Mazda MX-30 Review 2025: Price, specs & boot space

The Mazda MX-30 is an interesting alternative to more conventional electric cars. The limited range of the EV will be an issue for some, but for running around town or taking the kids to school, a used Mazda MX-30 EV could be a great purchase. The Mazda MX-30 R-EV will appeal to those wanting to travel furtherafield, but we'd suggest looking at a longer-range EV instead.

We reckon the Mazda MX-30 makes the most sense as a used purchase. Bag an early Mazda MX-30 EV and you can be driving around in an interesting, quirky electric car for the price of a used Ford Fiesta. In terms of trim levels, all are pretty well-equipped... look for a GT Sport Tech as a used buy for such luxuries as an opening sunroof, Bose sound system and heated steering wheel.

While there's no shortage of electric (and hybrid) cars to choose from, the Mazda MX-30 takes a slightly different approach to a lot of competitors. In some ways, it's a rival to fashionable electric city cars like the Honda e and MINI Electric, yet it also squares up against SUV rivals such as the Kia Niro and Hyundai Kona. We'd also suggest looking at the Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born as well as Chinese competitors such as the MG4 EV and Ora Funky Cat.

Hats off to the design team for their focus on sustainable cabin materials. You’ll find cork dotted all over the cabin. Sourced from left-over bottle stoppers, no trees are cut down to make the cork (instead the bark of the tree is stripped away). This means it is low-impact and environmentally sustainable.

It’s not just the cork, either. The upper door trim uses recycled fabric, specifically recycled plastic bottles. Unlike the cork, it doesn’t leap out at you and it definitely doesn’t make the cabin feel cheap, unfinished or badly put together. We can’t vouch for how well it’ll hold up over the life of the car, though.

Does it work from a design point of view? The jury’s still out on that. Initially, it’s quite jarring – the contrast of the dark plastics against the light, grainy cork. But as you spend more time with the car you do get used to it. And it’s certainly a talking point.

While it might not be as slick as some of its German rivals, the Mazda’s infotainment system certainly isn’t bottom of the league. It’s a solid performer that offers everything you need in a way that’s easy to find.

Early examples were slow to start up, but that seems to have been sorted while the support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be welcomed by drivers who prefer to use their own familiar tech like Waze and Spotify.

The MyMazdaApp promises to notify drivers if they haven’t plugged in the charging cable, and give them the ability to set charge times to take advantage of off-peak electricity. And, of course, they’ll be able to see how much charge is left in the battery as well as remotely switch the heating on. Handy.

But the thing that we, personally, always appreciate is the Bose sound system, which offers excellent audio sound and in this car allows you to make the most of the EV’s peace and quiet. However, you'll need the top-spec Mazda MX-30 Makoto for this.

Let's start with those doors. The rear doors open backwards - a nod to the old RX-8 - supposedly allowing easy access for rear-seat passengers. You have to slide the front seats forward for an adult to climb in, though - and it's a bit of a faff that you don't get with normal doors. It's a bit of a novelty, although we don't quite buy into Mazda's claims that the so-called 'freestyle' doors give the MX-30 a sense of space. It actually feels quite claustrophobic in the rear; not least because the rear windows don't open. The Mazda CX-30 - which is almost identical in size to the MX-30 - feels much roomier inside.

Still, if you're not planning on carrying rear-seat passengers regularly, the Mazda MX-30 is a perfectly useable electric vehicle. The 350-litre boot is a good size, while there isn't much of a load lip. When you drop the rear seats, the space is almost flat. As a two-seater with a big boot, the Mazda MX-30 is great.

If you're planning to squeeze the Mazda MX-30 into your garage, you'll want to know the exterior dimensions. It's 4395mm long, 1795mm wide and 1570mm high.

There are two key variants of Mazda MX-30 on offer, and both take a slightly different approach to competitors.

First up is the regular electric Mazda MX-30. This has been on sale since 2020 and uses a relatively small 35.5kWh battery pack. The advantage of this is it's kinder to the environment (manufacturing a big battery that you don't really need is considered wasteful), while it's also cheaper and quicker to charge. The disadvantage, obviously, is you can't travel as far between charges.

This battery is paired up with a single motor, providing 145PS and relatively sedate 0-62mph acceleration in 9.7 seconds. While other electric cars feel quicker, it's on par with a typical family hatchback, while the instant response of the electric motor means it feels suitably peppy - certainly around town.

Next is the Mazda MX-30 R-EV, introduced in 2023. This is basically a plug-in hybrid, although it's different from other PHEVs in a number of ways. The wheels are driven exclusively by the electric motor as the tiny petrol engine acts as a generator. It's also a rotary engine - something that Mazda's experimented with in the past with limited success. The Mazda RX-8 had one, and that's a car with a sub-optimal reliability record.

