The Mazda MX-30 Is The Worst EV Of The Year - And I Drive It!
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- Опубліковано 16 жов 2024
- Kyle is in California with the Mazda MX-30 EV. This is an interesting entry-level battery electric offering from Mazda. With such a low EPA range and a relatively high price compared to rivals with a lacking personality, can this car succeed in the US? Kyle finds out what’s good and what’s bad.
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Guys look, I understand there will be different takes on this car. Some will love the styling and some will love the use case. For me, the entire package is a letdown. The Honda-e and MINI SE that I love so much don’t seem to offer much more on paper, yet the cars have a character. This is just a car that was a true let down for me although the on-limit driving dynamics were amusing and actually fun! What do you think, was I too harsh on the little electric Mazda?
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Regarding Charging, it wasn't clear from the video. You said the EA charger had a complimentary session which generally means something is broken. Is that why the charging speed was so slow? Or was the car limiting it to 33 kW? Perhaps should have switched to a working charger to confirm - but maybe they were all semi-broken.
@@5DollarHoller I did try with another charger, after the canyon section to just confirm charging rate, and it was identical
@@KyleConner Oh great thanks for confirming! Sorry if I missed that mention in the video
The car is an absolute compliance turd. In a few years we won't be seeing Mazda anymore. Way too little, way too late.
The electric Mini offers more range, and I’m guessing a more fun driving experience for about the same price. Even the Bolt, once Chevy gets the LG battery issue sorted out looks like a bargain compared to this.
In a few years, this will make a great $8k used car.
The battery replacement cost would make it not so worth it
you really won’t want it then either
@@conrado800 How much battery degradation has your Leaf got?
@@WengChoongChan why do you think it will need a battery replacement? That's not a given. This isn't a Nissan LEAF.
I wouldn’t buy it for $8k wouldn’t work for my 120 jaunt to Pittsburgh if I had to go!
Huge letdown from Mazda.
It's frustrating how they even could think to sell this car. Imagine how bad the resale value will be on one of these with a degradated battery. How do you sell a car that can do only 70-80 miles?
I agree. This seems like something they had to do to please the stockholders. I hope the plans, and more importantly, the execution they have for all their new cars are much better as they move into the luxury domain.
Its OK. They’re well on the way to being part of Toyota. Eventually we’ll get a rebadged Toyota EV with a stiffer suspension, and the Mazda fans will pile into the dealers to get one.
It's fun to drive, brake into corners. But who cares how a car drives nowadays.
Mazda always said they never make an electric car. So this seems a little forced for them.
A bit of a late comment, with some background. Last year I went and tested almost all available EVs... multiple brands... Mazda was one of them. I did't get out of the parking lot before asking myself if I should even drive another yard, the car was that bad. they gave me the car with 50% battery and it was already chiming the low battery... hated the car, made a video, called it a waste of parts. but a few tested cars later, here I was in a Mercedes EQA. decent range, over +350 km... and I found myself rethinking MAZDA. The MX30 drives better, is 2-3 times cheaper, looks better, and this will maybe sound not real, but Mazda materials, on the interior, way better. Really bad plastics in the Mercedes, it felt like a cheap toy, with bad visibility. So, for most journeys, now I am rethinking the Mazda. I would rather recharge every 150 km, if I have a longer journey, like 5 times a year, and keep the 40k euro/usd difference. The Mazda is the better car in every aspect, if you are ok with the range, for daily commute.
Plus you get a lovely super smooth little rotary too.
This would have been an good buy and an amazing EV in 2012. When the first Leaf and Volt hit the streets they were slightly more expensive than this Mazda and the Leaf had less range. It's as if this entire EV concept was started 10 years ago but just got stuck in development and they are now finally getting around to releasing it with no changes.
It is a joke Mazda made to show how ignorant they are in today's car market. They think their HCCI engine is the future but they failed to realize they are dreaming too.
Guess who won't be invited to future Mazda press events? LOL
If they have something there actually proud of I believe they will. If they just phone it in they most definitely will not.
Or they’ll invite him to see how surprised he is *if* they make something way better
Honestly, they can’t expect to release a crappy compliance car in 2021 and not get $#!7 for it.
This should be a $23,000 EV before incentives.
Given that this has the range of a used 30kw Nissan Leaf, I say that's still too much coin.
