Tell me about Mazda, maybe the CX 30

ls1mike said:
So my daughter will be driving soon and we'll the wife and I think she needs some nanny features the Buick just does not have. So we have floated the idea of giving her the Malibu and getting the wife something lightly used. I am going to give the Buick to someone who needs a car if we go this route. As you know I'm a GM guy, but we are looking at other vehicles. Nothing German and nothing Honda. So tell me about Mazda. Specifically the CX 30 and CX 5.
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Take a test drive. Mazda's are awesome, but they have smaller interior space than the other entries in the market. Despite its age, the CX-5 is still one of my favorite compact SUVs. It is very reliable, has no CVT, and still offers the best interior quality.

There is a lot of CX-5 in stock at local dealers here, I'm sure it's similar anywhere in North America. It'd be easier to find a good deal.

I recommended the CX-30 to two of my colleagues, both waited 2-3 months to get their car, even though they are made in Mexico (unlike the CX-5 which is made in Japan). They didn't get any discounts.
 
kam327 said:
Thank you for clarifying this is "IMO", because in my own contrary opinion that's an absurd opinion. :) I think 90% of drivers do not need AWD and two wheel drive is cheaper, more fuel efficient and will have fewer chance of problems down the road.

Check out this article by Car and Driver which dispels some myths about AWD. In particular, it does not help you stop or turn in icy/snowy conditions. All it does is reduce wheel spin while accelerating, but you should not be accelerating aggressively in icy/snowy conditions anyway. AWD is also a big pro with high-horsepower sports cars where it helps harness all that power. Very low % of cars.




I agree, and it's getting very good reviews in the automotive press which is unusual for GM products.
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I drive in the rain sometimes, so I like AWD.
 
shortyb said:
You really must test drive, but when I drove my uncle-in-law's (wife's uncle?) CX 5, I was mighty impressed. Interior and overall feel was at least 2 segments above the price-point and handling was superb for a somewhat bigger CUV. Has the full compliment of safety nannies and feels like a bank vault. Pretty decent motivation without being harsh or noisy. Always hear good things about Mazdas and tend to forget them when looking around or suggesting them to folks. Just not as big or in your face as the H and T offerings. Now the 6? My gawd, if they brought that back in that Soul Red, it would be over right there.
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Yep, the Mazda 6 in Soul Red was to be my wife's next car (especially with the then rumored straight six engine) but they stupidly discontinued it. I don't want another SUV.
 
kam327 said:
Thank you for clarifying this is "IMO", because in my own contrary opinion that's an absurd opinion. :) I think 90% of drivers do not need AWD and two wheel drive is cheaper, more fuel efficient and will have fewer chance of problems down the road.

Check out this article by Car and Driver which dispels some myths about AWD. In particular, it does not help you stop or turn in icy/snowy conditions. All it does is reduce wheel spin while accelerating, but you should not be accelerating aggressively in icy/snowy conditions anyway. AWD is also a big pro with high-horsepower sports cars where it helps harness all that power. Very low % of cars.




I agree, and it's getting very good reviews in the automotive press which is unusual for GM products.
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Florida VS Washington where we get snow but don't have enough equipment to clear it. We won't have to chain up, which is a thing around here. AWD and 4WD it is not required.
 
I have a 19 cx5. The driver assists aren't obtrusive, they can be lowered to the lowest settings or off completely. I keep mine at the lowest settings.

Seats are stiff and uncomfortable for long (6+ hours) drive for me. Headrests aren't tilt and puts really bad strain on my shoulders and back. Japanese models supposedly have a less aggressive headrest.

Engine is decent for a 4-cyl and what you'd expect. Transmission is kind of annoying but this is my first automatic car.

Suspension rebound is unnecessary stiff but the car does not handle any better than any other mid size crossover. Body roll is still crazy, and way more than an Audi Q5 or BMW X3.

Steering is very direct - while I wouldn't mind it on a car like the Miata, on a cx5 it makes for a very tiresome drive of constant minor course corrections.

Interior feels is awesome albeit feels smaller than the rest of the segment. If you have had a BMW in the past decade, the infotainment system layout is very similar.

I took the cx30 on a test drive before the cx5 and didn't like how cramped the interior felt and the extremely high belt-line. For the price of a new cx30, I instead got a slightly used cx5.
 
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I find Mazdas well engineered but the materials are cheaper than Toyota and Honda. For example corrosion resistance is not as good. The handling is generally more sporty than Honda and Toyota.
 
This is based on my experience with my parents' Mazda 5 and 2 from 2012 and 2014. It may be different than today's new Mazda but feel free to mention what is different now vs then.

They are closer to the 90s Honda and Toyota than today's Honda and Toyota. Most electronics and important parts are Denso and Aisin so you are getting the typical Toyota reliability. The interiors seems to be "cheaper" than the Toyota and Honda I've been in for the same size as they probably focus more on the powertrain and price, but that may also be the 2 and 5 I had were the Ford era Mazda.

I like that they are using low hanging fruit technology in Skyactiv (neither of ours were skyactiv) as they are likely more proven and basic, and easier to repair if something goes wrong, than the newer variable valve or CVT. The drive do feel less refine than Toyota and Honda I've tested at the time and I think that's where they cut their costs (you have to cut somewhere). They don't hold their values as good as Honda and Toyota but if you know what you want is a basic durable car like the 90s Japanese, Mazda would likely be the one closest to it. If you are looking for a comfy car like a Lexus, it is not one, and you should just get a Lexus instead. Some ladies I know dislike the basic 90s Japanese feel and if so, Mazda may not be what works for them.

