Two things have happened since my first review of the CX-30. One, Mazda announced that North American customers will no longer get the smaller CX-3 for the 2022 model year. That now makes the CX-30 the smallest SUV in the lineup. The other bit of news is the addition of the powerful Skyactiv 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine to the CX-30 lineup.
You can imagine how many contenders were for each year. Selecting one was tough, but I also did not want to repeat myself year-after-year with the same vehicle or brand. That was how the last list was set up.
Obviously, the most popular lists on this website revolve around the vehicles I had worked with. My Favorite Vehicles of [insert year here] are ones that fulfill your questions year after year. And, every year, you have opinions on it.
The first time I worked with the newest Mazda3, it arrived at the worst time in my life. I was going through my mystery health issue that ended up getting corrected after almost two months of frustration, tests, pain, and a wrong prescription.
There is some truth to this. Consider how the first generation RX-7 became an icon by focusing their rotary engine development towards performance to engage with enthusiasts looking for something different in the marketplace. One could argue that the 626 had a sporty demeanor that could be seen as a 3-Series fighter – sort of.
Translation: Japanese cars were thought of as cheap tin boxes that would never make it through a Minnesota winter. That was the mentality of the American consumer until the last couple of decades. It does help that several Japanese automakers set up shop building vehicles on our soil to change our collective minds.
Developing a new SUV is the norm these days. Sometimes it is at the expense of cutting a sedan, coupe, wagon, or hatchback from the lineup. In this case, the 2020 CX-30 has not replaced any single model.
In an age where the SUV and crossover are the bane of our existence, we often forget that a small car will do. The advantages are clear – if you don’t need a lot of space and can carry average-size folks and their luggage across town or further afield, then you really don’t need an SUV. Especially one that may be of the same size as your small car.
Victory & Reseda’s ninth anniversary celebration cannot be complete with a look back at the vehicles that made this site what it is today. Not the way back machine you read through the past several days.
I’m still picking up from the "cutting room floor" vehicles that did not make the cut back in 2017 for the sake of our ninth anniversary. This is really an exercise that tests my memory, as well as giving a look back at vehicles that have stood the test of time over a decade ago.