Agreed
Just came out in Canada. Such a let down. I think it is an amazing concept but range is more important especially with gas prices the way they are. I want an ev #1 to avoid gas prices and save money #2 zero emissions, not the other-way around. It couldn’t make it past the mountain range to the next charger to get to the rest of the country. It’s a glorified grocery getter that gets you to work and back within 75kms
Finally somebody who says it directly. It is really bad EV! Maybe considerable as a second car and for half of the price.
Education FIRST ua-cam.com/video/rtTImU0spXE/v-deo.html
Yes, would be ok at half the price, city only car
It’s the honesty about crappy cars and first impressions that make me respect his opinions on good cars
Finally someone that gives a honest review. When I first saw it and looked at the specs, I got the impression that this is a "we have an electric car" position from a company that really does not want to get involved with electric cars
I've toured the factory a few years ago, and even they said they had no interest.. they're waiting on better tech or to try and create their own..this one is obviously a throw away
This vehicle (and I have been to Mazda dealers asking about it) represents a unique form of insanity - start with gasoline car, make an electric compliance car out of it, THEN add back gasoline "range extender" or make hybrid. Frankenstein's monster.
If you loved your 2010 EV and are nostalgic you'll love this... Slaps roof
Im making way too close of a comparison of this to my 2012 leaf I bought for commuting
It seems to be a nice looking car. However, I have a 2013 Ford Focus Electric that still has around 75 miles range that I paid $4,500 for because it had an infotainment system problem. I fixed it with a screen recalibration. This offering is a bit pricey for the range. I'll keep looking.
Wow I didn't even know that existed
Hell, the 2012 Nissan LEAF we bought with a bad OBC for $3500 is a better deal than the Mazda. $1500 later for a new OBC installed ourselves, and the little runabout makes for a decent neighborhood EV that my Partner uses to drive to the grocery store. Our Bolt gets commuter and trip duty.
I bet Mazda’s CEO will have a word with the engineers after hearing about how this car was launched…
If he had a talk with them about what they should make... he shouldnt care now either.
i'm sure it was political. mazda had to produce one before it was fully developed just to appease the politicians.
He'll say: "Congrats! We now have the ultimate Tesla killer."
Mazda is too busy trying to justify all the stupid decisions they made, like investing in a dead end technology called skyactive-x. It's really surreal - they want to be that carmaker that supplies all the ICE cars to meet demand BEVs can't.
@@TeamMadcrew It quite basically was made just to get zero emissions credits to still survive California's requirements.
I think your point about leasing is spot-on. If I saw a dealer with a good lease deal on this car, I'd probably consider picking one up as a second city car for my Model 3. AC charging at home only would be just fine.
In my Country it of the best sealing ev's mainly because of the price ~30k USD with taxes and some "mazda incentives" to lower the price
If Mazda wants to do what Fiat did with the US version of the 500e or Nissan is doing with the LEAF by offering crazy $89/mo leases, then it's a no-brainer.
Being as they only have 500 of them, I doubt they will want to lease.
I live in Sweden and i am going to lease a MX30 for 365 dollars a month, i live in the city and drive ~19 miles a day. I can charge for free at work and the local grocery store.
I’ll be going to Out of Spec for reviews on new EVs. Excellent knowledge with fun low key delivery. ThankU. Cameras/mounts used?
This should be the CX-5 with AWD, 200kw of power and a 65kwh battery. Even if it doesn't have a frunk it would be the electric Mazda everyone wants. The whole car just screams "we don't want to do this, so here is what you get".
I think they did it only for Eu co2 regulations. Mazda is known for their love for ICE.
@@JP-it9ie I think so too!
with Calif evz credits the price is $17,000. I will take one to complement my hybrid road trip car and I will still have less than $43K total for all my transportation needs
Well here it is a few years later and it’s not selling for 8000 or anywhere close. This is a fantastic small electric car. A whole lotta people never drive more than 100 miles a day or anywhere near. Car is awesome.
Mazda just needs to electrify the CX-5. Leave everything else about it the same as the ICE version; it's a best in class car, particularly the premium interior for the price point. The MX-30 is the Chevy Colbalt of EVs - it's crappy, last in its class, and won't appeal to anyone other than those Mazda fans who are too die-hard to look at another brand. I'd easily choose a Leaf or Bolt over the MX-30. This suggests Mazda is taking the Toyota approach to EVs. Which is too bad because I think they have (or rather, had) the opportunity to corner the EV market on the direction they've taken their ICE lineup: most premium feeling car you can get from a non-luxury badge. I have been in the CX-5 and it blows the likes of the CRV, RAV4, Equinox, Tiguan, etc away.
