1-29-24 Featured Vehicle
It’s not just because the exterior paint on our 2024 Mazda CX-30 Premium Plus test car is called Soul Red Crystal Metallic that we sing the praises of this spirited little charmer of a crossover. This is the kind of vehicle that you get in and drive without needing to refer to an illustrated manual. Basically, the way everything is laid out makes accessing the technology intuitive and easy. But don’t let the simplicity fool you. There’s a lot more here than you might think.
The fun really begins as soon as you start the car. The zesty 2.5-liter turbocharged engine makes 227 horsepower when fueled with regular grade gasoline or 250 horsepower with premium fuel. It seems a bit of a throwback to pair this engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission but the electronically controlled mapping that Mazda engineers devised is well matched to the vehicle’s dynamic capability and weight.
With its crisp handling, the 3,527-pound crossover maneuvers like a tiny dancer making the drive a delight. Wall to wall turning diameter is just 37.3 feet.
Having all-wheel drive is a bonus that drivers here in New England will totally appreciate year-round but especially during winter months when on any given day the weather can turn from spring-like fun in the sun in the morning to dreary freezing rain and snow for the evening commute.
Mazda CX-30 Premium Plus Features As Driven
Advanced Safety features include:
- Cruising and Traffic Support
- Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go
- Blind Spot Monitoring
- Lane Departure Warning System
- Lane-keep Assist
- High Beam Control
- Driver Attention Alert
- Rear View Monitor
- Rear seat alert
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert
- Adaptive Front-lighting System
- Traffic Sign Recognition
- 360° View Monitor
In addition to all its performance attributes and safety technologies, the CX-30 comes loaded with a bounty of convenience features including:
- Advanced Keyless Entry System
- Push Button Start
- Electronic parking brake
- Dual-zone automatic climate control system
- Frameless auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink®
- Paddle shifters
- Leather-trimmed sport seats
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear selector
- 8-way power driver’s seat with power lumbar support and 2-position memory
- Heated front seats
- Heated steering wheel
- 10.25-inch center display
- Infotainment system voice command
- Multifunction Commander control
- HD Radio™
- Pandora® internet radio integration
- Radio Broadcast Data System program information
- SMS text message audio delivery and reply
- Mazda Connected Services (3-year trial)
- Navigation System
- Bose® 12-speaker premium audio system
- Bluetooth®14 hands-free phone and audio streaming capability
- Dual Type-C USB audio inputs
- Wireless Apple CarPlay™ integration
- Wireless Android Auto™ integration
- Wireless phone charger
- SiriusXM® Satellite Radio with 3-month trial subscription
- SiriusXM® 3-year Traffic and Travel Link subscription
- Windshield-projected full-color Active Driving Display
- Cargo area light
So when it comes to having soul, the CX_30 has plenty, and it won’t cost you a devil’s bargain to own. The price tag for our CX-30 Premium Plus test vehicle came to $38,905 including options and destination charge.
RPM News Weekly Photos by Rich Taber
