The Zoom-Zoom EV Or The Doomed-Doomed EV? | 2022 Mazda MX-30 Review
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- Опубліковано 24 лип 2024
- Is it too little too late? Or is it the rational commuter car you've been looking for? With just 100 miles of range, the MX-30 is one of the most controversial EVs in America.
According to the numbers, most Americans drive less than 30 miles a day and the vast majority of EV owners have other cars available for longer journeys, so the MX-30 should make sense. But for many shoppers, range anxiety is real, even if it's irrational. For them, and honestly for the rest of us, the better MX-30 is coming later in the form of the plug-in hybrid model expected later in 2022.
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These are going to be great in a few years for $10-$15k. Just like the BMW i3, they made no sense at $40k but are very attractive used below $15k.
They will not last a FEW years because of the small batteries having to be charged EVERY DAY...........Paul
@@paulholterhaus7084 The BMW i3’s have aged fine, why would the newer Mazda be any different?
@@paulholterhaus7084 What data do you base that on because I don't see any? If you're charging every day you dint buy this car in the first place.
@@aussie2uGA imo, that i3 is gonna be a classic. Also, it drives incredible. This Mazda is nowhere near as nimble or quick
@@DanielRomero
100%. There's still nothing like the i3, both in driving dynamics and engineering quirkyness (lightweight rwd CARBON-FIBRE HATCHBACK).
This will likely depreciate HARD like the i3 but it's quite a bit slower and has a fwd drivetrain. I'd have a completely different view on this car if it had 200hp like the Bolt (which is very fun to drive).
The big problem with the MX-30 is price. They want to charge a premium for an average/poor performing electric motor and low range. Pretty much every other EV is a better buy. I think you're right that the REX version will be interesting, but even that will fail if it's another few thousand on top of this EV model. Convincing Americans that 100 miles is OK would be a challenge even at a low price. I was thinking about buying one of these as a 2nd city runabout car until I saw the MSRP, as I agree that limited range is fine as long as you have one car in the stable that can do longer trip duty. Given the state of competition, Mazda needs to drop this thing 4-8k. I don't see it happening.
Honestly this just screams "compliance car." It's priced this way because they don't want anyone to buy it and they don't want to manufacture it. They just don't want to get penalized because CA is requiring manufacturers to offer electric cars.
I agree with you 100% nobody is going to buy this car with a 100 mile range.
Mazda is expecting Americans to realize how much range they actually need everyday, but in reality, Americans want the most range they can get in their budget. This just isn’t competitive until the range increases.
Out of all the cheaper EVs on sale now, I’d probably take a Mini Cooper SE. Everyone says that car is a lot of fun and it is a decent deal after tax rebates.
i think alot of wealthy californian parents will buy it for their kids as a first car.
i think california has a high rate of wealthy 2 car households having a second ICE car for longer trips which is why they've focused on that state in particular.
@@sockself especially on the used market when the prices for the MX-30 plummet. I think kids would go for the Mini Cooper SE first, but good point
I love how you keep it professional and don’t trash the car from the start like other reviewers, still I don’t see a huge market for the Mx-30 but Atleast Mazda is trying to get into the EV game.
No they not
Mazda isn't really trying to get into the EV game, they are doing the bare minimum to meet California regulations. Hence, this compliance car.
This is basically a CA compliance car. They just aren't serious about electric cars and this car won't sell. While this is cheap, so is the Nissan Leaf, which has much better range.
It's a compliance car to meet the absolute minimum for California regulations in order to keep selling vehicles in California. Absolutely the automotive equivalent of your 4yr old sitting there moving peas around the plate whining "How much of this yucky stuff do I have to eat before I can go play?!"
just glad Ford scraped plans for one and made the MachE instead.... and I'm sure Ford is happy that did too...who knows what Mazda is smoking, to think this will sell at this price?
@@nc3826 Ford didn’t scrap their original plans for a compliance EV. Remember the Focus Electric?
