Compare the2022 Mazda CX-30VS 2022 Kia Sportage

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
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 Sportage 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 Sportage 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 Sportage 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 Sportage.

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 Sportage only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

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 Sportage 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 Sportage 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

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 Kia Sportage:

	CX-30	Sportage
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	148	207
Neck Compression	18 lbs.	72 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	179	222
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	33.5%	42%

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 Kia Sportage:

	CX-30	Sportage
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	87
Hip Force	275 lbs.	327 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	197	239
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
HIC	178	301
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	583 lbs.	873 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 Sportage is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

The CX-30’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Sportage runs out after 100,000 miles.

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 27 points higher than the Sportage.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda first in reliability. Kia is ranked 15th.

Engine

The CX-30 has more powerful engines than the Sportage:

	Horsepower	Torque
CX-30 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	186 HP	186 lbs.-ft.
CX-30 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder	250 HP	320 lbs.-ft.
Sportage 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder	181 HP	175 lbs.-ft.
Sportage SX Turbo 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	237 HP	260 lbs.-ft.
Sportage SX Turbo 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	240 HP	260 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mazda CX-30 4 cyl. is faster than the Kia Sportage:

	CX-30	Sportage 4 cyl.	Sportage SX Turbo
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	8 sec	8.1 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	16.3 sec	16.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88.3 MPH	86.4 MPH	86.4 MPH

Suspension and Handling

The CX-30 Premium handles at .84 G’s, while the Sportage SX Turbo AWD pulls only .83 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 Sportage LX (27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the CX-30 has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Sportage (8 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the CX-30 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The CX-30 is 3.4 inches shorter than the Sportage, making the CX-30 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The CX-30 has .2 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front hip room and 2 inches more rear hip room than the Sportage.

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 Sportage 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 Sportage doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-30’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Sportage’s parking brake has to be released manually.

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 Sportage’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens 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 Sportage’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 Sportage’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

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 Sportage 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 Sportage’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 Sportage offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Economic Advantages

The CX-30 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the CX-30 will retain 49.65% to 50.57% of its original price after five years, while the Sportage only retains 43.55% to 48.17%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mazda CX-30 will be $1144 to $1901 less than for the Kia Sportage.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Mazda CX-30 as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.