Compare the2026 Mazda CX-30VS 2026 Honda HR-V

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The CX-30 has standard Whiplash-Reducing Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The HR-V doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-30. But it costs extra on the HR-V.

The CX-30 Premium/Turbo Aire has a standard 360° View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The HR-V only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The CX-30 has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the HR-V Sport/EX-L offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CX-30 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Smart Braking Support - Rear Crossing on the Preferred/Carbon/Aire/Premium automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the HR-V Sport/EX-L offers Cross Traffic Monitor and the HR-V’s Cross Traffic Monitor does not include automatic braking.

Both the CX-30 and the HR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mazda CX-30 is safer than the Honda HR-V:

	CX-30	HR-V
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26.7%	30.8%
Leg Forces (l/r)	201/172 lbs.	279/312 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	179	278
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	33.5%	41.3%

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mazda CX-30 is safer than the Honda HR-V:

	CX-30	HR-V
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	87
Hip Force	239 lbs.	418 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	121	173
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	61 G’s
Hip Force	623 lbs.	910 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	161	292
Spine Acceleration	40 G’s	42 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda third in reliability, above the industry average. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 12th.

Engine

The CX-30’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 28 more horsepower (186 vs. 158) and 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 138) than the HR-V’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The CX-30’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 92 more horsepower (250 vs. 158) and 182 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 138) than the HR-V’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Mazda CX-30 is faster than the Honda HR-V:

	CX-30 4 cyl.	CX-30 turbo 4 cyl.	HR-V
Zero to 30 MPH	3.2 sec	2 sec	4.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.7 sec	6.8 sec	11.1 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.2 sec	n/a	6.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.7 sec	15.1 sec	18.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88 MPH	91.4 MPH	81 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CX-30 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The HR-V doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Brakes and Stopping

The CX-30 stops shorter than the HR-V:

	CX-30	HR-V
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	147 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The CX-30 has engine speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The HR-V doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The CX-30 2.5 S Premium handles at .84 G’s, while the HR-V EX-L AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The CX-30 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the HR-V EX-L AWD (27 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CX-30’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the HR-V’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.1 feet). The CX-30’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the HR-V Sport’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CX-30 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the HR-V LX/EX-L (8 vs. 7 inches), allowing the CX-30 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The CX-30’s minimum ground clearance is .7 inch higher than on the HR-V Sport (8 vs. 7.3 inches).

Chassis

The CX-30 is 6.8 inches shorter than the HR-V, making the CX-30 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The CX-30 has .6 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more rear headroom and 5.8 inches more rear hip room than the HR-V.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the CX-30 Premium/Turbo Aire Edition has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The HR-V doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Aire/Premium, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each keyless remote activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The HR-V doesn’t offer a memory system.

The CX-30 Premium/Turbo Aire has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The HR-V doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the CX-30 and the HR-V have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the CX-30 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The HR-V prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The CX-30’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The HR-V’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the HR-V Sport/EX-L’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

The CX-30 Preferred/Carbon/Aire/Premium’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The HR-V’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The CX-30’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the HR-V’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-30 Premium/Turbo Aire has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The HR-V doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the CX-30 Preferred/Carbon/Aire/Premium is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The HR-V’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The CX-30’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The HR-V offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

On extremely cold winter days, the CX-30 Turbo/Premium’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The HR-V doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Aire/Premium has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The HR-V doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

Both the CX-30 and the HR-V offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Aire/Premium has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The HR-V doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Compared to the Honda HR-V, the Mazda CX-30 eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Compared to traditional radio, the Mazda CX-30’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the HR-V EX-L.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Mazda CX-30 and the Honda HR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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