Is the Mazda CX-30 bigger than the CX-5?

Many people want a large car for the extra legroom and storage space. However, some people may prefer a smaller car that fits better in city traffic and is easier on a tight budget. Either way, size matters when you’re shopping for a new car.

The Mazda CX-5 is bigger than the CX-30 by a few inches in both exterior and interior dimension measurement. The CX-5 will take up more room on the road, but it will also have more comfortable seating. The differences stay consistent across the various trims and packages available with each model.

Keep reading to see exactly what the size differences look like on the 2021 CX-5 and CX-30 models. This article will also discuss other vehicle features that may make one model the better choice for you.

Exterior Dimensions

The wheel size is the only measurement that changes slightly for different trims. However, the difference is just an inch or two and the CX-5 has bigger wheels in nearly every case. Most CX-5s have 19 inch wheels while the CX-30 packages typically have 18 inch wheels. The rest of the exterior dimension measurements are the exact same for every package available for the CX-5 and CX-30.

The wheelbase, a measurement from the center of the front tires to the center of the back tires, is 106.2 inches for the CX-5 and 104.4 inches for the CX-30. The difference in length measurement is even larger, with the CX-5 coming in at 179.1 inches and the CX-30 at 173 inches.

This means that there is not only extra space in the seating area between the wheels, but also extra length in the trunk and hood areas of the car.

The width measurements have a smaller difference than the length with the CX-30 being 70.7 inches wide and the CX-5 being 72.5 inches wide, excluding the outside mirror width. To get a more specific look at the width of the car the track measurements may be helpful since they look at the distance between tires in the front and back separately.

With both of these Mazda models, the front and rear track measurements do not differ from each other. The track measurement for the front and back wheels of the CX-30 is 61.6 inches versus 62.8 on the CX-5.

The Mazda CX-5 has a shark fin antenna and roof rails that add to the appearance of its height. However, for a true comparison, we need to look at the height without including these sporty additions.

The height of the CX-5 without roof rails or fins is 65.4 inches for four-wheel drive and 65.3 inches for all-wheel drive. Either way, it is taller than the CX-30 that measures 61.7 inches tall.

Although it is not exactly related to the size of the car, it is important to note that the CX-30 has slightly higher ground clearance than the CX-5. measured in an empty car, the CX-30 has a minimum ground clearance of 8 inches while the CX-5 has a clearance of 7.5 inches. This isn’t a huge difference, but may be important depending on what kind of conditions you plan on driving your car in.

Interior Dimensions

The few extra inches on the exterior dimensions definitely contribute to the extra space that passengers will enjoy in a Mazda CX-5. The headroom measurements for the CX-5 change slightly with each package depending on whether or not there is a moonroof.

There is either 39.3 or 39.7 inches of headroom in the front of the car and 39.0 inches of headroom in the back. Any CX-5 package will beat the CX-30 that has 38.1 inches of headroom in the front and 38.3 inches in the back.

CX-5 front seats have 57.1 inches of shoulder room and 55.2 inches of hip room. The shoulder room is more limited in the back seat at 54.8 inches, but the hip room is still generous at 55.3 inches. The CX-30 front seats have 55.6 inches of shoulder room, and 55.2 inches of hip room just like the CX-5.

The backseat is significantly smaller with 53.6 inches of shoulder room and 53.3 inches of hip room. The shoulder and hip room measurements see some similarities between the models, but overall, the CX-5 is still the winner regarding passenger space.

Legroom is probably the interior dimension measurement that people pay the most attention to. The CX-5 is still solidly ahead of the CX-30, boasting 41 inches in the front seat and 39.6 inches in the back seat.

Mazda has not claimed any specific front seat legroom measurements for the 2021 CX-30, but judging by the back seat measurement of 36.3 inches, we know that the CX-5 definitely has more legroom.

Besides passenger space, another perk of having a large interior is having plenty of cargo space. The CX-5 has almost 10 cubic feet more cargo space, and also has the option to fold down the back seats for even more volume. With the seats up, the CX-5 claims a cargo volume of 30.9 cubic feet and the CX-30 has only 20.2 cubic feet. If you need lots of trunk space, the CX-5 is the obvious choice.

CX-5

The 2021 CX-5 comes in 7 different trim options with a range of features that can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $37,000. Most trims have a 2.5L engine with 186 pound per feet of torque.

You can get the CX-5 in four-wheel or all-wheel drive. The gas mileage estimate for FWD is 25 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway, while the AWD is slightly lower with 24 mpg city and 30 mpg highway.

CX-30

The 2021 CX-30 also comes in 7 different package options. These models are slightly more affordable with prices ranging from $22,000 to $34,000, likely because of their smaller size. Most packages have the same engine that the CX-5 does, but the more expensive options have a turbo engine that boasts 250 horsepower.

The CX-30 has slightly better fuel efficiency estimates with FWD predicting 25 mpg in the city, but 33 mpg on the highway.