2023 Mazda CX-30 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

You'll find two different models when shopping for a 2023 Mazda CX-30. The 2.5 S has the standard 191-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, while the 2.5 Turbo has a turbocharged version of the same powerplant that makes up to 250 horsepower. All CX-30 models have a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive (AWD).

The Mazda CX-30 2.5 S comes in base, Select, Preferred, Carbon Edition, and Premium trim levels. Prices range from $22,950 to $31,500, not including a destination charge of $1,375. The Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo comes in only Premium and Premium Plus trims, with a price range between $33,800 and $35,400.

Our test vehicle was the top model, a 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus with extra-cost Soul Red paint and an optional stainless steel rear bumper guard. The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) was $37,505, including the destination charge.

Due to its long hood, dramatically drawn flanks, and stubby rear end, the CX-30 looks nose-heavy. But it has an undeniably appealing and artful design ruined by cartoonishly excessive gray body cladding, as if to underscore the idea that it is an SUV, and not a car. Furthermore, the 2.5 Turbo's black wheels get lost within the inky black holes punched into the universe of lower-body darkness, making them a nearly invisible presence.

Open the driver's door, and the exterior's fake ruggedness evaporates in favor of an upscale, elegant cabin loaded with quality materials. All but the base trim level, which has cloth seats, get either artificial or genuine leather upholstery. Mazda further dresses the interior up with gloss black trim and polished metal accents.

Our 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus test car had a tasteful combination of off-white leather, a chocolate brown center console, and black for the dashboard, door panels, and carpeting. It looked like an entry-level luxury SUV inside, helping to justify the Mazda CX-30's premium pricing.

This year, the 2023 Mazda CX-30 2.5 S models gain five ponies for a total of 191 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque from the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Of course, you're unlikely to feel the extra oomph, but you should notice this year's substantial improvement in EPA-rated fuel economy from 26 mpg in combined driving to 29 mpg.

Turbos continue with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes more horsepower and torque when you run it on premium gas. Pump the more expensive 93-octane fuel into the tank, and it generates 250 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque. Use regular 87-octane gas, and the engine makes 227 hp and 310 lb-ft Since torque is what you feel when accelerating, we think you can use regular without much loss in real-world performance.

Both engines bolt to a six-speed automatic transmission with a Sport mode, and AWD is standard equipment. The CX-30 boasts a relatively generous eight inches of ground clearance and has an Off-Road traction assist function. However, the front strut and rear torsion-beam suspension respond delicately to speed bumps and humps, so you'll want to keep to well-traveled paths if you head off the pavement.

Weighing in at 3,525 pounds, the CX-30 2.5 Turbo provides robust acceleration and sounds terrific as engine revs rise. Unfortunately, when driving in heavy traffic, it is easy to catch the powertrain flat-footed when you're trying to squirt around slower vehicles. Switching from Normal into Sport mode resolves this, but then the transmission holds engine revs for too long.

Another disappointment is the CX-30's tiny 12.7-gallon fuel tank. Our test vehicle averaged 23.6 mpg on the evaluation drive, translating to less than 300 miles of range if you drain the tank dry. Since you're unlikely to do that, you'll need to plan refueling stops every 250 miles or so.

Mazda bolts 18-inch alloy wheels to most CX-30 models and adds its G-Vectoring Control Plus selective braking technology to make this little crossover SUV as rewarding as possible. The result is one of the most enjoyable vehicles in its class on a twisty mountain road. Only a turbocharged Hyundai Kona, especially in N specification, can rival it for putting a big smile on your face.

The suspension has plenty of compliance, so the CX-30 feels a little soft. But thanks to the engine's thick torque curve, the G-Vectoring Control Plus, the trustworthy brakes, and the excellent steering, you develop a rhythm while driving a winding road, riding the waves of torque and rolling with the body motions to keep up a quick pace.

Since few people drive their small crossovers like that, the CX-30's behavior in daily-driving situations is more important. On the highway, the Mazda is exceptionally quiet and refined for this segment. And, with the turbocharged engine, getting up to speed and merging onto freeways is effortless.

On city streets, we did not find the brake pedal intuitive. It isn't particularly communicative and requires more muscle than expected to generate the desired stopping power. However, bringing the CX-30 to a smooth, clean stop at intersections is easy.