GW: have fun living in the past... and good luck with those meds..
@@nc3826 lol how am I living in the past? Because I mentioned a car from 10 years ago?
GW: ofc... now go to talk to your therapist... about why you waste time being trivial? ;)
Did I just miss when they changed their motto to Feel Alive?
What I'm curious about is whether people getting 300 mile range EVs end up charging like once a month or if they always keep it topped off. I could totally see charging this maybe every 3 days or every weekend, which really speaks to the reality of most people's commutes.
I like the way it looks. But yeah I'm more interested in the plug in hybrid as that seems far more pragmatic to me.
I agree with other reviewers that there is no reasonable usage scenario for the MX30. For 25K you can get a much larger and more comfortable used car and by definition a short commute doesn't use much fuel. For those who are environmentally conscious a used care clearly has a far more benign affect on the environment than a new one.
You can also get a CX-30 for that price which may be a lot more reasonable as a daily driver.
I could see it as a retirement city car. Also, for the kind of family that doesn't care about the cost bc they have 4-6 vehicles anyway.
Really though Americans just have not bought cars this small in any real quantity in decades. Electric still isn't a good value proposition for the economy market. You go electric for the novelty.
I would suggest you check out the new ev vs used fuel efficent car argument on engineering explained. Only in specific rare scenarios is a used car more environmentally friendly then a new ev.
It would work for elderly people that only drive around the city. And it would work for those that have an average commute and have 2 or more cars with normal range. Also, not needing to pay for gas or having to go to a gas station is the real benefit for my EV ownership.
Your average older used car generates a lot of pollution and carbon use. If it's a recent car, a lot less so.
Thanks, Alex for the review. The MX-30 is fine and as usual Mazda likes to be a little unique.
I'm a Mazda owner and fan and I'm really interested in the new CX-50 and looking forward to you/media finally getting to drive and test one, hopefully soon!
I would seriously consider buying a hybrid CX-50 in a few years. Thanks again from a loyal subscriber.
100 miles for $27,000
I remember the original LEAF had the same problem. However, considering there are some people with extremely low range requirements, garages to charge it and don't want to spend more than $30,000 on a vehicle, I think it could possibly work.
We love our MX-30. Fun to drive, really comfortable and quit.
Range? No problems at all, we have a need of 40-80 miles per day (and the range is really about 120 miles with good conditiond, 100 miles around zero), and charge it over night with the granny charger at home.
We live in the country side, so need 2 cars anyway, so have a diesel for Longer trips, but 90% of our milage is done in the MX-30.
It's a perfect second car for us, and we are very happy with it.
The MX-30 is such an odd car. I love the design, the interior, and the half-doors. But with a starting price of ~$33.5k, when a leaf with the upgraded 62kwh battery is ~$32.5k.... I just don't see the point. If Mazda had offered double the range for a couple thousand more or something, I'd definitely be interested, I find the MX-30 way way more interesting than a Leaf. But at the price point with the range and (admittedly) less practicality than a leaf... It feels more like a compliance car
Agreed. I love Mazda and really want to love the MX-30, but it really seems half baked, especially considering this is Mazda's first EV. I'm not even concerned about the range - for me, it's the door setup which stands out the most as an absolutely bizarre choice. Did they do it as a weight saving measure? Then there's the cavernous hood cavity which other manufacturers would have developed into a front trunk. And it's slow. The Leaf and Bolt handily beat it in 0-60. What a hard miss for Mazda.
@@ekuhlkamp I'm the opposite, i actually love the half-doors lol, even though I know they're not as practical
Alex, you can find the good in ANY vehicle!! This proves it!
A range extender would be HUGE benefit for this thing. Will be interesting to see what they spec that at.
I had a BMW I3 with a range extender for several years, it worked very well, I had combined range of 160 miles. But in winter heater is resistive, range dropped dramatically. Lost 20 to 25 percent of range on my commute. Had to charge every day. Traded for an EV with 200 mile range. Still would rather have a 300 mile range. Not everyone can charge at home, the Mazda doesn’t make sense for people.
