2025 Mazda CX-30

Price Range: $24,995 - $36,950

Average

7.5

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

The 2025 Mazda CX-30 is a rarity among subcompact SUVs: It's a lot of fun to drive. You'll pay a bit more for it than its competition, but the CX-30 offers a lot of features, a comfortable ride and a great engine.

#12 out of 15

X-Small SUVs

30 Owner Reviews

Pros

Pro:Sporty handling
Pro:Ample standard features and driver aids
Pro:Premium interior
Pro:Powerful optional turbocharged engine

Cons

Con:Below-average fuel economy
Con:Transmission can be slow to downshift
Con:Significant rear blind spots

What’s new

No significant changes for 2025
Part of the first CX-30 generation introduced for 2020

3 Colors
8 Trims
1 Package

Search Inventory MazdaUSA.com

2025 Mazda CX-30 Review

by Mark Takahashi

rating written by Rex Tokeshi-Torres

Overview

The 2025 CX-30 is the smallest SUV in Mazda's lineup, measuring 7 inches shorter in length than the compact CX-5. Actually, in terms of length, it's even smaller than the Mazda 3, which frames it well as a subcompact SUV that could be thought of as a high-riding hatchback. As a Mazda, the CX-30 makes good on the brand's focus of delivering sporty performance and a well-tailored cabin. Tiny SUVs such as this have been popular with both younger shoppers seeking affordable options and older empty nesters looking to downsize, but in recent years, its popularity has spread even further.

Edmunds spotlight: A well-dressed athlete

Many subcompact SUVs are a bit of a disappointment when it comes to performance. The Mazda CX-30 isn't one of them. It's one of the quickest models in the class, especially if you opt for the available turbocharged engine. Mazda is synonymous with fun, with the iconic Miata roadster remaining one of the more entertaining choices at any price. The CX-30 gets a healthy dose of that driving enjoyment, with handling that's agile and confidence-inspiring. It's also one of the more attractive choices too, with a stylish exterior and an upscale interior. Check out our test team's Expert Rating below to see why it deserves your consideration.

Competitors to consider

Performance and appearances are important factors, but so are the fundamentals, and the Mazda CX-30 tends to trail the top SUVs in the class in that regard. The Chevrolet Trailblazer offers quite a bit more cargo capacity, which could be a deciding factor for some shoppers. The Mazda is also one of the pricier alternatives, so if you're on a tight budget, the Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul are definitely worth considering.

What’s it like to live with?

To get a more in-depth review and ownership experience, Edmunds added a Mazda CX-30 Premium to its long-term test fleet. Over the course of a year and more than 17,000 miles, it earned strong praise while we gathered valuable data on fuel efficiency and maintenance costs. Note that while we tested a 2020 model, most of our observations apply to the 2025 CX-30 as well.

Which CX-30 does Edmunds recommend?

We suggest checking out the Select Sport trim. It upgrades to synthetic leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control and keyless entry.

Compare 2025 Mazda CX-30 trim levels

Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart

Mazda CX-30 models

The 2025 Mazda CX-30 is an extra-small SUV that seats five. It's available in 2.5 S, Select Sport, Preferred, Carbon Edition, Carbon Turbo, Premium, 2.5 Turbo Premium and 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus trim levels. Keep reading for a rundown of the significant features you get with each version.

2.5 S
The base trim CX-30 comes generously equipped, with highlights that include:

2.5-liter four-cylinder engine (191 horsepower, 186 lb-ft of torque)
Six-speed automatic transmission
All-wheel drive
16-inch alloy wheels
LED headlights
8.8-inch infotainment display
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration
Six-speaker audio system

Every CX-30 also comes with driver aids such as:

Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
Lane keeping assistance (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and the car in front)
Blind-spot warning (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)

Select Sport
Adds comfort and conveniences such as:

18-inch black-painted wheels
Roof rails
Keyless entry
Synthetic leather upholstery
Leather-wrapped steering wheel
Dual-zone automatic climate control
Rear air vents
Rear seat center armrest
Tinted rear windows

Preferred
Similar to the Select Sport but adds:

