2020 Mazda CX-30 vs. 2021 Kia Seltos Off-Road: Can You Guess Which One Struggled?
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- Опубліковано 18 кві 2020
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( www.TFLcar.com ) The 2021 Kia Seltos and 2020 Mazda CX-30 are both all-wheel drive crossovers that promise a solid driving experience on the road, but what happens when you take either one of the beaten track? Roman and Tommy find out in this off-road review!
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#Mazda #Kia #Offroad - Авто та транспорт
You guys are a great team. That was very enjoyable.
Both have AWD. And are very good in the snow covered roads. Which what it’s made for......Commuting to work.
Exactly, I have the Seltos, and it's perfect for what I need it for: something not too big, but still sits high off the ground, has AWD for when I need it. Storage space, etc. It's versatile for what I need it for, commuting.
Ima go with a seltos for working at a ski resort
The 2021 CX-30 has ground clearance of 8", or an increase from the 2020 of 6.9". The Seltos remains at 7.3" for 2021.
Thank you for your review. It seems like Mazda was watching.
Yeah I have the 2023 and it still has 8" ground clearance.
Yeah , qi was going to say the same thing 8”.
Who lets you borrow these vehicles to tear up?
i really like how TFL gets better and better every year. writing has improved a lot and so has content and quality.
I really appreciate you guys taking cars to the limit (off road, EV towing, etc). It's not how most people would use them, but it's how I would use my own vehicle.
Buy a truck
I'm guessing the "steep grade" thing in the Kia is the computer assuming you're trying to hold the car using gas instead of brake. It wants you to hold the car with brake so you don't burn the clutch
I have a 2019 Kia Soul! with the dual clutch. You can feel it roll back a bit on steep slopes before it engages. The best thing to do is to turn sport mode on (this sets the idle to 900 rpm up from 550 rpm base idle) and use your left foot to come off the brake when using your right foot to press the gas at the same time. No rollback or jerky engagement. Once you understand that this car drives like a manual, because it is, it drives quite nice.
Perhaps if the Kia off road mode was engaged first for the step test, the transmission would not have overheated.
@@icare7151 I don't think so. It's about gearing. It cant simply go in gear without clutch that slow. Low range is needed offroad if you like your clutch.
I agree. DCT is a great design but doesn't have universal application. IMO torque converter autos are more capable for off road.
@@georgehuser4711 I agree. I drive a 4WD these are AWD. I don't use low range much but when I do . . . Front centre and rear diff locks are available. In my SUV centre and rear diff locks are available in 4WD high range so that handles most things. 8 speed torque converter auto helps too.
Just got the CX30 and love it!!
Made in Mejico?
@@eric9249 no idea...
Just got a 2021 CX-30 this week. Really enjoying it. And yes, it is assembled in Mexico. I'm guessing Japanese engineers and managers are making sure the quality stays on par. It is a really nice put together car and fun to drive.
@@anonymous00117 oh well...
I bought a 2016 Mazda CX-5 sport with 38k miles on it and I couldn't be happier. It gets me to the trail head and makes city driving in Denver relaxing and easy. I sold my old Ram power wagon and I do miss it but with gas prices it got to the point where I couldn't afford to drive it recreationally which defeats the purpose of owning one, imo. I tinted the windows and installed a single sealed 12" subwoofer to accompany the factory sound system and it sounds great and looks great. Another interesting thing is that it has 64k miles on it now and it sells now for what I originally paid for it so around 18k.
Now I have a proper conventional automatic vs DCT video to use as a reference regarding taking crossovers off-road. Keep it up, thanks for uploading.
I like the camaraderie between you two. I always admire a good father son relationship. Keep up the good work.
You guys continue to rock! Thank you for all of the excellent content.
I love the tests you do, TFL! Thanks!
My conclusion, they are both ski trip cars.
Bingo.
If the ski trip doesn't have deep snow on the way there.
Or just all weather cars. Really don’t think these vehicles were designed for “off roading”
@@MrAntoniorey None of these compact Suv's are designed for off-roading they are called light off-roading. Only one vehilce may do better is a Subaru Crosstrek, but still its not a real off-roader.
