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The Mazda MX-30 Is Disappointing and Weird, Says Doug DeMuro

When Mazda presented the MX-30 at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, everyone and their dog was disappointed with the Japanese automaker’s first electric vehicle developed in-house. The main point of contention is the gross capacity of the prismatic lithium-ion battery, as in 35.5 kWh.
The 2022 Mazda MX-30 Is a Weird, Disappointing Electric Car 28 photos
Photo: Doug DeMuro on YouTube
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To be fair with Mazda, there are battery-electric vehicles with smaller capacities out there. The MINI Cooper SE comes to mind with 32.6 kWh, a driving range of 114 miles (183 kilometers), and a starting price of $30k.

Only available in California at the moment of reporting, the MX-30 costs $33,470 and offers up to 100 miles (161 kilometers) of driving range because it weighs 512 pounds (232 kilograms) more than the Cooper SE.

Doug DeMuro points these downsides in his review of the all-new crossover, which is more expensive than a Chevrolet Bolt EV that can go twice as far on a full charge. What’s more, only 560 units will be produced for the U.S. market (or, better said, just California) for the 2022 model year.

DeMuro also points out how needlessly impractical the rear doors are. More specifically, the front door has to be opened in order to open the rear door, which puts both the driver and rear passenger in a weird situation.

The rear windows can’t be rolled down, and the size of the rear windows is best described as tiny. It’s also worth mentioning there’s too little room for the knees out back, which defeats the purpose of having rear seats.

“Mazda told me the focus wasn’t really on driving range, but more on driving experience and pleasure,” said DeMuro. “But instead, it has 143 horsepower and does zero to 60 in nine-point-something seconds.” The steering and handling may be fine, but the drawbacks far outweigh the good points.

Alas, the MX-30 earns only 42 points on the Dougscore leaderboard, putting it near the bottom of the list. By comparison, the ever-popular Tesla Model Y is the king of the hill with 68 points for the Performance go-faster variant.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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