Rre
You meant MX30 - the CX30 is essentiallu a lifted 3
and it’s their answer to
Subaru Crosstrek and
Lexus UX30
Volvo XC40
Infiniti QX 30
Fundamentally Mazda was the slowest of the Japanese manufacturers to offer hybrid offerings - I suspect being the smallest and least supplier connected manufacture also limits their ability to quickly ramp up and go into EV production. Be patient, give them time.
They're small company and electric cars are niche models for small group of potential customers. Investing big money in small volume/low profit products is unresonable.
Ran into a tech at an EA station and he said to always look for "Complimentary Station" because they leave them like that all the time.
Kyle, you're not too harsh at all. I am a Mazda fan myself, had been driving Mazda 3 for 8 years / 160k miles and it had never let me down. But this car is just - mildly spoken - subpar (wanted to give it a more definitive characteristic which begins with the word "piece" but my mom might read this so I won't). 33 kWt*h of usable capacity in a 2022 EV, seriously? That is good for a PHEV at best. Those silly small rear doors? Huge long hood half empty inside? C'mon folks, you can do much better than a full size car with interior size of a small city car and ridiculously low range. Seems like they had to quickly put something together with a battery inside and call it EV to declare they produce one.
I know I shouldn't, but I really like this thing. The interior looks like a great place to spend time. I think it makes sense as a city car or a household's second car provided they have a short commute. With that said, I think it should start below $30k. If the lease deals are good I would consider one. Granted, I am a known contrarian and lover of quirky cars others seem to hate (i.e. BMW i3, Kia Soul, etc).
Maybe in a $199 month lease. This would be good
Ev are generally not good city cars. It's hard to own one unless you're loaded and own a house with your own garage inside a city but most people will not have the set up to maintain. So with that said, this car is not very practical due to shit range.
@@khoaho7270 mmm, not so sure ... I would agree with a different wording "EV use cases are limited if you don't have in-parking charging"... I know people in apartment complexes with good level 2 charging and it works really well for them.
I dunno. See I love the i3, and the Kia Soul. The thing I was thinking during the MX30 review was "OK for that money I think I'd buy a used i3 or Kia Soul EV".
@@khoaho7270 I think city car in this case means living in the suburbs and commuting to work or local shopping, school runs etc. Not literally living in the city centre.
I completely disagree with the review, which is 100% US-centric. Americans might need to drive dozens of miles to get to their nearest junk food drive-through outlet, so they’re obsessed with range. The reviewer forgets this is an EV mostly for the European market, where a range of about 120 miles is more than enough for day-to/day driving. This makes the battery lighter and more environmentally friendly. The same applies in the Japanese market. I recently bought (yes, bought, full price and top spec) an MX-30 and I think it’s superb. I live in Oxford and it’s perfect for city and suburban driving (my average drive is 15 miles). Once or twice a week I go to London (distance 50 miles) and I can do the return journey on a full battery or perhaps at most topping it up a bit when I’m in London. This saves a fortune on petrol. My “review” of it as an average customer is that it’s an excellent car - very stylish interior, uncomplicated, cleverly designed and innovative. I’m sure that technological advances will come and Mazda will make still better cars, but this one is excellent at this stage. It compares very well with a Tesla (which is not at all value for money). In the past I had a Roadster Eunos and that’s what made me fall in love with Mazda. Their simplicity of design and minimal electronics are commendable. I since had a Boxster and a Cayenne, and I found both too complicated and prone to breakdowns owing too over-engineered parts and electronics. I then got an MX5 and there isn’t a better car in the world as a convertible. I still have my MX5 and now in combination with my MX30 you could say I’m a Mazda fan!
Excellent job Kyle. I especially appreciate the candid approach that you professionally exhibit.
Mazda has broad-spectrum issues.
Mazda really didn't try to hide that this is only a compliance car. It's a shame.
The battery part of this car is terrible but I LOVE the interior. Incredibly comfortable, high quality, the infotainment and controls are NORMAL and not a stripped-down Tesla wannabe...I see quite of few of these on the streets around and I get why people like them.
Holy smokes, Mr Conner, the way you’re throwing that around the mountain road, did you ever work as a stuntman??
