2022 Mazda CX-30 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The CX-30 has the look and styling of a downsized CX-5, with its upright grille and smooth, flowing fenders. The CX-30 rides on the same platform as the Mazda3, and it’s actually helpful to think of the CX-30 as a raised-up version of the Mazda3 hatchback.

The CX-30 has an incredibly raked windshield that actually acts like a greenhouse on a sunny day. On longer drives, you may find your forearms starting to catch a tan. More importantly, the windshield has a slight curve that’s close to eye-level for taller drivers. This curve distorts the view of the road, which can be distracting.

The cabin of this new subcompact SUV is comfortable and quiet. From the buttons to the doors closing, everything feels and sounds solid. It also has one of the best interior designs of any affordable car. The instrument cluster is an artful blend of conventional and digital displays. The infotainment screen rises almost organically from the smooth dashboard. Unfortunately, function has almost completely taken a backseat to form. We’ll get more into this a bit later, but just know this attractive infotainment system has a steep learning curve.

Trim levels for the CX-30 are 2.5 S, 2.5 S Select, 2.5 S Preferred, 2.5 S Premium, Turbo, Turbo Premium, and Turbo Premium Plus. The 2.5 S comes equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, standard all-wheel drive (AWD), one-touch up/down power windows, pushbutton start, remote keyless entry, and an eight-speaker stereo with Mazda Harmonics Acoustics. The 2.5 S also comes with two USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity, HD radio, and an 8.8-inch infotainment screen operated via a dial in the center console. The screen also supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Pandora internet radio. There is also a 2.5 S Carbon Edition with unique styling elements.

The 2.5 S Select adds 18-inch alloy wheels, turn signals integrated into the side mirrors, tinted windows, integrated roof rails, additional premium colors, dual-zone automatic climate control, and rear climate control vents. It also includes a rear fold-out center armrest with cup holders, synthetic leather upholstery, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. Moving up to the 2.5 S Preferred builds on this with a power sunroof, an eight-way power driver’s seat, heated front seats, and side mirrors that tilt down in reverse.

The 2.5 S Premium adds a power rear liftgate, roof-mounted “shark fin” antenna, paddle shifters, a gloss-painted grille, full leather upholstery, a head-up display, adaptive headlights, and a three-year subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio with real-time traffic and weather updates.

The standard equipment for the Turbo Preferred and Turbo Premium are largely similar to their 2.5 S counterparts. We drove the range-topping Turbo Premium Plus. In addition to all the content from the other trims, it adds front-and-rear parking sensors, as well as a number of driver assistance features that are optional on other models.

The base engine in the CX-30 is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder. It makes 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. Our test model came equipped with the upgraded 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at 227 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque on 87 octane fuel and 250 hp and 320 lb-ft on 93 octane fuel. Power is routed to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

The turbocharged engine makes decent acceleration in most driving scenarios. A Sport button in the center console alters the throttle response and shift mapping. In Sport mode, the CX-30 is very lively. It also is more active in downshifting when braking coming onto a highway offramp.

The CX-30 features a conventional shifter design, which is a breath of fresh air at a time when seemingly every automaker is trying to reinvent the wheel—or, shifter. Our test model also featured steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters and a manual tap-shift mode on the center shifter. The manual mode pattern on the shifter is “back” to upshift and “forward” to downshift. This is similar to that of race cars and is the correct and proper pattern for any vehicle with a shred of performance credibility.

The CX-30 has a sporty, refined ride. It has well-weighted steering and the turn-in is quick and precise. There is little-to-no body roll in cornering. The downside of this performance is a rough ride over potholes. On bumpier roads, you can feel nearly every crack, bump, and imperfection. This suspension actually does a decent job on dirt and gravel roads, but craggy paved roads will be a rough ride.

The 2022 Mazda CX-30 provides up to 45.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded. With the rear seats in use, the CX-30 provides 20.2 cubic feet of cargo space. These figures are about average for the subcompact SUV segment. Our Turbo Premium Plus model came with a power rear liftgate, which was a helpful feature.