Furthermore, the front suspension easily tops and bottoms out when traveling over speed humps and over speed bumps the impacts reverberate through the structure and shudder into the cabin. On this portion of the evaluation loop, the CX-30 was one of the worst performers we've experienced in quite some time. Unfortunately, Southern California doesn't have many potholes, so we cannot comment on the behavior in that situation. But Mazda clearly has some work to do on this front.

Most 2023 Mazda CX-30 models have standard dual-zone automatic climate control, an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat, heated front seats, and a power sunroof. In addition, the Turbos get a heated steering wheel.

The CX-30 is comfortable for the driver and less so for the front passenger, since the right chair offers no better than four-way manual adjustment. However, during the testing week, temperatures were temperate, so the climate control system had no trouble keeping the cabin cool.

All but the base trim have standard rear air conditioning vents, perhaps to keep passengers' minds off the lack of legroom. The seat cushion and seatback are comfortable, and there is plenty of foot room under the front seats. But legroom is quite tight. Fortunately, the CX-30's front seatbacks are padded and upholstered instead of plastic paneled.

Storage space is reasonable up front. The storage bin under the center armrest and the glove compartment has decent room and dividers to help keep things organized. There is a small tray forward of the cupholders, and the lower door panels have helpful bins. In the back, a center armrest folds down to provide cupholders, and occupants can store items in the lower door panel bins or the single seatback storage pocket.

With the CX-30 2.5 S Premium and both turbocharged trims, the SUV has a power liftgate that it does not need. It rises to reveal 20.2 cubic feet of cargo space, and you can fit two full-size suitcases nestled side-by-side on the cargo floor. Unfortunately, Mazda provides no nooks, nets, or underfloor storage space.

Fold the 60/40-split rear seats down, and the CX-30 supplies a maximum of 45.2 cubic feet of cargo space. Neither of this SUV's cargo measurements is impressive, even for the small crossover segment.

There are three significant flaws with the CX-30's standard Mazda Connect infotainment system.

First, it doesn't have a touchscreen display. Mazda thinks touchscreens are distracting, but that's only true when there aren't simple, easy ways to access the most commonly used functions.

Ironically, the controls on the center console require quick looks down to reference them until you memorize their locations, which takes your eyes completely off the road ahead. Also, the markings on the silver steering-wheel controls are hard to see and read at a glance, causing another source of driver distraction. And to use the voice-recognition system effectively, you must follow the instructions on the screen, introducing yet another source of distraction.

Second, Mazda Connect lacks conversational voice-recognition technology. Offering natural voice recognition to a level of quality found in modern BMW, General Motors, Lexus, Mercedes, Toyota, and Volvo models would resolve much of the irritation caused by the missing touchscreen display.

As it stands, even when we followed the recommended voice prompts shown on the display, our success rate at getting the directions or actions we sought was about 50 percent. Of course, you can bypass this problem by pairing your phone and using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. But we still think Mazda needs to resolve this issue.

Third, there isn't a tuning knob. Mazda provides volume control on the center console but not a matching tuning function. You can spin the center knob to call up your saved favorites, but if you simply wish to dial up or down through the available radio stations to avoid the commercials, you're out of luck unless you've saved every station you're likely to want to listen to as a favorite.

These shortcomings are unfortunate because Mazda beautifully integrates the 8.8-inch display into the dashboard's design, and it offers pleasing graphics and features a logical menu structure and user experience. In addition, the center console controls operate with a sense of quality and fluidity, helping to underscore how refined the CX-30's interior is.

All CX-30s have Bluetooth, HD Radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and connected services, including access to a Wi-Fi hotspot. Turbos add SiriusXM satellite radio, a navigation system, and an adequate 14-speaker Bose premium sound system. Wireless smartphone charging is an extra-cost accessory.

Safety is a 2023 Mazda CX-30 highlight. This year, Mazda improves the SUV's side-impact crash protection with standard rear side airbags, outboard rear seatbelt tensioners, and other updates.

As a result, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the Mazda CX-30 a "Top Safety Pick" rating. In this vehicle class, only the Honda HR-V offers that level of safety, earning a slightly higher "Top Safety Pick+" rating. But a Honda HR-V is nowhere near as appealing, upscale, or fun to drive as the Mazda CX-30.

