Mazda CX-30 vs Mitsubishi ASX

What's the difference?

About to enter its fifth year in market the Mazda CX-30 is holding up well and this GT SP FWD grade delivers solid value relative to its key competitors, of which there are many. It’s also space-efficient, practical and performs well with top-shelf safety, decent refinement and good dynamic ability.

Alternately, it’s crying out for a hybrid powertrain to improve fuel efficiency, the interior form and function is starting to date and while it meets the market the ownership promise could be sharper. But this little SUV is still worthy of a spot on your new-car short list.

The Mitsubishi ASX ES Street can more than handle being an urban dweller. The Street style pack makes this model stand out and the cabin is practical enough that it’s a good alternative for smaller families in the city. I get why the ASX is popular and I like the basic and traditional nature of this model on most fronts but not for the safety and tech. Not in this day and age against all of the well-equipped rivals it faces.

Mazda continues to follow a disciplined design path with everything from the MX-5 sports car to the BT-50 dual-cab ute sharing key attributes like the brand’s signature trapezoidal grille, simple flowing lines and sleek head- and tail-lights, all wrapped up with a subtle hint of chrome here and there.

Car-spotters with the GT SP on their checklist should look out for 18-inch black metallic rims as well as black exterior trim, including the mirror caps. 

Inside, the CX-30 maintains Mazda’s restrained approach with smooth surfaces integrated across the multi-layer dash and primo leather-trimmed seats.

That said, this car is starting to show its age with the multimedia screen plonked on the top of the dash (in typical Mazda fashion) and a largely conventional instrument cluster.

Yes, the main dial is configurable courtesy of a central 7.0-inch TFT screen, but next to more recent arrivals boasting sleek, often twinned, flat screen displays the CX-30 looks and feels out of touch. 

Functionally, there’s a sensible mix of digital controls and physical buttons (points for audio volume and ventilation dials!), but… the multimedia screen can only be accessed by a rotary controller in the centre console once the car is mobile (it works as a touchscreen when you’re stationary).

Some say touchscreens take your eyes off the road so the controller makes sense, but with a sequential app like Spotify it can take a lot of twirls to get to where you want to go, which upsets concentration and takes your eyes off the road, anyway. I’d prefer the relative ease of a quick press on a screen.

Aside from all that, the materials used are high quality with soft-touch surfaces across key contact points and hard plastics confined to high-wear areas. 

The ES Street doesn’t change the ASX fundamentals but it is styled differently and the Street package adds a black front spoiler and tailgate protector with red accents, black door handles, stainless steel door scuff plates, and decals across the side panels and rear. 

The interior sees almost no changes from the ES grade but the traditional plastic gear shifter and steering wheel are swapped out for an aluminium and leather-trimmed gear shifter and leather-wrapped steering wheel, which is a nice upgrade.

The dashboard is headlined by the tried and true (and old) 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system but this is a vehicle that likes tradition.

You have lots of physical buttons, dials and even a handbrake. There’s no push-button starter or digital instrument panel. If you want to move or change something, it’s going to be manual adjustment. It’s basic but there is something charming about that.

At just under 4.4m long, close to 1.8m wide and little over 1.5m tall (with a 2655mm wheelbase) the CX-30 is in the middle of the pack it competes with in terms of key dimensions.

And space up front is more than adequate, with an impressive feeling of roominess for a relatively small SUV.

For storage, there’s a large lidded box (which doubles as an armrest) between the front seats as well as a pair of cupholders in front of the gear-shifter with a bay for wireless device charging ahead of that.

The glove box is big, there are bins in the doors with room for decent size bottles and a drop-down tray for sunglasses sits overhead.

Move to the rear and the amount of space on offer is surprisingly generous. Sitting behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm position, I have plenty of head and legroom, although three full-size adults across the back seat will be an uncomfortable proposition for anything other than short trips. A trio of up to mid-teenage kids will be fine.

Adjustable air vents at the back of the front centre console are a welcome inclusion for back-seaters and storage runs to a map pocket (weirdly, on the back of the front seat only), a pair of cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest and bins in the doors with room for smaller bottles.

In-cabin power and connectivity includes two USB-C outlets and a 12-volt socket in the front centre storage box. No USBs specifically for those in the rear, which is a miss for road trips and no 12V in the boot which can be handy when camping or picnicking.  

Speaking of the boot, cargo volume with the rear seat upright is okay for the class at 317 litres, which expands to a healthy 1479L with the 60/40 split-folding backrest lowered. For comparison the Kia Seltos coughs up 433L with the rear seat upright.

