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I've recently sat in (but not driven) the latest versions of :-
CX30 Puma HRV Yaris Cross Kia Niro T Cross New shape Duster Arona Kamiq Karoq
And of all those there's one that stands out, for me, regarding .... sensible length, width and height, drivers legroom, and headroom, height of drivers seat from the ground, decently roomy boot, pleasant ambience inside and reasonable looking outside, not too showy but not too shabby.
And the one that I think I'd look at again with a degree of seriousness is Karoq 1.5 DSG SE Edition. SE Edition is the base model but has all the stuff that I, personally would want. It has plain silver 17" alloy wheels, not diamond cut 20" wheels.
I didn't drive it but would imagine it's no worse than my 1.2 DSG Yeti but it felt vaguely familiar after 14 years with the Yeti.
It's not a hybrid. That might be good thing or a bad thing ... I'm not sure.
But, initial thoughts were - I liked it. You can get quite good discounts on new ones too.
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CX-30 is quite small.
CX-5 is based on Mazda 3 and all the better for it in terms of cabin space.
Manual or auto and NA engine that has a teeny little help from a small battery to help with torque.
I agree that it probably was worth ORB looking at the larger, higher-up (and very good looking/handling) CX-5, given the CX-30 is not that different (a little higher up) than the 3 on the same underpinnings / near identical interior.
I'm not sure if the secondary battery gives any direct motive power boost, given that Mazda's MHEV system just runs the car's electrics and the stop-start system is to save on fuel. I suppose you could say the former boosts motive power to a very small degree by virtue of the engine not needing to produce much in the way of power to charge the battery or to run the electrical systems.
Shame that the better-performing 2.5L petrol is only available in 4WD format and not both manual and auto versions, just auto (though I like their autos). Quite pricey when new too, so probably would need to look for a 2+yo model, and there probably wouldn't be too many available. The more common 2WD 2L petrol is ok performance wise, nothing more.
Still a nice car though. I suspect our North American friends have far more engine and gearbox options for Mazdas in general, including this car's.
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This is what made me look at the Mazda
www.autoexpress.co.uk/mazda/cx-30/365622/car-deal-...h
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This is what made me look at the Mazda
www.autoexpress.co.uk/mazda/cx-30/365622/car-deal-...h
That was a good deal.
Probably another £80 for the CX-5.
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This is what made me look at the Mazda
www.autoexpress.co.uk/mazda/cx-30/365622/car-deal-...h
That was a good deal.
Probably another £80 for the CX-5.
Maybe, but given how much cash ORB has parted with over the last 5 years chopping and changing cars he either didn't like or (in this case) has now difficulty servicing at a main dealer in his locale, I would've thought that cost should be secondary to getting something he likes / can easily live with, and can maintain at a (hopefully) well-regarded main dealership reasonably nearby his home.
Whether that's a CX-5 is another matter, given Mazda dealerships (at least in post-sales) can be rather a lottery in terms of quality, some very good, some not at all. Always a good idea to thoroughly go over reviews / speak to people you know who use them.
My local has treated me fine over the years, with a few smallish mistakes, but I do know of at least one person who used to frequent the Mazda3 owners website who had a very bad experience (found that he'd been charged on more than one occasion for servicing not done). I might've been duped and never knew, or I just could've been lucky as per who I got each time for the mechanic.
Toyotas and Lexuses may to some be rather staid and boring (to look at and drive), but in the main, their dealerships are normally a cut above most other brands. Honda used to be of a similar standing, though I'm not so sure these days, not helped by (IMHO) a seeming drop in engineering quality of their vehicles, which you can't say for the very most part for Toyota and Lexus Unfortunately that experience doesn't come cheap.
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Maybe, but given how much cash ORB has parted with over the last 5 years chopping and changing cars he either didn't like or (in this case) has now difficulty servicing at a main dealer in his locale, I would've thought that cost should be secondary to getting something he likes / can easily live with, and can maintain at a (hopefully) well-regarded main dealership reasonably nearby his home.
When I sold the Sportage I didn't lose a lot as I remember and the stonic very little indeed and I calculated excluding servicing and 2 tyres i have lost £238 a month (39 months) on the Korando to date.
Currently been offered £11115 as a px should i go with some of the recent options.
As said above itch being cured and don't really want to spend north of £15000plus the trade in.
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Maybe, but given how much cash ORB has parted with over the last 5 years chopping and changing cars he either didn't like or (in this case) has now difficulty servicing at a main dealer in his locale, I would've thought that cost should be secondary to getting something he likes / can easily live with, and can maintain at a (hopefully) well-regarded main dealership reasonably nearby his home.