Just curious, now often do you charge and what's your average daily commute? I keep thinking about a long range battery with 300 miles or an AWD setup with closer to 200 miles, but still wouldn't need to charge either every day. Do you keep it topped up all the time or just charge once you hit 50 miles of range?
@@PaulHo commute is between 44 to 60 miles a day , charge about every 3rd day at home.
If they did an MX-50 with 100 miles range + range extender, then it'll be a winner.
For the same price :D
That won't happen. If/when they have a range extender they will use that as an opportunity to shrink the battery a LOT.
using 80:20 rule for Li batteries, you have 60 miles. minus at least 30% when its cold as no heat pump, ~40 miles usable. its just so hard to justify.
not when the average person drives less 30 miles a day and even less in most cities... so what EV are you planing to buy instead? lol
it just cost to much vs the much longer range alternatives... ie the much larger longer range US version ID4 will sold for $35k this year...
we would just need the $4.5 Wuling is a true EV city and its price justifies its short range or even if it cost much more....
Uh, not really. Modern batteries are pretty good at hitting their ranges in normal temperatures. It won't be of much use in cold climates, but half the population lives in places with fairly mild winters where range won't be down that much. I wouldn't want to be counting on that 100 miles in any situation, but 75, no problem in almost all of California, and many other places. That's enough for the great majority of commutes and ordinary daily driving. However, that still presupposes that the owner(s) have another vehicle more suited to long trips.
I'm less bothered by the range than I am other unnecessary compromises. The CX-30 back seat was on the small side for the class, but could handle most adults acceptably, but this one is ridiculous for anyone but a small kid. The suicide doors were just a stupid decision. They limit access and give a poor view out from front and back seats. Dumb and pointless, driven by styling at the expense of practicality.
I will be interested in seeing what the PHEV version is like. I hope it isn't crippled by a tiny gas tank.
I looked at it, but my excitement was squashed. Having a 2016 Leaf, 100 miles is not enough. It gives 50-60 miles of real range. Not enough if you need to drive back to work more than once a day. Have to have a backup car, instead of just owning 1 car.
Why did they even make this? It could've at least been the first truly affordable ev. About 20k for 100 miles isn't too bad
Doomed-Doomed, well played Alex ;-) On the subject of Mazda, has anyone else noticed the curious cross-pollination going on in the new Toyota-Mazda 'joint venture' plant in Alabama?
The CX-50 gets a Toyota Hybrid powertrain and the FWD Corolla Cross gets a Mazda Torture Beam Rear Suspension® .
Perfect : PHEV w/ 100mi ev daily range and range extender for occasional longer road trips.
Bad : body too small, suicide doors.
Solution: Put the drive train in a cx5 body.
Nice looking vehicle (I even like the side view). Might be a good fit for our situation--we're older/retired, and our average outing is less than 15 miles roundtrip, maybe once or twice a week, and our second car [a 20-year-old Honda Civic] is getting really long-in-the-tooth...
Thoughts on the BMW i3? The styling is pretty polarizing but some love it. They've depreciated comically fast and can be found for way less than this car, with similar range.
Sounds like you almost never take long car trips, so if you like the price this may be the car for you....in California.
I live in an apartment and have a Kia Niro EV which gets 250ish on a charge. I can charge it at a public station and then forget about it for a week or two. This Mazda might work for a home owner with charging in the garage but not if you are dependent on public charging. The lease specials on the Kona and Niro EVs are the same price or lower!!
Honestly, I don't even care about the range as much as I am annoyed by the doors. My rear passengers would feel very clausterphopic and if I need to access the rear seats, I would be very annoying having to open the front doors every single time to access it.
Range extender sound a lot like an APU "auxiliary power unit" in airplanes.
It's a great idea because you can lower the battery weight and cost. The apu can charge the battery with gasoline or diesel as your driving, and the elec propulsion motors can move you forward.
