2022 Mazda CX-30 Review | Best Small Crossover SUV To Buy? 

I bought a CX30 after seeing all the praise from RU-vid reviewers this year, just like he pointed out in this video, it has the best driving performance in any small Hatchbacks/SUV I've ever driven, from its design to the built quality, all screams luxury, without paying the price, and the Bose premium system sounds really amazing, my daily commute is simply way too short in the CX30, totally recommend to anyone who is considering in a small SUV.

I bought a 2024 Mazda cx-30 with reservations, because originally my personal choice was the CX-5. But after driving the CX-30 everyday I am liking it more and more! the interior feels luxurious and well put together. The overall driving dynamics is superb for its class; it really feels like driving a European car you would pay three times as much what I paid for the CX-30, $24,900! it feels grounded, solid, and comfortable in City driving. I feel safe driving it. I made up my mind soon after a took a test drive on both, the CX-5 and the CX-30. I highly recommend the CX-5 as a family/passenger car. But if you are single or a couple, the CX-30 is a better choice!! I must admit that I was a bit turned off by the small cargo space of the CX-30; but I resolved that issue by laying flat the passenger back seats, so now I have 45 sq ft of cargo space instead of 20! is also great on gas, and parking it in tight spaces is a breeze!!!

I went from a 2022 Honda CRV EX, to a 2022 to Mazda CX30 Premium plus, the build quality and ride are superb , I love everything about my CX30 , the paint is Platinum quartz metallic. beautiful .

Test drove a 2022 Turbo Premium yesterday with 2,400 miles. Its now in my garage. As far as the rear seating. Im 5' 9" so the front seat is in the middle position. My son is 5' 11.5" tall. He got in the backseat. Plenty of leg room. Fine for a family of 4. Why people devote so much negative press to this. Maybe its the water they are drinking!

Been using in for 4 months here in Malaysia and i must say - my CX-30 is turning heads! Not only it look stunning, the drive experience is amazing!!! And fuel economy is not that bad actually.

Man ride height is essential for Alberta winter

A mechatronic engineer here, just some correction regarding fuel consumption. Myself and my colleague did fuel testing on Mazda Skyactiv engine for few months. The intention was because high compression engines normally require high octane petrol in order to stay fuel efficient (well known fact for European cars) so it was odd for Mazda to suggest 91, our test result matched our suspicion. 98 petrol actually resulted in much better efficiency, an average of 4.5L/100km on long distance high way drive, around 7~8L/100km on insane city drive (heavy traffic + full acceleration whenever we get off a red light). Both are 2.0L skyactiv G.

Cx 30 is for people who don’t really care about space but instead a good looking car which feels a little sporty to drive and good interior quality

I have a Mazda cx30 2020 and get 28 mpg in the city and 33 on the highway. Better than I expected

I own a 2021 CX-30 Select and absolutely love it! I drove many of the other competitors mentioned in the video and they all rode and drove like garbage compared to the CX-30.

So I went from a ‘19 Mazda 6 GT turbo to a silver ‘21 CX30 AWD Select to another Soul Red ‘22 CX30 turbo (Premium Plus)….I have LOVED all my Mazdas!!!! ❤ I think I’m finally “at home” in my ‘22 CX30!! Such a glorious and comfy vehicle!!!

Just bought a 2023 CX-30 Select a month ago. Love it so far! Although I wish I could have gotten the Select model with the 16 inch wheels of the S trim. It had a noticeably smoother ride.

Agree on everything! Own 2021 Mazda cx-5 - Mazda is the only brand left standing who deliver quality and look for affordable tag. Great vehicles great company!

