It isn’t often you can find a vehicle of this type that is (1) affordable and (2) actually fun to drive.

By Gary S. Vasilash

In 2024 Mazda North American Operations reported “record-breaking” sales. It sold 424,382 vehicles.

Of that total, 46,980 were cars. The remainder, 377,402 were crossovers.

The cars consisted mainly (as in 38,877) in the form of Mazda3s. The MX-5 Miata made up the balance in the car calculations.

But look at all of the crossovers.

The point is, Mazda has made a concerted shift away from the cars. Many driving enthusiasts who knew they needed to buy cars mainly for purposes of daily transportation would often opt for a Mazda because (1) it had sporty driving dynamics, (2) it was affordable and (3) it would do what needed to be done in terms of simply getting you to work or school in an appealing package.

Years ago at a press conference where an SUV was being introduced a writer for one of the buff books asked a company exec, “I get the utility part, but what about the sport?”

That must have been 20 years ago.

And in that time, while there has been an explosion of SUVs (or some would say “CUVs,” because most of them are based on car platforms so they are considered “crossovers,” but what isn’t taken into account is that many SUVs are based on truck platforms, so aren’t they crossovers, too?), the levels of stylistic sportiness, either in terms of the exterior sheet metal or the powertrain and chassis combination have been lacking.

Even the utility isn’t what one might think. People interested in carrying people and goods would be better off getting a minivan.

The Mazda CX-30 is sporty and it is comparatively affordable, with the trim driven here having an MSRP of $32,940, which is well under the average transaction price for a vehicle nowadays such that even though it is a bit so-so on the miles per gallon front—22 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, combined 25 mpg—you’d have cash left over for filling the tank quite readily, even if you opt to fill it with premium. Why would you do that? Because on premium the turbo-charged four produces 250 hp. On regular gas the output is 227 hp. So sportier is simply a bit more expensive.

The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic. There are paddles should you desire to shift-it-yourself, of course.

The vehicle features Mazda’s i-Activ AWD system, which monitors where the torque needs to go, and G-Vectoring Control Plus, which both adjusts torque and braking when cornering.

Chassis-wise, the front suspension is MacPherson strut with a stabilizer bar and in the rear a torsion-beam setup.

All of which goes to the point of this being sporty.

There is utility, too, given the configuration of the vehicle, offering 20.2 cubic feet with the rear seat in place (per EPA) and 45.2 cubic feet with the seat back folded (per SAE).

Given this is the S Carbon Turbo trim, there is an appropriate use of fitting materials, such as terracotta leatherette/suede seat coverings, as well as a suede material on the IP. The IP has a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen. There are, of course, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and even Alexa.

The bottom line: this is sport. And utility.

By Gary S. Vasilash

Here’s something interesting: the model year 2004 Mazda3 was the first of the first generation of Mazda’s compact car, which means the one considered here is what has occurred to it 20 years later.

Interestingly, there was a four-cylinder engine, as there is now, but whereas the 2.3-liter four in the early Mazda3 produced 160 hp, the turbocharged 2.5-liter engine in today’s model produces 250 hp running premium fuel or 227 hp should one opt for regular. (In the early models, the base engine was a 2.0-liter that produced 148 hp; the base engine for the ’24 models is the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter that produces 191 hp—regardless of octane (well, it at least has to be 87 octane)).

But bringing it just back to now, know that the Mazda3 2.5 Turbo (there is also a Carbon Turbo) is equipped with a six-speed automatic. (There is a six-speed manual for the other trims. And of that manual, one can only think: For now.*)

The Premium Plus trim is the top-of-the-line.

As such it has some exterior design differences from other models in the lineup. Mazda designers have consistently done superlative work over the past several years.

The front end of the Mazda3 has an appearance that is stylish, sophisticated and sporty, a trifecta that is difficult to pull off.

However when you get to the C-pillar and back things are not quite as good, which is predicated on the fact that it is difficult to style a compact sedan in a way that looks proportionate throughout, especially as there is a need to keep the roofline somewhat high in order to give people who sit in the rear some headroom.

Hatchbacks, like the Mazda3 hatch, lend themselves to a more cohesive design—which leads to a market curiosity: Hatches simply aren’t particularly popular.

(What is odd about that is “utility” vehicles are wildly popular.

And hatchbacks generally provide more utility, at least vis-à-vis cargo capacity.

In the case of the Mazda3, the sedan has EPA cargo volume of 13.2 cubic feet and the Mazda3 hatch has 20.1 cubic feet of capacity.

And while it might be assumed the increase in cargo capacity for the hatch is based on reducing passenger volume, the difference in passenger volume is a reduction of 0.1 cubic feet for the hatch, 92.7 cubic feet compared with 92.8 cubic feet.)

To resume.