Another advantage is that the APU is running at a constant rpm improving engine efficiency.
This will also alleviate your range anxiety.
Most countries do not have the EV infrastructure that the USA or Eu nations enjoy. A gas APU would help taxi drivers and commercial fleet to transition to EV
Then it'll be just like the BMW i3. Which was also a pretty bad ev 😅
An aircraft APU provides startup power for the engines, powers interior lighting, and avionics in emergencies. It is not capable of providing propulsion whatsoever. So a range extender is much more capable.
This has potential. Say a little 2 cylinder 600cc 60hp engine.
@@yystl are you a pilot thats flies an airplane with an APU by any chance?
@@gregkramer5588 yes
as a used car, meant as a 3rd car, or for a new teen driver, this is perfect. other than that.....ugh mazda, what a waste of effort.
The range extender version will be interesting if it uses a very small light rotary engine for the genset. Mazda has shown a prototype of a rotary engine range extender. That would fit in with keeping the vehicle light while giving Mazda rotary engine a future.
Hope it won’t have the same reliability as the RX-8🤞 More so, I hope it comes to America in the first place.
Seems like a lot of cost and trouble to engineer a vehicle that wont sell at all!
Shame they are using compliance era logic of building the cheapest possible BEV in hopes of selling enough of them. so it won't be fined....
That Ford almost fell into, before it scraped plans for one and produced the MachE instead...
Mazda does not expect it to sell............Only 250 units alloted to the US..........Paul
I'd be interested in a plug in hybrid version of this car if it went true EV mode for the first 90-100 miles. My 2017 Volt gets about 50 miles of EV range which is normally enough for daily driving but I regularly have to drive 60-80 miles in a day to visit nearby lakes, mountains, and other recreation. It would be nice to do those trips without using the gas engine. I am also considering going full EV, especially if I can get my hands on an Ioniq 5.
Suggestion, keep the Volt until 2025...there will be many better choices, chips will be plentiful and you can probably buy a good car for less than the MSRP. 🙂
Good review for this near premium commuter. Shame you cannot test the Honda e.
Just ordered my EV, and will be picking it up this week. This will be our main car, so I picked an eNiro with the big battery. This car wasn’t even on my radar because the range is pretty close to hopeless for us. A shame because it’s quite a decent wagon, with perhaps a too long bonnet. It’s not especially efficient either.
Smart choice.
Why did you exclude the Bolt from the comparison??
The rear seems reminiscent to the Volvo C30. And like the C30, I appreciate the design; yet cannot imagine owning one. For the size, range , and price I will always go with the Mini.
Other than the price, as others have noted, my main complaint with it is the charging speed. Both at home as the video mentioned but also the very very low fast DC charging. In 2-3 years you'll be able to drive this car cross country as the number of charging stations goes up by a factor of 10x. However, 45 minutes every 2 hours isn't going to cut it. If they had gotten it to under 30 a lot of people would have put up with a slow drive a few times per year.
The look is beautiful, but need longer range for my particular interest.
I didn’t understand the range extending comment that involved the Volt. The Volt’s motor really only generates electricity that drives the electric motor for the wheels. There is no traditional drivetrain on the Volt either. I’m hoping the rang extender model will go on sale nationwide. I’d like to see a replacement for my 2017 Volt in the next 2-3 years.
The Voltec drivetrain in the Volt is very sophisticated. The engine does drive the electric motors at all times as you say. It can also connect the engine to the wheels at highway speed when that is most efficient. The BMW range extender is a separate genset. The Mazda range extender is likely to be similar to the i3 but might use a small light rotary engine.
Initially Chevy claimed the engine didn't drive the wheels, but people quickly came up with situations in which it obviously did, and GM had to admit they were right. It's conceptually not that different from the Toyota hybrid system.
