The 2021 Toyota C-HR needs to be seen to be believed; the driving’s forgettable.
Pros Grabby looks Standard safety tech Rides well Decent value
Cons It’s courageous, for sure Rear seat’s dark, cramped Power’s low Meh mpg
Toyota's smallest SUV receives a boost to its safety cred for 2021 with an updated suite of driver-assistance features. Standard across the lineup is Toyota's Safety Sense 2.0 active safety system, which includes automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist with road-edge detection, traffic-sign recognition, automatic high-beam headlamps, and adaptive cruise control with lane-trace assist—which keeps it centered in the lane..
Pros Funk-tastic styling, nicely outfitted cabin, standard safety tech.
Cons Slothful acceleration, tight rear seat space, limited cargo room.
New Nightshade Edition available.Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 suite of safety features and driver aids now standard on all trims.
Pros Sporty handling makes it fun to zip around turns Comes standard with plenty of features, including safety tech Swoopy styling helps it stand out
Cons Unlike most rivals, it doesn't offer all-wheel drive Even in this slow class, acceleration is lethargic Pervasive road and engine noise in the cabin Minimal cargo space, even for its small segment
Perhaps we need to stop calling these cars SUVs, because the new Mazda CX-30 is really just a Mazda 3 on stilts, and all the better for it.
Pros Excellent dynamics Interior fit and finish Audio and infotainment system Active safety features Exterior and interior design, practical, makes more sense than a Mazda 3
Cons Ride felt a tad firm (European spec) Expected price premium over the Mazda 3 Infotainment housing a little old school Fits four adults at best
Slotting into the Mazda SUV lineup in the narrow space between the subcompact CX-3 and the compact CX-5 is the new—and curiously named—CX-30. Why isn't it called CX-4? We asked Mazda: It's kind of a long story. Regardless, we like the way it looks. Mazda's designers gave it a more severely forward-canted rear window and chunkier black-plastic body cladding to help differentiate the 2020 Mazda CX-30 from its other crossover siblings.The 2020 CX-30 shares much of its mechanicals and platform with the all-new Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback, so we expect it to have a 186-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, a six-speed automatic transmission and either front- or all-wheel drive. It's possible that Mazda's new gasoline-powered compression-ignition engine—which the company calls Skyactiv-X—is likely to be available in the CX-30 at some point down the road.
Good car, the Mazda CX-30. Handles well, looks smart and has a lovely interior. But as is always the case with crossovers – the conventional car on which it’s based (in this case the Mazda3 hatchback) is the sensible buy.
Pros Good-looking, decent to drive, lovely interior.
Cons Cramped rear, old-fashioned auto.
