Mazda CX-30 2025 review
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TechTranscript
00:00The Mazda CX-30 has been around for a while now, and look, it's still one of the best small SUVs that you can buy,
00:05but there's some things you really need to know about it, and there are some really good, newer alternatives that you might want to consider.
00:11I'll touch on all of those things in this review, and plenty more, so if you haven't already, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell to keep up to date with all of my content,
00:18and let's get to it.
00:20Mazda Australia seems to have this mindset that it needs to offer multiple versions of its cars,
00:30and that might be great for a picky buyer, because there are nine different versions of the CX-30 that you can get,
00:36including three different powertrain options as well.
00:38So, look, it might be great if you know exactly what you want, but it can also be confusing if you're not sure what you should be buying.
00:45And look, I'm not here to confuse you with all the different spec levels and trims that you need to know about.
00:50I'll just tell you that the range starts at about $33,000 before on-road costs, and ranges all the way up to around $50,000 before on-road costs,
00:58and surprisingly, this is very unusual for me.
01:01I actually think you should just go for the top spec one if you can, because I'm not saying that the entry-level versions aren't great,
01:07but I reckon that the 2.5 litre engine, which is in the more expensive versions, is the one you should pick,
01:12and if you do choose one of the versions with that 2.5 litre engine that isn't the top spec version,
01:17you might actually still have to tick an options box to make it the best car it can be.
01:22For instance, this car here is the GTS-P, so it's below the top of the range model,
01:27and it has the Vision Technology Package option box ticked.
01:30It adds more money to the asking price and almost brings it in line with the top spec version anyway.
01:35So, like I said, if you can afford the top spec version, the Astina G25 with all-wheel drive would be the one I would pick.
01:41I know that's the most expensive one, but that's just how it is.
01:44But otherwise, you can find a bit of value in the lower spec versions if that's what you're after.
01:48Now, let's talk about some options that you might otherwise want to consider from different brands.
01:53There's some good ones.
01:57Alright, when it comes to alternatives to the Mazda CX-30, there are plenty of really good ones,
02:01but I'm just going to call out three that I think you should go and check out.
02:04Firstly, the Toyota Corolla Cross.
02:06It's an all-hybrid range, it's a more practical vehicle in terms of the interior space and the boot space,
02:12and it has impressive real-world fuel consumption.
02:15If I was going to go and buy a smallish SUV, that would be the one I would start with,
02:20because I think it's a fantastic vehicle.
02:22Sure, you might have to pay a little bit more than the equivalent version of a CX-30,
02:27but you'll be saving money on fuel and you'll be getting Toyota,
02:30which is a pretty good thing in Australia where it has the broadest footprint of any brand in the market.
02:35So, it could be good for you, it just depends on what you're after.
02:38The other option I reckon you should go and check out is the Hyundai Kona,
02:41and it's a fantastic choice if you are after something that is still compact, but still spacious on the inside.
02:46It has petrol, it has turbo petrol, it has hybrid, and it has EV versions available.
02:52And it is a very interesting model range, very, very impressive,
02:56and they've just fixed one of the things that I hated about it, which was some of the safety tech.
03:00They've made a mute button for it, which is fantastic to see.
03:03Now, I reckon that it does stack up beautifully too,
03:05but if you're after something that's European, why not go and check out the Skoda Karoq.
03:10Now, it has three different grades available.
03:12The entry-level version is called Select, and it's pretty affordable,
03:15but there's also two sporty looking ones as well.
03:18The Sportline range now starts at the mid-spec and extends into the top-spec with all-wheel drive and a punchy turbo engine.
03:24All of them are great to drive, all of them are pretty impressive in terms of interior space and practicality,
03:29and I would have any of those three options instead of this.
03:32Personally, but tell me what you think about it in the comments section below.
03:35Is there an alternative that I haven't called out that you would recommend?
03:38I'd love to know.
03:42What do you think about the look of the Mazda CX-30?
03:45To me, I'm still not sure.
03:47Even after all these years, I'm not sure whether it's a good-looking car or not.
03:50It's very beaky, and it's got a lot of dark plastic around the wheel arches and the bottom half of the car,
03:56but in defiance of that design language that screams, I want to be an SUV,
04:02there's no roof rails on this car, which I think would add some extra practicality.
04:06For someone who wants to fit a set of racks or a roof basket or something like that,
04:10that might be something that you want to look into.
04:12Okay, so the rear-end design, again, I'm still not sold on it, even after all these years,
04:17but hey, it's the boot that's the big story with this car, or maybe the small story.