SUVs are not designed for " off roading " . They are made to be family vehicles that are good in the snow or for going to the cottage on dirt roads ..etc.
Jeff Hebert SUVs are more for off roaring. These aren’t SUVs but CUVs.
The Seltos is much better looking than the Kona
💯
The Kona is hideous.
I'm Not Using My Real Name true. With that frog looking lights
Nah both the Hyundai Kona and Kia Seltos are beautiful cars along with the CX-30. I think the Kia Sportage is a hideous car.
I’ve got a 2015 Sonata and the engine blew up at 42,000 miles despite changing the oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles.
I'd rather drive a mazda cx-30 :)
Would the Seltos’ transmission be less likely to overheat if you used the manual/sport shift mode? I am just wondering.
yes. he also should have used the brake instead of putting all the pressure on the clutches every time he let off the gas. He's like duh, it's telling me to use my brake? But you see him rolling back anyway.
I think more realistic, the buyers of these cars aren't going off road to this extent, might be better to test access to hiking trails and for many, testing how they grip in snow.
Your video convinced me to scratch the Seltos from my small SUV list of possibilities. The same dual clutch overheating might happen in a heavy snow environment I face in Minnesota every winter.
I own a Seltos SX Turbo and absolutely love it. I would never off-road it like you have here. The other family car is a Cherokee Trailhawk and it does everything we need it too. This comes from a former Wrangler owner that just got sick of driving *the BEST* off-roader ever, on road more than off-road. Thanks for the video!!!
I used to live in eastern Russia where I remember having to "offroad" on the daily basis just to run errands and go to work because our "roads" are just atrocious, so offroading is not fun at all for me.
This guy knows... I was insanely crammed for time, get a car and show up for work type of rush. My local options were 85k mile Trailhawk or 3k mile Seltos.
Took the Seltos, three weeks in and I'm still checking if I've made the right decision... I love it but it's a weak little thing.
Hows your Seltos holding up?
How’s the road noise? I own a 2020 wrangler unlimited and I’m thinking about trading for a seltos.
@@anthonyr8862 I've had the Seltos a year and a half now and can't recommend it at all. I have many complaints, the biggest one is the suspension. It bottoms hard on even moderate bumps. The only good things I can say are that it's great on gas, and the Bose sound system is amazing. To answer your question, the road noise is not terrible, and fits with the price point of the car.
@@cgmiller82 how’s the ride quality? Are the seats comfortable for longer distances?
I just got a Mazda CX30 AWD and it seems absolutely perfect for the majority of city driving as well as some soft roading that I'm planning on doing with it.
Great video but I wish you would have shown the Seltos climbing that last rock after a cool-down. More importantly, since I have the EX, does anyone know of a video showing similar trials with the 2.0 IVT? Many videos show tests of the turbo/double-clutch off-road and hitting the wall when it over-heats but does the IVT do any better or worse?
Thanks for the videos. I noticed in the clips with 2 wheels off the ground you started the seltos at practically a stand still and with the Mazda it was rolled through starting with momentum ,this little difference is why the CX-30 looks so smoother at 11:50. Also the trans mission hi temp warning is not the transmission over heating, it is a safety feature to keep you from over heating the trans. With Hyundais power train warranty this alarm for the transmission is very conservatively set.
No one will go off roading with both set of all season tires too.
I noticed that as well.
Curious though how do you know it's not overheating? Isn't it based off a heat sensor? Can you ignore it and just keep driving anyway? All I've heard everywhere is that you have to park the vehicle for 20 minutes.
@@sir_john_hammond Hi John, ben driving it like I stole it now well over 2 years, no problems. I've have typed the trans temp regularly, never reste for the rans cool down I just hop right on the highway. This Seltose ages verry well. I'll be first to mention again if I can kill it under my slightly abusive use. Side note I am still running significantly heavier rubber than stock.
LOVE THE NEW SLIP TEST!!!
Mazda AWDs may be the best part timers out. They have obvious ground clearance issues but otherwise don't get stuck.
