Compare the2023 Mazda CX-30VS 2023 Subaru Crosstrek

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-30 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Subaru Crosstrek doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 Crosstrek 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.

Both the CX-30 and the Crosstrek have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, 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 Subaru Crosstrek:

	CX-30	Crosstrek
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26.7%	36%
Neck Stress	216 lbs.	304 lbs.
Neck Compression	18 lbs.	42 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	201/172 lbs.	252/363 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	33.5%	44.6%
Neck Stress	172 lbs.	195 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 Subaru Crosstrek:

	CX-30	Crosstrek
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	138
Hip Force	275 lbs.	346 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	197	303
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
HIC	178	201
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	49 G’s
Hip Force	583 lbs.	824 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Mazda CX-30 is much safer than the Crosstrek:

	CX-30	Crosstrek
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	POOR
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	89	245
Head Peak Forces	no contact	55 G’s
Neck Tension	156 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.87 in	1.89 in
Shoulder Force	223 lbs.	357 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.54 in	2.01 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	759 lbs.	1116 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	144	231
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.94 in	2.09 in
Shoulder Force	245 lbs.	424 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.71 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	11 MPH	13 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	379 lbs.	825 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-30 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Crosstrek last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. With 11 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mazda higher than Subaru.

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 Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda above average in long-term dependability. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Subaru is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda fourth in overall reliability. Subaru is ranked 7th.

Engine

The CX-30’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 39 more horsepower (191 vs. 152) and 41 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 145) than the Crosstrek’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The CX-30’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 9 more horsepower (191 vs. 182) and 10 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 176) than the Crosstrek Sport/Limited’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The CX-30’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 68 more horsepower (250 vs. 182) and 144 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 176) than the Crosstrek Sport/Limited’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Mazda CX-30 4 cyl. is faster than the Subaru Crosstrek 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder (automatics tested):

	CX-30	Crosstrek
Zero to 30 MPH	3.2 sec	4 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.7 sec	10.2 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.2 sec	6.3 sec
Quarter Mile	16.7 sec	17.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88 MPH	82 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CX-30 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Transmission

The Mazda CX-30 comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Crosstrek.

Brakes and Stopping

The CX-30 stops much shorter than the Crosstrek:

	CX-30	Crosstrek
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The CX-30 has engine speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The CX-30 Premium handles at .84 G’s, while the Crosstrek Limited pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The CX-30 Premium executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Crosstrek Limited (27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CX-30’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Crosstrek’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.4 feet).

Chassis

The CX-30 is 3.5 inches shorter than the Crosstrek, making the CX-30 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the CX-30 Preferred/Carbon/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 Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

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 Crosstrek’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 Crosstrek’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The CX-30’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Crosstrek’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

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 Crosstrek has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Premium/Sport/Limited.

When the CX-30 Preferred/Carbon/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 Crosstrek’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

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

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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

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

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