The front seats feature a sliding center console cover, which has a downside. When the rear seats are folded, the console cover can get stuck under the seat and the lid can be stuck open. It’s a slightly strange design flaw. But overall, the center console provides plenty of space for personal items. The front doors have deep pockets for large water bottles.

Rear seats provide solid headroom and will be a fine place for adults on short-to-medium trips. The rear seats lack the rear-seat headroom you’d get from the larger CX-5, and it might be a tight fit for longer drives.

Like other new Mazda vehicles, the CX-30 has an elegant dash design. Part of that elegance and simplicity is how the infotainment screen is nestled into the dash. Because it is farther away from the driver than Mazda interior designs of even a few years ago, the screen has no touch functionality whatsoever. It is controlled by a rotary dial/joystick in the center console, as well as a series of toggle buttons.

Fitting with in Mazda’s effort to go upmarket, this whole setup is clearly inspired by other luxury-car infotainment systems such as BMW’s iDrive. The downside is that iDrive has long been derided for its poor usability. BMW had finally listened to the criticisms in recent years and finally added touch functionality to iDrive. So for Mazda to emulate an older, worse version of iDrive is just a mistake.

For example, getting out of Apple CarPlay is a total pain. One would think hitting the “Home” button would instantly take you out to the Mazda infotainment home screen, but no. It takes you to the CarPlay home screen. CarPlay and Android Auto are made for touchscreens, and operating them with a rotary dial is just maddening. Luckily getting into CarPlay from the Mazda home screen is as easy as clicking the dial once to the right.

Some infotainment systems are confusing until you’ve set them up with all your presets. But with the Mazda system, it’s still a pain to go between presets. Even once you’ve spent some time learning the system it can be maddening, and if you let a friend or family member borrow your CX-30, it will be distracting for them.

The CX-30 comes loaded up with standard driver-assistance features such as forward collision avoidance, pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, rain-sensing wipers, and adaptive cruise control. Our Turbo Premium Plus test model came loaded up with every additional driver-assistance feature, including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition, front-and-rear parking sensors, and reverse automatic emergency braking.

Our test model also had adaptive front headlights that turn with the direction of the steering wheel. The 360-degree parking camera was very helpful. It stayed on the forward camera when parking, which is a feature we didn’t know we needed, but are now glad it exists. The head-up display in our test model provided crisp, bright graphics, and you can easily read it while wearing polarized lenses (not always a given in modern HUDs). The CX-30 also has a system that does not disengage the electronic parking brake until the driver has fastened their seatbelt. Safety is always important, but if you find yourself moving your car around a parking lot or driveway at low speeds, this could get old fast.

In testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the CX-30 earned five out of five stars. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the CX-30 its highest Top Safety Pick+ award. It earned top marks in all IIHS crash tests and a best possible score of “Superior” for its driver-assistance technology.

The base engine for the CX-30 returns an EPA-estimated 24 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined. The turbo engine returns 22 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined. In our week with the CX-30, we observed an average fuel economy of 24.3 mpg.

Base MSRP for the 2022 Mazda CX-30 is $22,200 for the 2.5 S trim. The Select trim starts at $24,600, the Preferred starts at $27,650, and the Premium starts at $30,500. The 2.5 Turbo costs just a bit less, starting at $30,200. The Turbo Premium starts at $32,800 and our Turbo Premium Plus test model clocked in at $34,400. These prices exclude a mandatory $1,225 destination charge. The CX-30 is backed by a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

The extra zero in the CX-30’s name represents a new naming convention for Mazda. If the evolution from CX-3 to CX-30 is any indication, Mazda is elevating the game yet again. The CX-30 is spacious, upscale, and has a refined ride. It replaces the good-but-niche CX-3 with an instant pack-leader among subcompact SUVs.

The ride quality will really come down to what roads are like in your area, but the standard all-wheel-drive will make the CX-30 attractive in particular regions. If you can learn or learn to live with the infotainment system, the CX-30 is easily one of the best new subcompact SUVs on the market today. It instills a luxury feel without the high-end price point and has the ability to make any drive an engaging one.