2023 Mazda CX-30 G20 Touring Review | Does Mazda’s popular small SUV stand up to the test of time?

[@grant3691]

I am loving our new CX 30. Amazing car, packed with features, drives beautifully. I find it has plenty of pep, even on hills. Quiet with low road noise. Good looking too! Great value, doesn’t seem to be another in its class that compares.

[@stendecstretcher5678]

A 10k service interval is a plus ask any mechanic.

[@yumillai]

Planning on getting the 2023 Mazda cx-30 for my very first car😁

[@liamcalleja4715]

not him saying that the petrol cx30s consume more fuel then a hybrid toyota, like who would have thought

[@philross1680]

Having owned and driven many Mazdas over the last 40 years and currently own 2. I have driven the CX30 and true to Mazdas heritage for building reliable high quality cars it certainly keeps this tradition going with the CX30. Having driven both the G20 and G25 a serious purchaser wanting to be perfectly happy with a CX30 would have to invest in getting the larger engine as it has a much more pleasurable driving experience. However I still have a few design issues with CX30, the side windows are a little shorter than in other cars which can give a slightly claustrophobic feeling, the infotainment screen is a little small and having a dial in the centre console rather than a full time operative touch screen is a mistake .The last criticism I have is Mazda’s over use of that awful and extremely delicate Piano black gloss plastic on both the exterior and interior. My model pick in the CX30 model range would have to be G25 Touring SP but having said that the price of this model is starting to getting very close in price to the larger CX 5 AWD touring active however I feel that the sweet spot of the CX30 model range is the G25 Touring. I

[@disruptioninworldcommunica4857]

Complaining about touch screen is quickly getting old and its such a peasant thing. There's a reason the central controller system originated from premium driving oriented cars like Alfa Romeos and BWM's. I will never again buying a car that does not have a central controller. It's hands down the best and most comfortable system to use.

[@martinmilton-white5172]

6 months with my 2.5 touring and can't complain, the power is more than adequate and all in all a very pleasant and fun drive. Lack of a touch screen ceases to be an issue within a short time the rotary controller and buttons are placed in a natural position where I don't need to look at what I'm doing.

[@colinsimmons2913]

for a fuel comparison why didn,t you use the tesla (hybrid really)

[@wyysoserious3201]

Subaru Crosstrek L model has same onroad cost(40k) as this mazda model but gives you a lot more goodies and plus it is a full time All Wheel Drive.

[@xXYellie12Xx]

The facts are that the crosstrek has a far inferior interior and a less sporty drive experience. Although it has more space inside and is AWD, you have to deal with the Subarus CVT gearbox which is known to be one of the least reliable and yucky transmissions you can buy. So that’s the trade off.

[@jeremybean-hodges6397]

Just be aware that for the same price as the G20 Touring, you can get a Mazda 3 G25 GT. Faster engine, lighter car, better fuel consumption, more options, and almost exactly the same interior. It's probably well worth considering what the extra height is actually worth.

[@cityplanner3063]

The car isn’t as small as people think and the space is on the smaller side. Why? Bc the bonnet is so long. Look at other cars in the class and they basically same size but bonnet is half the size.

[@rc70ys]

I drive one. It’s thirsty at 8.9L/100 a little sluggish at times. LED headlights but halogen park lights ? 😮 Limited boot space. Limited leg room in the back. Good looking vehicle but so many other priced well competitors. I like the infotainment isn’t touch screen but using a simple scroll button. I agree I take my eyes off the road just the same. It is an easy vehicle to drive in tight spaces.

[@disruptioninworldcommunica4857]

If you put all the key features in a spreadsheet and compare them side by side you will quickly realize that CX30 either best in class or mid-pack at worst in most cases. For example the 430L "small" boot space is one biggest in this class with only much larger and boxy vehicles beating it. Crosstrek has 385L, HR-V has 319L, Corolla Cross 425L, Kia Xceed 426L. So if you feel the boot space is limited then you need to get CX-5 but this is already a class bigger SUV. When it comes to engines it beats absolutely everything.

[@jeremybean-hodges6397]

To ask a possibly redundant question: why didn't you go for a Mazda 3?