04:22Let's have a look.
04:23Okay, so this one is the second from the top spec, and you still don't get an electric tailgate.
04:28Not ideal, I don't think, for this kind of money.
04:30And in the boot, you can see that it's a pretty decent space.
04:33It's not the best in this class, not by any stretch of the imagination.
04:37You'll see the number on your screen now, and that means that you can fit a pram and some small bags,
04:42but you might struggle if you have two toddler-age kids,
04:47and you need to fit all their stuff in for a weekend away or something like that.
04:51So, you've got little storage sections on the sides.
04:54You've got a little hook down there for a cargo net,
04:57and you've got another one on the other side,
04:59and you've also got a light on this side with another little storage tray.
05:02No shopping bag hooks, I don't like that.
05:04And underneath the boot floor, you do have a spare wheel, a space saver, and I do like that.
05:09I think that adds a little bit of practicality to this car that some of the rivals don't offer,
05:14and it could be a decision-maker for you.
05:18I like the interior of the Mazda CX-30.
05:20I always have, and I think that it does still have a pretty nice design to it,
05:24despite the fact that it isn't necessarily feeling any newer than some of the rivals out there,
05:29and it's maybe feeling a little bit outdated in some respects.
05:32So, you still do get a digital element to the driver info display.
05:36You can see there, that middle part is digital.
05:38These parts are analog on the side, and you also get head-up display in this grade.
05:43I'm not sure if you'll be able to see that.
05:45There it is there.
05:46And, look, I think that that's good to have, and the controls are all very simple to use.
05:51You've got a couple of steering wheel controls that you'll find will be very easy to navigate,
05:56and I like this steering wheel.
05:58It's got a lovely leather finish on it, and it's nice in the hand as well,
06:02although it does have a slightly sharp edge to it,
06:04so holding onto it for hours and hours, you might find that your little fingies get a little bit sore.
06:09But, look, the other element of this car that I think is decent, but maybe not brilliant,
06:15is this media screen up here.
06:17So, you can use the rotary dial controller to interact with it.
06:21Unless you're using Apple CarPlay, then you can use it as a touchscreen if you need to,
06:26and you can also still interact with it with this controller down here.
06:31But, otherwise, the screen is pretty good.
06:33You do have a decent array of menus available to you.
06:35In fact, if I get back to the home screen...
06:38Okay, so this menu screen is pretty good.
06:41There's a fair bit of information available to you.
06:43You can keep an eye on your fuel economy, and there's also things like your entertainment.
06:47So, that's your radio menus and your Bluetooth, all that sort of stuff.
06:51And then below that, there's also another menu for communication, so that's your Bluetooth again.
06:57Don't know why you need two of those.
06:59There is a sat-nav system built into this car as well,
07:02and just be mindful that if you are using Apple Maps or Google Maps,
07:06it might have a bit of a clash between the sat-nav systems.
07:10Now, in this settings menu, there is plenty of different settings you can play with
07:14to configure the car to your needs or your requirements.
07:17I won't go through all of it because it'll just take an hour.
07:20So, look, I think that it's good that there is the control system available with this rotary dial controller.
07:26You get used to that pretty easy.
07:28You've also got a volume knob down there as well,
07:30but you don't have any knobs up here apart from your climate control knobs.
07:34So, if I just turn that on...
07:36So, yes, you've got dual zone climate control in this spec, which is good to see.
07:39This spec also gets the heated seats and also a heated steering wheel as well.
07:44And, look, I love the fact that that is so clear, so simple, so easy to use,
07:48and it actually feels pretty nice to touch as well.
07:51Now, one thing that I've never really loved about the interior of the CX-30
07:56is this strange sort of finish to these vents.
07:59It just doesn't look like they thought this whole section through.
08:03Lots of other brands have managed to come up with some sort of really creative design for the vents,
08:08but maybe I'm just being nitpicky.
08:10In fact, I know I'm just being nitpicky.
08:12Now, this interior is the red leather finish, and you might love that.
08:17Or you might think that it looks really wrong with the brown exterior paint like this car has.
08:21I'd be in the same school of thought as you if that was what you were thinking.
08:25And, look, there are bottle holders in the doors,
08:28you've got some cup holders down here,
08:30a wireless phone charger as well,
08:32and you've got a pretty decent sized centre console bin with a divider down there.
08:36There's USB-C ports in there for charging,
08:38so if you need to run a cable to the back, you probably could.