A CUV with a REx is exactly what the electrification of America needs to really get going. Excited to see THAT review
I live in LA and my commute is about 5 miles each way in usually stop and go traffic on the 405. A much less expensive, subcompact electric car would be practical for 95% of my driving.
maybe if they deliver in hatch form with range extender with rear seats rearward itll work
It kinda is like the scion xa in 2004 release when it was new in San Fransisco and California . And reminds me of the Honda Element
Alex, how can you forget to mention the Chevy Bolt twins?!? Subcompact electric fwd hatchbacks with 200+ miles of range. The LG’s battery issues have been fixed apparently, and both versions are back on sale I believe. Not mentioning the electric Chevy Bolt twins is a glaring oversight!
I think Chevy only pushed a software update as a temporary fix so owners can charge in their garage. I think it limits range to 80%. There’s no inventory in my densely populated area and no articles I could find saying they are selling Bolts. Bolt would easily win against the MX-30
@@garrettw99 The Bolt is probably going to be replaced by the Equinox EV in two years.
@@rizzlerazzleuno4733 it’s possible, but I don’t think they have started to sell the new generation Bolt or Bolt EUV yet because of the battery recall. I just can’t see them spending the R&D on the new Bolt and dumping it in a few years. I think the Bolt is cheaper too.
I actually think this is really cool looking car. Bring on the rotary hybrid version and i would be seriously interested.
i hate that car companies are trying to convince us we already don't really want phev's and are just using them as stepping stones to EV's. even the reviewers seem to indicate this, as if our problem is their problem (range). it isn't my personal problem with EV's is how slow even "fast charging" is. I can stop off for gas in an emergency when I'm running late, it takes 2-3 minutes. range isn't a problem, it's just what's causing us to see the real problem because we will face this reality often of having to sit around for 15-20 minutes, if the charger is open/free, just for a quarter tank.
The issue with short range EV's is that plugin hybrids exist. If this had a range extender like an i3 it woulda been fine too, but this just isn't going to sell anywhere outside of places like southern california where conditions are so bad that this is actually a viable option. These kinds of vehicles will only survive when there are no other options due to legislation and other worldly factors. With it being a california exclusive vehicle that should tell you right there this thing isn't really meant to be sold to the general public.
I am waiting for a phev pickup truck but they seem to just want to skip the phev stage and go straight to electric, which sucks imo. I might snag a grand cherokee phev since it can still tow 6k and I don't NEED a truck, I just wanted one. I understand PHEV's are very complicated in comparison to full EV's, which is why most automakers are skipping them, but it still would be nice for the option since it would drastically help with the battery supply issue without having to waste more batteries on worthless products like this MX-30
PHEVs are not that complicated. Toyota has been doing it successfully for many years as have many other automakers. Many PHEV models are sold in Europe and Asia that we don't get here.
If they completely revert the interior to the Mazda 3/CX30's masterclass I'd consider the range extended model. But covering half the car in cruddy black plastic murders Mazda's amazing styling and colours.
Feels like they had a nearly perfect car with Mazda 3 but electric then had a meeting to brainstorm "how many ways can we make it slightly worse?"
2:10 "myself include, we would all be driving to work in vehicles like the MX-30"
Alex, I believe the first EV review I ever read was yours on TTAC regarding the LEAF. IIRC you had to beg, steal and borrow range to make it to work and back in a day and that vehicle had about the same capacity as this.
The EV world has moved on since then and there can be very few people who still think 100 miles is good enough, and even less people who think $30k for a compromised 2nd car is justifiable. Mazda claim that they're only a small company who can't afford big EV development, but at the time of that first review of yours Tesla were known only for selling a handful of modified Lotus's each year to rich fools.
2:58 The rear end reminds me of Ultron's cousin... Dulltron
Nothing Pragmatic about 100 mile summer range, when you have Winter like here. It's -25C today, so what cut the safe range down to 50 or 60 miles.
What about the Bolt? Why not compare it to that? I know the Bolt is better, like the Mach-E, but seems a closer match.
i would love a 100 mile or even a 50 mile range if I knew I could just do a quick fill up with gas if I need to tow or power goes out in the night.
hmm Dont Corks Shrink after a while and if its that flat kind would it not absorb oil if it got on it? .