The space is illuminated, there are tie-down anchors to help secure loose loads and there’s a space-saver spare sitting under the floor.

And if you’re keen on towing a tinnie or similar you’re good to go for a 1200kg braked trailer (600kg unbraked).

The size of the cabin is the most practical aspect of it and it is spacious for the class. Both rows enjoy decent head- and legroom and it's fairly easy to get in and out of from the front row but the back row has narrow door apertures.

The cloth seat upholstery on the seats looks nice but fatigue can set in early on a long trip due to a lack of lumbar support for the front and a lack of heavy padding overall.

The individual storage up front is great for the class with a deep middle console and glove box, two big cupholders, as well as a large drink bottle holder in each door. There is also a storage tray in front of the gear shifter for smaller items like a phone or sunnies.

Storage is minimal in the rear with two cupholders in a fold-down armrest and one single map pocket... and that's it for amenities in general. There's no directional air vents or USB ports in the back.

However, there is plenty of room for two car seats, if you had a couple of kids in tow.

Technology feels and looks outdated with the only charging options being two USB-A ports and two 12-volt sockets up front. It would be nice to see faster USB-C ports and a charging pad for the price.

The 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system hasn’t changed. It’s simple to look at and operate. It can catch the light, which makes it hard to see at times while on the go but is otherwise responsive.

It’s easy to connect to the wired Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth but the phone call quality was hit and miss. Sometimes it sounded tinny and sometimes it crackled.

Rounding out the cabin, the boot offers good capacity for the class at 393L and you can bump it up to 1193L if you fold the rear row. The boot aperture is wide and the level loading space means it’s super easy to fit larger items in.

The rear row also has a 60/40 split and there’s a space-saver spare tyre underneath the floor. While the ES Street doesn’t get a powered tailgate, the lid isn’t heavy to operate.

There are six grades for the ASX and our test model is the ES with the Street accessory pack which makes it $30,490 before on-roads costs. That’s $2500 more than the standard ES and you’re only getting styling changes on a grade that sits second from the entry-level model.

The ES Street is more affordable than the better-specced Kia Seltos Sport (FWD) which sits at $33,050 MSRP but compared to its Chinese rivals, it’s starting to feel pricey. The MG ZST Vibe is priced from $26,490 MSRP and the GWM Haval Jolion Lux from $28,790 MSRP - both of which have more features and safety equipment installed.

Standard equipment for the ES Street includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth as well as AM/FM and digital radio.

The ES Street also features a reversing camera, LED headlights and daytime running lights, LED front fog lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a space-saver spare wheel. There are two USB-A ports, manual air-conditioning, and black cloth upholstery.

The Street package adds a black front spoiler and tailgate protector with red accents, black door handles, stainless steel door scuff plates, aluminium and leather-trimmed gear shifter and leather-wrapped steering wheel instead of plastic.

The ES now comes with lane departure warning.

The CX-30 GT SP is powered by a 2.5-litre, naturally aspirated, four-cylinder petrol engine producing maximum power of 139kW at 6000rpm and peak torque of 252Nm at 4000rpm.

It’s a proven all-alloy unit featuring direct-injection as well as variable intake and exhaust valve timing with drive going to the front wheels via a six-speed auto transmission. 

The AWD version of the GT SP adds an electromagnetic multi-plate clutch pack (managed by a multitude of sensors) to selectively engage the rear wheels, as well. But its engine and transmission combination is identical to this FWD model’s.

The ES has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 110kW of power and 197Nm of torque.

That's plenty enough for urban driving but don’t expect any feeling of zippiness.

The ES Street is a front-wheel drive and has a continuously variable transmission (CVT) but you can option a manual transmission on the base GS grade, if that’s your vibe.

The CX-30 GT SP FWD’s official fuel consumption figure on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 6.6L/100km, the 2.5-litre atmo four-cylinder engine emitting 154g/km of C02 in the process.

It features fuel-saving stop-start and cylinder deactivation functions as standard and over a combination of city, suburban and some freeway running we saw an average of 8.4L/100km, which is average for an SUV in this class. A comparable hybrid package would easily better this result.

Based on the car’s 51-litre fuel tank theoretical range between refills is 772km, which drops to just over 600km using our real-world test consumption number. But the good news is this CX-30 runs happily on cheaper 91 RON ‘standard’ fuel.

The official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is a low 7.6/100km and my real-world use came out at 9.1L after a fair mix of urban and open-road driving. While not super surprised with the outcome, I was hoping for better efficiency.

Based on the official combined fuel cycle and 63L fuel tank, expect a theoretical driving range of up 829km – which is great for such a small SUV.

