More than one motoring pundit has said this. The Mazda image is what Mazda needs to work on - not the cars themselves.As one reviewer put in his video, the main problem with the CX-30 is the Mazda BADGE, not the vehicle itself...
You generally get what you pay for, but I think there is a point of diminishing returns. The CX-30 generally accomplishes what you want out of a more premium vehicle (refinement, comfort, NVH isolation) by being clever about engineering and where to cost cut. I know that something's got to give to reach a price point, so for me personally the areas they had to cost cut doesn't take away from all the stuff the CX-30 accomplishes as 'luxury' vehicle at said price point. I'd be willing to bet if you took brand prestige out of the equation, I doubt most people would spend the extra $5,000-$10,000 for a similarly equipped German option just to get marginally better refinement and the extra features.Clickbait YouTube video titles bring in the views because owners like to know that their car is better than or just as good as something more expensive. Mazda is not a BMW or an Audi. You get what you pay for.
I took a Mazda over a luxury euro car because it will be cheaper to run and more reliable, but I'm not fooling myself that I got a BMW for the price of a Mazda.