Silver wheels
Sunroof
Gloss-black grille
Power-adjustable driver's seat with memory functions
Heated front seats

Carbon Edition
The Carbon Edition includes the Preferred trim features, then adds or replaces:

Black-painted alloy wheels
Special gray paint
Black mirror caps
Red leather seats
Eight-speaker audio system
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Wireless charging pad

Premium
The Premium trim is the most generously equipped CX-30 offered with the standard engine. It has the Preferred trim's features and adds:

Adaptive headlights (swivel as you turn the steering wheel for better illumination in curves)
Power liftgate
Paddle shifters
Leather upholstery
Navigation system
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Wireless charging pad
12-speaker Bose premium audio system
Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line on the windshield)

Carbon Turbo
The Carbon Turbo trim is the most budget-friendly way to get the turbocharged 2.5-liter engine. It starts with Carbon Edition content and adds:

Turbocharged 2.5-liter engine (227 hp and 310 lb-ft; 250 hp and 320 lb-ft with 93 octane fuel)
Black side mirrors and grille
Unique sand-colored metallic paint
Terracotta-colored synthetic leather upholstery
10.25-inch infotainment display
Touchscreen functionality for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

2.5 Turbo Premium
Bundles Carbon Turbo trim features with:

Auto-dimming rearview mirror
Heated steering wheel

2.5 Turbo Premium Plus
The Premium Plus further adds:

Front and rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)
Rear cross-traffic with automatic braking (brakes if sensors detect an imminent collision with an object behind the vehicle)
Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the vehicle and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
Enhanced adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance

2025 Mazda CX-30

At a Glance:

3 Colors
8 Trims
1 Package
$24,995starting MSRP

Search Inventory MazdaUSA.com

MSRP excludes taxes, title, license fees and $1,375 destination charge (Alaska $1,420). Vehicle shown may be priced higher. Actual dealer price will vary. See dealer for complete details.

Mazda CX-30 Owner Reviews

4.2

5(67%)

4(7%)

3(10%)

2(13%)

1(3%)

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Love the Mazda

Ramwerks, 03/16/2024

2024 Mazda CX-30 2.5 S Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)

Purchased my Mazda after driving a Ford F-150 for 5 years, the Yin and Yang of vehicles. The truck was fantastic. I was looking for the following in a new car, in no particular order: - Reliability; want to keep the car for 10 -15 years. - All Wheel Drive: live in the mountains so this is a must have. - Good gas mileage. - A real transmission; no CVT, see reliability above. - Fun to … drive, dare I say Sporty. - Quiet when going down the road. - Comfortable front seat. - Great stereo. - Nice interior. - An SUV, it is easier to get into and out of the higher ride height of an SUV. - Wealth of Driver aids. - Affordable; got a great price with 0% financing. My kids are grown and the vast majority of the time it is just me in the car. Occasionally it is my wife and I in the car. So, the smaller rear seat area is non-issue. It took me two years of research, reading reviews, a few test drives and 0% financing to get me to finally decide on the 2024 Mazda CX-30, S Premium. As much as I wanted the Turbo the increased cost, slightly lower fuel mileage, and potential for longer term increase in repair costs pointed to the non-turbo car. So far, after a whopping 1,500 miles, I love the car. It is everything I had hoped for and expected. The gas mileage is about 34 mpg in mostly highway driving of 75 miles per hour. It rides superbly, love the heavily weighted steering, it is sporty and fun to drive (for me it is a much better driving car than my wife’s Audi Q5), the stereo is wonderful and with the back seats down there is enough cargo capacity. It is so much easier to park than the truck. Has done fine in the snow and ice; just need to slow down a little with the OEM all season tires. Will put dedicated snow tires on the Mazda next winter. Really like the center dial instead of a touch screen. Took me about 5 hours of driving to get comfortable with it. All the buttons and controls feel solid and are laid out in a easy to use and intuitive manner. Overall, a great car. Will see how the reliability is long term. It is not perfect, but I could not find the perfect car. A few nits. The cellular reception is worse for some reason with Apple Car Play than when the phone is just in regular use. For example, it can take a while and needs more bars of reception to load Pandora with Apple Car Play vs. just using the phone and no Apple-Car Play. The wireless charger seems to heat up and not always work, trying to figure out if it is my older phone or a real Mazda issue. The center console does not hold a lot (Oh ya, this is a subcompact car). Miss the Ford's ventilated front seats. I am adjusting to the Mazda’s engine power. It takes a little longer to get on the highway, pass going up mountain passes, and overall to get up to speed than the Ford F-150. Yet, it is no problem going over 11,000-foot mountain passes while exceeding the speed limit. The benefit is gas mileage right at or better than the EPA estimates. (got 38 mpg on one highway trip recently) My gas bill is almost cut in half from the truck. Extremely happy with the car and look forward to seeing how it holds up in the long term. Also, love the Deep Crystal Blue Mica exterior.