I’m a Mazda fan. On my third Miata and always loved their direct handling, their new Kodo design, and appreciate their value of their heritage. That said this car was a huge letdown. I’ve seen several reviews now and my first impression is: why would mazda even make this. In my opinion they should’ve taken this to market via a hybrid option in either their CX-30 as you said or CX5 with the 2.5 turbo. I think that’s the only way they’re gonna get any “guts” out of the Hitachi driveline. Hope they do more in the future and don’t botch electrification of the Miata/Mazda3 (it’s inevitable).
Wake up ..gasoline or electric mazda u get poor handling, poor performance poor quality …. Buy a Honda.
@@bruce3870I have had an Accord and now Volvo, when you jump to a premium you realize that Honda are simple and do not stand out in anything.
Great review. Really good at interpreting and communicating.
I'm guessing there was a press embargo, as I received myriad MX-30 previews today, though yours was the first I clicked on. (Make of that what you will!) It'll be interesting to see if other UA-cam reviewers arrive at similar conclusions as yourself!
🤔..😉 • 👍😎👌
There's so much space in the engine bay because they're also coming out with a serial plug in hybrid version, which they've been calling a "range extender"...and in using that term, the electric range has to be greater than or equal to the gas range, so that's likely why the electric range is limited to 100 miles (because the gas range likely won't be more than 100 miles). And since it's only on sale in California, they likely want all the ZEV credits CA offers, and to get them the EV rage can't be more than the gas range. So basically what BMW did with the i3.
Great that you quoted motor power in kilowatts. Let’s dump bhp for EVs. :)
Hp is useful for people transitioning from gas vehicles for comparison purposes
@@jamespaul2587
Now is the time to quote kilowatts (and maybe horsepower afterwards) otherwise people are unlikely to ever transition.
@@ianbower7756 if you're looking to transition gas drivers to EV it's better to quote numbers they are used to like HP until they are familiar with kW
I feel sorry for the poor bastards that paid full MSRP for these. I saw one at a dealer here in Northern, CA with only 1k miles for $20k. I can’t even imagine how upside down on the loan that original owner is.
It's kind of shocking to see them put that much effort into tuning the car and the interior (yet have so little back legroom when cargo didn't look that bad) and be worse than the Bolt or Kona in the most important ways while demanding the same price for less than half their range. Surprised to see it handled as well as it did when so little effort and care went into making a product that even makes any sense to exist.
They should have never released this as a pure EV and waited until the range extender was ready and then maybe it would compete with used i3s. But at this point I just don't see why you would buy that over a Bolt or a Kona, and if you raised your budget just a little, a base spec ID.4.
ID4 is a way better way to go
Or a Model 3 smh
"Why would someone buy this?"
To be "different". The same as all EV buyers. It's a fashion statement/virtue-signaling.
@@ms-jl6dl *trump voice* wrong 😑
@@ms-jl6dl I don't think anyone buys a bolt for a fashion statement lol, and by and large EVs are just better at this point.
Looks like Mazda need to get their EV shit together asap.
Seriously, in spite of the exterior and interior design of this car, I think Mazda quite obviously only made this car to throw shame at electric cars and as an attempt to stop electric cars from saving our planet, just by showing how bad they can really be, because Mazda is not letting go of gas engines as it's their main focus.
Well actually if the electricity but the car uses is generated by a fossil fuel then it’s not really all that sustainable
@@LitRandomness I am assuming you are trying to say that, if the electricity is produced by fossil fuels, then electric cars are not very sustainable.
In the grand scheme of things, yes, electric cars are not sustainable, but electric motors are more efficient than gas motors, so they are still a lot more sustainable than gas cars, even when the car is running on coal-produced electricity.
Engineering explained has some good videos on this.
wait, so my instinct to set more regen on my Clarity as I enter a corner is kinda right? Little more weight up front to help those tires really pull... That's cool!
Painful to see such a bad EV in 2021. Nice styling, great interior but poor range and charging ruin it. I’m sure Mazda is going to be like “Well people clearly don’t want EVs…” I wonder why…
Gaddamn it I love the Mazda look and their interior quality but this is definitely a joke.
This is why we love your channel Kyle. No BS, instead we get trustworthy journalism.
Kyle, love your show and the unbiased pragmatic views.
For this Mazda, outdated technology, below par battery, range and charging system, inadequate interior space, inefficient utilization of space (engine bay and seating), underpowered electric drive.
