Mazda CX-30 2024 review: G25 GT SP long-term | Part 3

Not to spoil anything, but it turned out to be quite difficult to say goodbye to the CX-30.

I’m finishing writing this having returned the sleek small SUV to its owner, Mazda Australia, and it might have become my new benchmark for balancing price, style, driveability and practicality.

In previous instalments of this long-term review I’ve covered what I first thought of the CX-30 GT SP, how it drives, and how much I like the way it looks.

And as long as the CarsGuide website still works the way I think it does, you should be able to read those instalments at the links right under this sentence.

But I’ve spent enough time now with the CX-30 to find all the little day-to-day things that might help you decide for yourself whether I’m right about the CX-30’s place as my new small SUV benchmark for its price.

I’ll start with the place you’ll spend most of your time, the driver’s seat. I’ve already said it gives off a properly premium feeling inside the cabin, and the use of materials is clever in terms of where touch-points are.

The leather looks and feels quite nice, when it’s not too hot, and having the heated seats and steering wheel is a plus when it’s cold. For warmer days, opening the sunroof is an extra little feeling of liberation on a Friday arvo drive home from work.

Also liberating, in my mind, is being freed from reliance on a touchscreen. The tech in this car is simple but super effective, and when done correctly I’m a big fan of the way Mazda (as BMW does) uses a control knob that falls to the driver’s left hand rather than the (lazy, usually) option of making the multimedia screen the hub for car settings, climate controls, and media.

I used to think BMW had the most slick-but-user-friendly multimedia, but Mazda’s taken over.

The little scroll wheel might take a moment to get used to if you’ve not used one before, but it’s intuitive and quick to work out. You can click it side to side to move the cursor between sections and it feels nicely ‘clicky’.

If you don’t like Mazda’s native system, the physical control works pretty well with Apple or Android, too, and the wireless connection has been flawless. It means you don’t need to take your eyes off the road and move too much to change or find something.

It’s a good combo with the wireless charger in the GT SP, too, which means wireless phone mirroring doesn’t flatten your battery.

Speaking of simple, the controls on the steering wheel and for climate settings all strike that same ‘sleek but usable’ balance.

In terms of the cabin layout, water bottles and cups sit nicely out of the way either in the door pocket or behind the gear selector. Even a tall water bottle won’t stop you reaching anything or be in the way.

Plus, the phone’s safely tucked away on the charger behind that, and therefore not a distraction. If you want to tuck your phone even further away and keep it charged, the USB and 12V plugs are in the central storage bin.

The seat, electrically adjustable for the driver, is pretty easy to find a comfy position in, and I don’t feel restricted sitting in it. Behind that, it’s a little less sleek and stylish, but mercifully, not too cramped.

I had a mate sit in the back seat for two three-hour drives one weekend (that festival trip from this review’s first part) with zero complaints, if that helps tell the story.

That trip was also how I discovered that even though the CX-30’s 317-litre boot isn’t the most available in the segment, even big trips with three adults can be handled.

On those trips, too, is where some on-road practicality comes in. 

I’ll start with what might be the bad news to you. Turns out a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre (i.e big) four-cylinder petrol engine powering an all-wheel drive system gets about as thirsty as a bricklayer at 2:00pm on a Friday.

Over the entire approximately 1850km I drove while keeping track of the CX-30’s fuel use, I averaged 10.15L/100km. That’s okay if it’s near what you expect, but it might be a bit of a shock if you’re hoping to get close to Mazda’s 6.8L/100km claim.

I reckon, as much as I like this powertrain from behind the wheel, a smaller capacity, hybrid engine would be a lot more likeable when standing behind the passenger door watching the number on the bowser tick up.

Now the good bit.

The Mazda CX-30 has a distinct lack of intrusive safety tech. And that’s not to say it’s not safe. The CX-30 is a very safe car according to ANCAP, a maximum five stars in fact, but not in a helicopter parent kind of way. 

For adult occupant protection, the CX-30 scored a very, very impressive 99 per cent and highly across the board.

It’s got seven airbags to help out there, plus preventing things like that in the first place with AEB that works at highway speed, lane keep assist and departure alert, blind-spot and rear-cross traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.

Keeping your peace of mind safe is a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and relatively inexpensive servicing.

The first five services average $447 on estimates, plus Mazda says a sixth and seventh should cost around $626 and $352 respectively. That’s an estimate of a little more than $3200 for the first seven years or 105,000km of GT SP ownership.

Acquired: December, 2023

Distance travelled this month: 289km

Odometer: 2918km

Average fuel consumption overall: 10.15L/100km (measured at the pump)