I like that they have 4 cylinders in minivan (sliding door). They have suspension issues in the rear and we "mod" it with adjustable camber kit to make it -0.5 instead of -1.5. With a roof rack it is a nifty little workvan for us in the right size and 25mpg for $14k used with 30k miles and 3 years at the time we bought.
 
I've owned 3 honda's, 1 eagle, 3 subarus, 1 mitsubishi, 1 pos audi, and a CX-5 bought in 2016.

Overall, the CX-5 is the best designed, best performing (not incl accel) out of them all. The pos had a nicer interior (it should have for $10,000 extra). The subi's put a bit less impact into the cabin (but wallow all the time). The cabin is the quietest, by far, and that's been improved a lot in following models.

The steering is the most precise and gives the best feedback. This is the ONLY auto I've had that shifts exactly where I would have, driving a manual. I LOVE that.

Enough power is put to the rear tires so that you can control cornering attitude, just like a rear-drive car. There's not enough power to get it sideways, but the rear will step out a bit in rain, gravel, and snow.

Prices are much lower than similar vehicles.

You'd be a fool not to test one.
 
I currently drive a 2021 CX5 turbo and my wife has a 2018 Mazda3. We have had 2 mazda 6's, a 2016 na CX5, a 1st gen RX7 and a 2nd gen MIata. I've liked them all! None were ever in the shop except for normal maintenance or a very rare service bulletin. They have exceptional handling, comfortable ride quality, quiet and upscale interiors compared to vehicles in their class. I test drove a CX30 when I bought my CX5. The reason I got the CX5 is that it is roomier especially in the back seat. My adult sons talked me into the turbo and to be honest I would have been better off getting another na CX5. The turbo begs to be driven with a heavy foot and gas milage "easily" suffers. It is however, a great road trip vehicle comfort wise and especially in passing situations:). Keep your foot out of it and 28 to 30 mpg is the norm for me. A na CX30 will be the likely replacement for my wife's 3 in a year or two. Car and Driver has some flattering reviews about it as well as several of the other car mags. I doubt you would be disappointed with one.
 
I had a cx30 and it was pretty fun to drive. Seats were very comfortable. The dial infotainment knob on the center console is weird though. No issues with it but I didn't have it long though as I sold it to pay off another truck.
 
jhs914 said:
Yep, the Mazda 6 in Soul Red was to be my wife's next car (especially with the then rumored straight six engine) but they stupidly discontinued it. I don't want another SUV.
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Had a 2014 Mazda6 Touring in soul red. Loved that car and kind of regret trading it in. It was a beautiful road trip car. My wife, however, thought it was too big and didn't like driving it for that reason alone. I ended up getting her a 2018 Mazda 3 GT and have to admit that wasn't a bad decision.
 
ls1mike said:
So being a GM guy it means I also know which ones to avoid. I am good with the 2.0 LTG, it is solid and the one in the Malibu has been great. It would have to be a 2.0 or current 3.6. I looked at a Blazer, but GM is awful proud of those.
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^^^ Speaking of the Equinox/Terrain, I could talk about them in detail quite a bit and what GM did so well in these vehicles. And I'm not really a GM guy(anymore) even though I've owned more GMs than any other brand. And even though I haven't owned a GM vehicle in over 40 years, I think they did these 2 vehicles very well on many fronts.

That we instead bought a new '23 VENZA recently, I still do recommend the Equinox/Terrain, we just didn't necessarily want one and the vehicle we bought needed to be agreed upon by both of us and we both like the Venza agreeably. I don't look at my vehicle purchases as just for me. It's about us!

I/we also like Mazda vehicles very much as well(in their respective segments) and recommend them highly. However, every time we test drive the Mazda in the segment that we're buying, we just like something else that little bit better...for us! We always seem to find those deal breakers in too many Mazda vehicles...Again, for us!
 
GaryMX5 said:
My adult sons talked me into the turbo and to be honest I would have been better off getting another na CX5. The turbo begs to be driven with a heavy foot and gas milage "easily" suffers. It is however, a great road trip vehicle comfort wise and especially in passing situations:). Keep your foot out of it and 28 to 30 mpg is the norm for me.
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Agreed, I went from a 2017 Mazda6 non-turbo to a 2021 turbo. The turbo car doesn't jump off the line like I expected and you have to press the accelerator pretty hard to notice the torque difference. And my mileage commuting dropped from 31 to 27 on average. But it sure has great pull in the mid range.
 
Well, I went and drove a 3, 5, 30 and 50. They seem just fine. My wife liked all of them. For me they lack the power of our current 2.0 Malibu but that is not important to the wife. I felt like the 3 was pretty Malibuesque as far as sedans go. It felt similar just updated a bit. We both like the 30 and the 50. It did like the 5 but did not find it as visually appealing as the other Mazda offerings. That is certainly not deal breaker.

Since my daughter passed the written driver's exam today, we are one step closer. She takes here driving test next month and if she passes, she will get her license in May. So, it is going to happen here shortly.

Any of those cars will certainly be on the short list.

She wants to look at a Camry...help me lordt, I don't need that bringing down my property values. Plus, the Trans Am and Caprice want none of it. ;) She also wants to look at a CT4, CT5 and a XT4. VW is out, the one we had was not very good and the wife will not entertain it. The Hondas are out I had one that was not great and looks like the ones I was looking at had a CVT. Still may go drive an Accord. Not a huge fan of the new Malibu, but we may look at a Blazer and a few Buicks if I can get them with the 2.0 LTG.
 
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