Compare the2022 Mazda CX-30VS 2022 Honda HR-V

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Mazda CX-30 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The HR-V doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The CX-30 has standard Whiplash-Reducing Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The HR-V doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus has standard Rear Smart Brake Support that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The HR-V doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-30. But it costs extra on the HR-V.

The CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus has a standard 360° View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The HR-V only offers a rear monitor.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Turbo/Premium’s standard rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The HR-V doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The CX-30’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The HR-V doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The CX-30 has standard E911 Automatic Emergency Notification, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The HR-V doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the CX-30 and the HR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available blind spot warning systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mazda CX-30 is safer than the Honda HR-V:

	CX-30	HR-V
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	148	481
Neck Stress	216 lbs.	244 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	179	205
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	33.5%	41%
Neck Stress	172 lbs.	218 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	380/386 lbs.	574/500 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mazda CX-30 is safer than the Honda HR-V:

	CX-30	HR-V
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	148
Hip Force	275 lbs.	321 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	197	357
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	178	203
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	583 lbs.	799 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-30 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 77 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The HR-V has not been fully tested, yet.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the CX-30’s reliability 21 points higher than the HR-V.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda 12th in reliability, above the industry average. With 51 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 24th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda first in reliability. Honda is ranked fifth.

Engine

The CX-30’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 45 more horsepower (186 vs. 141) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 127) than the HR-V’s 1.8 SOHC 4-cylinder. The CX-30’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 109 more horsepower (250 vs. 141) and 193 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 127) than the HR-V’s 1.8 SOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mazda CX-30 4 cyl. is faster than the Honda HR-V:

	CX-30	HR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	7.5 sec	9.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	20.7 sec	30.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.9 sec	9.9 sec
Quarter Mile	15.8 sec	17.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	89 MPH	82 MPH
Top Speed	126 MPH	117 MPH

Environmental Friendliness

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Mazda CX-30 as a “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Honda HR-V is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

Brakes and Stopping

The CX-30 stops shorter than the HR-V:

	CX-30	HR-V
70 to 0 MPH	177 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-30’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the HR-V (104.4 inches vs. 102.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CX-30 is 1 inch wider in the front and .9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the HR-V.

The CX-30 Premium handles at .84 G’s, while the HR-V EX-L AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The CX-30 Premium executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the HR-V EX-L AWD (27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CX-30’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the HR-V’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The CX-30’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the HR-V Sport’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CX-30 has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the HR-V (8 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the CX-30 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The CX-30’s minimum ground clearance is 1.1 inches higher than on the HR-V Sport (8 vs. 6.9 inches).

Passenger Space

The CX-30 has .5 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more front hip room and 5.8 inches more rear hip room than the HR-V.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the CX-30 Premium has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The HR-V doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the CX-30 Preferred/Carbon/Turbo/Premium, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each keyless remote activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The HR-V doesn’t offer a memory system.

The CX-30 Premium has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The HR-V doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-30’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The HR-V’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The CX-30’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The HR-V LX/Sport’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent. The HR-V EX/EX-L’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The CX-30’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the HR-V’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

The CX-30 has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The HR-V has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the EX/EX-L.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-30 Premium has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The HR-V doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the CX-30 Preferred/Carbon/Turbo/Premium is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The HR-V’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The CX-30’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The HR-V offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

On extremely cold winter days, the CX-30 Turbo Premium’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The HR-V doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Turbo/Premium has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The HR-V doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Turbo/Premium’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The HR-V doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the CX-30 and the HR-V offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Turbo/Premium has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The HR-V doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mazda CX-30 offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The HR-V doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® chose the Mazda CX-30 as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Honda HR-V isn't recommended.

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