I needed a more practical car that suits my lifestyle better than my beloved Mazda MX-5 Club. I’m a single guy often hikes, camps or go backpacking on weekends so I wanted a car that can take me to the most remote trailhead. It had to be a small CUV with AWD. I like smaller cars so I didn’t want something as big as a CRV, RAV4 or CX-5 so a lifted Mazda 3 aka CX-30 fits the bill for me. The CX-30 has enough room for me. It’s a good choice for single or empty nester adventurers. It’s a nice road trip car with excellent driving dynamics given the torsion beam and higher ride height and is very quiet when cruising on the highway. It has a good amount of driver aids such as ACC, Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Traffic Alert but the driver assist is passive and not overly aggressive and I still feel very much in control of the car. The interior is a nice place to be, very driver centric. After a month of ownership, the controls for the infotainment is second nature and now I prefer it a touchscreen. I keep my cars for a very long time so I wanted something that is reliable. I’ve owned my share of Hondas and Acuras and feel that their quality and reliability has slipped a bit when they switch to the turbo engines. I was very pleased with the reliability of my MX-5…owned it for 4 years with not a single problem. I prefer to keep it simple…Normally aspirated engine vs Turbo…6-speed automatic vs CVT or DCT…No start/stop or cylinder deactivation to complicate matters. Style and Driving Dynamics over Practicality and High MPG. The CX-30 looks good on the outside and inside. Not a big fan of the cladding but the beautiful, deep Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint on my CX-30 more makes up for it. While it’s no Miata, the driving dynamics is better than the HRV or Crosstrek especially given that I will drive it mostly on paved roads. I’m willing to sacrifice less MPG for more power. If ICE cars will give way to Hybrids and Electric, I want to enjoy it. I’m used to normally aspirated engines and I like the linearity of power delivery. I’m not afraid to gas it to give it more go. Revving it up to get to the power band and the more noise with the higher rpms does not bother me. It was painful to give up my fun MX-5 Club but the practicality of a small CUV fits my lifestyle better. Everyone has different needs and preferences but to me the CX-30 while not perfect was the right choice.

Less turbo, less trouble.

I bought my CX-30 Select here in NJ in Sept. 2021. Needed to replace my 2014 Ford Focus (bought used in 2016) as had transmission issues and parts unobtainable. Originally I was considering a 3 Sedan, but were scarce, didn't want a car like a Honda or Toyota with a CVT or turbo. The CX-30 has a reasonable price, safety systems I wanted, a decent sized engine, quality look inside and out, decent ride and handling. With 10K on it so far, no problems. It has a few flaws. The cargo space is a bit tight, I agree with the visibility issues, the transmission could use a 7th gear for better highway fuel mileage, a 2nd 12V accessory jack would be nice too.

great review....like you I prefer a bit of speed, comfort and a great ride over fuel economy...so maybe I'll go with this one.

Bought one a week ago and I absolutely love it.

We upgraded our 2020 BP Mazda 3 for a 2021 CX_30 2.5 non turbo . Liked it so much, we bought another top of the range Astina package 2022 CX-30 for the wife .We drove all the competitors you mentioned and they didn't come close. Mazda are the second highest in sales in Australia after Toyota .When will the rest of the world wake up ?

Great review! We have a good reason to get an SUV here in Miami, Florida: Rain and flooding! Hahahaha That's why here there is a decrease in sales of coupes! Besides k the small SUV are more practical! If they add the panoramic Moonroof they will make the CX 30, the perfect and fun small UUV car! Car Driver puts it at number one in its category!

I love the Mazda CX30 but it is short a couple inches of rear legroom and about 4 or 5 cu.ft. more cargo space

I love my Mazda CX-5. Mazda makes great cars!

Mazda hit a home run when adding the turbo version of this vehicle. I have owned this vehicle for about 9 months now as a commuter vehicle. Fun to drive, sporty, comfortable, quiet and my MPG average is about 29MPG! I keep my foot out of the turbo and only use it when needed.

I test drove several Mazda3s and they are so fun, but they are too low to the ground for my taste. My legs and hips couldn't do that on a daily basis. I'm considering a CX 30 turbo as a replacement for my CX5 since I'm a single person and don't need lots of interior space. Thanks for this review.

