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.

In Canada, trim levels for the CX-30 are GX, GS, and GT. The GX comes equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, a standard all-wheel drive (AWD) drivetrain, one-touch up/down power windows, pushbutton start, remote keyless entry, a rear fold-out centre armrest with cup holders, turn signals integrated into the side mirrors, and an eight-speaker sound system with Mazda Harmonics Acoustics. The GX also comes with two USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity, HD radio, and an 8.8-inch infotainment screen operated via a dial in the centre console. The screen also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The GS adds 18-inch alloy wheels, a heated steering wheel, additional premium colours, dual-zone automatic climate control, and rear climate control vents. It also includes a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, while synthetic leather upholstery is available in the Luxury Package along with a power moonroof, a 10-way power driver’s seat with memory function, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and side mirrors that tilt down in reverse.

The GT adds a power liftgate, paddle shifters, a gloss-painted grille, full leather upholstery, a head-up display, and adaptive headlights. SiriusXM satellite radio is optional and comes with a three-month trial subscription. A 12-speaker Bose audio system is optional.

The GT grade is the only one that can be paired with the upgrade turbocharged engine, which is what we tested for this review. This car also included features from the Advanced Visibility Package, which is required equipment with the turbo and adds front parking sensors (rear sensors are standard on GT), a 360-degree camera, and Traffic Jam Assist.

The base engine in the CX-30 GX is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder that produces power specs of 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. In the GS and GT, the standard engine is a 2.5-litre 4cyl. It makes 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. Our test model came equipped with the upgraded 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque on 87 octane fuel and 250 horsepower 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 centre 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 centre 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 1,280 litres of cargo space up to the ceiling with the rear seats folded. With the rear seats in use, the CX-30 provides 572 litres of cargo space when measured to the ceiling. These figures are about average for the subcompact SUV segment. The GT grade comes with a power rear liftgate, which is a helpful feature.

The front seats feature a sliding centre 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 centre 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 centre console, as well as a series of toggle buttons.

Fitting within 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 with available driver-assistance features, though most of them are not standard equipment in Canada. Available features include forward collision avoidance, pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. Rain-sensing wipers, at least, are a standard feature, as is blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Traffic-sign recognition, front-and-rear parking sensors, and reverse automatic emergency braking come in at higher grades.

Our test model also had adaptive front headlights that turn with the direction of the steering wheel. The optional 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+ safety rating. It earned top marks in all IIHS crash tests and a best possible score of “Superior” for its driver-assistance technology.

The base 2.0-litre engine for the CX-30 consumes a Natural Resources Canada-estimated 9.4 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 7.7 on the highway, and 8.6 combined. The 2.5-litre consumes 9.9 city/7.7 hwy/8.9 combined. The turbo engine burns 10.5 city/7.9 hwy/9.3 combined. In our week with the CX-30, we observed an average fuel economy of 9.7 L/100 km.

Base MSRP for the 2022 Mazda CX-30 is $26,350 for the GX trim. The GS trim starts at $29,350 with the Luxury Package adding $2,200, and the GT starts at $34,750 with the turbocharged engine being a $3,200 upgrade. The GT’s Advanced Visibility Package is included with the turbo engine or costs $800 more when the engine upgrade is not equipped. These prices exclude a mandatory $1,950 destination charge.

In Canada, Mazda vehicles now come with an unlimited-distance warranty that covers the full new vehicle for three years, including roadside assistance, and the powertrain for five years.

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 small SUVs.

The ride quality will really come down to what roads are like in your area, but the standard all-wheel-drive makes the CX-30 attractive in Canada. 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.

Note: Images show a US model.