Standard equipment for every 2023 CX-30 includes adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist.

In addition, the CX-30 gets a driver monitoring system, automatic high-beam headlights, and an E911 emergency notification system. All but the base trim feature blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, while the 2.5 S Premium and Turbo Premium upgrade with an adaptive front lighting system, traffic sign recognition, and a head-up display (HUD).

Our 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus test vehicle included several exclusive driving aids, including a surround-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, automatic rear braking, and Traffic Jam Assist. At lower speeds, Traffic Jam Assist pairs adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assistance to make the commute more bearable.

We found the surround-view camera and parking sensors helpful during testing, and the head-up display is terrific. It conveys plenty of information, but the data point we find most useful is the blind-spot warnings that show on the HUD. Thanks to Mazda's approach, you don't need to look away from the road to see if it's safe to change lanes.

And yet, that's what we were doing when we experienced a full-on forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking event on a Los Angeles freeway. While traveling at about 25 mph on the approach to the 101/405 transition to head over the Sepulveda Pass, we checked the right mirror to see if it would be safe to change lanes. At this exact moment, a motorist ahead decided to tuck into a gap a few vehicles up, and the Jeep in front of us suddenly braked hard. The forward-collision system issued warnings, and the brakes automatically brought the CX-30 to an immediate halt.

Now, on the one hand, this is terrific. The tech worked precisely as intended. But, on the other hand, given the speed, the situation, and the distance between the Mazda and the Jeep ahead, the response also seemed excessive. Not only that, but it nearly gave everyone in the CX-30 a heart attack. But, so would an airbag deployment, so we'll take the technology over an actual collision, thank you.

Otherwise, the driving assistance systems worked well. We like that you can program the type of lane-departure warning the CX-30 issues, and the lane-keeping assist works transparently until you genuinely need it, at which point it acts decisively in a very European manner. The blind-spot monitoring system looks back a little further than you might expect, adding a measure of safety.

However, while driving the CX-30 enthusiastically in the Santa Monica Mountains, a warning message popped up within the instrumentation. It said: "Safety and driver support systems partially disabled. Drive safely." It is unclear what triggered this, and it remained illuminated until we stopped, turned off the engine, and restarted the CX-30.

Rumor has it that you'll pay a premium to buy a Mazda CX-30, especially if you choose one of the turbocharged models. That's because Mazda positions the CX-30 as a premium offering in the same sliver of the small crossover segment where the Buick Encore GX, Jeep Compass, and Volkswagen Taos also reside.

However, considering the Mazda's standard AWD and robust base powertrain, the CX-30 2.5 S suddenly looks like a bargain. The rivals mentioned above cost more, as do the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Ford Bronco Sport, Honda HR-V, and Subaru Crosstrek. Only the Hyundai Kona and Toyota Corolla Cross kick off in the same pricing neighborhood.

In addition, while the as-tested price of $37,505 is shockingly high for the segment, we think you can credibly compare a CX-30 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus with any entry-level Audi Q3 or Mercedes-Benz GLA. Price-wise, the Audi and Mercedes start where the fully-loaded Mazda leaves off.

The problem, of course, is that Americans don't ascribe any brand cachet to Mazda. Driving enthusiasts do and have for decades. But those types of customers seeking an affordable thrill ride with some added utility will get a Mazda 3 hatchback for its lighter weight, lower center of gravity, and available manual transmission before they'll park a CX-30 in their driveway. Yes, even in a snow-bound state like Maine or Colorado. Winter tires, baby.

Nevertheless, we think the CX-30 2.5 S delivers compelling value. First, it looks good, despite all the cladding. Second, the interior provides luxury-level design, detailing, and materials. Third, it has impressive power compared to most rivals, plus standard all-wheel drive and lots of ground clearance. Fourth, like all Mazdas, it is rewarding to drive. Lastly, the CX-30 is exceptionally safe.

If you won't mind the cramped back seat, the small cargo area, and the fussy infotainment system, the 2023 Mazda CX-30 2.5 S is a good pick among small crossover SUVs. However, the tested CX-30 2.5 Turbo commands a premium for faster acceleration and advanced driving assistance tech that makes it harder to recommend unless you're choosing it over something like an entry-level Audi, Mercedes, or other small luxury-brand SUV.