As for the marketing and product specialist boffins who presented this vehicle to you and media, seems that they lack the automotive knowledge and enthusiasm.
Thenk god you are here to show them the way.
What is wrong with car companies? Why invest in trash when they have examples in the market of what will sell?
Got one...its real nicee!
Not meant for heavy commuters who drive long distance, or crazy speeding, but perfect for local drivers. I recommend only leasing.
One of the best and most interesting reviews I have seen of this car. Personally, I love this EV. The way it looks, the interior style and quality are all awesome but the deal breaker to me is the battery size which relegates it to 2nd or 3rd car status for most people and totally rules it out for me. If they release a 50kwh version, I'd buy it for sure.
Not really. Once you have an electric car, even a 24 kWh Nissan Leaf, it becomes the primary car. For me, it does a solid 90% of my driving. It's the fossil that's the second car now.
@@wojciechmuras553 Yes really - the range isn't enough to get me to work, so its a deal breaker for me.
@@sevensixtysteve8662 Woah. That commute sounds nightmarish. As a European, I can't even imagine covering that much ground every single day...
@@wojciechmuras553 Maybe works for you, but not everyone has the same needs as you. A lot of EV promoters don't understand that.
This car is really cute. Love the styling and color. Hope Mazda gets serious about it in the future, or drops about $10k off the price.
@@nextleveljourney6612 I am curious as to how are you getting to that price? The car is roughly 34k msrp
Take off $7500 for the federal tax credit, $750 clean fuel reward, and possibly 2k from the questionable CVRP program. Best case scenario, you are at 11k off, meaning it is 23k before sales tax and registration. With high CA sales tax (based on the 34k number), I'd be at 37k plus registration, minus the 8-10k rebates.
Hardly a deal. I'd definitely be interested at the 18k price point.
@@trevorv9035 Hi 👋🏼 yeah I don’t know why I said that at the time 🤷🏻♂️
Today I would say what you were: that somewhere closer to 27-30 grand would be the starting price relative to tax incentives etc
*deletes other comment*
Kyle, if you are testing cars in Orange County, may I suggest the Ortega Highway state route 74 that cuts through the Santa Ana mountains? You wouldn’t have to drive through Orange and Los Angeles Counties just to get to Angeles Crest Highway. I drove this route when I test drove the Audi e-tron. Definitely a good route for elevation changes and swerving through mountain canyons.
22:42 that chime is absolutely terrible
What an excellent review! Wow, you seem to know what you’re talking about. Great job. 👍
It has a lot of specs in common with the later VW egolf. The battery is almost exactly the same size, but that car gets 25% better epa range. This must not be very efficient
They likely have a hard time securing talent and engineering as they are getting bottom of the barrel. Engineers and expects would choose to work for Tesla or other larger companies that would pay more than Mazda. And produce a product that they would be proud of.
I've got 40k on our 2017 e-Golf, it's an awesome city car and commuter. We've also had a Model S and e-tron SUV, but I prefer the e-Golf for daily use.
A front-drive car with a major rearward weight bias (?!) may work okay in Southern California, but they're smart to keep it there. It would be a disaster during the winter here in Colorado. I get by with my front-drive hybrid, but most everyone in my rural, 7500' altitude neighborhood has AWD. Still leaning toward a Model Y as my next car.
Have tried it, did love it! Great littlecar in so many ways. But it needs to dubble up in the range department, badly! That small battery is such a shame on an otherwise great little car.
ITS Just Has to be a Lot cheaper!
I really enjoy your videos but I have one criticism - they are simply too long. Can I suggest that you either cut them short or issue an abridged version together with your extended version.
nice to see this video, and an honest not-hype review, but CONSTANTLY moving the camera in hand-held was annoying
I love the thumbnail/title combo. Kyle all excited about the worst EV! lol
The hybrid could be a great car if it has a big enough fuel tank
Every time Kyle say a car rippes or is ripping drink, You will die 😅😅. The charging did not rip so I’m still alive
I hope everyone is aware that this car isn't supposed to be practical or make sense. Its a compliance car for the state of California and not meant to wow anyone. It's a pathetic car but they did the bare minimum and that's why people can't buy future Electric Mazdas for that reason.
34:28 The fake engine sound reminds me of the original "Need for Speed" game from 1994. Was that on the Amiga? Probably, because it was a huge jump from the audio of 8 bit games. 😋
Hey Kyle, I have to take my comments yesterday back - you finally found a vehicle that you don't fall in love with!
