Compare the2023 Mazda MX-30VS 2023 Hyundai Nexo

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mazda MX-30 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Hyundai Nexo doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Mazda MX-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 Nexo doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The MX-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 Nexo doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

Both the MX-30 and the Nexo have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

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 Hyundai vehicles. With 5 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mazda higher than Hyundai.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda fourth in overall reliability. Hyundai is ranked 13th.

On the EPA test cycle the MX-30 gets better mileage than the Nexo:

For better stopping power the MX-30’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Nexo:

The MX-30’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Nexo’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the MX-30 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Nexo.

For better maneuverability, the MX-30’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Nexo’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.7 feet).

The Mazda MX-30 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 450 pounds less than the Hyundai Nexo.

The MX-30 is 10.6 inches shorter than the Nexo, making the MX-30 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the MX-30 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Nexo doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The MX-30 has .1 inches more front legroom and .7 inches more front hip room than the Nexo.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the MX-30 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Hyundai doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Nexo.

When two different drivers share the MX-30, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Nexo doesn’t offer a memory system.

The MX-30 has a standard heads-up display that projects speed 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 Nexo doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The MX-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 Nexo’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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

When the MX-30 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 Nexo’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The MX-30’s standard 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 Nexo has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.