08:41And this also slides forward if you want to have a little bit of a movement to your armrest.
08:46Yes, I think it's pretty good.
08:48You've got an auto-dimming rear vision mirror in this grade.
08:51You've also got this sunroof and a little sunglasses holder,
08:55which apparently is much desired.
08:57I never use it. I don't wear sunnies that often.
08:59And you also get illuminated vanity mirrors.
09:02Hello!
09:03And a little light up there too, which is nice.
09:05So, I think it's pretty good, I think it's pretty nice,
09:07and I think it feels pretty plush.
09:09But let's check out the back seat, shall we?
09:11Alright, so this driver's seat is set for my driving position.
09:14I'm 182 centimetres, or 6 foot.
09:17I'm wearing shorts today. It's a warm day.
09:19And, yes, my bare old knees are touching the seat in front.
09:23I've got a little bit of foot room down there.
09:25It's pretty good for wiggling, in fact.
09:27But it's certainly not the most spacious back row experience.
09:31Let me show you the head space.
09:33Look, this car has the sunroof, as you can see.
09:36And that means that it does have, well, limited head room here.
09:41But it does even out a little bit more at the back.
09:43It's still not the most spacious second row experience, though.
09:46And, in fact, lots of other SUVs in this class do have more space.
09:51So, if you're after a more spacious vehicle,
09:54make sure you hit the playlist link in the description below,
09:57and you can check out all my small SUV reviews.
10:00There's, like, heaps of them.
10:01All right. So, what else do we need to talk about in here?
10:03So, you've got ISOFIX points down in the window seats.
10:06Yes, they do have covers for them.
10:08I've taken them off because I had my daughter's seat in here before.
10:11And that meant that I did have to move the seat forward just a little bit.
10:15So, you can see they're not aligned.
10:16And she could still reach and kick the seat ahead.
10:19So, look, you're going to have to really consider
10:22whether this is going to be the right size for your needs
10:24if you do have a three-year-old like I do.
10:27Because they might actually do a bit of damage
10:29to the back of your lovely red leather seats.
10:31And, look, you can make up your own mind about the colour, obviously,
10:34but there's only a matte pocket on this side.
10:36Those are the covers for the ISOFIX points.
10:38There's bottle holders in the doors.
10:40You do get a pair of air vents down here, but no charge ports.
10:44There's a bit of a transmission tunnel intrusion.
10:46Don't get a matte pocket on this side.
10:48And between the seats, there's no charge ports either,
10:52but you do get a pair of cup holders.
10:54So, I guess that's okay,
10:56but it's certainly not setting any new standards
10:58in the small SUV segment.
11:00Hmm, starting to show its age a little bit, hey?
11:06As I mentioned, there are a few different options available
11:08in the CX-30 line-up when it comes to the powertrain choices.
11:11So, the entry-level versions are called G20,
11:13and they have a two-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine,
11:16not turbocharged.
11:17It comes as standard with a six-speed auto
11:19and it's front-wheel drive only.
11:21Those outputs are pretty modest, if you ask me.
11:23And then there's the G25 models,
11:25which I think are the more impressive and appealing versions.
11:28It's a 2.5-litre non-turbo petrol engine as well
11:31with a six-speed auto and front-wheel drive
11:34or all-wheel drive, if that's what you need.
11:37It does add a bit more performance
11:38and a bit more likeability to the drive experience,
11:40in my opinion, but still no hybrids,
11:43and that might not necessarily mean it ticks the box for you.
11:46I could totally understand that.
11:48Now, if you're wondering about towing capacity,
11:49there is towing capacity available on all versions of the CX-30.
11:53You'll see the numbers on your screen now,
11:55but I'm not towing in this review.
11:57We're just going to go for a drive
11:58and I'll tell you what it's like to live with.
11:59Let's go.
12:02One of the most enjoyable things about driving the Mazda CX-30
12:05is, well, compared to newer rivals,
12:07you don't have to turn off safety systems
12:09to be able to live with this car on a daily basis.
12:12You can just get in and drive,
12:13and while that might seem like a pretty silly thing
12:16to really like about a car,
12:18when you drive enough cars, like I do,
12:20it does stand out.
12:21And, look, there are other things that stand out about the CX-30
12:25in terms of the drive experience.
12:26It is definitely a more enthusiastic car in corners
12:30than some of the other vehicles out there.