Did y'all get a European version of the CX-30? You state several places that the ground clearance was 6.9 inches, but to cater to American tastes, Mazda added 27mm (roughly an inch) more ground clearance to the CX-30s sold here. The Mazda site also gives the ground clearance as 8 inches.
I called this the moment the Seltos came out, I hate DCTs. Everyone harps on CVT but at least they let you off road a little more. Dct's are great in sports cars, not a small SUV with AWD
Comparing a CVT to a DCT off road is like comparing Chlamydia to Gonorrhea. You don't want to live with either.
I have a soft spot for Subaru, they get harped on alot for the CVT but it's perfectly fine for 90% of people, and it proves well off road still.
What's interesting is that Hyundai/Kia wanted their SUVs to drive like a nimble and quick hatchback, but they also wanted it to actually look like an SUV. That's why they went with DCT and turbo engine. I guess it probably worked. At least for Kona. Since Kona won car of the year in both Spain and US, which are two differently tasted markets. It succeeded to satisfy the Europeans looking for rugged looking hatchbacks and Americans looking for quick SUV. I think Seltos could do the same.
Before watching the video, I'd imagine the Seltos wouldn't do as well as the top trims have a dual-clutch auto and DCTs are generally meant more for being sporty and fun.
Mazda wins again. Only 0.4 inch difference in ground clearance, nicer design and materials and no over heating.
Real world real reviews on car 🚘 excellent great 👍🏻 job & enjoy to watch your channel
Why does no one test the 2.0L AWD with the IVT? Both this & the Kona 6-speed auto. Of course a dual-clutch is gonna burn up, it's not designed for off-roading lol..
The Seltos doesn't have a 6 speed auto. It has a IVT (CVT) in the 2.0 equipped models.
@@matthewgaines10 That's what I said, the 2.0L AWD with the IVT. I said *& the Kona 6-speed auto.*
Would you say that standard version (cheapest, no GT Line) would pass that step?
Hi TFL cars, I"m currently looking for a subcompact AWD suv and saw your off road review videos, they're very informative!
I have a questions for you about Kia Seltos.
You mentioned in this video and also in Hyundai Kona off road video that both of them has dual clutch transmission, which is not good for off-roading slowly.
I'm wondering what about the lower trim "intelligent variable transmission" system, is it going to be better for AWD off-roading?
Thanks and keep up the great work!
Would like to see an in depth on-road comparison review between these vehicles.
You mean a comparison of the kind of driving they were originally designed for... ;-) BTW, me too.
Same why would they make a video for something that its not intended to do?
The CX30 has a torsion-beam rear suspension, not independent like the Seltos.
Would like to see how you’d evaluate them on-road. 0-60, ride quality etc.
And it Will handle better than Kia 😂😉
k domster Not necessarily true as most people noticed handling being weak due to torsion beam. Mazda is leaning towards comfortable luxurious ride so handling may no longer be priority since consumers only care about ride control - not handling.
@@ahsanmalik1013 It is tuned in for more dialed in suspension set up...do more reading as new 3 handles better than old 3 with IRS
Assuming a car has poor handling because it has a torsion beam setup is like assuming a car is fast because it’s turbocharged.
The Porsche 944, 968 and Peugeot 205 GTI all had torsion beam suspensions. All were great handling cars. Mazda’s engineers are amongst the industries best at designing excellent handling vehicles.
Thanks for reminding me to buy a pickup truck when my lease on my Escape ends this summer...
Hi, Can you do this test with the Kia Seltos 2.0 naturally aspirated all wheel drive with ivt transmission to see if heat affect also the transmission, great fan of your channel.
Yes I have 2020 Kona 2.0 AWD and l would like to see real world testing offloading. Why is no one doing that. Everyone is always testing the 1.6T dual clutch yes we know it over heats ....now test the 2.0.
Jose, I agree that I'd like to know too, though I was very disappointed with the 7 speed dual clutch 'failure', we are still interested in buying a Seltos so we 'have to' know before we pass-off the Seltos and wait for Bronco Sport....as for the Mazda, we will 'never' buy one plain and simple.
