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CX 30 vs Mazda 3

8522 Views 11 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  steve67
I posted this over on the 3 forum, but thought it might be of interest over here as well.

Anybody else struggling with a Mazda 3 vs CX 30 decision? Of all the cars I have driven lately, turns out you find my two favorites on the same lot.

Mazda 3 Hatch
Better looking, with no unsightly wheel arch gaps and plastic cladding.
Lighter and lower (150lbs, 4 inches) which makes it marginally faster with slightly better handling. Lower profile tires probably contribute as well.
2 Mpg better which ties in with the above
About $1650 cheaper out the door around here at the same top trim level .
Slightly nicer interior trim,(rear door panels,dash) especially in the Red Premium I expect to buy.

CX-30
Taller, with better sight lines and ease in entry/exit especially at the back. More important for us old guys and our old gals. Rear quarters not so blind, bigger back glass .
Better back seat. No more room but much more pleasant space, with a lighter headliner, bigger windows, and controllable rear ac vents. Slightly more headroom too. Generally less claustrophobia inducing.
Similar cargo space, but taller items can be stowed, with easier loading through the bigger hatch.
Higher profile tires for better rim protection, cheaper replacement and theoretically.less road noise and harshness (to be honest I did not tell a clear difference in my short test drives)
Slightly shorter length, for me always a plus.

The handling and acceleration is pretty close between these two. Less tuned in folks might not be able to tell the difference even driving them back to back UNLESS they were forced to hurry.

In short, two great cars by Mazda, no winner, no loser. One slightly flashier with better performance but still practical. The other more practical, but still more fun and better looking than competitor's small hatchbacks.

If it were to be my only car, I would go with the CX-30. (Cliche alert) a veritable swiss army knife of a compact vehicle.

But it's not and I already have a CX-5 (would rather have the CX 30). I will likely buy a Three pretty soon.
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easy cx30 or mazda3. have both, we will have when the cx30 arrives next week. my son has the 3, very nice car hense me going for the cx30, i like the slightly raised driving poistion and lightness of the interior , the 3 is a bit dark inside for me but my son (22yrs) loves it.
Nice comparison, Maznut. But "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder". I think the black cladding looks great and looks like it might be useful on gravel roads as well. I have the 2018 3, but thinking of trading in for the CX-30. This is the car I would have bought if it had been available when I got the 3. Unfortunately, only the silly CX-3 was there.
So I bought a polymetal over red premium 3 hatch last Wednesday.
Ok so far, but I find it rides harsher on these rural roads around my home than it did on the smooth roads the tester led me onto. Surprise! I am geriatric, so should have know better.
Now I'm wondering If the 215/55 18's on the 30 might have served me better than the thin 215/45's on the three. I may need a tire/ wheel swap right out of the gate. There goes the price advantage.
I apologize to Fuji who opened this comparison on another thread long before I opened this. I did not see his and did not intend to walk over it. It was confusing and unnecessary for me to open a second thread of the same content and title. Admin, your are welcome to delete this thread or incorporate it under Fuji's.

I would ask that members who want to make additional comments on this topic use Fuji's thread instead, as will I.
posted in error (wish we could delete a post)
Feb 4 - 10:20 video Mazda 3 hatch vs CX-30

March 25

April 2

we couldn't decide so my son (22yrs) has the 3 and we have the CX30
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