Had my first Mazda for 20 years!! Presently driving the Nissan Kicks and my ease is up soon. When test driving, like everything about the CX30 but really want to be able to sit up higher like in the Kicks. I find the CX30 too low for me. Any suggestions for similar vehicle but one where you sit up higher? Love your videos, very comprehensive. I look forward to your answer. Thanks

Great review!

I purchased a CX-30 Carbone Edition with those beautiful Red Leather Seats you mentioned. I love the car, the handling etc Your review was spot on

I like the simplicity of this vehicle, and simplicity does not mean poor build in this case. Lots of auto manufacturers want to improve the tech features and under the hood performance but don't give quality and reliability the center of attention. Kind of like buying a refrigerator. The ones controlled by high tech are prone to more problems (and expensive to fix) than the basic ones.

Thank You. I’m sold

I like the CX30 but bought a CX5 for the space, but gave up the turbo for the same price for the family vehicle. Considering getting a CX30 for my work vehicle

2014 Mazda 3 Hatch to 2022 CX30 carbon edition, great upgrade

I had a 2019 Mazda3 FWD and I decided to switch to 2022 CX-30 AWD Turbo when I hit the Mazda3's bumper on a curb and got stuck in the snow. Overall I think they're phenomenal vehicles.

Great Review!!!

Wife and I just put a deposit down on one in transit. They usually sold before they even get to the lot.

All the CX-30 are AWD beginning in 2022 so that is probably affecting the gas mileage.

I have a 2022 Carbon Edition CX-30 with red interior. I previously drove a BMW X-2 2018.

Great review 👍🏾

I love my cx-30. It’s beautiful and fun to drive. Superior handling, luxury interior. Inside it feels like a luxury car. Before this cx-30, my car was Mazda3, so this is my 2nd Mazda.

I looked at one of these. Very nice with a high quality interior. How ever the interior is cramped in my opinion especially the rear seating. I ended up buying a Honda HRV in Sport trim, I have no regrets.

My sister has rental car of this one , I been eyeing this for a while I finally sat in one the only down size I didn’t like was the buttons I’m use to it being on the dash not by the console🤣🤣🤣

Do the gas and brake peddle adjust for particularly short drivers?

I’m getting 34-36 mpg on the open highway with my 2024 nonturbo.

Hi Shari, great review. Just want to mention that the paint quality on Mazdas has been exceptionally high quality last few years. Mazdas are very high quality and built than any Hondas. Good job Mazda!!! Don’t fall for the trends of the industry that jeopardizes quality. I agree the closest competitor is Toyota Corolla Cross however I am not convinced that Honda HRV is close. Honda HRV are made in Mexico with very poor quality parts and built quality.

The only thing missing is cooled/ventilated seats

Can you please review 2023 palisade ?

From my test drives, Mazdas have better steering feel, and the Crosstrek has better brake feel. The HR-V has more room for the back seat and luggage, and the Corolla Cross is built in Alabama. Also test drive the Maverick truck.

Super helpful video. Thank you

These are CUVs, not sporty hatches. How is the offroad ability and the aftermarket support?

Cx30 would kill Toyota if they had a hybrid option.

Thank you

I wish Toyota, Mazda and Honda join together and create the superior vehicle.

It's 6 speed auto car with amt transmission It the top price to buy if you have that money and it's off road I have mazda demio 2016

Not sure what the tire size of the CX-30 in the review was, but apparently the ones with larger wheels/lower profile tires have a pretty stiff ride according to other reviews I've seen, so I'm a bit surprised that Shari praised the ride quality. Other than that, the upcoming Corolla Cross Hybrid, which will have a combined 195hp powertrain and AWD, would probably be the only car in the subcompact crossover category I would consider over the CX-30 since it promises to be both fast and very frugal. The Subaru CrossTrek would've been a contender for me if it didn't have a CVT; I'm also still leery about the boxer engine's long term reliability and the service/maintenance costs that are markedly higher than those of the CX-30 and, especially, the Corolla Cross. Finally, I wouldn't consider the new Honda HR-V based on looks alone, plus its much larger size (it's now the size of the CX-5!) and anemic powertrain conspire to make it painfully slow.