Since we all know how the Seltos 1.6T/AWD/DCT does, it would be great to see how much better the Seltos 2.0/AWD/IVT does.
@@sshrul
Press fleets tend to be dominated by higher trim models. There should be some other models available but I suspect the quantity is less.
@@matthewgaines10 yes you're right and I know, they give top of line vehicle out for these reviews. Some reviewers can go to there local dealers and request vehicles for testing. I'm starting to see more asking for a test review of the 2.0 AWD going through the same off roading test as the 1.6T. Ever review I've seen is the same overheating issue with the 1.6T, the engine type vehicles are the same except the 2.0 is not as fast as the 1.6T but let see the 2.0 AWD in the off roading test.
I've found that the center lock is best reserved for when you're stuck in the mud, snow or sand. Traction control is usually good enough for most light off-road activities.
I was just wondering about a comparison between these two. Thanks for reading my mind.
It wants you to step on the break because if not it tries to hold you on the hill by slipping the clutch and creating a ton of heat.
Who the hell goes off-roading with these ??
I’d say if you beefed up the suspension on either of these, they’d definitely hit off-road a bit better (I am biased towards the CX-30, like me some Mazda, so I think it’d do better due to it’s better horsepower).
Yes bro! I'm a Mazda fan too!
Just the cars I was thinking of buying. Thanks for the review guys!
I enjoyed this as well...I say Mazda would be my choice..Thanks Roman n Tommy⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'd love to see the Rav4 adventure or TRD offroad review instead of the hybrid rav4 that you guys already done. Maybe do a awd comparison for the crossovers this size for shoppers that torn between all these great sellers
Yes this would be great to see
Please
"This one can can go over a rock"
"This one can will go into a rock"
I fount this so funny lol
Hi guys, you are doing a great job .
I've been watching few of your reviews , they are really interesting .
I wonder if you can help me out to decide what car to buy -the Niro hybrid or the CX 30 .
I'm looking for a practical family car .
The Niro is very fuel efficient and the CX30 is awsome looking , what else can you tell about those 2 cars in comparison to each other?
Thanks
7:55 that’s the perfect sound of a struggling transmission/ or one that’s about to go out. Wow
Well it makes sense since it was actually struggling... I doubt it's gonna go out
My wife brought the CX30 AWD and loves it. The DCT heating of the Seltos makes me glad we got the CX30, you get used to the buttons and systems and we were very happy with the 3 we had prior.
Yeah man. I just got a base model 2023 CX30 and it’s impressive for a base. I think the clearance is now 8” on the 2023. I’ve taken it on some normal dirt roads that have some ruts from rain and whatnot but nothing serious. It’s too… luxurious to do that really lol.
LOL all you need is the software upgrade and it will no longer overheat, this has been corrected. I have no issue using mine off road.
my '23 CX-30 has 8" of ground clearance. When was that changed?
Perhaps they should offer a non DCT version of the seltos. I like it’s look and it appears to have the approach angles too. Maybe Kia could create something like a crosstreck inspired variant, minus the CVT.
The Mazda looks far more expensive and powertrain should be cheaper to maintain. If I didn't need space for adults in the back it would be the one I would buy
Perfect! Literally looking at these two cars as my final choices
If you think you're going to need to take it this type of environment, get the 2.0/IVT/AWD Seltos combo or something else other than these two.
Both are really for on road use primarily.
Neither of those are "off-road" vehicles. If people buy either for that purpose, they're delusional.
True... these are city vehicles and some very flat unpaved roads.
True, but we're not talking about rocks and boulders, steep inclines kind of off road thing. You get the idea?
I like how rather than stopping him before crunching the front bumper of a press car, you continuously told him to come forward until it crunched, THEN had him stop.
He had already stopped safely. He deliberately made him scrape the chin to prove a point. Seemed silly to me.
if you read the owners manual of a Hyundai/Kia with DCT, you will find that there are a lot of precautions that you need to take. The DCT was never built for off-road but if Hyundai/Kia had a wet clutch transmission im pretty sure it wouldnt overheat. All Hyundai/Kia DCT are dry clutch so they are very limited with torque being strained.