[@gbnq2513]

@@disruptioninworldcommunica4857 Maybe in your part of the world but here in Australia, that boot space figure of 430 litres is not even close! CX 30 boot space is 317 litres! - which is ridiculously tiny for the size vehicle - especially considering that the CX30 comes with just a space saver spare wheel. Compare that 317 litres to the Kia Seltos's 433 litres boot space with a full spare tyre, or 468 if you have the space saver wheel! So, 317 litres is stupid small for this class. Grocery trolley anyone? And when it comes to engines, it doesn't beat everything. Using the Kia Seltos again, the Seltos has a marginally better performing turbo 1.6 with 146 kW and 265 Nm peak. (CX 30 is 139 kW and 253 Nm) And if your interested, Seltos 0-100 is 7.74 seconds. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYLYh4VtipKnj80 CX 30 is mid 8's at best. So not 'beats everything'. Not to mention stupid small side windows , bad leg room rear passengers, non touch 8 inch infotainment.... Not a fan of the CX 30...... It doesn't stack up with the competition.

[@disruptioninworldcommunica4857]

@@gbnq2513 That's interesting. Here in Europe, the 317L figure is for Mazda 3, which is indeed small. When it comes to Engines we mostly get the same engines here. CX30 has Skyactive G 155hp and Skyactive X 191hp. Both having acceleration of 8 sec. KIA has only one engine here, a 1.5 160hp turbo with acceleration of 9 sec. Only the new Toyota Corolla Cross has a faster engine here, a 2.0 non-turbo with 152hp and 7,7 sec acceleration. The rest is not even worth mentioning. HR-V has only one engine, a 1.5 turbo 107hp and Crosstrek has an anemic 1.6 boxer with 114hp and 14 sec acceleration. The non-touch screen is a literal non-issue. The touch screens in competition (with the exception of Crosstrek) make them look horrid inside. If you haven't noticed everyone has started copying Mazda. They want to have the screen higher in the filed of view like Mazdas but also make them touch. This has resulted some blindingly fugly dashboards. I will never buy a car again that does not have a rotary controller like Mazda or Alfa Romeos. There's a reason those systems have emerged from driver focused premium cars. It beats touch screens any time of the day. I have driven most of the competition recently and there's no doubt in my mind that CX30 is a better car than any of them. For practicality I'd go with Crosstrek. It's the only car that is also not totally ugly inside and outside. But when it comes to quality of desing and ride fun CX30 is just so much better than the others.

[@worrywart1311]

@@gbnq2513 Well, it a classy car, something I would never accuse the Seltos of.

[@TheGillederais]

You also forgot to mention that corolla cross hybrid, altho consume 1 litre less petrol on avg, cost 5k more with interior looks like nasty plastic poverty wrap.....

[@crow_2k11beatsbydre8]

Torsion beam rear suspension is cheap and that ridiculous rotary knob/dial infotainment system in 2023 is outdated, Toyota and Honda are better options in this CUV/mini SUV.........

[@cityplanner3063]

Rotary dial is more of a personal preference. Don’t mind touch screen but the rotary dial has made driving so easy. It’s muscle memory now, don’t even need to look at the infotainment screen to change stuff.

[@GlowingTube]

Poor packaging, a bit gutless and not that good on the value front. Those thick plastic wheel arch moulds look bad to my eyes and spoil the styling. Overall, I'd rather buy a hatchback and pocket the change.

[@cityplanner3063]

Some hatches also are quite spacious

[@SuperAlmighty]

It's wierd not having a touch screen.

[@disruptioninworldcommunica4857]

It really isn't. I will never again buy a car that does not have a central controller like Mazda, Alfa Romeo or BMW. I can scroll through my endless collection of music folders at highway speeds with ease and without being a driving hazard. It would be impossible with touchscreen. It will take a day or two to get used to it but overall its way better than any of the competition. Those ipads sticking out of the dash on KIA, VW or Toyota are horribly ugly.

[@stendecstretcher5678]

@@disruptioninworldcommunica4857 I agree better still my old Corolla has none of those.

[@takuan650]

I don't get why Mazda is ruining a beautifully designed car with this painfully ugly plastic cladding. It beats me! I did test drive the non turbo variant and agree that the engine is lame. Not much fun on the accelerator. I bought the CX5 and never look back.

[@patrickadriandivino2422]

I agree, cladding lessen the aesthetic level of the car.

[@mrkring1526]

2.5 transforms the car.