This week we are reviewing the Mazda CX-30 GS. Our vehicle was assembled at the Salamanca plant in Mexico and has an MSRP of $30550.00 CAD.
Fun Factor: 8
Can it Family: 7
Fuel-Friendly: 6
HWY-warrior: 7
Karaoke-Friendly: 6
Baby-Friendly: 7
City Cruising: 6
Mazda has hit a sweet spot with the CX-30 as it fits small families better than other vehicles in its segment. It has some of Mazda's Sporty attributes while providing more passenger and trunk space. We wondered if the added practicality would take away from the driving fun. We asked ourselves if it could achieve the same driving sensation as the CX-3 as it is one of our favourites SUVs in its segment. The CX-3 naturally has the weight advantage making it more delightful around corners; however, overall, the CX-30 outshines its little brother thanks to its bigger engine. Mazda has always had that little magic touch that makes its vehicles more enjoyable to drive. Under the hood of the CX-30 is a 2.5L Sky-Active G engine producing 186hp and 186 lb-ft of torque, making it possible for this AWD variant to accelerate to 100km/h in 7.95 seconds in our real-life acceleration test using winter tires.
Entering the CX-30, you'll be greeted by a refined interior. If you remove the badge, it would be hard to tell it apart from a premium German vehicle, and we're not even in the highest trim here. Our 3 kids loved the rear seating space; the bench is long and doesn't have a weird bump for the middle seat. The driver and co-pilot also have a pleasant perspective of the interior, and it was a nice change that you are not blinded by a million and one lights at night. Climate controls are located in a way that you can operate them with ease. When it comes to seat adjustments, taller drivers will find a comfortable seating position as easily as smaller drivers. Finally, the trunk can support families with younger children as it has enough space for a stroller, and we were even able to fit a double bed from Ikea with the back seats folded, so versatility is the CX-30 second name.
The average fuel economy we observed with the CX-30 was 9.3L/100km during our 450km test. We conducted a significant part of this test in the city where we averaged 10.5L/100k; on the HWY, we averaged 7.6L/100km. Mazda announces a combined fuel economy of 8.9L/100km with the 2.5L engine and average Hwy consumption of 7.7L/100km. During our test, exterior temperatures oscillated between -2c and +20c.
The CX-30's performance on the Hwy is pleasant and easy to maneuver, even with its raised chassis, Mazda was able to hide its weight around corners and minimize body roll. In return, it gives occupants a more comfortable ride and the added assurance when driving more enthusiastically. Visibility is quite good, except in the rear where the C-pillar is located, requiring us to rely on the blind spot monitoring system.
Our CX-30 was equipped with Mazda's Harmonic Acoustics 8-speaker system; it did a decent job. Usually, we are not fans of the Bose systems available as a premium sound system; after testing it in the Mazda 3 Sport Turbo, we'd say it may be worth the extra penny to upgrade to the Bose system in Mazda's products. The infotainment is not a touch screen; everything is controlled via a click wheel. We find it less distracting as the 8.8-inch head unit is positioned higher and gives a better overview while driving. The System offers both Apple Car Play and Android Auto connect and can be used via a USB cable. Talking about that USB port, Mazda has not cut any corners when it comes to the quality charging ports; these were able to quickly charge our smartphones, faster than what we have seen on any other vehicles.
Car seat installation is quite simple as the doors open wide enough to fit a variety of car seats; once inside, the anchors are hidden by flip-off plastic covers making the latching of a car seat straightforward. The only issue we saw was that front-facing car seats take away some of the front passenger's legroom. Toddlers will find it easy to open the doors; our youngest one could enter the vehicle without help and get comfy in his car seat. We felt safer knowing that the car would alert us when one of the occupants would unbuckle themselves, which is quite rare in this segment.
In the city, the CX-30's versatile size made it one of our favourite vehicles to test, it was compact enough to swirl around town, and at the same time, we did not have any anxiety about finding a parking spot big enough for it. We also enjoyed the cross-traffic alert that will alert in advance of a moving object and show you the moving object's direction.
Why would we buy the Mazda CX-30, or what we liked about it? Easy car seat installation, available with a turbo engine for added performance, more practical than a Mazda 3 without losing its fun factor, good fuel economy in the city for an AWD vehicle, enjoyable around corners.
Why would we not buy the Mazda CX-30, or what we did not like about it? The brakes feel vague, no touch screen, and the bumper height intrudes with the loading floor requiring to lift items higher; the exterior design might not be to everyone's liking due to the plastic cladding height.
Mazda has lent us this vehicle one week as a press vehicle. We have no affiliation with Mazda Canada. The above is a recollection of our personal opinion of the car referred above.
Next week we will review the Fiat 500X. In the meantime, here are a couple photos of our future Mazda 3 Sport Turbo revi
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