Compare the2025 Mazda CX-30VS 2025 Honda CR-V

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 CR-V doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

With its standard Smart Brake Support with Pedestrian Detection, the Mazda CX-30 is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Honda CR-V, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	CX-30	CR-V
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-18 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-17 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-33 MPH
37 MPH Low beams	-35 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.7 sec	No Warning

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

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CX-30 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Smart Braking Support - Rear Crossing on the Turbo Premium Plus automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Rear cross-path warning is not offered on the CR-VLX and the CR-V’s Cross Traffic Monitor does not include automatic braking.

Both the CX-30 and the CR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the CX-30 is much safer than the CR-V:

	CX-30	CR-V
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	MARGINAL
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	POOR

The Mazda CX-30 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The CR-V is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 above average in long-term dependability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated below average.

Engine

The CX-30’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 1 more horsepower (191 vs. 190) and 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The CX-30’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 46 more horsepower (250 vs. 204) and 73 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 247) than the CR-V Hybrid’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mazda CX-30 4 cyl. is faster than the Honda CR-V turbo 4 cyl.:

	CX-30	CR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	16.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88.3 MPH	86.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the CX-30 with its standard engine gets better fuel mileage than the CR-V 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder AWD (26 city/33 hwy vs. 26 city/31 hwy).

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 CR-V doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Brakes and Stopping

The CX-30 stops much shorter than the CR-V:

	CX-30	CR-V
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	130 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 CR-V doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The CX-30 2.5 S Premium handles at .84 G’s, while the CR-V EX-L AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The CX-30 2.5 S Premium executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.9 seconds quicker than the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid (27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 29.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CX-30’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the CR-V’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.3 feet).

Chassis

The CX-30 is 11.8 inches shorter than the CR-V, making the CX-30 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The CX-30 has .4 inches more front legroom, .1 inches more rear headroom and .6 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V.

Ergonomics

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 CR-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 CR-V’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 CR-V doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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

Compared to the Honda CR-V, the Mazda CX-30 eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Mazda CX-30 and the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.