Should compare to Lexus UX not the Hondas and Toyotas. Mazda is at another level. I bought a UX after owning a cx and am regretting the decision.

I just got this 2022 cx30 carbon edition I thought I was crazy. The gas tend to burn fast even thou I’m at 24mpg

Some car manufacturers are beginning to build a Hybrid Turbo.

Mazda, Toyota, Honda, you can"t go wrong. Subaru is getting better.

I want a Mazda 3 sedan so bad but they are impossible to find. Might just have to settle for a used 2019 or 2020 one

Id get this if it has touch screen. But apparently it doesnt have. Not a fan of the dial, so ill get the HRV instead

Great video Shari. I like the look of Mazdas, but I’ve owned 2 of them and both were in the shop a LOT. Because of where we live, we have found that Subaru’s are better for year around traction. I just wish Subaru would build a hybrid and would be as reliable as a Toyota.

I appreciate your review of the CX-30... I'm in the process of deciding if I should purchase the CX-30, Nissan Leaf or the Toyota Cross... I wanted to buy an EV this time. I usually keep my car over 15 years. Currently I drive a Toyota Camry I bought brand new in 1998. So, I'm looking for reliability plus luxury interior and the low cost of repairs and fuel or electric cost is very important to me, all under $30K/US... Thanks for helping me decide before I test drive any of these models.

I want to buy this car

I like both Mazda CX30 select and Subaru Crosstrek sports. Can anyone please suggest me which one I should buy? Thanks

Blindly just go for CX 5. CX 5. CX 5. that's wht i did few days ago in dubai alhamdulillah...

Hello,before 2 months i bought a CX-30 in Greece and i am not satisfied.It΄s color(while it is visually good) has no quality and pops easily, also does not have good quality materials(it's materials wear out easily).I had a Hyundai i30 before and i was more satisfied.I also sent an e-mail to the Greek Mazda dealership and they didn't pay attention to me(didn't reply me).Too bad because i thought Japanese cars have very good quality but.......................How can i contact with Mazda Japan, is there an e-mail?

Should I get the base model or the Select model?

cars with turbocharged engines are like "trophy wives", high maintenance that is. As soon as the factory warranty is up, the owners will feel pockets are getting much lighter. lighter !

CX5 ?

This guy has one sentence pitch and does not deviate from it lol

We bought the Mazda CX30 and the reason why we went for this car over the Toyota Corolla Cross or the Subaru CrossTrek, is because of incredible hospitality received from the team at LeeJohnson, Mazda of Seattle. Almost every Toyota dealership we went to wanted to charge us up to $6,500 over MSRP, which makes Mazda’s of Seattle policy to only charge MSRP exceptional value for money. The Subaru Dealerships wanted to sell you what ever they had on the floor with no consideration or regard to the customer needs. And honestly, trying to sell a Subaru by telling a customer about how bad a car from the competitor is, does not inspire confidence in your brand. Yes, everything in this comment is subjective and that being said, I do believe that brands like Mazda, Toyota, Honda and to some extend, Subaru, builds equally good cars however, the people working the frontline of a company tells the holistic story of the company that they work for. I myself work in a specialist retail environment for the past ten years and within an industry that shares a lot of familiarities with the auto industry and it fathoms my mind how ancient the mindset in auto dealership are. There is a lot of information out there for the customer to consume and the customer probably knows a lot more than what you (the auto dealership sales person) thinks. More often than not, even more than you do. If I can give any advice to the consumer out there, go to a auto dealership that treats you best and don’t settle for anything else. Incredible hospitality is owed to you the consumer and if you keep on giving into being bullied, we will never get rid of the toxic weeds in the auto industry.

I just got one transmissions, kind of clumsy

I would keep away from ice engines unless it’s a least a phev..

mazda 3 hatch is now more expensive than cx30

Not a hybrid shouldn't even be produced

Not worth it without a turbo. Base HP is straight garbage

Sorry there is nothing exciting about it, in fact it's ugly. The 23 is NICE.