I think the new sonata DCT are wet clutch design which would be a heck of alot better.
@@J-W.- I believe that the 7 speed DCT are dry clutch and the new 8 speed DCT are wet clutch
@@xcmskim4 veloster n is equipped with wet dct in korea. So does sorrento.
Can you test off road the kia seltos 2023 to see if they change the problem of warming?
these crossover offroad videos are great
These two are as offroad capable as a Honda civic...
Fun video though.
True. But i expected more from kia seltos.
2-3 cm higher and even weak awd will get further than civic
I have a cx30 and it really is amazing off road
Wow, how could the transmission be overheating at only 5:00? They're only driving on a dirt road!
DCTs are not designed to slow crawl or so stop and go traffic. The transmission will experience a lot of slip and heat up quickly
@@dknight211 the seltos is a mall crawler it should be meant for stop and go traffic ?
@@thivakarsaravanamuthu4744
It's a small, light, and nimble cuv. How is it a "mall crawler"?
@@2010ngojo most of the people that are going to buy the seltos are normal car buyer which do alot of stop and go traffic. If the transmission heats up cause of the car going at slow speed how do you go shopping or to work with it ?
@@thivakarsaravanamuthu4744
If you know how to drive a dct, you can avoid burning the clutch. Otherwise, people with manual transmission would have to replace the clutch more often as well. People driving it like a torque converter either didn't read the warnings, or just don't give a damn.
The weather condition and road condition during filming this really showing how pretty much dct in indonesia were failing like ford fiesta and eco sport...
Gotta know how to drive a dct. There are nuances and most people just don't know or bother to care.
Since when did a vehicle that malfunctions finish with the same score as a vehicle that performed flawlessly and exhibited superior traction? Neither of these vehicles are built for this purpose but the Mazda performed better. Next week let's see which one works best underwater!
Could someone explain the point in taking Vehicles somewhere where they don't belong? Or where they are not made for? obviously it's not going to work.
Why not test the CX-5 which has higher ground clearance?
Probably cause it’s in another class compared to the Seltos.
Crossovers are between awd sports cars and awd suvs.
They're basically able to transverse minor to moderate mud, snow, sand, and stones.
Kia's dual clutch is fine on road, but it has to slip the clutch too much off road to do crawling. That's why all the advertisement shows them going fast off road. No clutch slip, fully engaged in a gear and no overheating.
Just FYI, first 1500 miles I got that smell from just driving hard in the canyons in the seltos, never using the trans lock. I don't smell it any more like I used to. I am always smelling for it after hard traffic runs home from work, was thinking I might have the dealer check it out, im guessing is was just a new car thing. I had the same smell from driving hard in my BMW 528I
It really is a shame that Subaru isn't interested in working with your team. While I know you have tested your long term outback off road and it was less than stellar. I'd be interested to see how the newer Outback XT with the supposedly beefier CVT handles these same mild tests.
There is another channel of a guy that does just that but I can't think of the name.
@@TomTom-gn9mp Driving Sports TV
Subaru is afraid 👀
AWD lock keeps AWD on until you hit 20mph. From a deadstop to launch, AWD should be automatically engaged, and then switches back to 2WD. That's what I have noticed in my Kona
The Seltos is so good looking but the ground clearance and transmission is just a let down. I recently made a list of Off road crossovers to compare against the bronco sport and just could not include the Seltos because of this.
@16:35 they're listening to SiriusXM Chill while they off road. I use it to set up the mood 😉
U can’t creep slow for long periods of time with a dual clutch transmission, think of slipping a manual transmission clutch for long periods of time, U have probably done damage to that clutch.
Nice review, though sometimes I feel like they're just netpicking
Welcome to the snowflake generation, where nothing is ever good enough!
It would be very interesting to take all the Ford "SUV" on the same test. Neat to see a comparrison for one make on all their models. Eco, Escape, Edge, Explorer md Expidition. Think it would be interesting to see as costs goes up, what effect does that have on its off road ability. Don't think anyone has even done that before and would provide a great benchmark against one companies full line.
