Video: 2025 Mazda CX-30 Review: Turbo Power, Premium Feel

Have you considered a Mazda? In recent years, Mazda has been pushing its brand up market, positioning its vehicles as rivals to entry-level luxury rather than mainstream brand competitors. A perfect case in point is the CX-30, Mazda's subcompact SUV. In its top line trim level, the CX-30's classy interior and hefty turbocharged engine make it a compelling alternative to European luxury subcompact SUVs while still undercutting them on price. Let's check it out. The CX-30 hasn't seen any major changes since its debut for 2020. The biggest one came for 2021 when Mazda gave it a turbocharged 2.5 liter four cylinder engine. The base engine puts out a respectable 191 horsepower, but the turbo makes 227 horsepower on regular gas and 250 horsepower when running on premium. In addition to its healthy horsepower, the rest of the CX-30's driving personality is athletic too. The steering feel is crisp and communicative, and the suspension hits an excellent balance between cornering prowess and ride quality. Among the current crop of mainstream brand subcompact SUVs, the CX-30 is the most athletic and fun to drive. Its horsepower output and handling compare favorably to luxury brand subcompact SUVs like the Audi Q3, the BMW X1, the Mercedes GLA 250, and the MINI Countryman. In its upper line trims, the CX-30's cabin both say convincingly luxurious feel with supple leather upholstery, high-quality materials, and standard features that include a head up display, surround view camera display, and a Bose audio system that sounds fantastic. However, the CX-30's cabin space isn't very generous. Though the sleek bobtail body shape looks sporty, it's not optimal for cargo capacity. Plus, the low roof line and sloped rear window mean rear visibility is not very good. The cabin is cozy for people too. Backseat space is tight to start with, and it gets truly cramped if the front seats are adjusted more than halfway back. I'm six foot six, so I need to have the front seat set all the way back, which means the rear seat backs won't fold without readjusting the front seat. There are several subcompact SUVs that offer more space for both people and cargo. The CX-30 shares its infotainment interface with the rest of Mazda's lineup. And frankly, we're not huge fans of the system. It uses a console-mounted control knob and buttons, which we find more distracting and tedious to use than the typical touchscreen-based system. The CX-30 does have touchscreen functionality, but strangely, only when Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is being used. And the touchscreen is placed far enough away from the driver that it's not very easy to reach. Mazda's infotainment software itself isn't quite as robust or feature-rich as some competitor systems. And while I like the gauge cluster's clean analog style layout, a lot of rivals offer digital gauge clusters with more features and configurability. The CX-30's top line Turbo trim starts at $38,570, and that's essentially loaded. The only options are accessories like all-weather floor mats and extra cost paint. Our test vehicle wore a new for 2025 color called Arrow Gray Metallic that added $450. Now, that $38,000 number is well above the CX-30 starting price of $26,615, but it still comfortably undercuts those European luxury rivals, all of which start around $42,000. The fact that the CX-30 stacks up as well as it does to those European luxury rivals means it's well worth considering if you value a sporty driving experience and upscale trimmings more than passenger and cargo room in your subcompact SUV. So what do you think? Agree, disagree? For my full review of the CX-30 Turbo, be sure to check out cars.com/news. (upbeat music)