12:32It's a bit more of a driver's friend than anything else,
12:36but, look, you might find that the drive experience
12:39is really joyful and really fun,
12:41but, look, I think that there are elements that could be better
12:44in terms of the drive experience.
12:47Primarily, it's the ride that I don't like.
12:51It's a firmly sprung vehicle.
12:53It feels lots of the road surface,
12:56and, you know, it transmits the road surface into the cabin.
12:59So, if you like the feeling of being really in touch
13:02with every little stone and pebble on the road,
13:05yes, this might be fine for you,
13:07but, for me, I just think that there are cars out there
13:10that do it better in terms of a balance
13:12between comfort and control,
13:14and that's just my thoughts on this vehicle.
13:17Now, I'm going to go over Bumpy Street,
13:19which is in my area.
13:21It's just a street that I like to test on,
13:23which does throw up a few lumps and bumps into the cabin,
13:26and you do get thrown around a bit more in this car
13:28than in other vehicles in this segment.
13:31So, it's just perhaps not as subtle or supple
13:37over small bumps and lumps in the road surface
13:40as you might appreciate.
13:41So, for me, the ride,
13:44that's my main sort of dislike with it.
13:47As well as that, I don't necessarily love this 2.5-litre engine.
13:51It's definitely more joyful than the 2.0-litre base model engine,
13:56which, I mean, it's fine in most situations.
13:59It's just when you actually want a bit more grunt,
14:02you don't have it with that 2.0-litre,
14:04whereas with this, the 2.5, you do have a bit more grunt,
14:07and if you really, really want to find
14:09as much from this engine as you can,
14:12there's a manual mode and paddle shifters as well,
14:16if you wish to take matters into your own hands to that extent.
14:19And you can also flick the switch and put it into sport mode,
14:22and it will behave a little bit more enthusiastically.
14:25Like, it makes for a pretty fun car in the corners.
14:29More fun than probably a small SUV arguably needs to be,
14:33if it's not a sporty small SUV.
14:35This is not really a sporty small SUV,
14:37but it drives a bit more sportily
14:39than some of the other cars out there.
14:41It's just this engine.
14:43Like, you don't have that low-down torque push
14:46that you get from turbocharged engines,
14:48or even from hybrid powertrains these days.
14:51So, it just means that you do have to rev it a bit harder
14:54to get the most out of it, and if you're OK with that,
14:57if you don't mind revving your engine, good on you.
15:00But for me, I think that I'm a bit more of a turbo fan.
15:04So, not a turbo fan, not a literal fan for a turbo,
15:07but a fan of turbocharged engines.
15:10Dad joke.
15:12Now, look, otherwise, the other things that I like about it
15:15is the steering.
15:16It does have a really nice direct steering feel to it,
15:19and it's got a fair bit of weight and feel through the wheel as well.
15:23Like, you can actually feel what's happening
15:25when you do change direction,
15:27and like in other cars,
15:29you might not actually have that sensation
15:32emitted to your little digits.
15:34So, that's good,
15:36and the ride, like I said, a bit sporty, a bit firm.
15:40And the road noise is another consideration.
15:42Like, if you...
15:43Suspension noise as well, apparently.
15:45If you do a lot of highway driving on course-chip surfaces,
15:49you will notice that it is loud in here.
15:51That's a bit of a bugbear across Mazda's model range,
15:55in my opinion,
15:57is that it can be a little bit loud on the inside.
16:00Maybe not living up to the semi-premium desire factor
16:04that some Mazda buyers think is there,
16:07but maybe those Mazda buyers
16:09haven't driven any of the other options out there,
16:11and they're just sold on a Mazda.
16:13That's fine. I get it.
16:14I can understand why, if you've had a Mazda before,
16:16you would want to get into another one
16:18because it feels familiar to you.
16:19And this, in that regard,
16:21does have that same sort of characteristic
16:23as the Mazda 3s of years gone by,
16:26and I can totally understand why you might go for it.
16:28But for me, I just don't gel too well
16:31with this driving experience more generally.
16:34And finally, I just want to call out the visibility
16:37from the driver's seat.
16:38So, over shoulder, it's okay.
16:40You do have this fantastic surround view system
16:42if you buy one of the cars that has that,
16:45otherwise you get a pretty good reversing camera.
16:48And look, I think that the big issue here, though,
16:51is actually more to do with higher speed driving
16:54than it is about parking speed.
16:57So, it's got a non-convex mirror,
17:00so it's just a plain mirror on that side,
17:02and that means that you don't get as good a view
17:05on the driver's side as you do on the passenger side,
17:08which has a convex mirror.