It’s rare in 2024 to find a small SUV that doesn’t have at least one turbocharger attached to its engine, the CX-30’s 2.5-litre ‘atmo’ four being one of those increasingly scarce examples.

But Mazda’s been laser-focused on extracting maximum power and efficiency from its non-turbo petrol engines for yonks and this one stands up well.

It doesn’t have the low-down punch a turbo typically delivers but maximum pulling power arrives at a useable 4000rpm and it’s eager enough for easy city and suburban running as well as confident freeway cruising.

Although Mazda doesn’t quote an official number you can expect a sprint from 0-100km/h in around 8.5 seconds, which is quick for the class.

Worth noting engine noise and a raspy exhaust note make their presence felt under acceleration and the throttle isn’t as refined as it could be. Not a huge deal, but a slight jerkiness is evident on initial, especially moderate, acceleration.

The six-speed auto is smooth and fuss-free, the steering wheel paddle shifters on hand if you need to intervene and select a specific ratio. ‘Sport’ mode peps things up, causing the transmission to shift down earlier and up later. But it’s aggressive in that it often holds onto a gear for too long and you find yourself diving back to the default normal setting.

Tipping the scales at just under 1.5 tonnes, the CX-30 is underpinned by a MacPherson strut front, torsion beam rear suspension and ride comfort on typically pock-marked urban surfaces is average for the category. That is, a bit jittery over bumps and corrugations but there’s no bone-jarring going on here.

Steering feel and response is good and the grippy steering wheel helps with a connection to the front tyres. Speaking of which, the standard rubber is high-performance (215/55) Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 which is  grippy and commendably quiet. 

Push on into a corner and the CX-30 remains balanced and predictable with body roll well under control. Torque vectoring, by engine and physical braking, is also onboard to reel things in if you overstep the mark.

Braking is by discs all around, vented at the front and solid at the rear, and they wash off speed effectively with a satisfyingly progressive pedal action.

Vision is good, which combined with the CX-30’s compact dimensions and 10.6m turning circle, means parking is easy. Especially when you factor in the hi-res reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors. 

The ES Street delivers adequate power to make it feel within the realm of fun in the city but it starts to feel lacklustre once you hit the open road. Put your foot down and the engine whines pitifully but you never worry about not getting there - it just likes to complain.

The suspension is on the right side of firm to get road feedback but not be bothered by it. You will feel bumps but not wince when you go over them. 

However, the ASX feels very light when you have heavy winds and the car moves around a lot at higher speeds, which I found to be unnerving at times.

Surprisingly, the ASX offers a pretty refined cabin experience in terms of noise. There is a constant low hum from the engine but wind and road noise aren't too bad and you can easily chat and listen to music without feeling like your senses are battered at the end of a trip. 

The ES Street is a fairly comfortable cruiser in tight city streets with responsive steering and a small footprint. This makes it easy to park and while the reversing camera isn’t the best quality, you know where this car starts and ends, so it’s not a big deal.

At the time of this review, the current model year Mitsubishi ASX has not been tested with ANCAP and is unrated, but all pre-2023 models achieved a five-star rating under the 2016 protocol.

The ES Street has seven airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag, but misses out on the newer front centre airbag we're seeing on newer models.

Standard safety equipment for the ASX ES Street includes forward collision warning, DRLs, hill-start assist, ABS, lane departure alert, cruise control, engine immobiliser, child-proof locking on rear doors, and a reversing camera.

Unfortunately, all of its rivals outclass the ASX on standard safety equipment and this model misses out on biggies like lane keeping aid, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

The ASX has ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top tether points but two seats will fit best.

Mazda covers the CX-30 with a five-year/unlimited km warranty which is the norm in the mainstream market, and it’s worth noting a growing number of competitors are now at six, seven or even 10 years, although the latter are typically conditional on authorised dealer servicing. Roadside assistance is provided for the duration of the warranty.

Service is recommended every 12 months or 15,000km and Mazda’s ‘Service Select’ program sets maintenance pricing out to seven years, the lowest over that period being $352 and the highest $626, for an annual average of $459, which is reasonable but not exceptional for the category.

For comparison, a similarly specified Toyota C-HR averages $330 per workshop visit over the same period.

The ASX comes with a five-year/100,000km warranty, which can be extended to 10 years/200,000km, provided the vehicle is exclusively serviced by Mitsubishi dealers and on schedule. It's a warranty that is hard to beat, although MG just announced a 10-year/250,000km warranty and that's not conditional on where it is serviced.

The ASX also comes with 10 years of capped-priced servicing and the average cost is $502 per service.

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.