Id Personally get a Nissan Leaf for this Price. Lower end one least get a few more miles for similar price. lol
And sorry id have no use for this. Drive to work is over 70 mi to and 70 back.
I may not be a car reviewer for a living but I did stay at Holiday Inn Express last night, and I think this vehicle is going to bomb.
The present MX-30 is a placeholder; a second commuter car or a 'possible' city car.
The upcoming Generator version is the key to sales . . . as Alex said, is it going to be an i3 with a small gas tank and battery to boost EV Points, is it going to be similar to the Volt with a good combined range, is a larger battery going to become an option or the norm . . . . .
. . . stay tuned, folks.
With the rotary range extender it would be great!
Call me a cynic but other car manufacturers must be thrilled with the production and pricing of this vehicle as it gives them a rationale for continuing to price better electric vehicles considerably more expensive than similar ICE vehicles
The MX-30 has some strengths, but shoppers resist cars that have glaring weaknesses whatever their strengths may be. How is the Smart car doing in the US?
Well said.
Using the Leaf play book…the Mx30 plus might be in the horizon
Even the base Leaf has 50% more range and is $10k cheaper.
Mazda has great styling but I wish that they weren't so heavy on black/gray interiors. Lighter interior colors would, for me, be more desirable.
They've mastered the "driving in a cave" aesthetic? Or maybe a submarine...that back seat has little more than "porthole" windows.
It has such a unique beautiful interior that reminds me of my Volvo V50. . If they could make this more powerful and with more range, it would be an ideal car like my Volvo and I would maybe drive this over a Civic hybrid for the interior alone. But maybe not. :) It's much better looking than the CX-30 though.
U gotta be crazy buying an EV with the range of 100 miles for $39K
Perhaps if there is a lease deal where you can break even after all government incentives you might want to consider the base model.
My thoughts on the range: Sure, the average driver drives less than 100 per day (on average). BUT, if I drive 25 mile each way to work, this is fine. 50 miles round trip. But it isn’t really uncommon that I need to go pick something up 10 miles out of my way. That jumps me up to 60 miles for those days. And what if I get a call to go to see a friend or my granddaughter and that add another 30 miles to my day. Now I’m right up to that 100 miles. It doens’t take me much to add 50 to 70 miles to any given day. Can you imagine tell your friend, I can’t come see you because I have to go charge my car. Oh, then winter hits and that 100 miles becomes 60. The minimum range must be 200 because we don’t want to restrict the rest of our lives that way.
The number of people who still lament the loss of the Volt in the marketplace is quite large. Adding in a range extender and the entire car being just under $30K with the credit will be a big change in the marketplace. The other problem with the Volt was that the $40K price and the miserable 40 mile actual range on pure electric, meaning that most people had to charge it at work to be most efficient. Sure, you could turn on the range extender, but it was basically a hybrid at that point. And actual hybrids existed which were better.
This, with the 100 mile range and a generator? Exactly what people will want. Pure EV, easily charges on a wall socket overnight, and the generator for those family road trips.
Yep, will be much more popular as a PHEV.
think the look is nice, it could be smaller and go for a nice hatch back look... but the 100 mile range is a no go.
I've pretty seriously considered leasing one of these as a second car, but the range is just a little too short for me. My commute is about 50 mies round trip, so that would be OK, but sometimes I need to drive to other parts of the Bay Area, and then the range becomes more of a problem. It looks like it would be possible to get a pretty good deal on one, though.
i get spur of the moment travel, but people who buy this as a 2nd vehicle would then plan accordingly. it's why you still have your first car.
100 miles which will be down to 60 to 70 miles in cold weather.
This MX-30 needs to be at least $5k cheaper than a base 149 mile range Nissan LEAF. Which has an MSRP of $27,400. 100 miles of range for $31,775 is not pragmatic.
