand. I've owned four of their vehicles over the years and I wish Mazda luck with the CX-30. But they're going to need it. Sales from all automotive manufacturers were down an astounding 800, 000 units in the US in the first quarter of 2020 compared to estimates at the beginning of the year. And that disaster is going to look good compared to what's coming in the second quarter and with unemployment at Great Depression levels even a modest recovery won't help much. As far as Mazda is concerned the CX-9 was dead last out of 19 mainstream midsize SUV's with slightly over 7000 units sold. Sales of the Mazda6 dropped by 35% from January though March to 4500 units. Sales of the Mazda3 (sedans and hatchbacks) dropped a catastrophic 47% to slightly over 8000 units. And the CX-3 sales plummeted to about 2600 units. In this disastrous picture the only rather dim bright spots were the CX-5 with 35, 000 sales (down 10%) and the CX-30 with 8300 sales since its introduction. Unless things turn around in a big way soon, I wouldn't be surprised to see Mazda cease being the smallest independent mainstream manufacturer on the planet and live on as a division of Toyota.
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Stuart
Very nice video. Lots of information. Currently I have a lease on a 2018 CX-5 Touring AWD which ends in March 2021. Since I now live in Florida AWD isn't important as when I lease the 2018 (I lived in New York, snow and so AWD was important. So I am leaning between the 2021 CX-5 FWD or the 2021 CX-30 FWD. In neither case am I interested in the top of the line versions, instead it's either the Preferred package in the CX-5 or the Select package in the CX-30 (I don't want a sun roof in either car. The biggest decision is whether the smaller size of the CX-30 is adequate for me, or the price differential of the CX-5 over the CX-30 is more important. I'm also concerned about build quality, as most, if not all, of the CX-30's for North American are built in Mexico, while all of the CX-5's are still built in Japan (I had a Mexican built 2002 Jetta TDI [bought new] in which the four speed automatic transmission died at 82, 000 miles.
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Very nice video. Lots of information. Currently I have a lease on a 2018 CX-5 Touring AWD which ends in March 2021. Since I now live in Florida AWD isn't important as when I lease the 2018 (I lived in New York, snow and so AWD was important. So I am leaning between the 2021 CX-5 FWD or the 2021 CX-30 FWD. In neither case am I interested in the top of the line versions, instead it's either the Preferred package in the CX-5 or the Select package in the CX-30 (I don't want a sun roof in either car. The biggest decision is whether the smaller size of the CX-30 is adequate for me, or the price differential of the CX-5 over the CX-30 is more important. I'm also concerned about build quality, as most, if not all, of the CX-30's for North American are built in Mexico, while all of the CX-5's are still built in Japan (I had a Mexican built 2002 Jetta TDI [bought new] in which the four speed automatic transmission died at 82, 000 miles.
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Roger
Mazda needs to rethink their architecture: long hood, shorter cabin is a no-go. They said the long hood is needed to clear their engine design. Then, they need to redesign the engine (it doesn't give any better fuel economy than the others. This will lead to a more efficient looking and in fact more practical vehicle. The infotainment screen needs to be a touchscreen. How many times have we heard this! Personally I don't think the jet intake front is all that attractive, maybe it could be more subtle (I know this is subjective. It's sad to see a company with many strengths place their weakest elements up front.
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Mazda needs to rethink their architecture: long hood, shorter cabin is a no-go. They said the long hood is needed to clear their engine design. Then, they need to redesign the engine (it doesn't give any better fuel economy than the others. This will lead to a more efficient looking and in fact more practical vehicle. The infotainment screen needs to be a touchscreen. How many times have we heard this! Personally I don't think the jet intake front is all that attractive, maybe it could be more subtle (I know this is subjective. It's sad to see a company with many strengths place their weakest elements up front.
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Right
Alex, There is nothing 'premium' or 'gorgeous' about the bargain basement torsion beam rear suspension they put in these. You are not the first reviewer to complain about the #jittery ride. It is probably worth noting that buyers with 30K to spend can get a bigger, faster, more comfortable and vastly more economical RAV4 Hybrid; )
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Alex, There is nothing 'premium' or 'gorgeous' about the bargain basement torsion beam rear suspension they put in these. You are not the first reviewer to complain about the #jittery ride. It is probably worth noting that buyers with 30K to spend can get a bigger, faster, more comfortable and vastly more economical RAV4 Hybrid; )
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guizarbg
Great review as always! I think the Seltos is a clear winner with more passenger and cargo room, quicker while more fuel efficient. It has more features and a better infotainment. Then it offers a much longer warranty. To me it even looks better as an SUV.
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Great review as always! I think the Seltos is a clear winner with more passenger and cargo room, quicker while more fuel efficient. It has more features and a better infotainment. Then it offers a much longer warranty. To me it even looks better as an SUV.
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SunnyD88
Begging for a turbo. Mazdaspeed CX-30 anyone? lol cause I'm gonna predict that the CX-30 is gonna sell alot better than the Mazda 3 cause you know, people are obsessed with SUVs. Also the black cladding would be perfect if they reduced it by around 25%.
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Begging for a turbo. Mazdaspeed CX-30 anyone? lol cause I'm gonna predict that the CX-30 is gonna sell alot better than the Mazda 3 cause you know, people are obsessed with SUVs. Also the black cladding would be perfect if they reduced it by around 25%.
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William
If it were me, I d just get a Mazda3 hatch. I don t care for crossover ground clearance, and the CX-30 isn t that much more practical in my opinion. And I don t mind the 3 hatch s looks. In fact, I actually quite like it. That s just me, though.
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If it were me, I d just get a Mazda3 hatch. I don t care for crossover ground clearance, and the CX-30 isn t that much more practical in my opinion. And I don t mind the 3 hatch s looks. In fact, I actually quite like it. That s just me, though.
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Julio
Alex, I have to say you are the BEST on what you do. The Best doing autos reviews. i really enjoy learn with your videos. I have a Tucson 2019 and I love it. But I'm thinking on Rav4 or new Venza for my wife. keep doing the best.
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Alex, I have to say you are the BEST on what you do. The Best doing autos reviews. i really enjoy learn with your videos. I have a Tucson 2019 and I love it. But I'm thinking on Rav4 or new Venza for my wife. keep doing the best.
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sevimlinfant
This is a futile category. Being a winner in this category still does not change that cx-3 is a loser. They sell only 15000 units of this. I have to go 200 miles to find a Mazda dealer. Soul GT is better choice any day.
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This is a futile category. Being a winner in this category still does not change that cx-3 is a loser. They sell only 15000 units of this. I have to go 200 miles to find a Mazda dealer. Soul GT is better choice any day.
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Nathaniel
I m waiting on Jeep Cherokee video and here comes this POS. I need to hear a review on that Cherokee that s HONEST and up to date. Tell the people how solid and nice it rides because ITS HEAVY. these cars are tinny
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I m waiting on Jeep Cherokee video and here comes this POS. I need to hear a review on that Cherokee that s HONEST and up to date. Tell the people how solid and nice it rides because ITS HEAVY. these cars are tinny
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