Unlike the RX-8, the Mazda MX-30 R-EV definitely isn't a sports car. It's only slightly quicker than the electric version, accelerating to 62mph in 9.1 seconds. Top speed is 87mph.

Mazda says the MX-30’s battery range is good for 124 miles, but we reckon around 100 miles is more achievable in the real world. If you cover a lot of longer journeys, you might want to consider an alternative like the Volkswagen ID.3 or Hyundai Kona Electric instead.

Servicing data from Mazda reveals that MX-30 owners only cover around 130 miles a week on average, though, so its limited range isn't necessarily an issue. If you're only using it for the school run or a short commute, you might only need to plug it in once or twice a week.

The Mazda MX-30 R-EV has a pure electric range of 53 miles - more than enough for the average journey length in the UK, says Mazda. Like most plug-in hybrids, it's ideal for those drivers who want electric motoring around town, but the back up of a petrol engine for longer journeys. With 37.2mpg combined economy officially claimed and a 50-litre fuel tank, the R-EV has a potential driving range of around 400 miles.

If you're looking for a peaceful driving experience, the all-electric Mazda MX-30 is the one to go for. Like other electric vehicles, it's generally a refined companion, although you will notice a bit of a roar from the tyres. There's some virtual engine noise piped in, too, to add a (perhaps unwanted...) sense of sportiness.

At times, the Mazda MX-30 R-EV also does a good impression of a hushed little SUV. But then there are times, when the battery's flat, that the rotary engine roars away at a seemingly excessive amount of revs. It actually sounds pretty unpleasant.

The MX-30 is loaded with both active and passive safety equipment with its smart brake support grabbing the headlines. This system, which already helps mitigate (definition ‘make less severe’) against vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle collisions now includes a turn across traffic function.

That means when you turn right in a right-hand drive car the sensors will slam the brakes on if they pick up on something the driver hasn’t spotted. Along with lane keep assist and blind spot assist, occupants will feel well looked after. Or they could have just improved visibility.

Here, Mazda is trying to offset any potential worries caused by a missing B-pillar in the middle of the car. As well as reinforcing the roof and the sills, the structure has been designed to absorb an impact and diffuse the energy. In the event of a collision, the drive system shuts down while the batteries are enclosed in a case to protect occupants from electric shocks.

Of course, there are more familiar systems on board such as adaptive LED headlights, adaptive cruise control and driver monitoring. All of which helped it score five out five in the Euro NCAP crash test.

Mazda generally has an excellent reliability record and - with fewer moving parts to go wrong - the electric MX-30 should be more dependable than a petrol or diesel equivalent.

While the car comes with Mazda's standard three-year warranty, the battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.

All Mazda MX-30 EVs sit in insurance group 19, while the range-extender MX-30 R-EV is in insurance group 22 or 23 (depending on trim level). That ought to make the MX-30 relatively affordable to insurance compared to rivals. Shop around for quotes, though - some insurance companies still charge a premium for electric vehicles.

Buy a pure electric Mazda MX-30 and you won't pay any car tax until 2025 when first-year road tax costs £10. After that, you'll pay £195 per year.

The Mazda MX-30 R-EV currently costs £110 for the initial year's road tax, and then £195 every 12 months after that.

Standard equipment on the entry-level Mazda MX-30 Prime-Line includes 18-inch alloy wheels (silver on EV; grey on R-EV), and black exterior highlights. This trim also has rain-sensing wipers, high-beam control, LED headlights, plus a light grey cloth interior, seven-inch climate control touchscreen, seven-inch digital instrument cluster, and an 8.8-inch navigation system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Prime-Line comes with climate control, front electric windows, radar cruise control, a windscreen projected head-up display, blind spot monitoring, and driver attention alert. Further to that, you get emergency lane-keeping, intelligent speed assist, lane-keep assist with lane departure warning, smart brake support, and traffic sign recognition.

The Mazda MX-30 Exclusive-Line adds 18-inch bright metallic alloy wheels on the EV or 18-inch black diamond cut alloys on the R-EV. Exterior highlights are finished in piano black, while rear privacy glass is also standard. Inside, the MX-30 Exclusive-Line features light grey cloth seats with stone leatherette, electrical adjustment for the driver's seat, a frameless rear-view mirror, heated front seats and keyless entry.

The top-spec Mazda MX-30 Makoto features a 360-degree camera, front wiper de-icer, adaptive LED headlights, a tilt and slide sunroof, and a 1500W three-pin plug socket (R-EV only). A heated steering wheel is standard along with a Bose sound system. Cruising and traffic support is standard, too, as well as driver monitoring, front cross traffic alert, and rear smart brake support.