2024 Mazda CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus Review

This week I bring you the stylish, fun-to-drive 2024 Mazda CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus, based on the Mazda3.  This marks the fourth model year for the CX-30 which rolled into Mazda's lineup in 2020 (I can hardly believe it's been that long ago.)

Exterior

The CX-30 is a stylishly small SUV with a cool design feature that's so subtle I would not have noticed it if not for Mazda's website. If you look at the doors, their design creates what Mazda calls a "constantly shifting S-curve" along the doors. 

My top-of-the line Premium Plus test vehicle wears a gorgeous Deep Blue Mica hue complemented by a glossy black finish grille,  18-inch black aluminum alloy wheels and a black rear roof spoiler.  Mazda's Signature LED with Adaptive Front-lighting System lights the way along with LED daytime running lights. 

It's outfitted with black heated and power memory side mirrors.  In back you find LED combo tail light and large dual tail pipes.  Black turbo and AWD badges adorn the tail end.

Performance  

The CX-30 Turbo has some pep in its step thanks to its 2.5-liter turbocharged engine - though I may turn gray before Mazda updates its slower shifting 6-speed automatic that seems to continue to linger on... and on...  Using regular fuel, the powertrain delivers 227-horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. Premium gives you the best performance, delivering 250-horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque.  Even if you don't want to spend the cash on premium, you'll want to upgrade to the Turbo from the 191-horsepower base engine if overall driving dynamics are important to you. CX-30 comes standard with all-wheel drive.

Interior

The CX-30's best-in-class interior envelops you in quality craftsmanship and premium materials. This particular two-tone black/brown cabin is a little on the dark side for me, but the soft-touch materials and impeccable stitching make up for it. You'll find glossy black elements on the door panels, center console and steering wheel. There's not much flashy hardware so to speak.

Leather-trimmed front seats are comfortable with cushions on the narrow side as you'd expect with a smaller SUV. The 8-way power driver's seat is well designed and supportive.  Both front seats are heated. A special thumbs up for the heated leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters.  Really love the smoothness of the leather.

Mazda's driver information display is on the understated side,  giving you all the info you need sans large flashy graphics. New for 2024, an available 10.25-inch touchscreen color display is stationed atop the center dash area. I'm not a huge fan of Mazda's infotainment system but I do give it props for offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with HD Radio. A 12-speaker Bose sound system custom engineered for the CX-30 is music to my ears.

Under traditional climate controls on the center stack, a slim center console houses a large leather gear-shift knob,  controls for the drive mode, auto brake hold, electronic parking brake and the multimedia controller.  A wireless charger is located in the center console bin, but I wish it was on the center console for easier access.

If you don't need much headroom, the 60/40 split second row is great. Leg room is ample for an SUV this size.  But stadium seating along with the design of the SUV really limits headroom. The seats are comfortable and there's a nice, cushiony drop down center console along with rear A/C vents. Beware though of the high middle seat floorboard.  Soft seat-back pockets and door panels add to the 2nd-row appeal. A power rear liftgate reveals 20.2 cubic feet of cargo space - 45.2 cubic feet with the rear seats down.  

Standard Premium Plus features include dual zone climate,  new for 2024 dual type C USB ports, the power rear liftgate, carpeted floor mats and rain sensing wipers.

Ride and Drive

The well-engineered fun-to-drive CX-30 is certainly an interesting vehicle when it comes to driving dynamics. Despite its smaller size, its eight inches of ground clearance coupled with a high hood gave it almost a truck-like feel at times.  Handling is terrific for an SUV-  though don't expect it to be as sporty as the Mazda3 sedan for obvious reasons. Sport mode is by far the best way to travel.   While the ride is on the firmer side,   its still plenty smooth on the highway to make for a comfortable commute.   All-wheel drive and Mazda's G-Vectoring Control give it secure handling and stability.

Safety 

The CX-30 is equipped with Mazda's latest i-Active Safety features. The Premium Plus also includes a 360° View Monitor with front and rear parking sensors, Rear Direction Base Safety, which includes Smart Brake Support-Rear and Rear Cross-Traffic Braking.  Cruising and Traffic Support is new for 2024.   Also for 2024, all CX-30 models feature standard Rear Seat Alert, as well as Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert. The Premium Plus's color Head-Up display is also great.

Options and What You'll Pay

An optional rear bumper guard ($135) brings the MSRP as equipped to just over $38,000. That's a big jump over the base models roughly $25,000 starting price, and nears luxury territory pricing.

Verdict

The Mazda CX-30 stands out in it segment for its sleek, sophisticated style, terrific handling and near-luxury cabin.  But it's not as practical as some other small SUVs in terms of cargo space and the current technology won't knock your socks off in terms of huge animated display graphics and such.  But if near-luxury is important to you along with the best driving dynamics in the segment, you'll enjoy being behind the wheel of the CX-30.