17:09And that convex mirror does give you
17:11a better field of view behind you,
17:13and it means that when you're merging to the left,
17:16you can actually see what's going on.
17:18But if you are going to overtake or merge on the right
17:21or whatever it may be on the freeway,
17:23you just need to pay a little bit more attention.
17:26Sure, it's got blind spot monitoring, which is good,
17:28but it bloody needs it,
17:30because otherwise it could be dangerous.
17:33I've had a few near misses in Mazdas in recent times,
17:36and I think it's something really simple that they could fix,
17:38but for some reason they don't.
17:43All right, let's talk about fuel efficiency.
17:45Now, Mazda has built a name for itself
17:48around fuel efficiency being one of the traits of the brand,
17:52and there are three different fuel efficiency numbers
17:54that you need to pay attention to for the CX-30 range.
17:56So the G20, that 2-litre engine,
17:59you'll see the number for it on your screen.
18:01And now I'll put up the G25 in two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive,
18:05so you can see for yourself what you can theoretically expect
18:09to achieve across a mix of different driving scenarios.
18:12And if you're wondering what I've achieved across a mix of driving,
18:15that might be similar to what you end up doing in your car.
18:18Things like a bit of freeway, a bit of highway,
18:21some urban roads, some stop-starts, some shopping trips,
18:24and the usual errands that we all have to run.
18:26You'll see what I've seen across this week of testing on your screen now,
18:31and, look, I think that that's OK,
18:34but certainly not as impressive as if you were to buy a hybrid SUV
18:39like some of those ones I mentioned earlier,
18:41where you can sort of get a lot less than that in terms of fuel consumption.
18:45But, hey, you might be fine with it, and that's totally cool.
18:48And another great thing about this car
18:50is that it does run on 91-ron regular unleaded petrol,
18:54and both the front-wheel drive and the all-wheel drive versions
18:57have pretty decent fuel tank capacity as well,
19:00which you can see on your screen.
19:01So, yeah, it's not bad, not bad, just not brilliant.
19:06But, hey, it's not a brand, brand, brand new car either.
19:11This car achieved the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2019,
19:15and it's still valid,
19:16and all versions come with a decent amount of safety technology and equipment,
19:20things like autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection,
19:24there's lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring,
19:26rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors,
19:29and a reversing camera as standard.
19:31If you step up from the base grade, you also get front parking sensors,
19:34and if you step up even further, you get things like front cross-traffic alert,
19:38and there's also a really good surround-view system in the camera.
19:42If you choose the versions that have the Vision Technology Package,
19:46which also adds some extra stuff like Traffic Jam Assist,
19:49and it is available across different grades in the lineup.
19:52Look, my advice to you is make sure you do your due diligence
19:55and choose the version that you think you'll get the most out of,
19:58and the fact that you can get that safety pack on lower-grade versions
20:01is actually pretty appealing,
20:03but, hey, other brands out there now have more standard safety spec across the range,
20:08so it just depends on what you're after, really.
20:10And when it comes to airbag coverage,
20:12there's dual front, front side, front knee,
20:15and also curtain coverage for both rows of occupants.
20:21Mazda Australia offers a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty.
20:24You also get five years of roadside assistance included as well,
20:28and there's a five-year capped price servicing plan.
20:31Now, importantly, with the most recent update to the CX-30,
20:34the service intervals are now a bit longer.
20:36They are 15,000 kilometres, and every 12 months,
20:39they used to be every 10,000 kilometres,
20:41and the average cost over the five-year capped price servicing plan
20:44is about $435 per visit.
20:46And, hey, keep this in mind, if you are considering getting a Mazda,
20:49the brand offers a finance program with a guaranteed future value as well,
20:54so you'll be able to see what the car will be worth at the end of your loan term,
20:58which I think is a really good thing to consider for your ownership costs.
21:04I reckon the Mazda CX-30 still does offer a pretty compelling case
21:07compared to some of the rivals out there,
21:09but it isn't feeling as new or fresh as, well, some of the ones I mentioned,
21:13and also it doesn't have the hybrid tech that you might want or an EV version.
21:16So, tell me what you think about it in the comments section below.
21:19Do you reckon the CX-30 still stacks up?
21:21I'd love to know your thoughts, and which version would you buy?
21:24Do you agree that the top spec is the only one to go for?
21:26I'd love to hear from you.
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21:37Transcribed by https://otter.ai