Pros Cheerful take on a prosaic type of car Intuitive and customisable multimedia system
Cons Expensive for the amount of space and range you get Dim-witted gearbox calibration
For 2022, Jeep is giving the Compass lineup a host of updates that make it more desirable. Along with a revised front end that looks more upscale, its interior benefits from a new dashboard design and a new tablet-style touchscreen infotainment system with the latest Uconnect software.
Pros Handsome exterior design, packed with desirable modern tech, Trailhawk lives up to Jeep's off-road image.
Cons Lethargic gas powertrain, can't tow as much as the Cherokee, poor value proposition.
Pros Sharp interior Standard 8.4-inch touchscreen Good standard safety tech Good standard convenience tech Capable Trailhawk trim...
Cons ...gets expensive Sloppy 9-speed automatic Coarse inline-4 Could use comfier seats Narrow rear seat
Perhaps we need to stop calling these cars SUVs, because the new Mazda CX-30 is really just a Mazda 3 on stilts, and all the better for it.
Pros Excellent dynamics Interior fit and finish Audio and infotainment system Active safety features Exterior and interior design, practical, makes more sense than a Mazda 3
Cons Ride felt a tad firm (European spec) Expected price premium over the Mazda 3 Infotainment housing a little old school Fits four adults at best
Slotting into the Mazda SUV lineup in the narrow space between the subcompact CX-3 and the compact CX-5 is the new—and curiously named—CX-30. Why isn't it called CX-4? We asked Mazda: It's kind of a long story. Regardless, we like the way it looks. Mazda's designers gave it a more severely forward-canted rear window and chunkier black-plastic body cladding to help differentiate the 2020 Mazda CX-30 from its other crossover siblings.The 2020 CX-30 shares much of its mechanicals and platform with the all-new Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback, so we expect it to have a 186-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, a six-speed automatic transmission and either front- or all-wheel drive. It's possible that Mazda's new gasoline-powered compression-ignition engine—which the company calls Skyactiv-X—is likely to be available in the CX-30 at some point down the road.
Good car, the Mazda CX-30. Handles well, looks smart and has a lovely interior. But as is always the case with crossovers – the conventional car on which it’s based (in this case the Mazda3 hatchback) is the sensible buy.
Pros Good-looking, decent to drive, lovely interior.
Cons Cramped rear, old-fashioned auto.