Zippy compact SUV

LadyGray4110, 02/16/2024

2024 Mazda CX-30 2.5 S Select Sport 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)

A zippy sporty compact SUV. Great for empty nesters, young adults, and young couples. Good looking interior with a luxe feel inspite of the leatherette seats on this trim level. My car came with 18" Bridgestone Turenza tires. I get 33mpg traveling 75 to 80 mph on the interstate with this 191 horsepower engine. Putting it in sports mode, gives you a bump up when passing. I disagree with … some reviews on the overall ride. I find it a smooth ride and the engine is really good and quiet at high speeds w/o a turbo. The negative is the upshifting from first into 4th gear is somewhat raspy/harsh as it tries to get there way too quickly. But younger drivers make like that racy sound but can annoy the rest of us. I think this lowers the fuel economy for in-town driving at 22 mpg. On the highway I'm getting as high as 33 mpg. Overall I enjoy the ride of this car with no complaints. The seats are very comfortable. At 5 ft 6. I really like the front seats. It has somewhat narrow entry for all doors but the seats are comfortable. Also, less leg room for those in the back. I don't consider it to seat five people. Instead I consider seating for four adults just fine but not for long drives. I like the fact that it actually does come with the compact spare. The back, it's one of the smallest areas that I've seen on compact SUVs. It will do, but I use up all the space getting groceries. One of the biggest complaints I hear about Mazda cars is the inability to have full touch screen capabilities. But coming from Honda cars and their complicated touch screen, I find Mazda a relief. I like navigating with the joystick like option. Within a day or so I was able to navigate through all the menus with no problem. Now I prefer no touch screen. If you want touch screen for Android Auto or Google Play, you'll have to go to a higher trim level for the 10-in screen. Another complaint I've heard is the automatic parking brake will engage when it's in park. Then you will have to manually release the parking brake each and every time. This is no longer the case with this 2024 model. The parking brake will engage but will automatically disengage once you shift into drive or reverse. This trim does have rain-sensing wipers, heated rear view mirrors, auto climate control, all the safety driving options, but not heated seats, no power seats, or turbo engine. The center console leaves much to be desired. It's small....accommodating a few things. There's only two cell phone ports in the whole vehicle located within the console which I found really odd. Mazda could do better. There is no 12 volt socket. The cup holders towards the front makes it awkward to place and retrieve cups. I had to buy new cups as my others were too high and interfered with the dash controls. Hopefully they will move the cup holders to the side of the gear shift rather than to the front of it. All in all I am enjoying my first Mazda ranking it 4 due to small rear cargo.

Little SUV - Big Value

O'G, 06/21/2024

2024 Mazda CX-30 2.5 S Select Sport 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)

We bought our first 2024 CX-30 in January to replace a disappointing 2024 Hyundai Elantra for our around-town car. Our touring car was a 2022 CX-5. After driving the 30 for several months we decided to replace the 5 with another 30. My wife and I are empty-nesters and almost all of our driving is without passangers. We do frequently travel so we purchased the roof cross bars and and …

Bargain High End

RUSH, 05/09/2024

2024 Mazda CX-30 2.5 S Select Sport 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)

Great car for reasonable price. Nice solid uncomplicated engine which will be easy to maintain and interior looks premium.

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2025 Mazda CX-30, so we've included reviews for other years of the CX-30 since its last redesign.

2025 Mazda CX-30