The Mazda3 sedan is 183.5 inches long, 70.7 inches wide, and 56.9 inches high. It has a 107.3-inch wheelbase. Which is approximately the same size of other vehicles in its class (e.g., Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic).

The Premium Plus trim includes features like paddle shifters; keyless entry; wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay; a 12-speaker Bose audio system; 10.25-inch color center display; radar cruise control with stop and go capability; lane departure warning and lane keep assist; and more.

An issue with the Mazda3 Premium Plus is pricing. It starts at $35,800. The somewhat comparable top-of-the-line ’24 Civic Touring starts at $30,550. But it doesn’t have AWD. And the somewhat comparable Toyota Corolla Hybrid Nightshade AWD starts at $28,340. But as its name indicates, it is a hybrid.

In fact, the starting price for a ’24 Camry SE Nightshade AWD—not a hybrid—starts at $5,540 less than the Mazda3.

Mazda needs to work on its pricing.

*What is sad is that there is only one other car in the current Mazda lineup, the MX-5 Miata, with a manual gearbox. Through the first half of 2024 there were 4,004 MX-5s sold. Say you’re a Mazda exec in Hiroshima HQ and you see that number and note that with the exception of the just-released CX-70, the worst-selling Mazda crossover during the first half was the top-of-the-line CX-90, which had sales of 22,959 units—or 1,128 more than all of the cars (well, there are just the Mazda3 and MX-5) combined (21,831). Somehow that 4,004 doesn’t look all that worthwhile for the engineering and testing necessary for a manual.

A midsize SUV with something of a rational but curious difference. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2023 the mean family size in the average household was 3.15 members. While it is not clear what constitutes the other 0.85, it is clear that there are fewer than four whole family members.

And according to the 2022 American Community Survey, conducted by the Census Bureau, in 2022 68.7 workers aged 16 and above drove to work alone, which is an increase over 2021’s 67.8%, but well below 2019’s 75.9%.

One more data point: while this is constantly changing, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in August 2023, 19.5% of workers worked from home. Presumably that had an effect on the number of people who drove to work alone.

All of this is to perhaps provide a rationalization for the interior configuration of the Mazda CX-70, a large-ish midsize SUV: 200.8 inches long, 78.5 inches wide, 68.2 inches high; as a reference, the Ford Explorer is 198.7 inches long, 78.9 inches wide and 69.6 inches high.

You look at those numbers and figure that we’re talking about the same proverbial ballpark in terms of size. And you’re right.

But what’s different about the CX-70 compared to the Explorer and many other SUVs in this large-ish midsize segment is that it has two rows of seats, not three.

Given all of the data about the number of people and vehicle use, seating for five is probably pretty much all one would need on a regular basis. Or an irregular basis there is that need for a third row, a space that is generally not particularly accommodating, especially for those who have moved on from elementary school.

Still, there is a tendency to opt for the “just in case,” so plenty of people buy three-row SUVs, even if that third row is always folded flat.

And Mazda offers the CX-90, which is the dimensional twin of the CX-70, though with the third row.

This additional complexity in the lineup is curious. As is the fact that when I visited the Mazda shopping site, the starting MSRP for a 2024 CX-90 was $37,845 and for a 2025 CX-70 $40,445, and while there are undoubtedly some content differences, it seems, well, odd.

But in terms of passenger roominess it is worth noting that the two vehicles have the same passenger volume: 141.6 cubic feet, which goes to the point of the third row inhabitants not being particularly happy.

Back to the vehicle at hand.

Like all the CX-70 trims, it is AWD.

It is powered by a 3.3-liter, turbocharged in-line six cylinder engine that produces 340 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque (with premium fuel). There is an eight-speed automatic transmission.

While Mazda has been known for the past few years of providing exterior designs for its lineup of vehicles that put it in a very small category of OEMs that are consistently innovating, the CX-70’s exterior design is certainly handsome, but it is not as distinctive as Mazdas have been.

It seems as though for the CX-70 they decided they’d put the focus on the interior design. In this Premium Plus package there are the 12.3-inch Mazda Connect center infotainment display, seven-inch TFT LCD instrument panel display, head-up display, Bose 12-speaker audio, Mazda Online Navigation with over-the-air update capability, wireless phone charging, keyless entry, and more.

What is surprising is not the Nappa leather for the seats or the two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel. But the fact that there are suede inserts on the dash.

There is a wide range of driver assistance tech, ranging from traffic sign recognition to cruise control with stop-and-go capability.

Fitted with “Mazda Genuine Towing Accessories” it can tow up to 5,000 pounds.

The starting MSRP for the vehicle is $55,950.

While that is certainly understandable given what is listed on the sticker and in the general overall performance of the vehicle (though I did experience some turbo lag on occasion), what will probably make it difficult for people to opt for it is that seat delete.