I know vehicle manufacturers do their homework before releasing a new model. This one still leaves me wondering what market they were modeling. It's unbelievable.
The European market probably, first and foremost. And specifically those people who have the brains to realise that they charge their EVs every night even though it has a 100 more miles to go - so they can perfectly well let go of those extra 100 miles and drive a cheaper, more eco-friendly and more fun car.
I borrowed an i3 for a weekend some years ago and the door arrangement was a DISASTER with kids. Trying to get into it while parked in my garage was a total PITA. Same when parked in a parking lot. no thanks.
Interesting effort by Mazda. I'm wondering about Alex's comment that FWD EVs handle better in snow than RWD EVs. Don't EVs have a better weight distribution than most ICE? There may not be much difference in snow between FWD and RWD EVs.
1:33 but its only sold in one state. California. Lol.
I wouldn’t mind having the range extended version if it was awd.
Then it would be more expensive.......Already too expensive.................Paul
Fuel Economy grade is misleading. You should have separate grading for Fuel Economy and Battery Efficiency and also add a grade for Range - which is a more important category for EV Buyers.
The rear end looks all wrong. Mazda should have considered putting a light strip across all of the tailgate.
The problem is that it can’t be your only vehicle. So…for a family where one person can commit to no more than (realistically) 70 miles per day and doesn’t have kids getting into and out of the rear seat, it almost makes sense. The slice of the market this appeals to is razor thin.
At only 9 minutes into the video, the MX-30 is a hard line cross off my electric car or hybrid car list. I do in general like the styling, especially the front end, but I find the way the doors work for access in and out to be cumbersome at best and generally cramped overall. And the practical range of only 50 to 80 miles is totally unacceptable, especially with a 6 to 12 hour charge time at best. This car’s market appeal is going to be a ‘splat!’ Like a water balloon on contact with the ground.
The massive fail of the 1st generation compliance battery EV cars was their very short 50 to 80 mile range and their laughably long and slow charge times.
At least with the 1st generation leaf, they offered the option of rapid charging and a fairly roomy and easily accessible cabin. And now there are battery upgrades available at a fairly reasonable price to extend the range out to 150 to 270 miles.
Now, I am going to watch the rest of the video to see if I can find a redeeming set of features to generate any real reason to buy this car. And be amused at your ergonomic demonstrations of the functional use of this car.
Also: California only? What is this? 2016?
I'd call it a market probe, but I hope Mazda doesn't draw conclusions about the EV market based on the sales of the MX-30.
Combined legroom is LESS than the Mini...WTF HOW?! The back seat of a Mini is freakishly small.
If Mazda could bring the range above 200 Miles, this would fulfill the Niche of the Affordable EV millions are seeking. 100 Miles is the deal-breaker, especially when one factors in Heating/Cooling & any inclined/hilly/mountainous destinations.
Hey Alex I like to sleep at night without having the night mare of running out of electric..Like Mazdas will wait for the motor add on.
I tried to get a lease on this.... First number they came back with was $560 with 1300 down.... this is hilarious not for the small battery but the horrible residual... I didn't want to waste my time and see the final offer... I just walked out...
Alex, your comparisons don't do justice to the price gouging going on... there are no deals to be had... (when you say deals deals deals). Even the Leaf lease SV is impossible to get at $200 with $3000 down
The base Ioniq 5 is more expensive but a much better value IMO. Both will depreciate rather quickly once this massive shortage ebbs, but the tax incentives/credits will buffer the impact of that a bit for a few years.
Hopefully the PHEV offers more than a Chevy Volt in terms of range, fast charging, etc. Otherwise, the Equinox EV is going to blow the BEV out of the water in terms of price and range.
This makes no sense with gas cars and plug in hybrids still on sale today.
Definitely just a placeholder for Mazda. A proverbial toe in the EV door; not even a whole foot. We'll see better from them in 3-5 years.