When I sold the Sportage I didn't lose a lot as I remember and the stonic very little indeed and I calculated excluding servicing and 2 tyres i have lost £238 a month (39 months) on the Korando to date.
Currently been offered £11115 as a px should i go with some of the recent options.
As said above itch being cured and don't really want to spend north of £15000plus the trade in.
Fair enough. I take it you're not willing to go the 'leccy route as yet (not that I advocate it)? Given how desperate many car manufacturers are to reach their mandatory sales target, and how high EV depreciation is compared to petrol and hybrid cars these days, did you consider them and reject them?
As I noted in another thread, a good number of them can be had for substantial discounts (2/3rds of the original RRP) up to 3 years old with ordinary-low mileage, including the Mazda MX-30. Again, I'm not advocating them, just giving information.
Presumably you won't be doing starship mileages in the coming years, so that might be a factor in things.
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This is what made me look at the Mazda
www.autoexpress.co.uk/mazda/cx-30/365622/car-deal-...h
PS - [edit] you might find the CX-5 better as it looks like a more 'upright' experience and higher up, more like your existing car. Also, as the CX-30 is quite like a Mazda3 (same platform), they are higher up but not as much as one might think, given it is a crossover.
The wheel/tyre choice can also make a big difference to ride quality. When I test drove some previous gen Mazdas in 2017, namely a Mazda3 (Fastback) and a CX-3, I found that the cars shod on the low profile 18in tyres were much more of a firm ride than those on the 60 profile 16in ones. The handling was barely any different, and all handled well.
I do recall that some Makes and specific models of car have either softer or beefier suspension setups that give a much more cosseted ride - I believe that the current Toyota Corolla is one, though whether others in their line are similar is another matter. Mazdas have for a long time been on the 'firmer' side, hence why having an option to go for a higher profile tyre might help ride quality.
My sister and B-I-L recently bought a newish second hand Honda HR-V (of the size-ish you're looking at, though not exactly a looker of a car), and haven't been pleased because it had problems plus a poor sales experience (so bad they had to cancel an order from one dealership and go elsewhere).
Not sure whether they will stick with Honda next time out (this was their third Honda).
I suppose your 'field' may narrow quite a bit if you want an auto and want to avoid (potential) 'issues' with dual clutch boxes and make using Jatco auto boxes, in addition to any normal concerns over reliability of certain brands of SUVs (e.g JLR).
Edited by Engineer Andy on 19/01/2025 at 19:37
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I'm not sure if the secondary battery gives any direct motive power boost, given that Mazda's MHEV system just runs the car's electrics and the stop-start system is to save on fuel. I suppose you could say the former boosts motive power to a very small degree by virtue of the engine not needing to produce much in the way of power to charge the battery or to run the electrical systems.
Shame that the better-performing 2.5L petrol is only available in 4WD format and not both manual and auto versions, just auto (though I like their autos). Quite pricey when new too, so probably would need to look for a 2+yo model, and there probably wouldn't be too many available. The more common 2WD 2L petrol is ok performance wise, nothing more.
Still a nice car though. I suspect our North American friends have far more engine and gearbox options for Mazdas in general, including this car's.
Yeah, there's no great assistance to the power. The Mazda press pack states,
"Mazda M Hybrid also helps drivability by substituting engine torque for motor torque when the car is starting, accelerating or coming to a stop."
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If you're looking for comfy, there seem to be some very cheap used DS9s beginning to dribble through.
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If you're looking for comfy, there seem to be some very cheap used DS9s beginning to dribble through.
Nice but our local Citroen Peugeot MG dealer isn't on my Christmas card list and the feeling is mutual. I'd go without a car before darkening their doorstep.
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Might a Dacia Duster or Bigster be worthy of consideration? Apologies if I've missed anything on your requirements.
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Might a Dacia Duster or Bigster be worthy of consideration? Apologies if I've missed anything on your requirements.
He's already said he found Duster seats to low? Trouble understanding that as there adjustable for height, my last suggestion is a Suzuki Swace, fellow member Big John has one, if memory serves me correctly he's a big chap ( clues in the name I guess!).
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Might a Dacia Duster or Bigster be worthy of consideration? Apologies if I've missed anything on your requirements.
From an orb thread on the 2025 Dacia Duster:
Definetly looks nice, but drivers seat far too cramped for 6'2" me, (not that I was interested.
very smart interior though and a huge step up for those who like them.
Bigster may be worthy of consideration if comfort/space acceptable (and price, I believe RRP will start at a fiver under £25k).
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