I wonder how this test would have gone if you had used the Seltos in manual mode and kept it in first gear, and also used the brake instead of letting the vehicle roll back every time you let off the gas. You would have put much less load on the clutches.
Both will pass over any obstacle with ease - if that obstacle is a candy wrapper in the Walmart parking lot. Otherwise, great looking cars.
I agree. They're not intended for this type of use at all. Most small SUVs aren't.
Fugly cars..))
@@SquallRinoa89 callate carajo
You state that a downfall of the cx 30 is its ground clearance is, "quote" (6.9)inches????
However per motortrend and Mazda USA states the 2021 cx30 awd has a ground clearance of 7.9 - 8.0 inches.
Either your stats are wrong or there's are .,sooo which is it???? 6.9 or ????
The warning that you're seeing about breaking while crawling is a specific warning that the state thinks your trying to hold a position on an incline with the throttle, which *WILL* over heat the #1 clutch in the transmission. It's a specific coaching that the kind of low speed crawling that you're doing is bad for that transmission. DCTs are not suited for low speed crawling, period.
Seems like Kia hasn't made much change over the Kona. I would suggest taking the 2.0 AWD Seltos EX through the same test. It has a chain based CVT so it should do better in not overheating. It also has less power and torque so it may not necessarily do much better but I suspect it will be.
Nice test. Thanks for doing it. It was educational and entertaining.
Once again after the software upgrade it no longer over heats. too bad these guy don't retest afterwards.
What a shame. The Dual clutch in the Kia really holds it back.
Thankfully Kia/Hyundai will be dropping the 7speed dry clutch dct for the much better designed 8speed wet clutch dct
@@ch6inre6ction11 I hope this 8 spd lasts much longer as well. Tfl needs to test the first 8 spd wet dct off-road they can get. They're the only auto journalist channel I'm aware that will reveal the limitations of transmissions during their testing.
Driving a dct takes some adjusting. Most people will not want to learn how to drive it, which is why a wet clutch will be a good idea. I still believe the Seltos just does not like this guys driving.
A 7 spd dct needs to be driven a specific way, similar to a regular transmission setup, not automatic
@@gonzalcala5 please suggest me how to drive dct in bumper to bumper traffic. I'll be really glad to know. TIA.
Shame about how the Seltos transmission acts up when you get it on trails. This is the second test vid that I have seen where it has overheated.
Mazda's trans is a clutch design too. It does have a torque converter though that only works in first gear only. Just enough change to make it reliable and efficient.
Not exactly like a DCT transmission which uses its clutch all the time. The Mazda has a torque converter with a lock up clutch function which obviously would've have locked up in this situation. That generally happens at cruising speeds, not at starting off or in limited traction situations. Having a clutch doesn't mean it is actually being used. Torque converters lock up (use the clutch) under specific conditions.
Next get a mustang and a camaro for the off road test. Lol
Or how about a 4WD Challenger and Charger.. If you're going to test this type of vehicle, just try on snow covered streets, where 100% of the miles, a smart person would be actually driving.
Tip of the day:
If you are going to rough country, get some rubber coil spring boosters from an autoparts store and insert them in seconds and get 1 or 2 inchers of added clearance.
The second video I've seen where the Seltos over heated. In the first video it took just fifty feet before overheating. After cooling down and starting again it overheated again just as fast. I was thinking about buying this car, NO WAY! The Jeep did a whole lot better in another mountain climbing video.
Thank you,
Great Video 👍
Who compares a jeep to a kia 🤦♂️
@@nosvibes9786
⚔️ Apparently I didn't, but I was checking it out. What's in your wallet? Buy American if you can afford it... 🇺🇸 👍
Mazda been coming out with nice cars now....hope they keep it up.....stay safe ppl covid ain't no joke
I have covid and this shit suck. I feel bad for people with weak immune systems
Yeah it's not a joke, it's fear mongering by media and governments. 0.2-0.5% mortality rate as per New York antibody testing. Basically a bad flu. Protect the elderly, nearly everyone else will be fine.