Let's hope. This is for the ding dongs that said they would be happy with the original GM electric car. Short range and slow charging. It's back to the future.
You forgot about the Bolt EV and the EUV. I know they are technically not on sale right now and battery fire jokes aside those two are way more compelling than this. About the same price way more range and a bigger backseat.
Looks like Bolt will be replaced by the Equinox in 2023. It may become a collector's item. 🤔
Perfect for retirement communities and well heeled island enclaves like Martha's Vineyard, where an E-Z-GO simply won't impress.
I think they are waiting for a Rolls Royce EV and they can keep the E-Z-Go in the trunk for the hired help.
I have no idea why they made this. I’ve owned multiple Mazdas and love the brand. This car is hideous and the range is just terrible. Worst Mazda in a very long time, so disappointing from such a great car company. Why didn’t they adapt the CX5? I just don’t see the point if it can’t do at least 200 miles, which in the real world will be less. The major concern with EVs is range anxiety, and this doesn’t help to alleviate that in any way. I sure hope Mazda reads this comment, they need to step it up if they want to be relevant in the EV space.
Good points, I loved my 2014 Mazda 3 hatchback with its 40 mpg Skyactiv engine. This car is a placeholder for the PHEV model, but I wish they built it without all the plastic cladding.
💯
I still don’t understand why Mazda didn’t leverage their partnership with Toyota to incorporate their hybrid synergy drive. You’d still get better fuel efficiency than pure gas, and the GS450h and LS600h proved that hybrid cars can still be sporty. Instead they make an EV with atrocious range (compounded by the rarity of charging stations compared to their gasoline equivalents) and mediocre performance.
They need to make it a hybrid. Then it would make some sense.
If they would give me the incentives off the sticker I might look at an EV. There is a reason most EV buyers qualify.
At $26K it's cost matches its content. A Mach E or Model Y cost twice as much and if you sat in either of them and then sat in a BMW X3M40i, you'd weep at the quality difference you are giving up to have an EV. At least this Mazda's price exactly matches what you'd expect to pay for a vehicle like it.
The driving cost per mile with an EV is wayyyy less than an X3M40i
Price have to go down or range up
I was under the impression that range anxiety is EV #1 people issue. Does Mazda engineers ever heard about it?
As an Ev owner (chevy Bolt) range anxiety turned out to be non issue, or at least an easily dealt with issue. But I have gas cars if I need to go out of town.
We have to remember that the US is _not_ their only market. In Japan, China, and Western Europe commutes are mostly short and people aren't accustomed to taking long road trips. EVs with shorter range have been sold in those markets for years. I suspect Mazda is only selling this in California for compliance reasons, and don't really think of this as a plausible vehicle for the US. If they can pick up a few extra sales, it's nice, but not important.
Those EPA efficiency numbers are pretty bad for a small EV.
if it was like a chevy volt with 100km ev range, it would probably sell alot better.
This with a range extender, though, will be exactly that. The problem with the Volt was the average 30 miles you could get before the generator turned on. For $15K more than a Prius at the time, it made no sense. 70-80 miles usable range on pure electric before the generator turns on will be huge, though. Run 60 miles to work, park it and turn the generator on. Burn a gallon of gas to recharge it if you can't plug it in at work. Drive home and plug it in. Win-win for under $30K with the tax credit. And a potential unlimited range on the generator if you really need to do a long trip with it. I count 2 minutes to fill a 3-4 gallon tank to be a non-issue for those occasional long road trips.
Considering the average commute of the Japanese buyer the 100 miles is ok. Still I believe is not something that really makes a difference for the American buyer.
This car desperately needs that range-extender, which I've heard is supposed to be rotary-powered. I don't know why they bothered debuting it without one. They should have just waited until everything was ready. I also don't think a rotary engine is the best choice, at least not in terms of reliability. It's much smaller than a piston engine but that's really the only advantage.
Do you actually need a focus group to tell Mazda they have no clue?
2010 Nissan leaf just called. it wants its battery back