2023 Mazda CX-30 gives the Mini Clubman a real run for less money

2023 Mini Cooper S Clubman ALL4 vs. 2023 Mazda CX-30 Turbo AWD with Premium Plus: Fun with a little room for the family.

This week: 2023 Mazda CX-30

Price: $36,345 as tested. (About $8,000 less than the Clubman.) Red paint added $595 and bumper guards $125.

Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver praises the “sport-tuned chassis, posh interior, a generous number of standard features,” but decries that it’s “poky with the entry-level engine, only just as practical as the less expensive Mazda 3 hatchback, stiff ride.”

Marketer’s pitch: “Embrace every unexpected turn.”

Reality: You could justify saving yourself $8,000.

Competition: The extra small SUV category is heavily populated. Besides the Clubman, the CX-30 matches the Volkswagen Taos, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Hyundai Kona, Kia Soul, Subaru Crosstrek, Mercedes GLB, Audi Q3, to name a few.

What’s new: The Mazda CX-30 remains fairly unchanged since its introduction in 2020.

We last tested the CX-30 vs. the Mini Clubman for 2020. While the Clubman came equipped with all-wheel drive this time around, the CX-30 added a turbo.

Up to speed: The 2.5-liter turbocharged engine creates 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. The high torque is the key to the CX-30′s oomph, even from the start; turbo engines usually lack this power dynamic, so there’s a moment’s hesitation while exhaust builds up and the power kicks in fully. (High torque gives EVs their astounding acceleration.)

This gets the CX-30 to 60 mph in a very fast 5.8 seconds, according to Motor Trend. The Clubman is almost a second slower, but its everyday driving fun is still superior.

On the road: The CX-30 holds its own against the Clubman, with pizzazzy acceleration and driving dynamics that make for a fun ride. The little crossover scoots over country roads, offering plenty of zip on the little hills, and it goes right where you point it.

Highway driving is comfortable as well. The small CX-30 doesn’t feel out of place on limited-access roads, and the ride is not at all harsh.

Fuel economy: Sadly, here’s where buyers will pay for their fun ride. I averaged about 18 mpg in the CX-30′s early tests, and this rose to 24 mpg with some highway driving added in and Sport mode shut off. The Clubman was a steady 28 the whole time, closer to appropriate for a little box.

Shifty: Even shifting, the CX-30 is fun and easy. The shiftable automatic can be run through the lever or steering wheel paddles, and either is easy to control.

Sadly, the 6-speed automatic is getting gray. The CX-30 has plenty of power for small hills and acceleration even when allowed to linger in high gears, but more gears might help the dismal fuel consumption.

Driver’s Seat: The CX-30 features leather-trimmed seats, and the black bucket seats offer the same comfort they did three years ago. Mazdas can be on the firm side, but the CX-30 felt nice from the start. It also sat at a nice angle for the 5-foot-10 Mr. Driver’s Seat; it felt like I slipped right in without much adjustment.

Gauges are standard Mazda, and the dashboard is black, spare, and simple.

Friends and stuff: The rear seat is snug but snazzy. Offering form and function, the leather-trimmed space is artfully designed, with legroom, headroom, and foot room all adequate. There’s no adjustment, though, so what you see if what you get.

Cargo space is 20.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 45.2 with the seats down, a fair match for the Clubman.

Play some tunes: The Bose premium 12-speaker stereo provides a better-than-average audio experience. Most of the music is reproduced clearly, but it just lacks that last little boost to give it an A. Midrange adjustment would probably have done the trick.

The dial-and-button setup doesn’t require taking your eyes off the road much, unless you’re running CarPlay. As that point, each click of the dial takes you through the matrix that is your device’s screen and can make you want to throw that device right out the window in frustration.

Mrs. Passenger Seat was less than impressed with the 8.8-inch screen. She held her phone in front of it and pointed out the screen was only slightly larger. With its distance from Mr. Driver’s Seat, it suddenly became clear why it felt so far away. Still, it matches the screen size on the Clubman.

Keeping warm and cool: Dials control temperature and little buttons control the other features. The nice LED screen is easy enough to see as well.

Where it’s built: Salamanca, Mexico

How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the Mazda CX-30 reliability to be a 3 out of 5, two ticks below the Clubman.

In the end: The CX-30 sure offers a lot of fun, and saving $8,000 would be nice, even if you have to give up that 5 out 5 reliability rating. Still, if I had the extra money, I’d probably spring for the Clubman.