2025 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus - Review by David Colman

Lively, Nimble, and Capable

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

Mazda's CX-30 is a compact SUV that values concision over abundance. A quick look at its numerology reveals a short overall length of 173 inches. This results in a compressed 104-inch wheelbase which leaves taller back seat occupants looking for a place to store their legs. However, the upside of these measurements is an SUV that handles with the agility of a sports car. The CX-30, even in its most luxuriant ($36,950 base) Premium Plus form, weighs just 3,472 pounds. Divide that poundage by the CX's 250hp turbocharged inline-4, and you end up with a very lively power-to-weight ratio of 13.88lb/hp. That favorable number, in turn, results in a small and nimble SUV capable of posting a 5.8 second 0-60mph run, and zinging through the standing start quarter mile in 14.3 seconds at 97mph. Take it to the race track, and this mini mover will top out at 128mph.

If you're more attracted to an SUV's performance portfolio than its ultimate practicality, the top-line CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus I tested will fill your bill for speed at the expense of cargo capacity and trailer toting. Total interior passenger volume is limited to 91 cubic feet, cargo volume behind row two to just 20 cubic feet. And the only kind of towing Mazda recommends is if your CX-30 requires a flatbed ride to the shop for repair. But given these limitations, this nimble sports utility still presents a viable and rather rare opportunity for sports-oriented drivers to achieve satisfaction driving a 5-door SUV. The top echelon CX-30 is designed for buyers who need way more amenities and space than those afforded by Mazda's MX-5 Miata. But the CX-30 Turbo will appeal to driving enthusiasts searching for a compact SUV that displays the cornering confidence, steering precision, and handling finesse characteristic of this brand. While the Bridgestone Turanza EL440 radials don't promise a lot of stick either from their modest 215/55R18 size or nail hard TW 480 rating, the combo works exceptionally well with Mazda's suspension tuning to keep the CX-30 firmly planted when you're strafing apexes.

The leather trimmed seating surfaces of the front sport sears match the leather trimmed rim of the steering wheel and the knob on the shift mechanism. Our test vehicle was upholstered in a very subtle combination of black leather trimmed with panels done in chocolate brown. This combination produced a rather subtle-looking cabin that exudes luxury and relaxation vibes, rather than boy racer overtones. In other words, this one is a go-fast environment keyed to adult operators. The Deep Crystal Blue Mica exterior color is similarly subdued, looking as sedate as a blue surge suit most of the time, but exploding into a galactic star burst when the sun catches the mica crystals just right.

Only a couple of issues surfaced in our week in the cockpit. The lid atop the center storage cubby between the front seats is gimbaled in such a way as to make its operation annoying. The armrests on the front doors present your fingertips with a most un-Mazda-like sharp edge at a crucial touch point. But these are comparatively minor quibbles compared to the perplexing way Mazda has regimented its Lane-Keep Assist System (LAS). If there's a downside to the driving experience, it's attributable to LAS. Now Mazda drivers, by and large, are a fairly astute bunch. They know when it's safe to make a lane change because they check their rear view mirrors constantly, and keep informed of traffic patterns behind and beside them. But apparently, the engineers who have devised LAS are intent on making it as difficult as possible to disable LAS. Other manufacturers have no trouble providing a prominently mounted dash-mounted button to facilitate that task. But Mazda requires its drivers to work through Mazda Connect, a puzzling multi-function rotary dial that long ago outgrew its usefulness. The Owner's Manual says, "The LAS may be turned off using the Mazda Connect." But we could find no listing for deleting LAS on the "Settings" screen of Mazda Connect. In fact, the only way to rid yourself of this unwanted correction/vibration voodoo is to make extremely quick and decisive moves with the steering wheel, or as Mazda puts it, when "the steering wheel is operated abruptly." This clumsy technique does not exactly encourage safe driving.

At a delivered price of $38,505, the CX-30 Turbo Premium is already treading on the upper end of the price range for compact SUVs. The fact that it's constructed in Salamanca, Mexico from Japanese built engines and transmissions leaves its current price tariff vulnerable, so if you find this sporting mini Mazda SUV appealing, now is the time to act.

2025 MAZDA CX-30 2.5 TURBO PREMIUM PLUS

• ENGINE: 2.5 liter inline-4, turbocharged and intercooled, DOHC, 16-valve, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
• HORSEPOWER: 250hp@5000rpm
• TORQUE: 320lb.-ft.@2500rpm
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 22MPG City/30MPG Highway
• PRICE AS TESTED: $38,505

HYPES: Sports Car Chops

GRIPES: Lose the LAS Nanny

STAR RATING: 8 Stars out of 10

©2025 David E Colman