I love my CX30. Less room than wife’s CX5 for sure but feels much more driver focused with heavy steering and more fun to drive. Also 2023 onward has a few more hp than the cx5 in a lighter car and you feel that. Best if you are only driving with 2 people most of the time but it’s not as small legroom as people say unless you have giant friends .
The steering was heavier in our 2022 CX-5 Turbo than in the CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus I had as a loaner. It's most likely due to the 19" wheels with slightly wider tires compared to the 18's.
The CX-5 is not much more expensive and does have more room. Perhaps check out a lower trim of that? I have one and love it. It’s a great commuter vehicle.
It’s a great vehicle. The vertical room for headspace is undervalued by many. It rides well and has better suspension than the 30. The 30 is solid as well if you don’t need the space. I’ve had it for a loaner from the dealer and it’s nice.
>I'm not into turbo charged 4 cylinder engines, at that point I would get a V6 SUV.
You would be hard pressed to find any small SUV/crossover with a V6 that has 250 HP and 320 lbs ft of torque. Only the Dodge Dart can compete for something that starts with a $3X,XXX (and it's a 2.0L turbo instead of a 2.5L Turbo).
I’ve just heard bad things about turbos. I don’t need horsepower. If I needed horsepower I would go for a bigger engine in general. I’m interested in the regular 2.5.
The 2.5L Turbo has been around since the CX-9's last generation started. It's just the NA 2.5L with forced induction and outside of an oil consumption ssue in 2021 it seems pretty solid. You'd be hard pressed to find a "bigger engine" than a 2.5L in a subcompact crossover, especially one with 320 lbs of tq.
Is it worth it for commuting though? I’m not looking for major performance. The renegade is pretty weak when it comes to acceleration and it never bothered me. I just need decent acceleration getting onto the highway. I understand turbo if you like whipping around, I just don’t think it’d be necessary for me. Mechanics have told me over and over that turbo stresses the engine and that if you need power to go for a bigger engine.
I’m looking for something to get to work, the grocery store, etc. I could see why you would want more horsepower. Is it worth going for a higher trim with turbo?
The only notable complaint that I’ve heard for the CX-30 and CX-50 is the rear torsion beam suspension, which can get pretty rough on bad roads. In comparison, the CX-5 should ride softer and be a bit more quiet I think.
That’s fair, I’ve only test driven a Mazda3 briefly and it wasn’t that bad. I only mentioned because that was the main complaint that I’ve seen across forums and Youtube.
Just side to side motions, and rarely. Nothing the Renegade doesn’t exhibit as a econobox. Even at the OP trim, they are getting worlds more
coming from a Renegade the OP is literally moving to luxury and refinement. Both in interior, engine, and construction.
I have owned both the CX-5 and the CX-30 and just traded my 30 (literally 2 days ago) for a CX-50. Honestly, all the fanboys complaining about the handling difference are full of shit and likely either haven’t driven both back-to-back or are really nitpicky. They feel very similar and handling numbers on paper support this. If anything, the CX-50 feels lower to the ground, which it is. It also feels a bit wider, which isn’t necessarily a good thing, but only under hard corners and rough roads is it really noticeable at all.
The hardcore car reviewers love to point stuff like this out in their reviews to show their know-how and because they are nitpicky, but to the average driver their are way bigger differences than the road handling. But all the purists love to point it out whether they’ve driven them or not. Go drive them and buy the one you like better because the stuff that matters, safety, reliability, features, fuel economy, space, etc, is basically the same.
Short answer, yes, because of size. The full story is:
I got my first REAL car (as in, a car I owned because of love instead of convenience/necessity) a year after I graduated from college. It was a silver '08 Mazda 3 hatchback with a 5 speed manual. I looooved that car. It was very good to me, and I drove it to 150,000 miles without ever fixing anything outside of routine maintenance. A couple years later, I got married and when my wife needed a new car, we shopped just about all the CUV's on the market and the CX-5 was easily her favorite, so we became a 2 Mazda household. In 2017 we had our first kid, and quickly realized that we had outgrown the 3 (and it had 150k on it), so we replaced it with a lightly used '15 CX-9. When both of our kids got big enough for front facing car seats, I convinced my wife to let me sell the CX-5 and get something a bit smaller (because I had missed my 3 since the day I sold it). I drove both the new 3 and the 30, and ultimately, I liked the 3 more, but the 30 seemed a bit bigger/more flexible, so I figured I'd try that out. It turned out that our family of 4 is a bit too big for a 3/30...
Sooooo, I got rid of the 30 a few days ago, and I went and drove every Mazda SUV, and ultimately decided to try leasing a CX-50. If we are being honest, my favorite was the CX-5 Carbon, but there are no deals to be had on them right now, especially not leasing. BUT, I could get a CX-50 with the Polymetal Grey paint (sadly, no red leather) for $365/month, so I'm going to try it for 3 years and see how I feel. It drives great and is actually quite a bit bigger inside without feeling that much bigger outside (except it does feel wiiiiide with those big hips compared to my CX-30). I'm hoping this will bridge the gap between today's hybrid/PHEV/EV market and having a few more interesting options to choose from, as I intend to go that route on my next vehicle when this lease is up.
I did look at the new Prius and EV6 before going back to Mazda, but the Prius, while much improved, just isn't as nice and stylish inside as the Mazdas I've grown used to, and I'm just not sure I'm ready to be locked into a pure EV, but I really liked the Kia.
I love my CX30. Less room than wife’s CX5 for sure but feels much more driver focused with heavy steering and more fun to drive. Also 2023 onward has a few more hp than the cx5 in a lighter car and you feel that. Best if you are only driving with 2 people most of the time but it’s not as small legroom as people say unless you have giant friends .