@@James-il3tq Thank you!!!
@@James-il3tq lies don't spread misinformation, you sound just like the lunatic we have for a president. You're probably one of those people that bring AK-47 to try to reopen the government.
@@SF-sp7rz and you sound just as crazy... I think you are in the wrong chat.
Given the DCT-based failures of both the Seltos and the Kona, is there any chance you guys will ever take a look at the 2.0L/6-speed Kona or 2.0L/CVT Seltos? It seems like most reviewers won't touch the base models with a bargepole. The base Kona seemed to hold its own during the 2018 Trail Trek Tour and I'd love to see how it stacks up in your testing.
Very good report. You have again proven that dual clutch gearboxes suck at doing real 4WD and how important ground clearance are. The Kia's locking of front to back diff is almost useless for this. The ability to lock an individual diff is necessary.
Can you do this same trail with a normal Cherokee 4x4 and a Cherokee trailhawk to see how far the none off-road version goes on a small trail and how far the off-road version goes.
A couple of corrections: First, the North American version of the CX-30 has 8.0” of ground clearance, not 6.9” as in other regions like Europe. And second, it does not have an all-independent suspension as you claimed. The rear axle has a torsion beam suspension. That’s said, I enjoyed this video, so thanks!
While your point on the rear suspension design is true and needs to be corrected, MazdaUSA's site does specify 6.9" of ground clearance. Is Mazda's own site incorrect? See www.mazdausa.com/vehicles/cx-30/compare-vehicle-specs-and-trims
modmatt1, it looks like Mazda’s own website was wrong. I noticed it did recently show 6.9” on the link you sent (even though it used to say 7.9” a while back and in all the press reviews), and just today I looked again and it now says 8.0”! You can tell the North American version of the car is lifted higher than the one in Europe and other markets-there’s an awkwardly large amount of empty space between the top of the tires and the fenders/wheelwells. I actually think the European version looks sleeker and more balanced, but the extra ground clearance we get is a nice feature for those who need it. It would be cool if they offered us a sport version with the lower suspension height of the Euro-spec cars.
@@chadwitt Very cool! I need that extra height for getting out of my driveway and the streets due to how they plow snow here locally (only one lane) and plow in the driveways. Now if only I could get a "Select" in manual (with a sunroof option) please...
modmatt1 I agree. I’m so bummed they aren’t offering it with a manual transmission (I haven’t owned an automatic in my nearly 30 years of driving!). Also, I really wish Mazda offered moonroofs as an option on lower trim levels like they used to. Both my previous ‘99 Protege LX and my current ‘09 Mazda3 Sport hatchback have had moonroofs but not all the other features I don’t really care about.
I was surprised that cx30 performed better on the test as it seems the seltos is built for some off roading..
Maybe its just me, but I’m just not seeing the logic behind offroading cars just because they have all wheel drive. My mini Countryman has all wheel drive and I would never even consider taking it off road. I do appreciate its capabilities in bad weather driving but that’s more what its built for, not going off road, same as these two cars.
The videos of the lifted cars trying to go off-road are fun to watch. They remind me of my adolescent years when I would dent an oil pan or various exhaust components and get buried in sand to the frame. Rest in pieces Nissan Stanza, you went well above and beyond your off pavement capabilities and my takeaway from you, is that fwd does well on trails until it can’t no more.
You gave the CX-30 a five or six foot rolling start, you did not do that with the Shelton!
I have a seltos sx turbo. I didn’t buy it for off roading. I bought it because I live in Florida, and AWD vehicles are better in the rain. If anyone really wants to go off roading, then they should just get a Jeep or the new bronco.
Great review guys. Just got my Seltos SX and I’m lovin’ it.
2 questions for you 1 how is this a great review? 2. how do you like your new seltos? I'm thinking about getting one
Since I live in the NYC metro I don’t think I’ll need off road much except maybe to wash the car in my yard. I’ll go Mazda all the way
I like the kia better
Mazda every day of the week, looks better, more premium feel inside.