It’s happening a lot quicker than I thought it would, but it looks like I’ll be the new owner of a Mazda CX-30 Hybrid SUV by the end of the month, having scored a pleasingly good trade-in deal for my 2018 Mazda 3. We both thought I’d be waiting months for a new car.
I had been considering a Toyota hybrid vehicle. I like Toyota’s hybrid petrol / electric system, the car runs on battery and petrol. The battery charges while you drive and the petrol engine kicks in only when you need it, it’s a smart system and very low on fuel. But after test driving the Toyota Yaris Cross yesterday, the road experience (for me) compared poorly to Mazda. I realised I wasn’t ready to sacrifice driving pleasure and comfort for my ideals.
Hubby got me onto Mazda years ago and I’ve had many years of great driving out of my Mazda 3 vehicles. I started looking at Mazda’s electric / hybrid MX-30 last year and yesterday discovered they had extended hybrid tech to Mazda 3 and CX-30. Unfortunately Mazda’s hybrid offering is quite different to Toyota’s. Battery power is generated from deceleration / braking energy and is used only to run auxiliary systems such as the air conditioner. So it is possibly contributing to greater fuel economy, although the savings seem quite marginal. However it was pointed out that I expect to do far less driving for the foreseeable future, and will be spending far less on fuel anyway. It made a good argument, and after test driving a new CX-30 I had pretty much abandoned the thought of a Toyota.
The CX-30 is a small SUV, a slightly different shape to my Mazda 3 hatch, a bit shorter and taller with more cabin space. It will fit Jo’s wheelchair with no trouble, and is only 3cm higher off the ground – it shouldn’t be a problem for Jo to climb in and out of. It is a beautiful car to drive, so it’s my hope that Mazda improves its hybrid offerings over the next couple of years, in time for my next trade. I opted for the Sonic Silver colour, with tinted windows, bonnet / head lamp protectors, and car mats were thrown in with a cash discount. Nice salesman Jay at Ipswich Mazda.
https://www.carexpert.com.au/mazda/cx-30/2022-g20e-evolve-m-hyb-vision-fwd-056bb574