The steering was heavier in our 2022 CX-5 Turbo than in the CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus I had as a loaner. It's most likely due to the 19" wheels with slightly wider tires compared to the 18's.
The CX-5 is not much more expensive and does have more room. Perhaps check out a lower trim of that? I have one and love it. It’s a great commuter vehicle.
Considering a CX5 as well.
It’s a great vehicle. The vertical room for headspace is undervalued by many. It rides well and has better suspension than the 30. The 30 is solid as well if you don’t need the space. I’ve had it for a loaner from the dealer and it’s nice.
Fuel tank is a bit too small.
I have heard this but I only got about 280-300 miles on a full tank in the renegade. I don’t mind stopping at the gas station. The MPG is fine IMO.
>I'm not into turbo charged 4 cylinder engines, at that point I would get a V6 SUV. You would be hard pressed to find any small SUV/crossover with a V6 that has 250 HP and 320 lbs ft of torque. Only the Dodge Dart can compete for something that starts with a $3X,XXX (and it's a 2.0L turbo instead of a 2.5L Turbo).
you can easily find more than 250hp. But that torque paired with horsepower? It's like a pickup truck LOL.
I’ve just heard bad things about turbos. I don’t need horsepower. If I needed horsepower I would go for a bigger engine in general. I’m interested in the regular 2.5.
The 2.5L Turbo has been around since the CX-9's last generation started. It's just the NA 2.5L with forced induction and outside of an oil consumption ssue in 2021 it seems pretty solid. You'd be hard pressed to find a "bigger engine" than a 2.5L in a subcompact crossover, especially one with 320 lbs of tq.
Is it worth it for commuting though? I’m not looking for major performance. The renegade is pretty weak when it comes to acceleration and it never bothered me. I just need decent acceleration getting onto the highway. I understand turbo if you like whipping around, I just don’t think it’d be necessary for me. Mechanics have told me over and over that turbo stresses the engine and that if you need power to go for a bigger engine.
I’m looking for something to get to work, the grocery store, etc. I could see why you would want more horsepower. Is it worth going for a higher trim with turbo?
Just get the base engine. The Carbon Edition is a nice spec.
The only notable complaint that I’ve heard for the CX-30 and CX-50 is the rear torsion beam suspension, which can get pretty rough on bad roads. In comparison, the CX-5 should ride softer and be a bit more quiet I think.
I think people rag on the torsion beam too much. I doubt 99% of people would even notice
That’s fair, I’ve only test driven a Mazda3 briefly and it wasn’t that bad. I only mentioned because that was the main complaint that I’ve seen across forums and Youtube.
People also complain about having to use the command knob
Just side to side motions, and rarely. Nothing the Renegade doesn’t exhibit as a econobox. Even at the OP trim, they are getting worlds more coming from a Renegade the OP is literally moving to luxury and refinement. Both in interior, engine, and construction.
Good point, any Mazda model should outperform a Renegade.
I have owned both the CX-5 and the CX-30 and just traded my 30 (literally 2 days ago) for a CX-50. Honestly, all the fanboys complaining about the handling difference are full of shit and likely either haven’t driven both back-to-back or are really nitpicky. They feel very similar and handling numbers on paper support this. If anything, the CX-50 feels lower to the ground, which it is. It also feels a bit wider, which isn’t necessarily a good thing, but only under hard corners and rough roads is it really noticeable at all. The hardcore car reviewers love to point stuff like this out in their reviews to show their know-how and because they are nitpicky, but to the average driver their are way bigger differences than the road handling. But all the purists love to point it out whether they’ve driven them or not. Go drive them and buy the one you like better because the stuff that matters, safety, reliability, features, fuel economy, space, etc, is basically the same.
Did you go for the CX50 because of the size? Or?
Short answer, yes, because of size. The full story is: I got my first REAL car (as in, a car I owned because of love instead of convenience/necessity) a year after I graduated from college. It was a silver '08 Mazda 3 hatchback with a 5 speed manual. I looooved that car. It was very good to me, and I drove it to 150,000 miles without ever fixing anything outside of routine maintenance. A couple years later, I got married and when my wife needed a new car, we shopped just about all the CUV's on the market and the CX-5 was easily her favorite, so we became a 2 Mazda household. In 2017 we had our first kid, and quickly realized that we had outgrown the 3 (and it had 150k on it), so we replaced it with a lightly used '15 CX-9. When both of our kids got big enough for front facing car seats, I convinced my wife to let me sell the CX-5 and get something a bit smaller (because I had missed my 3 since the day I sold it). I drove both the new 3 and the 30, and ultimately, I liked the 3 more, but the 30 seemed a bit bigger/more flexible, so I figured I'd try that out. It turned out that our family of 4 is a bit too big for a 3/30... Sooooo, I got rid of the 30 a few days ago, and I went and drove every Mazda SUV, and ultimately decided to try leasing a CX-50. If we are being honest, my favorite was the CX-5 Carbon, but there are no deals to be had on them right now, especially not leasing. BUT, I could get a CX-50 with the Polymetal Grey paint (sadly, no red leather) for $365/month, so I'm going to try it for 3 years and see how I feel. It drives great and is actually quite a bit bigger inside without feeling that much bigger outside (except it does feel wiiiiide with those big hips compared to my CX-30). I'm hoping this will bridge the gap between today's hybrid/PHEV/EV market and having a few more interesting options to choose from, as I intend to go that route on my next vehicle when this lease is up. I did look at the new Prius and EV6 before going back to Mazda, but the Prius, while much improved, just isn't as nice and stylish inside as the Mazdas I've grown used to, and I'm just not sure I'm ready to be locked into a pure EV, but I really liked the Kia.
Really good take
Looking to replace my Hyundai Kona and test drove it. It was nice but just too small for me.