Compare the2026 Land Rover Discovery Sport VS 2026 Mazda CX-30

Both the Discovery Sport and CX-30 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Discovery Sport has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The CX-30’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Discovery Sport’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The CX-30 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Discovery Sport has standard Rear Traffic Monitor with Rear Traffic Braking, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the CX-30 Preferred/Carbon/Aire/Premium offers Smart Braking Support - Rear Crossing.

Both the Discovery Sport and the CX-30 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport weighs 508 to 815 pounds more than the Mazda CX-30. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Discovery Sport comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The CX-30’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Discovery Sport’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the CX-30’s (6 vs. 5 years).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Land Rover vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. With 17 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Land Rover higher than Mazda.

The Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 63 more horsepower (249 vs. 186) and 83 lbs.-ft. more torque (269 vs. 186) than the CX-30’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Regenerative brakes improve the Discovery Sport’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The CX-30 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Discovery Sport’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The CX-30 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Discovery Sport has 5 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-30 (17.7 vs. 12.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Land Rover Discovery Sport higher (6 out of 10) than the Mazda CX-30 (4 to 6). This means the Discovery Sport produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CX-30 every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Land Rover Discovery Sport, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the CX-30.

For better stopping power the Discovery Sport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the CX-30:

	Discovery Sport	CX-30
Front Rotors	13.7 inches	11.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	10.4 inches
Opt Rear Rotors		11.9 inches

For better traction, the Discovery Sport has larger standard tires than the CX-30 (235/60R18 vs. 215/65R16). The Discovery Sport’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CX-30 (245/45R21 vs. 215/65R16).

The Discovery Sport’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CX-30 2.5 S’ standard 65 series tires. The Discovery Sport’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Aire/Premium’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Discovery Sport has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the CX-30 2.5 S. The Discovery Sport’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Aire/Premium.

The Discovery Sport has a standard full size spare (not available on 7-Passenger) so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the CX-30; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For superior ride and handling, the Land Rover Discovery Sport has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Mazda CX-30 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Discovery Sport has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CX-30’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Discovery Sport has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Discovery Sport flat and controlled during cornering. The CX-30’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Discovery Sport offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The CX-30’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Discovery Sport’s wheelbase is 3.5 inches longer than on the CX-30 (107.9 inches vs. 104.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Discovery Sport is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 2.7 inches wider in the rear than on the CX-30.

The Discovery Sport Landmark handles at .82 G’s, while the CX-30 2.5 S Premium pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Discovery Sport Landmark executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the CX-30 2.5 S Premium (27.4 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Discovery Sport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CX-30 (8.4 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Discovery Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Discovery Sport offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the CX-30 can only carry 5.

The Discovery Sport has 1.4 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 1.8 inches more rear legroom and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-30.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Discovery Sport’s middle row seats recline. The CX-30’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Discovery Sport’s cargo area provides more volume than the CX-30.

	Discovery Sport	CX-30
Third Seat Folded	23.2 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	32.2 cubic feet	20.2 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	60 cubic feet	45.2 cubic feet

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Discovery Sport’s optional second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The CX-30 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Discovery Sport has a 4409 lbs. towing capacity. The CX-30 has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the Discovery Sport uses the Dynamic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The CX-30 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Discovery Sport uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The CX-30 uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Discovery Sport’s standard Keyless Entry allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Pushbutton Start standard on the CX-30 only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle.

The Discovery Sport’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 CX-30’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Discovery Sport offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The CX-30 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the Discovery Sport has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The CX-30 doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

The Discovery Sport’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mazda only offers heated mirrors on the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Aire/Premium.

Both the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Mazda CX-30 offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Discovery Sport features standard power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the CX-30’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The Discovery Sport has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Aire/Premium. The Discovery Sport also offers optional heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CX-30.

The Discovery Sport has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the CX-30 Turbo/Premium.

The Discovery Sport has a 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. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Aire/Premium.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Mazda charges extra for Homelink® on the CX-30.

Compared to traditional radio, the Land Rover Discovery Sport’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Land Rover Discovery Sport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the CX-30.