Just checked the US car shopping websites and I’m unable to find a new MX-30 anywhere in the United States. Did Mazda discontinue it?
The title tells me everything I need to know.
The back doors are just a horrible decision. I purchased a 2016 Leaf, 30 kwh battery Christmas of 2018 for $15k with 15k miles on it, it's lost 22% on the battery and I still get over 90 miles in mild weather. I don't understand how MX-30 is so inefficient? I was very excited in finding about the details of this vehicle for months. I don't understand the decisions. I'm pushing for everyone to make a compelling EV. This would have been compelling in 2011. NOT in 2021
I like it. Better range than my 2018 Honda Clarity and more features than the Honda. Looks like a great around town car, not a road tripper unless you want to fast charge every 100 miles. Not sure if the battery is actively cooled?
Currently I would only consider an EV as a second car then who needs more? I regularly have to make journeys of approx. 700 km one way (approx. 2-3x a month) so at the moment current EV‘s would be a pain. With my second car a normally make trips of 10-20 km, and those mainly in town traffic, for this the MX30 would be ideal.
When you pop the hood, I can see that pole or bar thing running along the front that would hold the hood up. I guess usually it’s on the left hand side but this one is stored along front edge.
If this range and other lack of specs seem laughable, it's because it's a compliance car. They wanna sell profitable Crossovers and this is what California requires. Mazda technically now has a full EV to stay in compliance in CA (it's only being sold in CA now).
Thanks for the honest review, Kyle, and the display of driving skills that aren't usually seen in tests of non sports cars. Sadly, the MX-30 seems to be a half-hearted effort at best, which is a shame, because I've owned 4 Mazdas and loved them, but there's no way this one will be the 5th.
"It drives great but just can't go anywhere "is a crazy complement Kyle hahahahaha
I can't wait until the range extender phev comes out. I had a Chevy Geo metro sedan 4 cylinder that I used to drive in the Colorado mountains and fling around curves using the same driving technique. I wonder what the phev rotary engine when they put it up front will do to the weight distribution and handling.
Straight shooting review that’s spot on.🎯
I like the style of it but not having at least 200 miles of range is a no go in 2021.
That is the same EVSE the Prius Prime comes with. It also works at 240V 12A if you adapt it to a 240V receptacle.
Best review I’ve seen on this!
Does the MX-30 come with low rolling resistance tires?
I honestly don't know why they bothered with this version. BUT, an EREV version would be compelling if they increased the power while they were at it. If it's fun on a back road but lacks the range to get you home, well, a rotary range extender solves that problem, and it would still be fully electric for 90% of your trips.
I’m interested to know if you made it to the charger and what speed you got?
The strut bar is in the front. It’s that long black thing right in front of your face. If it was any bigger it would have bitten you.
I would definitely buy this car if it weren’t for the range, but I’m still looking forward to see what Mazda will bring in the future. I see this just as a compliance car.
Clearly this will work out when they include the range extending rotary engine. Releasing this without it was not good for public perception with the range anxiety it will cause. I know EV buyers think PHEV's are dumb, but they have a purpose. Not everyone lives in homes where they can charge overnight, or just drives short distances in cities, or has fast chargers available everywhere they go. If I can get better range and lower fuel consumption than a regular ICE with a hybrid or PHEV that doesn't cost too much, it's still a win. I've crunched the numbers and for me, the cost of an EV doesn't make up to the cost of running comparable hybrid over a 10 year period where I live (i.e. Niro vs e-Niro). At least not yet.
There are no gas powered struts for the hood but the "rod" is visible at about the 5:11 mark (but impossible to operate with one hand holding the camera and the other one holding the hood, I get it :) ). Don't let Sandy Munro see under that hood by the way :-D
Also: holy lens flare, Batman.
Since its an electric car yet has a big thick console between the front seats, I wonder if they could also include a great big hump in the floor between the back seats.
Thanks for the effort on this one Kyle. Someone had to do it...
I see this as even less of an effort than Nissan made with the Leaf. It's so half-hearted, Mazda made their mark and got known for good performance with the rotaries. This, is a non-event.
Disappointing for Mazda owners like me, looking forward to their first EV.
I love how they plaster their silly "Skyactiv" moniker all over the car, engine, and even the charge cord bag, as if it were some type of valid "technology". It's nothing more than a synonym for "Mazda powertrain". :D
On the passenger side, there is a handle you can pull, that moves the fron seat forward, and makes it easier o get in.
With great handling, nice interior, and terrible range, this is the perfect competition for the 2012 Ford Focus Electric. Too bad Mazda is ten years late
When I saw mustang and vw Id4, I was like who's gonna buy that with so many charging issues.. and then there is mazda mx-30.! i think leaf is far far better than this, and even for a lower price tag (which technically isn't). This car is seriously a disappointment from mazda. I think other legacy automakers are not taking EVs that seriously ford and VW have got in the game though. The others don' seem to have motivation to go electric at all.
If i saw the ID4 and the Mustang and the ID3 i was thinking, i need more space to geht them all!
The real question is whether or not you made it back to the charger, and if so, how much battery did you have left?
There are several things that Mazda got wrong with this car - Range, doors, long front to accommodate range extender (vs less leg room at the rear).
The review however doesn’t mention some things that they got right : the base model comes loaded with moon roof, auto pilot, power driver seat with memory etc (which kind of justifies the price). If they can get around 150 miles into it (like the base 40kW leaf), I think we do have a reasonable commute car(with the occasional drive to the beach 50 miles away). Another plus is that I do believe these are more eco friendly than the big-battery cars.
Hey Kyle you’re in my neck of the woods. My friend owns the VW / Mazda dealership in South Orange County. I have bought in this last year a Miata and ID4 from his dealership. If I knew you were in town, I would have had you meet us at the coffee shop I own to talk about this Mazda. I do think this isn’t just isn’t about Mazda, I think it is indicative of how far off the Japanese are with electrification. It is so frustrating to see how much the Japanese stubbornness have refused to adapt to electrification. It really shows as their mindset at Toyota, Mazda, Honda, and to the lesser extent Nissan is thinking they are so right with their ice, hybrid, fuel cell plan. Mazda is a great company that makes awesome ICE cars but this just shows how backwards they are with the future of electrification.
Have you ever driven Jaguar I Paces? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Can you get one with a rotary? Does anyone know?
Not sorry I skipped this one 😃
Yes, you really don't want to "free the data" on this one, Ben :)
Yeah, I’m thinking of getting one…. The elephant in the room is that the range goes as far as AA batteries. Sad really as it’s stunning but under neath is weak and short falls in distance. The reality is my mate has one and he struggles in driving it 80 miles. His words are he cannot wait to get rid of it…… take into account he may drive it like a mad man
The EVSE likely is made like many EVSE's are by OEM manufacturers. They are designed to work in both Europe and America, which is why that connector looks funky. You can very likely make a little conversion adapter cable and turn that EVSE into a 12A, Level 2 charger for about $40. Normally this would be pretty meaningless on a 60+kw/hr battery, but considering this battery is ridiculously small, charging at 2.8kw/hr will get you fully charged in about 10-11 hours.
Great journalism! I like really your honesty and knowledge!
I'd suggest that before you review a car you should do some research into the facts and features of the car. The reason the drivers seat has switches is because it electrically adjustable where as the passenger seat is not, it's manually adjustable.
I own a mild hybrid mx-30..I love the car and the driving experience. As long as they put a range extender I would trade it in a heartbeat.
So this is a year old video, but UA-cam put it at the front of my recommended list, so I watched it all the way through. And yes, I thought you were very harsh on Mazda with the title, and your overall comments. Let's face it, you tested the car in an urban area, and only went up in the mountains for an enthusiast's drive. As an urban vehicle, I would certainly consider it. I liked the full exterior, front and back. And the interior, where a driver will spend his or her time, was excellent; even you liked it. Slow charging, but most of my charging is level 2 at home and I have a solar PV system to charge "for free" on sunny days, and I don't drive every day since I'm a retiree. I'd only use commercial DC charging if I drove for several hours inter-city here in Florida.
I have two deposits on Fisker's cars: Ocean and Pear. I think that we'll find out that the Pear is in the same general category as this Mazda, and selling for below $30k MSRP, so it will give Mazda a run for the money. By the time the Pear is in production, I probably wouldn't consider this Mazda, but who knows what they'll be selling by then.
I'd be interested to know the feedback you got from Mazda after you returned the car and they saw your review.
My Goodness that bottom side of the car plastic looks like a huge Bumper all the way around. Also this is great video Kyle! I love hearing the truth!